Weather Worries and Getting Ready for a Giveaway

You may or may not recall what happened at the 2010 Chicago Marathon, but I have not forgotten.  Temps rose quickly to way warmer than the average on 10/10/10.  I believe those temperatures, along with some hydration mistakes on my part, caused me to miss out on what could have been.  Now, despite the fact that it is two week outs from yesterday, I fret over what the meteorologist will say about next week's weather.

Let me just tell you about the weather in Missouri the past few weeks.  The weekend following St. Patrick's Day we enjoyed temps well into the eighties.  I busted out my Nike Tempo shorts and T-shirt for a few days of yard work, dog walks, and front-porch sittin'.  This past weekend was the total opposite. We actually saw snow ACCUMULATE on the ground!!!  I even wore my winter coat to work today!!!

I have no idea what to expect on April 10th.  Last year at the STL race runners sweated it out in eighty-degree temperatures, and a year or two prior, protected themselves from falling sleet!  A consistent Missouri spring is never the norm.

Right now on Accuweather.com, a nice sunny day with temps starting in the high-forties and floating up to the upper-sixties.  Perfect, right?  Maybe it would be perfect, if I could believe it.  Just this morning, the same website predicted clouds and low sixties for the same date.  UGH!!!  I know it is too far out to worry, but I don't want heat.  Until race day, I will be stalking the weather predictions.

After training in ice, snow, and wind chills below zero, I would appreciate a moderately-temperatured day.  Forty-five to fifty degrees sounds just right.  Please...

In other news:  STAY TUNED--GIVEAWAY COMING AT YOU THIS WEEK!!!

You SHOULD Do This!

I used to be a big "should" person.  Telling people they "should" do this or that.  When asked for advice, I usually gave to much of my own opinion, ending with a plan for whatever said circumstance--even if I had no experience.  Maybe it is because I am a little older and have lived a little more, that I really try not to be a "should-er." I want to let people try things and make up their minds for themselves.

But I am not going to be that way today.

Today, I am going to be pushy and let all you runner readers know what I think and what you probably already know:  you SHOULD do speed workouts.

For the longest time I shied away from the speed.  Maybe it was lack of motivation or lack of a kick in the pants, but, mostly, I think I didn't do speed workouts out of fear.  Those high school cross country days were not so long ago that I have forgotten the pain and soreness sprinting around the track and through the neighborhoods caused.

I also just didn't know what to do.  I didn't know what workouts were appropriate for marathon training or whether or not it was okay to just run repeat 400 meters until my knees buckled.

This time around, I just felt ready for speed.  The Chicago Marathon was a bit of a bust to running esteem, giving me the motivation necessary to try out a faster workout or two.  I also recently made a new running friend with all the information needed to keep me from the monotony of the old high school workout method.  STL training was the right time to throw in some speed.

I am not going to lie.  Some days it is extremely difficult for me to start that speed session.  Their is a little left over insecurity lurking some where inside, taunting me.  What if you find out you are not as quick as you thought?  What if you can't finish?  What if you get injured?  What if you over train?  The biggest worry is about speed.  What if I am really not quick enough? It is funny.  That insecurity should push me to the track, not keep me off of it.

Digging deep, I have been forcing myself to face myself for at least one workout each week--To step out on the pavement and push my legs, feet and mind to go further and faster for no other audience other than, well, me.  No one will know if I cut a tempo run short or skip that last repeat.  No one, but me--and making the choice that that was one person too many is the decision that has made these speed sessions so special.

I hope that busting my butt each week will shave minutes of my PR in St. Louis. Regardless of my chip time in two weeks, getting out there and testing my will and endurance each week with no one to tell me that I had to proved something about my strength to the one person that I needed to prove it to:  me.

So, friends, if you want to test your courage and will--or if you just want a quicker turn over--I think you should be doing speed work or anything that forces you to face yourself time and time again.  Confidence, inner strength, and mental and physical endurance will be your reward--and, trust me, it is a great prize!

