Move over Thelma and Louise!!! Here comes Patty and Kristalle!!

So Friday I picked Patty up from the airport and we were off in the convertible. Just for fun we drove around the airport 4 times because it was so cute (more because we KEPT MISSING our exit) and kept taking the airport return to go back.. ha ha

(The Thelma and Louise theme I will need to take a picture of the sign Patty made so I would not miss her at the airport)


Well we were on the road talking a mile a minute (reason 1, 2 we missed the exit) it was like being with an old friend, the minute she got off the plane it felt like we had known each other FOREVER! And it was a great time, no awkward silences, we spent 5 full days together and it was SO MUCH FUN!! There were people in both our lives worried about if we would get along or if she was crazy (just like me) but it was AWESOME!!

We finally hit the road and we were South Dakota bound, we stopped for a healthy (er) lunch at Subway on the way and talk about EVERYTHING (I am so sending you a SEXY thong) life, marriage, running there was just something so comfortable about being with her, we finally got to Spearfish and checked into our hotel. The guy at the front was rude when I had explained that I had called to make sure we could have a late checkout on Sunday after the race so we could have a shower before the 5 hour drive home. It was funny really.



Saturday morning we headed to the Expo and met Elaine its amazing what hearing ones persons experience can set a fire in someone else. We picked up our packages and chips and headed out for lunch. We decide to plot the coarse and drive it just to see what it would be like. We mapped it from where we were told we would start and headed on our way, I was almost in tears at the end when I realized there was a HUGE HILL we had to run up at the end to the tune of 3 miles!!! Patty told me not to worry and I would be fine (secretly I was PANICKING!!) we were so sure this was the way we paid special attention driving it back. It was SO BEAUTIFUL out there the scenery really was relaxing and calming. We headed back to the hotel to rest a bit before the spaghetti dinner.

At dinner we met these amazing ladies. They had all met online as well and have been running marathons together ever since. Me and Marjorie (first one on the left) chatted like old friends and even teared up a few times talking about running and what running means for each of us. Harriette having only know 1/2 hour offered to let me use her camel back as I was stressing that I had left mine at home and Mary actually lives and runs in the same area as Patty.
Dinner was AWESOME and we met some great friends. I hope to keep in contact with these ladies and maybe see them again and run with them next year!!



We woke up at 3am just to be sure we had plenty of time to get to the finish line where the buses were going to pick us up and take us to the start. We drove to where we had mapped the coarse and we saw all the water stations along the way so we knew we were heading in the right direction. And we drove and we were both wondering out loud "WHERE THE HELL IS IT!!" We were the ONLY car on the road so we double checked the time to see if we had made a mistake and drove the coarse AGAIN (me in panic about the 3 mile hill at the end) then we FINALLY saw another car and wanted to follow it. We at this time realized we had already missed the bus to the start so we just drove there and sure enough everything worked out. Within minutes of us parking the buses with everyone else pulled up.
We made it to the Porta Potties just before the buses unloaded and you could feel the nervous tension in the air. We walked the 500meters to the start and we did a little stretching AND WE WERE OFF!!!

It was amazing and beautiful, and fun, and exciting, and emotional..... Words can not express what this experience was like...






After the race Patty and I went for a "dip" in this waterfall.. yeah it was BELOW freezing water but its great for muscle issues and helps with cramping... I wish I was CRAZY enough to post the picture that Patty hard taken of my in the water.. Yeah its not pretty At all and it was so PAINFUL!!

Be back soon!!!!

And I will tell y'all about it... IT WAS AMAZING!!!

4 miles walk

I went out with a friend today although it was a brisk walk the time was NOT good at all. I did break a sweat though so that's good. I am hoping to get out a few more times this week before the BIG 1/2 this weekend.. I am excited and VERY NERVOUS at the same time.... I know I can do the distance and I know I CAN NOT run the distance but it will be a good gauge at where I am at.

6 miles Rollerblading

The first time on rollerblades in 2 years. It was so much fun!!! My legs feel a little weird but because I skipped out on my 12 miles this Sunday I wanted to start to do different things because I was feeling a little "burnt out" I love the mile I have been logging but Sunday was a weird day and I really was not "feeling it" so I opted out of doing ANY exercise. And it felt good till today...lol
I will be back on track tomorrow doing my early morning run.
The more I think about postponing my full marathon the more I think it is a better idea. I am excited about my half coming up and I will use that as a guide.

