I'm Ready!

My training schedule for the St. Jude Half-Marathon officially starts today!

You guys will be hearing about this for the next 17 weeks (and probably for a few weeks after that), so for now I'll just say that I'm more excited about this race than I have ever been about a race before.  

Everything is in place, and I'm SO READY to get started. 

1.) I'm in such a good place mentally- my confidence has been boosted after finishing the San Francisco half feeling strong and happy. I was really nervous about this race- I really doubted my abilities to do well. For the 2-3 weeks leading up to the race I was busy and stressed, working too much, feeling like I hadn't trained for long enough, and had a few (or several) bad runs.  

Now, that weight has been lifted, things have slowed down (a little bit), and I'm going to enjoy getting back at it!

2. I've got Adam on my team. I have really enjoyed having him coach me- it's great to have a schedule custom made for me according to my needs, paces and abilities. I love having the extra accountability and encouragement. 

It's also really nice not having to worry if I'm doing the right things to be prepared for a good race- he takes care of all of that for me, leaving me to focus solely on the actual running. 

3. I've got motivation. What is better to start a new training cycle than watching the Olympics. It's been said before, but I'll say it again: I cannot take my eyes off the TV! Galen Rupp! Lolo Jones! Allyson Felix! Beach Volleyball! So inspiring. 

In case you haven't seen this picture 10 times already today, here you go.

Literally makes me cry. I'm so proud of them for showing that you can be hard-core and competitive while still being encouraging and supportive of others. This reminds me of me and my sister- she would totally pick me up off the ground after a race if I needed her to. 

Olympics!!!!!

4. I've got the gear, including neon stuff.

 I decided not to splurge on the $150 neon green Nike running shoes many of the athletes seem to be wearing, but I did buy two pair of my faithful Nike Frees for $120 total. I'm so sensible when it comes to shopping. (Well, at least in this case I was.)

Running Shoes on Sale + Tax-free weekend + Free Shipping = Stockpiling!

And because I got my pretty neon pink ones dirty after the San Fran race because the finishing area was in grass (instead of the normal pavement) and was sort of muddy. Yeah, I'm still mad about that. 

Anyways... let's get to the neon stuff. 

 I have this cool jacket:

Which was also seen on some very cool and successful people:

This beauty was also pretty expensive (IMO) but I was able to find it at the Nike Outlet here in Memphis for about 60% off the regular price. 

See? Sensible shopper, right here. 

(We are just not going to mention my many recent Lululemon shopping sprees.)

St. Jude Half-Marathon training week 1 begins, 17 weeks until race day!

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

Maybe It Was Magic

I had the best run that I can remember for a long, long time this morning. I felt amazing, like I could go on forever without being tired or out of breath. I ran 6 this week at a faster pace than I ran 4 last week- and it felt so easy.

I must document everything that could have played a part so that this magic can happen more often.

Maybe it was the preparation. 

I had some good ole fashioned carb loading for dinner last night (ahem, left over pasta, a breadstick, and a small bowl of cereal for dessert...), and stayed hydrated all day long. I set out everything I would need to get ready this morning. This really helps me feel in control instead of scrambling around in the dark to grab all of my things. 

I set out for 5 miles, but Adam gave me the go ahead to run 6 if I felt really good. 

Maybe it was the music. 

I listen to audiobooks 95% of the time when I run. For some reason today just felt like a music day. I love to listen to Eminem when I'm running as much as the next person, but sometimes a happy song like this is just what you need when you feel like you are flying. O.A.R.'s Hey Girl came up right as I hit 4, and at that moment I knew I could do 6 easily. 

You should probably just go ahead and hit play so you can listen to it while you read. And add it to your iPod so you can experience the magic. 

Maybe it was in my head.

I went out with a very calm mindset. I've had some anxiety in the past when my long runs got up to 7 or 8 miles and it felt overwhelming. I knew I could definitely do 5, and a 6th mile was just a bonus. 

I told myself from early on, "If Amy Hastings can finish her 10k in that much pain and kick that much butt, you can too."

