Good Morning

I am up and ready to go. To run you say? NO, to go to the grocery store to buy salad stuff to make a garden salad for a lunch today at my 4 year olds preschool. You might be saying to yourself , "Why didn't she do that yesterday?" Well, I am saying that to myself right now. While I did get my 10 miler in yesterday, I then spent the rest of the day at the football field with my two boys and then off to a birthday dinner an hour away. While the football games were awesome, both boys won, and I loved being able to see my college friends, my friend found out that she was pregnant for her 40th birthday, I am tired. Tired from a lot of early mornings of running this summer, tired from 4 kids' and their constant summer activity and finally tired from getting everyone ready for school this week. Oh well, I am off and hopefully my last full day of summer vacation is uneventful!

Three Things Thursday

1/I ran 7 miles this morning in my new Somnios. I really loved this pair of shoes. Check them out on their web site. You do a couple of "tests" to see what kind of shoe that you need, they read your results and then put the shoes together for you. I don't have any stores around here that sell them, so I did everything online. Maybe someone will get certified to sell them around here soon. Anyway, I ran 4 miles outside with my friend Lynn then I finished up with 3 on the treadmill. I feel good to get a good run out of the way for the week. We had a lot of rain this week and it was nice to finally get outside.

2/My cleaning lady came today. I am spoiled as Silvana comes every other week. This summer I had to cancel her a couple of times and today I was so happy to see her that I kissed her cheek! My house was disgusting and with us not having Sophie anymore the crumbs had piled up. I would have to vacuum my house twice a day to keep up with everything and it just does not happen. So, YAY Silvana!!!

3/We are taking Ben and Andy to a Patriots preseason football game tonight. The four of us are so excited. The girls are going to my sister in law's home for the night. This was Ben's birthday present and we got awesome seats:) So...of we go. hopefully we will have a good time.

Running Inspiration

Today on Higher Miles Abbi posed the question of "running admiration." I love to think about those questions. I am inspired daily by my running friends, my running "blog friends," and even by myself. I am inspired in general by my parents, who were both runners when I was growing up. I guess if I were to tell my running story I would have to start with my parents.

When I was little, my father was a smoker. Then, when I was in middle school we lived in California. My Dad was in the Navy and got stationed at Port Hueneme, CA. One school year he went away to Guam and came home and did not smoke anymore. Not only did he not smoke anymore, he had started running. He was a real runner, he would run 6 miles twice a day sometimes. We spent every weekend driving all over Southern California while he did 10 K races, then 10 mile races, then finally a marathon. During this time my mother started running as well. Then the two of them were doing races together and my sister and I would tag along waiting at the end of the 10K route. Sometimes they would let us run with them at home or ride our bikes. My mom would always say that we complained the whole run and then would sprint home and beat them. I don't think that my parents were sprinters. My mother is now a walker. She has arthritis in her knees. My dad has slowed down a bit and does mostly 5 K's.

Now, I run for me. When I get up early (5am) I am so proud of myself and want to just continue to work harder. When I PR a 5K, I am so excited that I can't stand it. Finally, when I have racked up bigger miles (16 this weekend) I can't believe that my mind and my body can and want to work this hard. So, this week when I run another 16 I will try to constantly inspire myself and allow my body and mind to carry me through to the end.

When is to Much to Much?

Last night I received an e-mail from someone regarding a volunteer group that I have done on and off for the past 7 years. It is the town wide women's group that helps those in our town and surrounding towns through fundraising. It is a great group of women and it is a good way to help others with a group of supportive women. The e-mail was regarding my membership this year as I had not paid my dues. I had not paid my dues on purpose because I didn't know if I could do it all. Siri is going to a new school this year and is going to need extra support from me and from Travis. Andy is going to first grade this year and is going to need me more as well as the preschool board I am on and finally my running. (I also have 2 other children). I thought about the e-mail, I talked to Travis and I thought about it for about another hour. At that point I had made my decision, I could not do it this year. Many times I say yes to so many things and then get totally overwhelmed and don't feel like I am doing a good job on anything. So many times we as women and especially stay at home mom's feel like we have something to prove, but who are we trying to prove anything to? Ourselves? I don't know what the answer is, but what I do know is that I had to take a step back and think about myself and my four little chickens. I admit it I can't do it all.