Feeling Good

This past weekend, I celebrated the completion of my last big run before the big race.  20 miles done.

I can't believe how fast this marathon snuck up on me.  Three weeks from now, and I will have completed marathon number three.

I remember whining about the winter weather and trying to fit in my workouts around ice, sleet, and even a blizzard.  It was difficult for this warm-weather runner to get out there day-after-day to train for this thing, but I think I am seeing some of the pay off.

On Saturday, I thoroughly enjoyed my pace run.  Due to an ailing foot and the fact that I had competed in two races the past two Saturdays, I traded Tuesday's speed workout for Saturday's marathon pace run.  It was great.  I felt fresh and positive the whole time and maintained 7:55-8:05 miles the entire time.

On Sunday, I went out for the long, lonely twenty miles expecting foot pain and a little soreness from Saturday afternoon's yard work, but I didn't have any of that.  I felt great and watched my pace, running a healthy, revitalizing twenty.

One of my goals was to make it through a winter of training.  I hope I am not speaking to soon when I say mission accomplished!

  WELCOME BACK, SPRING!!!

Vanilla Ice, Ice, Baby

I did it.  I let temptation get the best of me.  My husband had a cool, vanilla cone from McDonald's, and I took a bite.  Just two weeks in and I messed up.  It was just a bite.  I am not stopping my sugar-free plan, but I did mess up.  That cone was just so beautiful, so cold on a warm, spring day, and, when my husband asked me to hold it while he put the car in drive, I couldn't help myself.  We all fall off the wagon sometimes.

St. Patrick's Day 4-Miler

If there is a city that knows how to do St. Pat's up right, it is KC.  People decorate their homes, multiple parades are held, work is totally blown off  (for some, not me :( ), and--of course--the bars are hopping!  To kick of the week, a St. Patrick's Day Race is held on Snake Saturday in Historic Westport.

This race is totally a fun run.  People dress up.  There are multiple kids' "miles."  Dogs jog along.  The whole bit.  There is even a centipede category where runners come as a team and must run the race attached together.  This race is really just a party through the streets of KC.

The field was pretty fast--the first place chick was done in 23 minutes--so I didn't place in my age group or anything else for that matter.  I thought I did pretty well considering I am at peak mileage for the STL marathon.  I ran 4 miles in 28:22--I'll take it!

The best part was getting to race with my running buddy--Anna.  We meet about once or twice a week to run and have the best times.  There is nothing like the conversations we have after about 13 miles on the road!!!  Wild times, for sure!!!  I love a good distance running pal--the connection between two runners goes deep!

I was all business in my St. Patty's tie!!!

Sugar-Free So Far!

I did it!  I started my sugar slowdown!  So far, so good.  Thanks, Bloggies, for all your support on my earlier post.

Before I went sugar-free,  I enjoyed my final treat on the appropriately named Fat Tuesday:

Yogurtini Mint and Cookies-n-Cream Fro-Yo with Grasshoppers, Oreos, and Chocolae sauce...so I splurged a little....

It has only been two days, but I made a few observations. 

1.  When I don't eat candy and sweets, I actually snack less OVERALL.  I didn't realize how many times I stopped by the candy dish in the office or grabbed for a cookie just because they were available.  All that stuff was just extra, unnecessary junk going into my body!

2.  It is easier (at least for me) to go cold turkey.  Some people have said I should do something like one treat each day or have a binge day each week where I have the freedom to junk until I kill over in a sugar coma.  I said no to both of these ideas because I know exactly what would happen if I went this route.  When I mess up a day on my diet, I tend to go overboard and consider the whole day a waste and commence to eat however I like for the reminder of my waking hours.  I know if I allowed myself one sweet, I would soon allow two, then three...then I would forgo the whole plan.  Why allow even one?  I don't need that extra junk anyway.  We had a "Donut Breakfast" for the students on Thursday, and, because I wasn't allowing even one sweet, I feel it was easier for me to avoid a the whole fatty fiasco.