Source

Maybe it was confidence.

I can't really explain it, but something about having a plan that I know will work, makes sense, and isn't called "Allison makes this crap up and changes it to fit her fancy" makes me feel good about what I am doing. 

I have a plan. And I'm following it. (That last part is really important for training. Plans don't do you any good if you don't follow them, FYI.)

Maybe Adam actually knows what he's talking about.

Speaking of my plan, something made me trust this guy to come up with it. 

The Boring Runner

I think that was a good decision. He's smart. He lets me rest, and I don't even feel guilty about it! Which may have been a key part in today's magic. My legs felt like they could have kept going and going.

 I felt so strong. 

Maybe hard work pays off. 

I've been really trying to take care of my body lately. I've been sleeping well, paying attention to what I put into my body, hydrating, resting, and running exactly what Adam tells me to. 

 I know not every run will be this great, but today gives me hope that I can survive San Francisco, and possibly even make the little kiddies at St. Jude proud. 

St. Jude Marathon, Half-Marathon, Relay, and 5k

Tomorrow's Potential

Sometimes it's easy to get frustrated with running. You can't go as long or as fast as you'd like, or it feels more difficult and hurts more than you think it should. But that is today.

What about tomorrow, or the next day, the next month, the next year- after you have put in the work? So much can change with hard work.

I've been reading The Lola Papers (which I highly recommend BTW), and the following passage really stood out to me:

I don't know about you, but I've definitely used that excuse before.

"It doesn't come easy for me."

"There is no way I could ever run that fast"

Who does it comes easy for? Shalane Flanagan? Kara Goucher?
Sure, they have some amount of natural talent, but they still work at it. They work very hard.
They've put in the time, and the miles.

It's exciting to think about. Today, it's hard for me to imagine being able to run a half-marathon as fast as I'd like. It's hard for me to imagine running a marathon at all.

But I haven't put in the time, or the miles.

Who knows, with a few months, and eventually years of hard work- after putting in my time and my miles- what I can do?

Only time will tell. 

My 5 Gold Stars

As I mentioned in my previous post, "training" is a new thing to me as a runner. Sure, I made a training schedule for each of my half-marathons. They were based off of Hal Higdon's training plan, but modified by me to fit into my work/life schedule. And then I proceeded to procrastinate on getting started. And then I skipped a few runs... or cut them short. I officially named the plan "Allison makes this crap up and then changes it to fit her fancy". Needless to say, that whole plan didn't work very well for me.

St. Jude Hero! Yay!

Last Sunday when Adam e-mailed me my training plan, I was pumped and ready to go. I've always been a bit of a goody-two-shoes when it comes to teachers, coaches, and authority. You know, the little brat who still had all 5 of her gold stars at the end of the week for "good behavior"? Yeah, that was me. A suck-up in the presence of authority, but when the teacher turned her back I was launching erasers across the room with the contraption I had made from my supply box and pencils.

Me at the peak of brattiness. You want me to smile? Well I'll do it, but I might not be happy about it. 

When Adam sent me the plan, I was absolutely determined to do exactly what he said.
 I had no intentions of loosing my 5 gold star status in the first week.

For example, Monday, he told me to run 2 easy miles. If I couldn't say "Why did I hire stupid Adam as my coach?" in between breaths, I was going too fast. I headed out the door, checking myself at least every two minutes to make sure I was running at the right pace.

As I was trotting along, I noticed a huge black cloud that looked like it would be over my head at any minute. Then suddenly, the wind picked up majorly and the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. Before I knew it, some hipster stopped his car right beside me and yelled, "You better run home, there is a (*flipping*) tornado on Poplar!"

This was the storm above me as I was running. 

I was about 0.5 miles from home, but had looped around the neighborhood and was at exactly 1 mile. Since I'm not stupid, I turned around and headed back towards my house. However, since I am a goody-two-shoes and refused to tell Adam I had wimped out of a lousy 2 mile run because of the weather (how lame would that excuse sound?), I didn't go home.