3 miles BIKING

Yeah I bought a bike at a yard sale. Its brand new and been driven 2 times (it looks like it too) this lady's grandma had bought it and was afraid to use it so I got it for a steal for $20!!! WEEHOO
I was going to buy one for $150 and I am all about saving some cash!! Oh and it has a "beach" seat so my big fat ass fits on it... but let me tell you about different muscle groups!! MY LEGS ARE SO WOBBLY!

This explains it all!!

Oh yeah another lesson

This is my calves after Sundays 9 miles...

Yeah...

Note to self. Higher altitude means MORE sun screen.

3 miles 48:28

I WISH it was easier to get up in the morning. It feels so good to be out there and be the only one one the trails. I even leave my music at home so I can listen to the noises of the early morning.
It was rough this morning I am not even sure if I ran at all. Actually I did for about 2/10ths of a miles and that was it... and early morning quick walk and I am sweating more than if I was running.
Weird no?
Oh and I will post pictures of the OTHER lesson I learned this Sunday.. yeah I am in pain

9 miles 2:22:48

Patty was right about learning a lesson each long run you do...They are tough lessons at that. Today's lesson on the agenda was the importance of not breaking in new shoes (not new really but first time out for a "run") on a long run. Yeah lets just say I have blisters on ever toe and ALL up my heal from those damn shoes.... yeah lesson learned.

See when I headed out I told the hubby I was going to do today's 12 miles in 3 mile increments to avoid injury and also to spread it out during the day seeing how I am already struggling with the miles.
Well 1.5 miles (the turn around point) turned int0 2 miles turned into 3 miles and having learned last weekend the valuable lesson of hydration I was sure not to learn that lesson again and brought along the hydration pack "just in case" seeing how I am learning pretty quick its about how you feel once you get going that will determine how far you will go.
So at 4 miles I called home to tell him not to lock the door because he was leaving and I was going to be at least another hour he says "Oh I though you were only doing 3 miles"
"Yeah well my body decided other wise"
My first 4 miles were pretty strong I aimed to run at least 1/2 of each mile and that was still a struggle at 4.5 miles on my way back I noticed another path and decided it looked as if it went pretty far and it was all up hill (I was still feeling pretty good at this point) and I wanted to challenge myself so I decided my 8 miles was going to turn into 9 miles that way I would have less to do later in the day. Well I headed up the hill for the 1/2 mile and then jogged back down; talk about BURN!! Anyways it was all my body could handle and I think I pushed a little to hard because my legs became tree trunks and it took all my mind, body and spirit not to call the hubby to come get me. The last 3.5 miles were HELL so much so that by my final 1 1/2 mile I was barely walking it was more of a stroll and it took EVERYTHING in me just to finish. There were 2 short cuts on my way home that I could have taken and I kept telling myself "Screw that you did not run that hill for nothing!!"
I made it just barely. My feet ARE KILLING ME!! So much so I actually filled the bathtub with COLD water and put my feet in for 5 minutes. I also iced my shins by kneeling in and tried to ice my thighs a little too but it was SO COLD I could only splash water on them.
3 more miles tonight. **sigh**

Reflection: Today was a really tough day and the last 2 miles aloud me to really think about this whole running situation. I promise Patty I will do this 1/2 marathon we have coming up and really work as hard as I can but the more I think that our full marathon is in 3 months and I only have 16 more weeks of training the more I am thinking I am going to have to postpone my full marathon. I was thinking I may do the 1/2 in Detroit and then start the training from scratch to do the FULL LA marathon in March. That way I will have a year of training under my belt. I really feel the struggle with my miles right now some of its the altitude some of it is the extra weight I am carrying around and I am working to fix both. Today my max run was 1/2 mile and I could barely finish the 9 miles. I am not saying I can not push myself to do the full I am just saying I would prefer to not have to walk 1/2 of it. I would like to be in better shape and at least be able to run 13 miles when all I can do now if I REALLY push is 1 full mile maybe 1 1/2 but then I am beat.

We will see what the future holds I am just thinking out loud here.

2 miles in the rain

I tell you what. Thunder and lightning sure make you move a lot faster than normal.... I had headed out for 6 miles and I realized it was drizzling a bit so I just layered up and headed out only to be chased back in by the rail that was the size of gold balls.

3 miles

And it took forever. I am hoping my body will let me run come Thursday I have 6 miles then have 12 on Sunday which I am mentally preparing for because its going to be a LONG one and I am going to aim to do as much of it at one time as I can.
It was good to get back out although I only "jogged" a bit of it and that was to chase after my dog...

