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

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.