I ran up and down my street, back and forth, until my Garmin vibrated that I had hit 2 miles. Sure, I looked over my shoulder every 15 seconds to see if the tornado was approaching, and when a tree branch fell and hit a truck right behind me I think my heart rate jumped to about 500, but I finished out those 2 miles, dang-it.

See? Branches in the street = danger. 

Turns out, I think the hipster was being a tiny bit dramatic. There was no tornado.

The rest of the week, I continued to surprise myself with how much better I was running when I went out with a plan. The thought of having to report that I went slower than expected for no reason other than I just didn't feel like it made me actually TRY. (As opposed to just giving up when I get bored or when it gets even slightly difficult. )

There wasn't an option to cut a run short unless my femur cutting through broken skin or something. There was no way I was going to get anything less than an A+ on my weekly report card, so I pushed myself.  I give myself 5 gold stars.

If you haven't heard, neon shoes + training makes you faster and stronger. 

I'm thinking I could get used to this thing you guys call "training". I did a smart thing, hiring Adam as my coach. I absolutely need to push myself more physically, but what has prevented me from doing so in the past is what goes on in my head.

The fact that he knows what he's doing and wouldn't tell me to do something I can't gives me the confidence to get out there and just do it. At some point I'm sure I will honestly mean it when I mutter under my breath, "Why did I hire stupid Adam as my coach?", and possibly even launch virtual erasers at the back of his head. But for now, he gets an apple for being a good coach and teacher. 

I think this is completely logical and normal. Or it might be hoarding.

You know those products that you can't live without? The ones that you are always afraid of running out of, or fear that they will be discontinued and you will never find anything like it, so you stock up on it to decrease that anxiety?

No? You don't do that? That's just me? Ok.

Well, these are the things that I'm stocking up on right now.

Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter. I eat this EVERY day with my apples. Stockpiling commence- I signed up for a subscription for this on Amazon and got 15% off for it.


This isn't really news- and I think it's completely normal. When I find running gear I like, I stick to it. And I stock up on it in every color I can. Also, I need enough duplicates to get me through a few days without having to do laundry

I love these Nike tanks, because they are loose fitting and long enough to cover my bum. Plus, they are made of dri-fit (essential) and they come in pretty neon colors. Neon is a must for me when I run, because everyone knows neon makes you fast.

These Lululemon shorts are my first big purchase from there via their website, and I'm pretty sure I could live in them. Lululemon has now been added to the stores that I am obsessed with, and will forever stalk their website and stores for new products and sales.

Nike Frees are my one and only love when it comes to running shoes. If I can catch a pair on sale, they are mine! I am too embarrassed to admit how many pair I own at the moment. In my defense, many are retired from running and now only serve as work shoes.

After a eye-opening visit to Urban Outfitters this week, I've finally faced the fact that I'm preppy. I've actually known this for a while but I'm just now admitting it to myself. J. Crew sales have been outrageous lately, and I've scored several AMAZING deals. I never pass up a classic Jackie cardigan on sale, and picked up this one in a powder blue, and another in retro lemon.

This may or may not be hoarding, but at least it's hoarding electronics and not cat figurines. I posted this proof of my love for electronics last night to Twitter. They come in fun colors, tell you all kinds of cool information, and let you over-share lots of information to strangers on the internet. I need most of them close to me at all times or I feel naked, but some are just for funzies- for example....

This is completely ridiculous and unnecessary. But I had a gift card that I was ready to get rid of, and it sure does get some good laughs. Also, it's perfect for when I do coaching sessions over the phone and need something way cooler than a bluetooth headset.

Inspiration

The Newbie Chronicles in Runner's World Magazine is always one of my favorite articles. Probably because even though I've been running for 2 years now, I still feel like a newbie. 

This month's article is about getting out the door and running. 

Don't you want more time on this planet? I sure do! And I definitely want to do it feeling good. 

Running can do that for you. 

 

"The first person you have to inspire every day is yourself." 

Who am I to preach to my patients about eating healthy and exercising if I don't take care of myself? I have to get up, get my blood stream all loaded up on endorphins, and then I'm able to go and talk about how wonderful exercise is, and encourage them to take care of themselves. 