3 miles walking

The wonderful percent of body fat... UGGGG
This is my official weigh in on my scale....


Oh and big news. I joined weight watchers last night. It was time. I have been putting in all these miles and I am not losing weight so I needed that push. Also I know that the reason I am not able to "run" that far is also because I have all this extra weight I have. So 60 pounds is my goal sounds like A LOT however I weighed in @ 189.8 pounds. So yeah 60 pounds.
And these are my official before pics.
My best girlfriend has had MUCH success with the program and is down 20 pounds. I am hoping this will be "quick" way to jump start my ass saying goodbye party.

2 miles walk + 8 = 10 miles for the day!!

WEEHOOO I seriously did not think I could go out for the other 2 miles but my dog is so friggin cute and shes been sick so we went out for a nice little stroll and SHE LOVED IT...... So did I, I even worked up a little bit of a sweat @ 7:30pm...

8 miles 2:10

So today I learned the valuable lesson of dehydration and chest pains. I was really sick last night and I had to give myself an injection which knocks me out, good thing is I get a GOOD rest, bad thing is that the next day I am like a slug very groggy and lethargic oh not to mention the injection dehydrates me.
Anyways I headed out for my run and had intentions of only doing 6 miles then doing 4 later in the evening because I am "just" getting back to it and I do not want to burn myself out.. ok where was I . Oh I was headed out for 6 miles and at the end of mile 3 I was feeling good so I thought "ok lets do 8 miles instead of just 6 then you only have to do 2 miles later"
Well I failed to be prepared and I was only ready for 6 miles at mile 3.5 I was out of fluids which was not a horrible thing because I usually do not really drink all that much...... until I started to feel sick and I dry heaved for a few minutes and barfed what little fluids I had left.
So I walked because I was 4.5 miles from home and I was really unsure what I was going to do. I walked slow and my body started to ache and hurt. Well THANK GOODNESS these wonderful bike trails I run on our city owned and I remember that at the baseball diamonds I remember there were bathrooms. Fingers crossed (that they were open) I walked a little quicker thinking I could always drink out of the puddles if I needed to and the baseball diamonds were only another mile and a half away I was SO dehydrated I EVEN STOPPED SWEATING!!!
**Note to self valuable lesson #1 when re hydrating ones self YOU NEED TO DO IT SLOWLY or you are going to BARF your face off**
So yeah the bathrooms were open and I downed LOTS of water only to immediately vomit it back up. Some friendly bikers stopped to see if I was ok and I just laughed and said I swallowed a big bug (seeing how I could have chose to use the bathroom to barf I did it outside to avoid whatever grossness was in the toilet from splashing back up at me. I sat and stretched for about 5- 10 minutes while SLOWLY drinking some water and then headed back out to finish up.
The last mile was hell I am not sure if its because I knew it was only another mile before I could stretch and sit and shower or because my body had just given up.
BUT WEEHOOOO my longest distance yet even though I walked most of it

2 miles with the dog tonight.

Oh and I started having chest pains about every mile which I think was just a mix of anxiety and the rest of the medication wearing off which I was even surprised I was able to get up and get going. Only really worried me about 2 times because I was winded but it I listened to my body and they wore off so I kept going. Not as fast as usual but I DID it!!

4.25 miles 1:07

So I was going to do 5 but there was not enough time because I was a little "slow" getting out of the gates this morning. I do admit though getting the run out of the way before my eyes are even open is a WAY better way to do this. That way I have no excuses and I can come home from work and have "me and hubby" time.

I will do the other .75 miles with the dog today after work on her nightly walk.

3 miles 48:20

I walked the dog and tried to keep it as fast as possible.... I sweat quite a bit so its good. I am taking tomorrow off (Wed) and I am making it up on Friday and taking Sat off before my 10 miles on Sunday.
I am getting really excited for my 1/2 marathon coming up in 6 weeks!! I need to really keep up with my runs and give it my all. We are getting a gym member ship at a gym that is open 24 hours so I will have NO EXCUSES!!! Also the weather here is a little weird. Tonight I was getting ready to go out for a 5 mile rollerblade then it starts to POUR!!!

6 miles 1:30

OH YEAH BABY!!!(you can re-read that if you need to because I was JUST AS SHOCKED!!!)

The best run/walk EVER. I was supposed to do 9 miles today but in listening to my body and just getting back into things I am going to stick to the schedule for all miles this week to get back to where I was with the exception of today. My back started to spasm a bit towards the end of mile 5 and I was coming back to the house to do the last 3 with the dog but after I stretched and almost barfed I decided to make the executive decision and not push it too hard.

