In January 2012, I set 3 running goals for myself. To see if I could actually achieve them and to keep me motivated to run. And guess what? I did them ALL! Who could believe it? NOT ME! I think you set goals to encourage, inspire and motivate yourself to keep going, keep getting better and attaining things you never really thought possible. That is exactly what I did!
Here were my goals:
1. To run at least 1 half marathon. I ran in 4! My first I completed in 2:20:48. I was really happy with that time, as I was hoping for 2:30. The second I completed in 2:28:15. That was a tough one for me as I believe I was struggling with some dehydration issues and starting WAY TOO FAST! The third was 2:23:19. I was hoping for under 2:20, but I loved running in this one! My last was 2:14:38!!! Not only did I break my 2:20 goal, but I did it by over 5 minutes! I was beside myself and was in a zone at this race!
2. To run a sub 30 5K. This I knew would be a tough one as I am not that fast (hence the title of my blog!). As I progressed throughout the year, I could see that I was getting faster. I could break 20 minutes for 2 miles, but not sure I could keep the pace for 3.1. My son, Brady, my husband, Kip and I decided to run in the turkey trot. Brady and I have run races together before. He wanted that sub 30 too! So I layed out my plan with him and off we went. At one point, he went ahead of me. Which was fine. I kept him in view and caught up the last mile. I passed him about 1/2 mile out and told him "let's go! We're almost there!" As we were rounding the corner, I could hear him say "Please let it be under 30, please let it be under 30!" It was then we saw the clock. It was under 30! We finished at 29:42! That was an exciting race! We both pushed ourselves. Unfortunately, Brady maybe a little too much as he felt quite nauseous after that. Poor kid!
3. To run 700 miles. Not exactly sure where I came up with that number, but I knew it was a lot. At least for me. I DID IT!! Phew! I completed it about 2 weeks ago. Time to spare and everything. So excited and thoroughly proud of myself.
So what does 2013 hold for me as far as running? Not sure yet...a marathon maybe, sub 29 5K. I'll have to think on those and get back to you before January 1st. I do know that I want to keep running, I want to encourage my kids to exercise and I want to blog more. What are your goals?
My favorite running pic!
The Buffalo Creek Half
Friday, December 28, 2012
Saturday, August 4, 2012
My new kicks!
I've always run in the same shoe...Brooks Ghosts. I LOVE THEM! They really know how to treat my feet and feel great. In the year and a half I have been running (and been through several pairs of Brooks), I only got one blister the whole time. So, I really can't complain about them, EXCEPT...I am a neutral runner and Brooks shoes for neutral runners (at least the ones that I have seen) aren't very, well, colorful. And I am a colorful type of person!
So, I went out looking for new kicks. Not because of the colorful aspect, but because my Brooks had over 300 miles on them and my knees were starting to ache after my runs. Not hurt, but ache. A couple people suggested looking into new shoes. I went down to my local running store (Up-N-Running which I LOVE!) and talked to Ed about my knees and he agreed that I should invest in new shoes. Something about the fibers breaking down...blah, blah, blah. All I know is that I heard that I should get new shoes, so that's enough to not feel guilty about telling my husband that I spent over $100 on shoes. He's kind of frugal!
Walked over to the shoes and said that I need something kind of flashy and colorful. Corey set me up nicely. First, I tried some Asics. Bright orange and yellow. Nice! Problem is they kept sliding on the back of my foot when I ran. But I knew a size down would be too tight. Next up, Mizunos. I tried 2 pairs...a purple pair was first. Loved them! They felt great running, very comfortable and fit me well. They next pair was bright orange with one of those air pocket type heels. You know the one I mean. Anyway, I didn't like how it felt when I ran. Although comfortable, the heel bugged me. I knew the purple ones were just what I needed...flashy, colorful, fun and COMFORTABLE!
My new Mizuno Wave Runners and I will be hitting the road in about 30 minutes to begin our relationship. I can't wait! I still have a love for Brooks, I do. Maybe I'll have room for both in my life!