This is what I really struggle with- if I feel like I didn't have a "good run" it makes it harder to go again the next day. But it's true- "It doesn't matter how (fast) you do it, it only matters that you do it." 

And even if I didn't have a "good run" I have never, ever regretted running. 

Change of Heart

We celebrated National Running Day in a big, big way.... we bought a treadmill!

I have always hated treadmills. But I think I finally found one I could have a relationship with. 

Looks like true love to me!

Honestly, when we thought of an entire summer of trying to schedule our runs around the 95 degree weather and brutal humidity, we started talking about buying a treadmill. I trained for the Chicago half-marathon last year during a  Memphis summer, and it was a challenge to say the least. Having an option to run inside at any time of day with air-conditioning and unlimited cold water makes this purchase totally worth it.

Just think of the advantage in winter- it gets dark at 5:00pm- but we can run anytime we want!

Plus, I get to watch TV or movies on my iPad... I'm not sure life could get much better.

We actually got the treadmill yesterday, and my sweet husband got it all set up and ready to go by himself. I jumped straight out of bed this morning and onto this while my husband slept in the next room undisturbed. I know it's easier to run on a treadmill, but I actually ran quite a bit faster this morning than I have been running lately- and man it felt great!

I kind of wanted to run again when I got home from work, but I decided to wait and channel that energy and excitement into tomorrows run. 

Happy National Running Day to us! 

And you, too. :)

Weekend Snapshots

I'm Running In The Rain!

I've been scientifically planning my meals so that my stomach is perfectly settled but I am properly fueled for 7 p.m. runs. So when 7 p.m. rolled around, I was headed out the door.  The weather looked perfectly fine. A little darker than normal, but nice and cool. 

Then it started to rain very lightly. 

Right after that came the downpour. I quickly decided one mile was going to be it for the day. I actually love running in the rain, but when it's pouring and lightening and I can barely see from squinting- ok, that's still fun but only for one mile. 

         Before- poufy haired and dry.                                                               After- soaking wet and giddy.

Do you like to run in the rain? 

In a Funk

I tried to pretend like it wasn't happening for a while, but eventually I had to admit it to myself. I have been in a running "funk" for almost three weeks now. 

It started one Sunday morning, when Kelly and I went for an early morning job in Chickasaw. Brandon had made me a very yummy breakfast, but it was a lot heavier than my normal cereal. Well, I could feel that "heavy" in my stomach the entire time. I made it about a mile, then had to stop and take walk breaks.

Walk breaks?!?

I don't take walk breaks on a 3 mile run! Especially when I'm running with Kelly. Once she got back in her groove after having Anniston, Kelly and I always do well when we are running together. 

After that, each time I tried to run there was another excuse for why I was doing so terrible. It was suddenly hot and humid, I didn't have time to go to Chickasaw and was forced to be bored while running in my neighborhood, I simply didn't feel motivated, etc. etc.  It was so frustrating. 

Luckily, Brandon and I decided to buy new bikes, so I've still been able to get a fair amount of exercise. 

But this morning... this morning everything came together perfectly. It was beautiful weather, I started early enough to have time to go to Chickasaw, I stuck to my normal cereal for breakfast, and...... just for good luck..... I wore my beloved, never-fail-me, I-will-now-be-faithful-to-you-until-I-die Nike Free's. 

I don't know why I even try other shoes....

Ok, I do know.

 It's because on longer distance runs, (6+ miles) my feet start to hurt from the lack of support in the Free's. But from now on, if it's 5 miles or less, I'll be in my Free's. 

Let's hope my good fortune continues tomorrow, and maybe even the rest of the week! I'm trying to not worry about my "funk", but a few dramatic thoughts about not being a runner anymore and being forced to try to get into serious cycling did cross my mind. (But being a runner AND a semi-serious cycler does sound appealing and fun.) As much as I like to have fun running, I do have a half-marathon with the most brutal hills in the U.S. in 3.5 months.... It's about time to start getting serious and get my butt in gear. 