Dear Cotton T-shirt

Dear Cotton T-Shirt,

This morning I saw you in my work out pile next to my black running skirt and decided that I would wear you today. Usually I wear an Nike or Under Armout performance shirt, but I was feeling sentimental about you , my Heartbreak Hill t-shirt. (i have never run Boston, but lived in Chestnut Hill and ran Heartbreak Hill on a daily basis.) I put you on, loved how soft you were and said "this is going to be great." I started out, there was a light drizzle and a little bit of humidity. You started sticking to me at about mile 1, but I was still in cotton shirt love but by mile 3 I was ready for divorce. You were sticking to me, stuck on my bra and kind of big. With my other shirts I usually tuck them in and they don't move. The sweat was not wicking and I was starting to feel gross. I was wondering what made me put you on this morning? What was I thinking? I am usually a creature of habit and you are not even in my rotation. Needless to say I got home and coul not wait to get you off. As much as I love you with a pair of everyday shorts, I think that I have to take you out of the work out drawer. I am sorry, just remember it was me and not you.

friends always,

Rene'

16 Miles on a Saturday Morning

Wow! I ran 16 miles today, not only did I run 16 miles I ran it by myself. I did not know if I could do it. I am definitely a social runner. I like to have someone with me, but it was on my schedule and it was now or never.

I thought that I had a route in mind. I had looked it up on Map My Run, but somehow I got a bit lost. In fact I ended up in a town I was not expecting to end up in and then had to make my way back home. The only thing that stunk is that I had to run on "Route 13" which is a 2 lane highway with people driving about 50 mph. Before that I was on a dirt road and that was a bit scary. There was no one around, it was quiet and then at the top of the hill there was a huge junk yard littered with trailer homes, old cars etc.... I then started to get a bit panicky because I didn't bring my cell phone with me. Let's just say I ran a bit faster during that part of my run. I was uncomfortable that I did not know my surroundings and just needed to get somewhere that I knew.

Finally, after 2 hours 42 minutes, a lot of hills and a lot of water I made it home. I was a bit sore and really tired. I ended up taking a 2 hour nap with my 4 year old. I was supposed to run a 7 mile race in the am, but I need to take a day or at least a morning to rest and get organized. Hopefully, I will get out there in the afternoon.

P.S. to the two women who passed me running together. The men in your group that were ahead of you all said "hi" and "good morning" to me, YOU two were kind of rude in fact you were rude. Why not say "good morning" and be supportive. Unfortunately, sometimes women just aren't nice to each other. While I wouldn't wish anything bad on anyone, I hope that one of you tripped on a shoe lace today. Good night:)

Three Things Thursday

1. The kids really need to go back to school and soon. With all of us at home our eating habits have totally gone down the tubes. Did I really skip breakfast and then eat 3 slices of pizza and a diet coke at lunch. Yes, yes I did!

2. I am scheduled to run 16 miles on Saturday morning. I have planned my route and am just trying to figure out my water stops. I am hoping that my husband will bring me water on my route.

3. I ordered a pair of Somnio running shoes. I found a $40.oo coupon on a blog and decided to order a pair. I am hoping for magic, especially after my Newton failure.

AppleFest +1

Today I was running for MCM Mama's Virtual Race. There were three choices, a 4 miler, an 8 miler or a 40 K. Today was my long run day so I ran 14 miles. Yee-haw I have never run that far before. I will start by saying my time for 8 miles was 1:14. That is my time for my virtual race.