The breathing is still really hard when I get going I just try to work through it as best I can taking long deep breaths and cheering myself on seems to work! It will come though I just need to be patient.

15 minute MILES!!! WEEHOOO which is a HUGE improvement!!! It felt SO good today. My first 3 miles we strong I even ran 1/2 mile straight in my 3rd mile. I tried to run as much as I walked and it showed.

I AM SO PROUD!! And so excited at the same time!!! Now all I have to do is double that with the same time by marathon time and we are good!lol

One day at a time! Ha ha there were some "real" runners out today covered in mud (we had a huge thunderstorm) and as they ran past me and left me in there dust I just plugged along in hopes that, that WILL be me one day!!

Patience!!

3 miles 48:51

So yeah I was going for 5 but my body prevented me from it.... its so frustrating its one step forward and another back. This FRIGGIN altitude is kicking my ass in a bad way. I was up to running at least a mile of the 3 and now I can barely run 2/10ths of a mile before my breathing makes me stop.
Not to mention the dizzy spells I have been having for the last week too... but everyone says it will go away.
Heres hoping!!

6.11 miles 1:43:07

My first 3 miles were not so bad giving the altitude and everything. 6200 feet above sea level so the air is thinner. I tried to run but was having some serious breathing issues so I just took it slow and steady so that I could finish the 6 miles. I was going to aim for 8 but the last 2 miles of my journey I was fighting the need to poop. Really poop. So bad that I almost had to squat but I was unprepared without my tissues because the first 20 times I went out and took them I never used them... always the case.

Anyways good news is I am back on track and it feels GOOD!!! Oh and some more good news!!

THIS TOWN WAS MADE FOR RUNNING (biking actually but I am going to steal it for myself)!!! I found the SWEETEST 10 straight miles of city owned and cared for bike paths. They are UNBELIEVABLE and beautiful and safe. And although I only did 3 miles of it today because my first 3 miles I ran on the road then followed these bike riders up this HUGE hill only to find these AWESOME trails I am really excited about this. They have maps and are full of people biking and walking and a few runners and everyone says hello and good morning.

I think I may like it here. (after I get used to the altitude) But WEEEHOOOO something to be super excited about.

Oh and I also told the hubby that with my first pay I am buying a bike so that on my off days (days after long runs when I am scheduled to run) I am going to go out and bike 2 times the distance of my scheduled run.

3 miles walking

Yep sure is kicking my ass. I tried to run a little at least and its REALLY draining. So yeah my big run is tomorrow and I am prepare.

My bladder for my hydration pack is in the freezer.
My pack is packed with gels, almonds, and trail mix.
My music is ready.
My shoes and outfit are picked out.
My breakfast is picked out.
My boost is chilling for after my run.
My whole wheat pasta is chilling for after my run.
Alarm clock set!

So my goal is AT LEAST 6 miles tomorrow while I try to get back on track hopefully more depending on how I am feeling and how it all works with the altitude because I am planning on running at least a little of it
. I am so thankful Patty is letting me borrow her GPS because it is SO handy especially now that I am somewhere where I do not know the area.
So off to bed

1 Mile Walking

Well lets just say its going to take a bit for me to get used to this altitude. On a 1 mile (probably longer) walk I was panting hard after 1/2 mile. Not to mention sweating like a beast!!
I really need to get focused and work through this and get back on track after almost a week 1/2 off.

3 miles 48:10

I swear it takes me AT least a mile to get warmed up.. But it seems to be getting easier?? I ran on the treadmill while talking to the couple beside me. And I could breath...
Too soon to tell I will let you know this weekend.. Oh and more FAT pictures...

7 miles 1:47:15

WEEHOOO BABY!!! Today was the BEST run EVER!!! 3 days of rest really made the difference. I mean I was sick so I was FORCED to rest but still it made today seem AMAZING!!
I think I have figured out from talking to Patty and reading stuff about paces and such today I walked my first 1/2 mile to get the blood flowing then I ran 1/2 mile and tried to keep up as much running as possible.

Mile 1~ 14:04
Mile 2~ 28:54
Mile 3~ 44:04
Mile 4~ 59:00
Mile 5~ 1:14
Mile 6~ 1:30
Mile 7~ 1:47:15

I CAN NOT BELIEVE I DID 7 MILES!!! WEEHOOOO What a great run. And I am not a sore as I usually am when I come back from a run, my legs were not as heavy as they usually feel, and I think I could have even made a better time had I REALLY pushed it.