So, I went out looking for new kicks. Not because of the colorful aspect, but because my Brooks had over 300 miles on them and my knees were starting to ache after my runs. Not hurt, but ache. A couple people suggested looking into new shoes. I went down to my local running store (Up-N-Running which I LOVE!) and talked to Ed about my knees and he agreed that I should invest in new shoes. Something about the fibers breaking down...blah, blah, blah. All I know is that I heard that I should get new shoes, so that's enough to not feel guilty about telling my husband that I spent over $100 on shoes. He's kind of frugal!
Walked over to the shoes and said that I need something kind of flashy and colorful. Corey set me up nicely. First, I tried some Asics. Bright orange and yellow. Nice! Problem is they kept sliding on the back of my foot when I ran. But I knew a size down would be too tight. Next up, Mizunos. I tried 2 pairs...a purple pair was first. Loved them! They felt great running, very comfortable and fit me well. They next pair was bright orange with one of those air pocket type heels. You know the one I mean. Anyway, I didn't like how it felt when I ran. Although comfortable, the heel bugged me. I knew the purple ones were just what I needed...flashy, colorful, fun and COMFORTABLE!
My new Mizuno Wave Runners and I will be hitting the road in about 30 minutes to begin our relationship. I can't wait! I still have a love for Brooks, I do. Maybe I'll have room for both in my life!
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Getting back into the distance groove
So, after the Pittsburgh half in May which pretty much defeated me, I didn't know how I would feel about running distance again. It took everything I had to finish that race because of how bad I felt and really contemplated not ever running a half again. Several weeks went by of being out of the groove and not really having a good time on the clock or on fun! But something click recently...maybe it was the Butler Road Race. I don't know. But I realize that I can do it! I can! I am not going to let one race defeat me!
I met a friend on Saturday for a trail run. Linda is a friend of my other running buddies...the ones who inspired me to run, Joanne and Beth. I had never met her (but heard lots about her) until we met on the day I ran my first half. She was running the 8 mile run that day, so we ran the first 8 together. That was in March. I loved running with her. Our paces were pretty comparable and we had some nice conversation. Linda and I had planned on running the Pittsburgh half together, but she was injured and couldn't run. But she's back!
We ran on Saturday. Our plan was to do 5 or 6 miles on the trail. We started out slow, but funny at about 1/2 way to 6 miles, we got into a groove. Our pace picked up and it seemed like we were at ease. I learned a lot about Linda on Saturday and realized even more that we are perfect running partners. It did rain on us almost the entire time, but we didn't care. It actually felt good. And when we reached 6, we decided to keep going and we did 7! It was great! I think we both could've kept going and I look forward to the next time we run.
That 7 miles on Saturday reassured me that I can certainly run another 1/2! I have already signed up for one in October and there will be another one that I am signing up for today that is in September. As far as running Pittsburgh again, well, I have to think about that. If I do, it will be a mental race for me more than a physical one. But I have almost a year to think about it. Until then, bring on the half training! I'm ready!
I met a friend on Saturday for a trail run. Linda is a friend of my other running buddies...the ones who inspired me to run, Joanne and Beth. I had never met her (but heard lots about her) until we met on the day I ran my first half. She was running the 8 mile run that day, so we ran the first 8 together. That was in March. I loved running with her. Our paces were pretty comparable and we had some nice conversation. Linda and I had planned on running the Pittsburgh half together, but she was injured and couldn't run. But she's back!
We ran on Saturday. Our plan was to do 5 or 6 miles on the trail. We started out slow, but funny at about 1/2 way to 6 miles, we got into a groove. Our pace picked up and it seemed like we were at ease. I learned a lot about Linda on Saturday and realized even more that we are perfect running partners. It did rain on us almost the entire time, but we didn't care. It actually felt good. And when we reached 6, we decided to keep going and we did 7! It was great! I think we both could've kept going and I look forward to the next time we run.
That 7 miles on Saturday reassured me that I can certainly run another 1/2! I have already signed up for one in October and there will be another one that I am signing up for today that is in September. As far as running Pittsburgh again, well, I have to think about that. If I do, it will be a mental race for me more than a physical one. But I have almost a year to think about it. Until then, bring on the half training! I'm ready!
Thursday, July 5, 2012
5 mile road race post-race thoughts...