Now, I can only describe the day as perfect running weather. We decided to do the AppleFest course which I am signed up for in September. It was a GORGEOUS morning. A little cloudy, a cool breeze and not to much traffic. We started out at a good pace between 9 and 10 minute miles. We practiced holding back when needed to and letting our legs go when they needed to. The AppleFest is a funny course. The first 6 miles are downhill. The last 7 are up. But honestly the UP was not as UP as hills that we have in Amherst. I had plenty of water. I had bought a new Nathaan water holder and had 16 ounces of water and 16 ounces of Nuun. I can only describe the morning as a huge runners high. I am actually still on cloud nine. Now I am off to bed as I have a 4:30 am wake up call to run with Lynn! Good night.

Crisman 5 K

WooHoo!!! I just finished my 5K in 24:01. I could have finished sub 24, but I stopped to talk to a little girl who was having some sort of asthma attack although her parents assured me she doesn't have asthma. Oh well....who knows. The weather was beautiful, no humidity and I just went out there and ran. The only stinky thing was that my garmin ran out of batteries. Oh well! Tomorrow is my big run, I am running a half for MCM Mama's Virtual Race. I think that it was to run an 8 mile race or a 40 K, but I have to change it up a bit for my training this week. Happy Running everyone!

5K on a Saturday Morning

I am up and ready to go. I have a 5K at 10 am this morning. The Crisman 5K. It is an annual road race for two brothers who died in a car accident 6 years ago. I have not run a 5K race in a couple of years and I am nervous. I am typically not a 5K runner. It takes me 3 miles just to get into my running. I always start out way to fast and then am running on fumes at the end. I have a bunch of friends running, some even pushing jog strollers. Part of me feels like I might be in the back of the pack with them. I am also debating wearing my Garmin or not. The competitive part of me says "Wear it so you know where you are!" The laid back part of me says, "Just enjoy the race." I am running 13 tomorrow am so part of me doesn't want to do something crazy and then get hurt. All tough decisions for a 5K in Amherst, NH. Wish me luck!

Running at Pace

Wow! I took the RRCA coaching class this weekend. I really enjoyed myself. The first day was hard considering we sat for almost 9 hours, but all of the information was great! I loved the second day because we worked on training plans. One thing that I did learn is pace and what pace you should be running during training, racing etc....Well, I should be running a 10:08 training pace to finish my marathon in 4 hours. I typically run 9:00-9:30 when training. It is hard to run a 10:08 pace. I am trying and trying to get my friend to do the same. I have a 9 mile run this afternoon and I will tell you how it goes. With my shorter runs I am just trying to get it done so I think that it might work better with my longer runs.

On a different note, I sent back my Newtons. I just did not love them and my shins were hurting. I did what I was supposed to do. Ran 1 mile in them, then 2 miles. They just weren't for me. Luckily I bought them from Road Runner Sports and have a 60 day return policy. I also bought another pair of Brooks Glycerin's. I love those shoes. They just work!

Happy Wednesday, we are almost through the week!

How Not to Run a 12 Mile Training Run

Today was my long run day and it was a 12 miler. Michelle, one of my running partners, and I headed out at 11 am. It was supposed to be cooler, breezy and decreased humidity. Really none of those things applied today. I am thinking that I should become a meterologist, because you really do not have to be right that often. It was hot, it was humid and the only thing breezy was a hot breeze from the northwest. A couple of other things that went wrong today.....

1./ Don't eat two mini muffins and two cups of coffee for breakfast and expect to have a good run. I was drained even before I even got started. During the run I tried a Clif chocolate gel. It stunk. When will I learn when you find something that works (Hammer Raspberry Gel) that you stick to it?

2./ Hydrate. I did not have enough water yesterday, this morning and then only brought 16 ounces for the run. At one point it was likie we were in the dessert. We thought that we were seeing water stations. We couldn't stop talking about water. Finally at about Mile 10 we came upon the golf course. I made us stop and the ladies let us take ice cold water from their snack bar, showed us where the bubbler was and told us to stop anytime. That water never tasted so good.