Anyways going to stretch really good and have a LONG shower!!!

I have been sick

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't, you're right."

- Henry Ford

So lets talk about this for a bit. I have been sick. Like so sick when I came home from work on Thursday (I was supposed to do 3 miles) I gave myself and injection and went to bed. And then Friday where I was going to make up my 3 miles I left work at 10am and came home and went to bed. I have also been barfing and had the squirts. I know too much information but just so when I read back in 5 months I do not see myself making excuses. And then Saturday where I was supposed to only walk 4 miles I still was not feeling very well so I did not go.

I am doing what I said I would do "Listen to my body" so today I have 7 miles on my schedule and I am going to push myself to do it. Although I am still not feeling well and my head has started to run (nose) I am going to push through and hopefully what ever is going on in my body will just die.

3 miles 49:55

I am at a loss of what to do. I have figured out I can run "most" of it at the same pace as my fastest walk which give me hope. However with these STUPID shin splints I feel like I am not making any progress.

17 minute miles?? That means the marathon will take me 7 hours and 42 minutes.

I am going to push through the next few weeks and if this stays the same I am really going to have to do something about it. Maybe take time off to heal but then when I start up again its only going to be worse and I am going to be behind in my training.

One word: FRUSTRATED!!

3 miles... well sort of

Ok so muscle spasms prevented me from running today. Well sort of. My first mile through the pain and spasm was 18:01 so I got off the treadmill (I know I need to be outside but it was too late) and I stretched. And then I lifted some weights. I did some leg lifts and leg curls with weights and stretched it out some more. Because of the shin splints I changed it up and used the elliptical machine. I pushed it hard and timed it with what my regular miles would have been so 15 minutes per mile for 2 miles for 30 minutes. It was good it took all the pressure off my shins and allowed me to really sweat and work it out.
So a compromise of sorts. Tomorrow is a day off so I will ice my shins like I should be and really work for a GREAT 3 miles on Wednesday.

6 miles 1:38:14

Umm yeah... 6 miles. Not sure what to say about that.
Other than I AM GETTING REALLY FRUSTRATED THAT I CAN NOT EVEN RUN A FULL MILE!!
I know I know, it takes time but this morning when I woke up I talked to myself saying "You are going to run the first 2 miles. You can do it no problems"
And then I get out there and my legs are like LEAD!! I know it will happen but I wanted it yesterday I just want to RUN 3 miles!! I would love to just go out for 1/2 hour and come back having knocked out 3 miles.

But on a good note today I learned that I can use a camel back instead of the waste pack which is a HUGE relief it did not even hurt my back at all which is good news. It also allowed me space to carry all the other crap I needed to take with me...lol Just in case

4 miles walk

WEEEHOOO week one is done.

18 miles logged. (well more than that if you add in my other "walking" numbers) but to stick with the training 18 miles that I was training for.

6 mile run tomorrow.

3.01 miles 46:32 minutes

I just hope that one day I will wake up and my shin splints will be gone. And then I can run. Serious they are SO BAD that I can barely walk my 3 miles.

But tomorrow is a new day. And a day off, and then Sat is a 4 mile walk leading up to my 6 miles on Sunday so rest is good at this point.

Going to stretch and pray that the shin splints with mysteriously just go away!!

3.01 miles 45 minutes

+ 3.5 miles busy running around today : )

Ok so I stayed home from work sick. Did a bunch of running around this morning, a little shopping ect. Did you know if you walk up every isle in DSW (my favorite shoe store) you will have logged about half a mile? lol just saying that's all..

Today's I walked because I was suffering from a migraine and had to take meds that make me very groggy. But I went out anyways and I although I walked there were quite a few times I felt like breaking out in a run. Hopefully if I rest well tonight I can push myself hard for my 3 miles tomorrow.