About 2 weeks ago, Brady and I ran in the Butler Road Race. It's a 5 mile race that is held at the end of June. There is also a 2K race, which we have run several times. But this year, I knew I could run the 5 miles and as soon as I mentioned it, Brady said he wanted to run the 5 miles too.
As I talked about in a previous blog, Brady is really athletic. So he didn't need all that much training. He plays sports in nearly every season keeping him in great shape. We did go out running several times together. We made it to just over 4.2 miles on the last long run before the race. Our typical pace was just over a 10:30 mile.
I asked him what his thoughts were on the race. Did he know what his goal was? He said he really just wanted to finish the race and maybe come in under 1 hour. I told him that was fair and I could get him there. We just had to be sure to pace ourselves so we didn't burn out in the end. I bought him some new running shoes and a SPIbelt. He really needed the SPIbelt. His arms are sooooo skinny that an armband for his ipod doesn't stay up. Before we knew it, it was the day of the race.
At the starting line, Kip, Gianna and Nick cheered us on. They were all running the 2K. And we began...running the downhill. That's the best part of the race! At mile 1, we were running about a 9:30/mile. I figured that, as we ran about 1/3 downhill. Mile 2, we had a good 10 min/mile pace going. Mile 3, we were just under 31 min. Somehow, we lost time between mile 3 and 4...not sure how. But at mile 4, we were about 41:30. I figured that with the hill to the finish, we probably would be between 52-53 minutes. That was great! We did better than that! We came in at 51:15!! What a fabulous race for us!
I couldn't be more proud of him! He hung in there, we talked, we kept pace and we enjoyed ourselves! Not to mention, we blew away his goal of finishing under an hour! Woo-hoo!
Last year, I ran a 10K in November. I loved it! I think I'll let Brady join me in that race. After this 5 mile race, there is NO doubting that he can do it!
As I talked about in a previous blog, Brady is really athletic. So he didn't need all that much training. He plays sports in nearly every season keeping him in great shape. We did go out running several times together. We made it to just over 4.2 miles on the last long run before the race. Our typical pace was just over a 10:30 mile.
I asked him what his thoughts were on the race. Did he know what his goal was? He said he really just wanted to finish the race and maybe come in under 1 hour. I told him that was fair and I could get him there. We just had to be sure to pace ourselves so we didn't burn out in the end. I bought him some new running shoes and a SPIbelt. He really needed the SPIbelt. His arms are sooooo skinny that an armband for his ipod doesn't stay up. Before we knew it, it was the day of the race.
At the starting line, Kip, Gianna and Nick cheered us on. They were all running the 2K. And we began...running the downhill. That's the best part of the race! At mile 1, we were running about a 9:30/mile. I figured that, as we ran about 1/3 downhill. Mile 2, we had a good 10 min/mile pace going. Mile 3, we were just under 31 min. Somehow, we lost time between mile 3 and 4...not sure how. But at mile 4, we were about 41:30. I figured that with the hill to the finish, we probably would be between 52-53 minutes. That was great! We did better than that! We came in at 51:15!! What a fabulous race for us!
I couldn't be more proud of him! He hung in there, we talked, we kept pace and we enjoyed ourselves! Not to mention, we blew away his goal of finishing under an hour! Woo-hoo!
Last year, I ran a 10K in November. I loved it! I think I'll let Brady join me in that race. After this 5 mile race, there is NO doubting that he can do it!
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Me and my boy
So, Brady (my 10 year old) has always been athletic. Very athletic. He ran my first 5K with me (my husband did as well)...beat me by 21 seconds. Then we ran another one together on Thanksgiving day, a turkey trot 5K. Again, he beat me. But only by 4 seconds! He has recently asked if he can run the upcoming 5 mile road race with me. I said yes because I know he has it in him.
We went down to the trail a little over a week ago and ran 4.26 miles. I was so proud of him! He did really well and we came in just over a 10:30 pace. Usually, the trail is a little slower so I figured that was a great time! The better thing was that he didn't want to cut out early. He really, really wanted to make it!