I want to start a food journal like the one TRI-James suggested.  I would be interested to see exactly what I DO eat.  I just need to get me a cute little pocket-sized notepad.   Or better yet, does anyone know if there's an app for that?

Because I Needed to do Something Fun

I am pretty awful about these award posts.  I usually get one and then wait too long to respond.  I needed a little fun in my life, so here goes:

 

 To accept this award, I must:

1. Thank the person who gave you the award and link back to their blog.

2. Post seven random facts about yourself.

3. Pass on the award along to 15 other worthy bloggers.

 

Thanks Charbelle for sending this little diddy my way!

 

7 Random Facts: 

1.  I have read The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn four times.  Three of those times were for a college class.

2.  In an effort to save money and use our time more wisely, we are getting rid of cable soon.  Because of this, I have been a cable hoarder lately.  I watch something on non-network tv every night.  My favorite is "Sex and the City" reruns on E.

3.  If I could eat only one type of pie for the rest of my days, I would choose pumpkin.  If I could eat only one type of candy, it would be Swedish Fish.  Starting Wednesday, I am giving up both.

4.  Sometimes I enjoy running twenty miles alone more than running the distance with someone.

5.  My dream job is to be a mailman with a walking route

6.  I remix pop songs to have my dogs names in them and then sing them to the pups

7.  I would wear the same outfits every few days if I knew no one would notice.  

Rather than name 15 peeps, I am going to say that I want to know seven facts about anyone--as long as they are super random.  Have at it, Bloggers!

A Healthier Me

I decided after looking at my abs, arms, and feeling lathargic a lot more than I should that my diet is in dire need of repair.  On Wednesday, I will give up sweets completely for forty days in hopes that I will crush my nasty, old sweet tooth once and for all while starting to see and feel a difference in my body.

For a Swedish Fish junkie like myself, this will by no means be easy.  Here are some of the ideas I have for combating my addiction and making over my sloppy, lazy diet.

"Pre-packaged" Snacks:  When I got home from the grocery store, I separated out foods into individual, serving-sized baggies.  My hope is that these will be just as easy to reach for as cookies (especially because there will be no more cookies in my house)

Creative Snacking:  There are so many good, healthy snack ideas that I just skipped over for an Oreo or two.  Here I have a Laughing Cow wedge--which I totally love--on some Great Harvest Bread Co Bread (no preservatives in this loaf, just real ingredients)

Cook More and Find Healthy Meals:  I made this Mac-and-Cheese the other night, surprising everyone--including myself!  I found it on Runnersworld.com.  Instead of a bunch of cream, milk, and cheeses, this recipe uses pureed cauliflower.  Find the recipe HERE; it will surprise you.  The Hubs LOVED it!

I am committed to a better diet--any tips?

Diva Dash Race Recap

The "medals" for the Diva Dash 5K

 The wind blew fierce and the "feels like" temp held steady at a bone-chilling ten degrees.  These were the conditions for the Diva Dash 5K this past Saturday. 

It was hard to stay warm while waiting for the race to get underway.  I ran a warm-up and waited with a few hundred women for this inaugural women only 5K to begin.

Shivering, we lined and waited for the signal--ON YOUR MARK....GO!!!  We were off, fingers numb and eyelashes dewing up from condensation.  The first half was almost entirely into the wind, but when the runners turned the corner, we finally felt a bit of relief from the bitter cold. 

My goal was to go sub-21 minutes and place.  I didn't go sub-21, but I did get first in my age group.  The metal was a snazzy, gold, little shoe--very diva!  I also won a free headband from Lululemon (just might be my new favorite running clothes store) and a gift certificate for a road ID (finally, my husband can rest a little easier.)

Look at that cute little "medal"

It was fun to spend a morning being healthy with a big group of women.  Despite the cold, we all got out there and did something good for ourselves!

A warmer me after the finish

 

 

They even had little gourmet cupcakes from "Cupcakes A La Mode."  They know what girls like!!!