I just feel so much better after a good run. For like, the rest of the day. I love endorphins. I might still be high on them. 

I also love this commercial. And Nike Free's. I might need that pink pair...

The Weekend I Met Bart Yasso

So, way back in the day (or about two years ago) I read a lil book called "My Life On The Run" by Bart Yasso. He tells amazing stories about his adventurous life- how he has traveled the world doing races, met tons of amazing people, and is now pretty much living the life. He didn't grow up running, either- he started in his twenties! Reading his book was the last push I needed at the time to start running. I told Brandon about how I wanted to travel the world to see all of these amazing places while running, too! After some encouragement from Brandon,  I went outside that day, ran one time around the block, and then almost died of shortness of breath. But I finally caught my breath, and haven't stopped running since.

So, yeah. I'm a huge fan of Bart. I look up to him a lot, and he continues to inspire me with his determination, hard work, and his passion for running (hello.... did you see the article about Comrades? The Amish?). In fact, when looking for a late winter race to keep us motivated during the cold months, my decision was made after I found out Bart would be attending the Little Rock Marathon. We signed up too late to be able to do the half, so we settled for the 10k.

I was so excited when we arrived at our hotel, I completely forgot to grab my copy of "My Life On The Run" when we headed to the expo. (Don't worry- we might get to meet him again at the San Francisco Expo this summer- I'll be sure to remember by book then)

Peabody Little Rock 

All I had was my race bib, so I asked him to sign it, take a picture with me, and be my best friend/lifetime running coach/cheerleader, then we chatted a bit about running. I could have stayed all afternoon talking to him and listening to all of his amazing stories and asking him tons of questions, but Brandon insisted that I play it cool.

Saturday night, we attended the pasta party just for fun- we had never been to one before, and we didn't have much else to do in the exciting city of Little Rock. Guess who sat behind me?

Yes, you better believe it! That is the back of Bart Yasso's head.

My parents- being the totally awesome, supportive parents that they are- decided to join us in LR for the weekend to cheer us on. We met up with them for a post-pasta-party dinner (the pasta party had great vegetarian options for me, but Brandon wasn't digging olive oil and noodles as a vegan option) and then decided to walk around the hotel to see where the Peabody ducks live at night.

We were heading up to our rooms for the night to get some good rest... and it just so happened that we got on the elevator with Bart!

No, I didn't get a picture of this fabulous moment. That would have been too weird, even for me. Brandon swears that I was powerfully speed-walking so that we "happened" to get on the elevator with him.

So?

Brandon and I had both been sick with the crud and a terrible, hacking, cough. I hadn't run in a week and a half. I hadn't even "trained" for the race, really- I've been proud of myself for doing 3 miles when it's 30* outside.

We went out to have fun, but we were both feeling pretty good that day, so we tried to pick up the pace a few times, only to come very close to getting smacked in the face by some vigorously swinging power-walker-arms. Eventually, we made it past the incredibly annoying people who sprint really fast for 0.25 miles then take walking breaks right in front of people who are still running. Next time, I won't under-estimate myself quite so much and line up at the very very back of the starting line.

I couldn't be bothered to put down my banana for a picture.

But thankfully, I made it through without coughing or sneezing on anyone (except for Brandon) and totally grossing everyone out. Our time wasn't what I had hoped- 1:13:something, and I was hoping for under 1:10:00, but my GPS clocked the distance as 6.4mi from all the weaving instead of 6.2. It was a really nice course, beautiful weather, and tons of fun. We are planning on going back next year, for sure!

I was so excited to finally meet the man who inspired me to begin running in the first place. I'm so thankful to him, because I feel so much healthier and happier now that I'm a runner. I've not only found a way to enjoy exercise, but I've discovered a real passion for the sport overall. I love that Brandon and I have something that we enjoy doing together, also. I could go on for days about how much I love running. And Bart. He continues to inspire and amaze me everyday in the way that he reaches out to every runner that he can to offer support and encouragement. From the greatest ambassador for running-