I am sure there were other things I could write about, but those two including the weather really spells it out. We walked, we talked and we laughed. I think that some people call it "bonking." and we totallly "bonked" today!

On a happy note tomorrow starts my RRCA coaching class. I am so excited. I don't know what I bring to the table, but I think that it is going to be really fun.

Happy Weekend!

Why Now?

I was asked to write about my choosing to do a marathon and why now? I think that this is a great topic, there are so many reason why and it will be interesting to try to put it into words.

Last year at this time I was 25 pounds heavier and in somewhat of a funk. I couldn't really find my place and was feeling out of my element even with those that I had and have been friends with for many years. It started to get harder for me with the holidays. I had a feeling of needing to do something but, I couldn't figure out what I was looking for. I was always doing things for others whether it be my husband and 4 kids or a charitable woman's group that I am involved with. Needless to say I was depressed and realized I needed to think about myself and quick.

My first plan was to go to Jenny Craig. I needed a jump start on weight loss and could not do it myself. I was going to do it for the month of January and February. I finally was feeling good about myself. I was just starting to run again. (I had always run before kids.) Not far 3 and 4 miles at a time on the treadmill. I was losing weight and feeling good.

At the end of February two of my friends who are runners asked me if I would like to do the Worcester Half Marathon with them in June. We printed out a Hal Higdon training plan and got to it. I was feeling great and becoming obsessed. I felt like I was finding my true self and having fun while doing it. It was the best therapy that I could have had. We did the race in June and I finished in 1:52.

The week after the raced I was feeling down. I described it like a wedding. You are always so excited for it, you work hard and then when it is over you get that depressed kind of feeling. By the Friday I decided I needed to train for something else. I knew that the Manchester City Marathon was in November and after an impulsive move I registered. The weather is actually great in November, I had time to train and I talked one of my running partners into doing it with me.

I am hoping for a good race. I think it is great that we have this online group and that we can support and inspire each other. That is the beauty of running, it is kind of a univeral language.

Out and About

Whoo....this morning has been a whirlwind. My friend Lynn is a nurse and needed to run at 5:00 am. When she asked me I said yes, but when the alarm went off at 4:40 this morning I could have snuggled back under my covers and slept until....well much later. We did a 3 miler, which is not bad. I think that I could have gone farther, but now I am glad that we didn't. I am tired. In fact, I could crawl in my bed right now except for the fact that I have 3 kids standing around me. The hardest thing for me is that I am a night owl. When I got into my bed at 9:30 last night I could not fall asleep. My mind was all over the place. I took my Calcium supplement which is supposed to help you rest, but no luck. Finally at 11 pm I fell asleep. 4:40 cam fast.

Does anyone have any ideas about how to get to sleep at night when you have a big run in the morning?

On a different note I have worn my Newtons twice and I don't know if I am really sold. I got hip cramps both times. I didn't go that far in the them. They tell you to give them a break in time and I didn't feel much faster. Maybe I should just stick to my Asics and Brooks.

Any Newton wearer's out there with advice?

Running on Empty

I ran 11 miles yesterday and it was awesome. The weather was cool, no humidity and I was by myself for 1 hour and 42 minutes after an 8 hour car ride the day before with a pesky 4 year old saying, "Mom," "Mommy," "Mom." I finally told her that I changed my name, it didn't work. This morning I got up at 5:30 and ran with my friend, just a quick 4 miler, but my legs felt good after. I have to say I am tired tonight and getting ready to turn in. The summer is starting to do me in. I feel as though I am constantly cleaning up, getting kids organized for the pool, organized for football practice and fixing a million meals a day. I don't know maybe I am a person that needs year round school because I am definitely missing "me" time. I don't know is that selfish? Well good night, I am now taking a crying 4 year old upstairs who will not stop crying about "skipping." God help me.