Yesterday, we went and ran on the trail again. We were hoping to get in just over 4.5. It was close to 4 pm and warm, about 80 degrees. We took some gatorade prime before the run and off we went. The beginning went pretty well, a little slow, but we needed to get into a rhythm. Then about mile 1.5, he felt great. Said he was in the zone. I was so glad for him...although I wasn't in the zone. It was tough with the heat and I was exhausted from little sleep and a garage sale all day that I had. But I would never let my kids see me quit! About mile 2.5 he was struggling. He was really hot and he said his knee was bothering him. Did some extra walking, tried to run again, but it was just not in the cards for him. We ran 2.97 miles. We walked the rest of it to home 2.04.
He kept apologizing to me, but really I didn't care that we were walking. I was just glad to have a companion, good conversation and my son by my side. Our time on our run wasn't great, but wasn't horrendous considering he wasn't feeling all that great. We ran it in 11 min/mile. All in all, we got 5 miles in running and walking and even with that, we would've finished in 1:05. I know he'll be ready to go in 2 weeks! I'm going to give us a goal of 55:00 (just because the last .3 is all up hill). I'm not going to tell him the goal, but that's what it is in my head.
We have 2 weeks to finish out the training...just me and my boy! Love him!
We went down to the trail a little over a week ago and ran 4.26 miles. I was so proud of him! He did really well and we came in just over a 10:30 pace. Usually, the trail is a little slower so I figured that was a great time! The better thing was that he didn't want to cut out early. He really, really wanted to make it!
Yesterday, we went and ran on the trail again. We were hoping to get in just over 4.5. It was close to 4 pm and warm, about 80 degrees. We took some gatorade prime before the run and off we went. The beginning went pretty well, a little slow, but we needed to get into a rhythm. Then about mile 1.5, he felt great. Said he was in the zone. I was so glad for him...although I wasn't in the zone. It was tough with the heat and I was exhausted from little sleep and a garage sale all day that I had. But I would never let my kids see me quit! About mile 2.5 he was struggling. He was really hot and he said his knee was bothering him. Did some extra walking, tried to run again, but it was just not in the cards for him. We ran 2.97 miles. We walked the rest of it to home 2.04.
He kept apologizing to me, but really I didn't care that we were walking. I was just glad to have a companion, good conversation and my son by my side. Our time on our run wasn't great, but wasn't horrendous considering he wasn't feeling all that great. We ran it in 11 min/mile. All in all, we got 5 miles in running and walking and even with that, we would've finished in 1:05. I know he'll be ready to go in 2 weeks! I'm going to give us a goal of 55:00 (just because the last .3 is all up hill). I'm not going to tell him the goal, but that's what it is in my head.
We have 2 weeks to finish out the training...just me and my boy! Love him!
Thursday, June 7, 2012
Right on target
So, my goals for 2012 were to run a half marathon and to run 700 miles. It's June now (although still the beginning) and I thought it would be a good time to check in on them.
Run a half marathon. DONE! Actually, I have run 2 and I probably have 2 more to run before the year is over. Who would ever imagine me running a half marathon? Holy cow, I couldn't even run a mile in January 2011! But I did it. My first half was on March 31st and I was soooo nervous! But I was with really good friends who settled me down and pulled me through it. Actually, I ran the last 5 miles on my own. Thank you to Beth and Linda for running with me the first 8 miles...I was truly blessed! Time: 2:20:48! I did it! I finished! My second was on May 6th. Not so good for me as I felt sick at about mile 4.5 and it lasted the entire rest of the race. Thank you to Joanne for running with me and for offering to stay with me. But I told her to go ahead, I didn't want to ruin her race. I walked large chunks of that race because of how bad I felt. But even with that, I finished 2:28:15! Holy cow...I thought I would've been about 3 hours for how I felt. That race took everything I had in me. I told my husband that next to Nick's labor, it was the hardest thing I have ever done. 2 more halfs are on the list: One in September, one in October...4 1/2 weeks apart. I can certainly check "run a half marathon" off of my list!
Run 700 miles. That's quite a lot of miles. As of today, I am at 315 miles. I have 35 more to run this month to truly be half way there. I can certainly do it! Although I am not running the longer distances like I was when I was training, with the half in September, I'll be starting the training again in July. So, the miles will build up once again. I'm running about 15-20 miles a week for the most part, so it certainly will get me there.