3 miles 50:06

Yeah the longest 3 miles of my life to this date.
I am really sore from the 5 miles yesterday and I have really bad shin splints but I went out anyways.
And I talked myself through the whole 3 miles. Again I was going to quit and add miles to minutes later in the week and I was in SO MUCH pain that I REALLY wanted to but I did not. I also thought to cheat and only do 2.5 miles because I walked 1.5 at work today (but I am not counting it because it was a "leisurely" walk) and no on would know but me.
Yeah but I would only be cheating myself and I know that. And now that its all done.
WEEHOOO

5.06 miles 1:26:44

WEEHOO!!! And this from the girl who 4 weeks ago thought there was NO WAY she could do 3 miles.
It was tough though I am not going to lie, the first 2 miles I ran/walked which I tried to "run" most of it even if it was a little jog faster than my walking pace. Pushing through the first mile was the hardest. Then at the end of 2 miles (2.2 miles) I was going to call it quits and just do 3 miles later in the day but then I thought "If I do it all now then I do not have to go back out and run" Not to mention that I am also sick with a cold and my nose has been running all night and that's what made it the hardest the first mile. But after 1 mile my nose "mysteriously" stopped running and my head cold sort of "took a break" (probably because I was sweating SO DAMN bad and my body was hurting so the head cold just bowed out gracefully to allow my other ailments to torture me)
Oh yeah and today I again waiting till 11am to head out when the sun is the hottest..yeah not a good idea but I guess I will learn.
Anyways 2.2 miles down I decided to take the dog out on my 2.1 mile trail because she would love it and that way I would have in 4 miles and then I could just tack the extra mile onto my run tomorrow.
Well after the 2.1 with the dog I brought her home and thought "Shit whats one more mile when you are in it already for 4?"
So I went to the gym AND I RAN MY LAST 1/2 MILE!!!! Then I took the last 1/2 mile for a cool down so as to assure myself, that I still had legs and they would work.

Oh and I will not even mention how hard it was to walk up the stairs back home...

BUT WEEHOOOOO!!! I am feeling like a rock star. Day one training down!!

2 miles 31:45

I was going to make another excuse not to run today and it was getting late and I did not want to be running in the dark until I have the proper gear so I used the treadmill.
It was a good gauge to see if I felt the same on the treadmill as I did in the streets.
Its so weird the first miles seems IMPOSSIBLE my breathing is bad, my lungs burn and I can not get through a whole mile running, so I walk and then coming up at the end of mile one I get this wind, this burn to just give it and I can run like the wind. And then when I am done because I do not want to over do it, it almost feels to me like I can keep going?
Dripping in sweat so I need a shower.
I wonder if its just that I am a distant runner and I need 2 miles to get warmed up??lol Well I hope so!! Time will tell with my 5 miles coming up this Sunday. Need to pace myself till then

2.6 miles 41 minutes

2 miles 32 minutes
The other .6 miles I took my dog with me for my cool down.

Things I learned today.

1. Having big boobs allows for extra room to carry house keys, energy beans and MP3 Player. Which was very useful because I returned my hydro pack yesterday because it was too bulky and heavy.

2. It is not a good idea to procrastinate all morning when you get up at 7 and then do your runs @ 11 in the morning when the sun is at its hottest (I KNOW this)

Ok so I feel better than I did the last time I did this distance and I almost feel like I could do more which is good.

However with my training starting next Sunday I am having so MUCH self doubt about if I can do this or not. I know I am just trying to freak myself out but I am going to have to find strength in myself this week to do this.

I need to start to eat better and make smarter food choices. I am not going to cut anything out I just need to start eating full meals and eat more healthy stuff. Snack on fruits and veggies ect.

I also need to start talking to myself about the training.

I CAN DO THIS.

I CAN DO THIS.

Maybe I will do another 2 miles tonight? I will wait till the sun goes down and see how I feel.

2 miles 30:32

It was rough. Really rough. I can NEVER take that kind of time off again.
I also need to really concentrate on my breathing. Its so weird I feel like my body can keep running but my lungs feel like they are going to burst so I walk. After about 30 seconds I can run again. I am going to pay more attention to how fast I start out, because this only happens at the beginning then need the end its my body that can not run anymore and not my lungs.

A good laugh

Ok these were WAY to funny not to post. Sorry about the bad quality I had to take a picture of the picture because they want $49.99 for these pictures on a CD. Are they nuts.... I laughed so hard at these pictures I cried. So did everyone else who has seen them.

But they are a gauge. My first race. It will be neat to look back after all is said and done and I am finished my first full marathon and see these pictures because it looks like I am about to die. And I am, I went straight from the finish to barf....LOL...

I think I may be a little crazy!!

Well at least it was not DEAD last!

The results are in.

800 out of 909 people

111 in my division out of 127 people (I would just like to add that I beat at least 2, 27 year olds!

Official time 44:04 Pace 14:13 per mile.

