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!

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

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. 

Running Rambling

For the past few months, I've had several reasons to get discouraged with my running. Whether it be my schedule, the weather, my shoes, this, that, blah blah blah... Point is I've had several runs I didn't do as well as I would have liked. 

But then sometimes, I go out there it feels so light and easy. That happened for me tonight. And I'm so high right now. High on endorphins. You know the feeling- it's one of the best feelings in the world! 

All cheesiness and over excitement aside, one of the things that made my run so enjoyable was my clothes. I've never been one to run in shorts due to the whole riding up issue. Last week, I thought I had found a pair that I could comfortably run in....

.... but I didn't after all. See the orange layer underneath? Yeah they ride up eventually too. 

But, I think I've finally found a pair that really, really works for me. They might look a little dorky and require a long loose shirt, but they are so comfortable and keep me cool. 

Running Uniform by alliefay on polyvore.com

I honestly do think I need another pair of these. I will be patient and give them one more try before I stock up. Of course if I do stock up, more of these shirts will be required as well to cover up my boo-tay.

All of this may seem ridiculous, but when I don't had to worry about my clothing while I'm running, I get to focus on the actual running. 

Or, if it's a good day like today, I don't think about anything. I just go and enjoy the time alone with a clear head. 

What I'm Loving Wednesday

Hey! Guess what happened yesterday... I woke up early, and decided to make a Pinteresting Wednesday post. I posted it, then kept wondering why no one else had posted theirs yet. I went on all day wondering this... until after 12, when I realized it was Tuesday.

Yeah.... I was looking forward to Wednesday.

First off, I'm loving that it's finally Wednesday! I don't have to go in until 10 today, so I have plenty of time to get up and go for a run, and do my morning internet browsing. Also, my favorite pharmacist co-worker returns from vacation today. My work days are always better when she is there. And finally, I only have two more work days until my 3-day weekend starts!

I am very attached to my Nike Frees. We've been together since the beginning. But I know that they don't have any support or cushioning, which I will be needing at some point when I decide to start training for my next half marathon.  I'm not completely breaking up with my Frees, but... I'm going to start seeing other shoes. These shoes.

These are the Mizuno Wave Rider Elixer 7, I'm pretty sure. They feel very lightweight and have a low heel drop while still offering more support and cushioning than Nike Frees- which is exactly what I wanted. Plus, they look freakin' cool and are purple. That is probably most important.


I don't even want to begin thinking about how many Starburst jellybeans I have eaten since the Easter candy came out about a month ago. But they are amazing, and have made it to the list of my favorite candy ever. (Also on the list are Reese's and Kit-Kats, and that's it, because I don't eat a ton of candy, usually.)

I'm loving my little Anniston Ruth, because she is so much fun all the time. I've especially been loving when I get to read to her, because you can tell that she is interested and somewhat curious. But really, she is more interested in what the book tastes like than what it says. I also love singing to her and getting to rock her to sleep. Oh, and every single time she laughs or smiles at me.

What I'm Loving Wednesday

I apologize for the lack of posts lately. I don't have an excuse, except for the fact that I haven't felt like posting, so I didn't :)

If I were going to make excuses for not posting, many of them would involve The Hunger Games (The rest would involve this cold a.k.a. the crud which can only be blamed on the recent crazy weather changes). I finally got around to reading the series over the past week! On my list of favorite book series, they are definitely after Harry Potter and Twilight, but they were a very enjoyable read. I think I might even read them again soon- sometimes I appreciate things more on the second time around. I'm very excited about the movies- I have a feeling they will be better than the books!

Source: bookquotes-bookquotes.blogspot.com via Melanie on Pinterest

My pre-ordered Nike Fuelband came in the mail last week. If you haven't heard about it, it's basically a pedometer/calorie counter/watch all-in-one. You set a goal of how much "Fuel" you want to burn each day, and it uses all kinds of fancy math to calculate it. You can keep track of all of your data online and on an iPhone app (I LOOOVE tracking data/calories/steps/anything, especially when I don't have to do anything except wear this band. That's the lazy nerd in me). I'm really liking it so far- you really have to work to meet your goal, and it helps to keep you accountable. I'm hoping this will motivate me to take more walks, do more yoga, and do some strength training in addition to running. 

I'm loving this post of  by one of my favorite bloggers, Valerie. Her and a friend asked their husbands 11 questions about themselves, their answers were so cute! It made me wonder what Brandon would say about me.... Except instead of just having him write it down, I argued with his answers and put in my 2 cents. 

1. Where do you see us in ten years?

B: Let's see.. in ten years, we'll be 36 and 37? 

A: I'm not 27, I'm 26!

B: Right, but you are almost 27. Heck, you are almost 30!

A: (He enjoys teasing me about my age, since he is 1 year younger than I am. It was cute when we were 20. Not so much now.)

B: I hope we'll be living in a cozy house close to Chickasaw, hopefully still running, and chasing a couple of rug-rats around the house and backyard. 

2. If I won $1,000, what do you think I would do with it?

B: Well, I imagine you'd try to give some of it to me to spend. Then you'd go shopping. Online, probably.

A: You don't think I'd save any of it? And I don't just go shopping randomly! I always have a plan for income and know exactly where it's going.

B: Not if it was just given to you! That's free money!

