Some Running Firsts

Good Morning!

Today is a fun day for me- as I transition from a casual runner to a semi-serious runner that is actually training for a half-marthon, I've had the opportunity to experience a few things for the first time.

I had Gu for the first time.

I've tasted a tiny amount of Gu before- enough to know I didn't care for the texture. Today I actually ate some for the first time- and it wasn't so bad. I didn't actually need Gu for my run today, but since I will need to take one on my LR this weekend to practice for my half-marathon, I decided to take one today to practice for my LR. Makes sense, right?

I really didn't want the first time I actually ate it to be in the middle of a hot, sweaty, long run since I knew I might throw up. I don't need anything jinxing my long runs- I've had enough bad experiences and anxiety attempting those in the past. Luckily, after my practice round this morning, I think I will survive taking one on my run this weekend.

Today was my first tempo run! Sure, I've read about them, I even know people who have done them... but I've never successfully completed one until today.

Last week, I kind of did one, but my pacing was erratic and there was a 15 second break when an old lady thought it would be a good idea to tell me how old all 5 of her dogs were while I was in the middle of a run. I felt like I cheated since I stopped to listen to her, and I wasn't happy with my pacing in the first place.

But today.... Today I did a lot better. It feels good to run fast (at least fast for me, anyways) and not die afterwards. Also, running fast during a 4 mile run? That has never happened to me before. In my past running life, running fast = 1 or 2 miles tops.

I'm grinning from ear-to-ear with endorphin induced happiness.

Today is the first time I've almost murdered someone over coffee.

I've seen coffee-less frenzies and rants on Twitter, but I experienced first-hand what it felt like today. I just started drinking coffee about a month or two ago, and I haven't graduated to grown-up coffee yet. I must have a good helping of soy milk in mine.

Yesterday, I woke up to no soy milk in the house. This means no coffee for Allison. (It also means no granola for breakfast GRRRR) I settled for a Diet Coke and went on with my day.

Today, there is STILL no soy milk! My husband is lucky to have survived the morning.

Lucky for him, I'm all happy and proud of myself after my run, I got ready early and had time to stop and get some coffee on my way to work.

(He was still rushing out the door to the grocery because he knows I can not go 2 days without cereal or granola.)

Yay! Coffee for Allison!


Somehow I also ended up leaving Starbucks with this.....

This is why I don't let myself go places!

I walk in for an already overpriced cup of iced coffee and get distracted by this red, white and blue (Olympics!) bracelet.

Oh, well. I guess it's for a good cause and I feel the need to express to everyone I see how much I love the Olympics, so we'll just go with it.

We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline and effort.

Jesse Owens, American track and field athlete and Olympic gold medal winner