I think the time is a little off though, because when we all went to stand at the start, being my first race and all I was in the crowd of people and this buff guy turns to me and says "Oh you run a 5 minute mile???"
I was stunned and I asked for clarification and was explained they have mile markers in the pack and that I should find the one with the time/pace for the miles I will be running.
I laugh out loud then start walking to the back of the pack. THE WAY BACK with all the strollers and little kids. And it took FOREVER (well with 909 people) to get all the way to where it actually starts.
So my time was better than 44:04 is all I am saying...

My first race!! 5km 3 miles 44min

Getting ready to leave the hubby said I looked the part!
Up before the sun!

My lucky socks!! Thanks Patty

But I finished!!! 15 min miles but I DID IT!! It was so awesome!! It was a beautiful day and the run was a lot of fun. It was mostly up hill and it certainly kicked my ass but now I have a better idea of what to expect.
I should have listened to Patty and paid close attention to what I ate the day before.
Last night was the worst sleep EVER I woke up at 3am to vomit. I think it was more nerves and freaking myself out.
I was not dead last but I think I was in my division the results are not up yet but I will post them as soon as I see them also you'll get to see my sweaty self in the after race pictures.

Its so funny the way home all I could think was "Well that was not THAT bad"


Oh this is were I cried after the run. Partly because it was so beautiful, mostly because I could puke and no one would see me...

2 miles 36min (walking)

So I am trying to let my shin splints heal for the race this Sunday, I took the dog and she LOVED it and it felt good to get moving again because I have had the last 2 days off.
I will be joining a running group to stay motivated, they have been around since 1999 and have 1200 members and they meet every Sunday morning @ 6:30am so I will be going the next free Sunday that I have. I think it will be great to hear every ones experiences and get some running in with other people (or at least try)

2 miles 40:00

2 very painful miles. I tried to run and as I did I promised myself that I would make it to the next tree, the next stop light, just past the train tracks. Until I started to limp, I am thinking its just a shin splint but the pain was shooting up into my hip. I massaged it really good (through tears) and finished my 2 miles very slowly, after some more walking it felt like it was getting a little better it seems to only be my left shin that is giving me issues!!
I almost hitched hiked back up the hill right before home. I mean who would have known??lol

I did take my pack with me today, but no water. All I took was my cell phone, music and pedometer. It seems to have been better and maybe all I need to do is build up the strength in my core so I can actually carry it with water.

I have also decided for the next 4 days till my run I am only going to run on Thursday the other days I am going to cross train and go to a Bikram yoga class for a good stretch.

2.1 + 4.4 = 6.5 MILES FOR THE DAY!!!

Went and walked around the market and the beach. I made sure to wear my pedometer to see how far we had walked.
What a great day. 6.5 miles!!!! WEEHOOO
And I am still alive.. for now we will see what I feel like in the morning, and let me tell you it was no joking around walking down the beach and up the sand dunes, hell I was even breaking a sweat.
This is good! Still being alive and all

Oh and I also thought I would point out although my weight has not changed but I have LOST 2% BODY FAT!! WEEHOOO

End of week 1

2.10 miles 40:00

Well this morning I had a rude awakening. I woke up @ 5:30 and laid in bed visualizing my run. I kept telling myself that I could run the 2 miles like it was nothing.

When I set out it was beautiful, just me and the road and the fog. I started out strong but then it felt like the air was burning my lungs and I had to walk. It felt like I could not even get going, I tried a few times to talk myself into it but to no avail. I walked most of it and I am upset with myself because I am too stubborn to fail.

Last night I bought myself a hydration pack and brought it along today, it turns out that when I get into my longer runs (lets try to get the 2 miles down first) I am going to have to figure out an easier way to hydrate. I had the pack with only 1 bottle of water in the bladder because I figured I do not really use all the much anyways, my cell phone, my pedometer, music, Kleenex, 2 gel packs just in case and a Ziploc bag just in case I was going to have a gel pack and not be close to a garbage can oh and my house key.
Well turns out with all my back issues manly my lower back and t-8 where my protruding disc is will not permit me to use the pack. It was very painful and the last mile home although walking my back was in a lot of pain.
I will figure it out though, if that means I need to take the bare min, with me, get a different maybe supper light weight, maybe a small back pack it will work out.

1 mile 17:05

So I procrastinated till 9:35 pm before I headed to the gym. I had to work all day so I made excuses for not getting out of bed earlier. It was too hot to do it outside today and I was going to then kept making excuses not to.