A: I'll take note of this in case I ever win $1,000. 

3. What one thing would I would save if our house was burning?

B: Me.

A: Besides you.

B: Phoebe

A: Something non-living.

B. Your computer. 

A: Absolutely. Plus my camera. 

4. If you checked the browser history on your my computer, which website would show up the most?

B: Either Pinterest or Google Reader

5. Complete this sentence: My wife has more ______ than anyone I know.

B: Clothes

6. How long does it take your wife to get ready to go out (in minutes)?

B: 45

A: That's a lie! It takes me 30, tops. 

B: Not if you start counting when you say "We have to start getting ready now", and then spend 15 more minutes on your computer before getting in the shower. 

7. What one item in the house do you make sure your wife NEVER runs out of?

B: Cereal

A: Haha! I knew you would say that!

8. If you compared me to a zoo animal, which would I be and why?

B: I guess a monkey. Because you do what you want, whenever you want. And if someone wants to do that with you, cool. If not, they can get over it. 

A: (You make me sound like an awesome person...)

9. Fill in the blanks: When my wife wants to_____, I want to _____.

B. Leave the restaurant, I want to stay and eat her leftovers.

10. Your favorite thing I cook for you is...?

B: Anything. Because you never cook. 

A: (I'm a really great person to live with. This is most likely the reason he must stay at restaurants and scavenge for leftovers.)

11. If I'm in a bad mood, all my wife needs to do is_____to cheer me up.

B: Let me have some space for 5 minutes, then give me kisses

After this little exercise, I love my husband for loving me. Because even though I never cook, I shop way too much, I'm very independent and a little stubborn, he loves me anyways. :)

Cool Sunglasses Make You Cool, Too!

Or, at least, that's how I feel about my new sunglasses when I wear them.

Maybe it's shallow, vain, and a ridiculous result of over exposure to advertising, but I like to feel good about myself when I run. One of the ways I achieve a bit of confidence is by having cool running gear. Thankfully, I live very close to a Nike Factory Outlet, so I have collected an entire wardrobe of Nike running apparel for a fraction of the retail price.

Unfortunately, I have never found a pair of Nike sunglasses at the outlet, so I've been using a generic pair of sunglasses to run in for the past year or so. When we went to Chicago last summer, we visited a huge Nike Store on Michigan Ave, and I fell in love with a pair of Nike sunglasses. Having just graduated, I couldn't afford them at the time.

Out of the blue (or out of my strong desire for blue skies and a sunny day), I decided to splurge on them the other day. I placed my online order seconds before I headed off to work on Monday. I also live very near one of the Nike Warehouses, so my online orders always arrive very quickly. I waited on the UPS man (for the second day in a row. He totally thinks I'm crazy) to arrive on Wednesday to unwrap these babies.

And I fell in love all over again.

Then, it rained all day long on Thursday. Including during my sorry attempt at a run, so I couldn't even pretend like I needed to wear them. Boo.

But on Friday... I got to take the out for a test run... and our relationship is still going strong. Apparently, they have some sort of anti-fog technology, which sounds unnecessary, but is totally necessary. My generic ex-running-sunglasses fogged up quite a bit. Plus, my new Nike ones are purple and so pretty.

Yurbuds Ironman Earphones

I've been on a bit of a quest lately for the perfect earphones. You see, I have them in my ear for a significant amount of time each day, so having the perfect pair is very important. I listen to music some, but mostly audiobooks (cough, *harry potter*, cough) and so some earphones can get uncomfortable after a few hours of listening. Also, as an attempt to learn to fall asleep without the TV on (a constant request from my dear, sweet husband), I have found myself listening to an audiobook while falling asleep.

*Anyways* I'll get to the point. I recently purchased Yurbuds Ironman Series Earphones from my local Target, mainly because I liked the picture of the super butt-kicking girl on the box.

After getting them home, I actually had to pull out the instructions and read how to insert them into my ear! I must be ridiculous, right? Well, they have this (slightly complicated) "Twist and Lock" technology which prevent them from falling out. And it works! One of my main problems with typical earbuds is that they tend to start slipping our of my ear when I'm running and sweaty. But these babies are locked in.

The sound quality is pretty exceptional, I must say. As far as comfort goes- they are very comfortable for the first few hours. Even longer than typical earbuds, due to the odd shape of them I assume. They aren't comfortable to fall asleep in, but I don't see how they could be, since I sleep on my side.

I also really like the "Kevlar Wires Tangle Free Cable", which helps with the general kinks that come along with regular earbuds. However, I'm not crazy about the red. Call me vain, but I don't have any red running gear, and it clashes with some of my shirts........ Yes, I'm being serious. The non Ironman Series version has a white cord, but it's not the tangle free version.  (Plus that version didn't have the awesome pictures on the box. I totally fall for that kind of advertising.)

My last observation and pretty much the only thing (besides the color) that keeps these from being perfect is they don't have a volume control/pause/play button. I have another pair that have those controls, and I have grown quite fond of not having to fumble with pulling up my shirt (while trying not to flash anyone) to get to my Nano, which I like to clip to the top of my pants.

To make a long story short, I haven't found the perfect pair yet (let me know if you have any suggestions), but I'm glad I purchased these and will make good use of them, for sure.