Next year, I might make a goal to run a marathon, or run a sub-30 5K (yes, I am not fast hence the name of my blog...notsofastmomma!). But for 2012, I am right on target!
Run a half marathon. DONE! Actually, I have run 2 and I probably have 2 more to run before the year is over. Who would ever imagine me running a half marathon? Holy cow, I couldn't even run a mile in January 2011! But I did it. My first half was on March 31st and I was soooo nervous! But I was with really good friends who settled me down and pulled me through it. Actually, I ran the last 5 miles on my own. Thank you to Beth and Linda for running with me the first 8 miles...I was truly blessed! Time: 2:20:48! I did it! I finished! My second was on May 6th. Not so good for me as I felt sick at about mile 4.5 and it lasted the entire rest of the race. Thank you to Joanne for running with me and for offering to stay with me. But I told her to go ahead, I didn't want to ruin her race. I walked large chunks of that race because of how bad I felt. But even with that, I finished 2:28:15! Holy cow...I thought I would've been about 3 hours for how I felt. That race took everything I had in me. I told my husband that next to Nick's labor, it was the hardest thing I have ever done. 2 more halfs are on the list: One in September, one in October...4 1/2 weeks apart. I can certainly check "run a half marathon" off of my list!
Run 700 miles. That's quite a lot of miles. As of today, I am at 315 miles. I have 35 more to run this month to truly be half way there. I can certainly do it! Although I am not running the longer distances like I was when I was training, with the half in September, I'll be starting the training again in July. So, the miles will build up once again. I'm running about 15-20 miles a week for the most part, so it certainly will get me there.
Next year, I might make a goal to run a marathon, or run a sub-30 5K (yes, I am not fast hence the name of my blog...notsofastmomma!). But for 2012, I am right on target!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Running is not supposed to give you more stress...
On Saturday, there is a 5K run that most of my running buddies will be attending. I have been throwing around the idea of going, but I kept coming back to no. At first, I thought it was because of the little chicken in me. I know I'm not fast, and sometimes I think, do I really want to go and show people how slow I really am? I'll NEVER medal in a 5K. NEVER. EVER. But then the competitive little girl that lives inside of me said, "well, you do want to have a sub-30 min 5K", so I thought about going. Even though, I am not sure I can break 30 min just yet, I have been working on it. I've been really pushing myself with speed workouts at the gym. Yesterday, I had a 2 mile run in 19:55. And I am faster on the road versus the treadmill for whatever reason.
But...on Saturday, both of my boys have baseball games. One at 11 and one at 1:30. Could I go to the race and get back in time? Sure, but it would be pushing it and I'd feel very stressed about it. So why do that to myself? Running is not supposed to give you more stress. Right? Right. Running is supposed to relieve your stress. So, I have decided not to run in the 5K. At least not the one on Saturday morning.
Yes, I'll see the pictures of everyone running and finishing, and I'll get a little jealous. But...I will not be stressed in the morning and I will be able to make it to both games without feeling like I have major time constraints on me. That, I think, will be more worth it. There are plenty of other 5Ks to run throughout the summer. This isn't the only one.
Until then, I will continue to do some speedwork. 2x a week if I can. I will get faster. I will have a sub 30 5K. Not sure when, but I will. But I'm not going to stress about it. Because running is not supposed to give you more stress!
But...on Saturday, both of my boys have baseball games. One at 11 and one at 1:30. Could I go to the race and get back in time? Sure, but it would be pushing it and I'd feel very stressed about it. So why do that to myself? Running is not supposed to give you more stress. Right? Right. Running is supposed to relieve your stress. So, I have decided not to run in the 5K. At least not the one on Saturday morning.
Yes, I'll see the pictures of everyone running and finishing, and I'll get a little jealous. But...I will not be stressed in the morning and I will be able to make it to both games without feeling like I have major time constraints on me. That, I think, will be more worth it. There are plenty of other 5Ks to run throughout the summer. This isn't the only one.
Until then, I will continue to do some speedwork. 2x a week if I can. I will get faster. I will have a sub 30 5K. Not sure when, but I will. But I'm not going to stress about it. Because running is not supposed to give you more stress!
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