I really did not want to go AT ALL but I figured 1 mile is better than none and I walked mostly with a light jog to get the blood flowing. Tomorrow I have a big day planned with lots of walking on the beach and site seeing so I should get in a good workout. But BEFORE my day starts I am going to head out to do my 2 miles and try to run the whole thing (more like light jog).

Its time. Its been a week. Seeing how I have not ran outside as of yet I am going to try the best that I can to finish it running. Then for my cool down I will take my dog out for a little walk. Seeing how the weather will be 90 degrees by 10am I need to get out early. I am SO EXCITED to do this I have been thinking about it all week, every time I drive past the killer hill that I will need to run I think each time to myself and say out loud "I can do this, its nothing"

2 miles 42min (walk)

So i'm not going to lie. It was tough. When I first stepped out I thought well this is not so bad my dog gets a walk and I get a good workout. After my first hill I thought, there is NO way I can do this not for 2 miles. But I kept walking. And then at the park where I could have cut through I did not because I did not want to cheat myself, I thought about it... a few times actually but I thought I would be the only one I would be cheating. And then I told myself there was not that much more to go and 2 miles is not even a blimp in the radar with the impending 26.2.
My shins are friggin KILLING me, and I am not a wimpy person. I have a real high tolerance for pain. But this seriously kicked my ass!
Time to go ice my shin splints.
Well at least I know now that I can complete the marathon in 6 hours at the pace I set today. Which is good news.

2 miles 30:31

So I have discovered something this morning as I am sure on this journey I will discover a lot about me and my body.
Running @ 4.0 on the treadmill because I want to start slow makes me not be able to run a mile? Weird?
I ran .40 of a mile and then walked, another .10 of a mile I ran then walked the rest of my first mile. It just felt like I could not get moving.
Well mile 2 rolls around and I started to talk to myself out loud that this was nothing only 1 more mile to go. So I ran, and I turned it up to 4.3 and the mile came much easier to me that at 4.0.
I have also made the commitment to myself that I need to do my runs in the morning.

I am still having the most horrible shin splints but when I get to work I am going to ice them for awhile.
The feeling I get when I finish that run feels AWESOME I do not think I have sweat like this since high school. And then I walked my dog to cool down.

Today nothing can bring me down

Day off

I was going to run today and have my day off tomorrow but "Rome was not built in a day" and I had a lot of errands to do so I will run tomorrow. I did walk 2 times today for 20 minutes with a co-worker which I do every work day so I did a little work out.
Because I get a day of rest today I am going to aim for 2.5 miles tomorrow.
I CAN DO IT! And if not then it will take a little time

2 miles 31:30

I so cheated myself today. I said I was going to do 3 miles, I wanted to do 3 miles but my body would not let me. I am starting slow. As much as I would love to just bang out 3 miles at this time and my conditioning I do not want to hurt myself also on the advice of Patty and the hubby I do not want to burn myself out right away.

I ran and walked my miles, I am having bad shin splints that I am trying to work through, after the first mile I took some time to stretch and rub my legs before the second mile.

It was a great workout but I am a bit disappointed that I could not run the full mile, at least one anyways. But there is always tomorrow. And I can do it tomorrow.

2 miles 32:02

So I bought some new shoes for the occasion. These are the new shoes that will help carry me to my goals. Whats 26 miles anyways...

LMAO.... right.

This is the starting point

We have some work to do.

Day One

Ok so I have no illusions that I am out of shape. And having been a competitive gymnast I have no excuse. But you know I have no regrets other than I did not do this sooner. So cover your eyes if you need to. I am sheilded my face because this is a secret blog that I will let people read after I have attained my goal so they can see the journey that I took to get where I will be. I still can not believe I am doing this. (running a marathon that is)

Purpose of this blog

I had made a list a long time ago. Way back when I was still in shape, it was a list of things to do before I die. Well running a marathon has always been one of my dreams. Here I will document my 6 month journey of training with pictures that track my progress.

What Marathon am I running? It will be the Detroit Marathon October 21st 2007

Why am I doing this? I am doing it for me, I will turn 30 on October 1 of this year, I have put this off for a really long time lets face it, I am not getting any younger.

This all would not be possible without Patty, I have read her blog for quite some time and she writes about her running and through reading has given me that burn to try this. She will be my team and my support system through this what to me right now seems grueling training. I also have the love and support of a wonderful husband. A husband who when I told about what I wanted to do first laughed (you would have to know me I am BY FAR not a runner) hugged me and wished me luck and told me I can do what ever I set my mind to.

So here we go. There will be laughs there will tears and I am sure lots of bitching and complaining.