Shoppers High

Seems to be a lot of discussion all over the web and in the workplace about Black Friday shopping.  Black Friday is no longer, the retail giants have now taken over Thanksgiving with their opening stores back up by 9pm on Thanksgiving day.  Workers have protested, shoppers have sung out in glee and some people just down right don't care.  Some people have even tried comparing a minimum wage job to a professional level job.  What I mean by this is they think the people working retail need to suck it up.  Come on they say nurses, doctors, police officers etc have done it forever.  Well duh they have, but they knew what they were getting into when they decided to enter that field and by the way a RN working on Thanksgiving day is making a hell of a lot more money per hour than Sally standing at the cash register getting screamed at by the consumer who could not get the Holiday Barbie that was advertised on sale that morning.  Yeah that's my life's dream! 

Where is our society heading now?  Do we value a "good value" over our families?  Are the retail giants suckering you into thinking your going to get one of those tablet computers for $90 (by the way there are only 3 per store) to get you in early?  Why do we think we have to have everything any minute of the day no matter if it is a Sunday, holiday or any day for that matter?  Why does everyone feel like they are entitled to whatever they want?  Are we setting a good example for our future generations?  I believe we are heading or actually have been heading in the wrong direction in our society.  Family does not mean crap in this country anymore, only self fulfillment does.

My niece is tickled to death she gets to work at Kohl's at midnight when they open good for her!  I actually liked working Black Friday myself but we opened at 7am, oh yeah that was in the early 90's and now that retail establishment is opening back up at 9pm Thanksgiving night this year.  Glad I am not retail anymore.

So where is this rant leading me i don't know.  I guess I just want people to be aware of others value systems.  I value my job, but family comes first.  People are precious jobs are not.  But then again jobs are precious right now since there  are not too many to be had.  I guess I feel more for the guy making 7.50 an hour that has to be to work by 3:45 AM than I do the nurse who will be making 5 times that amount or more who is use to working those kinds of hours in the first place.  I don't care if this is the 21st century people and families need to be valued over some retail giant making a buck.

It's Been a Long Time

Just like the song it's been a long time since my last blog.  Funny how I was so gunhoe in the beginning and seem to have really slacked off this fall.  Maybe it is because a new school year started up, maybe it's because I drive straight home and change into my gear and go out and run before dark or maybe it's because there is nothing to pressing to blog about.  At any rate here I am again ready to blog.

I find the year coming to an end and reflect back on my running journey this year.  I have realized I have spent quite a bit of money on my running this year.  Six pairs of shoes, numerous race entries and my most costly the trip to Chicago for the RnR 1/2 Marathon in August.  Would i change it?  Never!  Would i do it again?  Definately!!  I also realized i spent a lot of money on socks this year but you cannot be too careful when it comes to your feet.  I like my toenails, i like to be blister free and I love to have warm toes in the winter.  I am already looking ahead to next year and planning a few long trips that include racing.  There are two in the UP A 1/2  in June in Munising and then another 1/2 on the island off of Munising at the end of July.  These won't be as costly since I have a place to stay up there.  I also want to do an out of state one in the fall I just have to figure what one.  If I am picked to be an Ambassador again for TEAM MARATHON BARS I am going to look into either doing the RnR in St. Louis or Philly.  Lots of planning and saving up for in the 12 months that lie ahead! 

Reflective Running:Live Strong!

I like to reflect on my day or the past week I have had when I run. Today I was reflecting upon the fact of how many truly sad preschoolers are coming to school these days. It breaks my heart to see them walk into the school with a blank look on their face. They go through the motions and then they go home. Not all are this way, but when you see one in each class in your center it really stands out. Early childhood is the time for learning, playing, investigating and exploring everything about the world around them. It is suppose to be fun! But when you have preschoolers coming to school wearing the burdens of their parents on their own sleeve you know society is messing up royally. We provide a consistent, warm and nurturing environment everyday. I just hope this will make a difference in their lives and they will eventually open up and a take a risk to get truly involved in the activities going on around them in the room. I wish I could take them all for a run each night with me and show them the joys of running and how it helps me get through my days, good and bad.

The other issue I reflected upon tonight was Ayden. Ayden is a 4 year old little boy who was in our Head Start program last fall. He was diagnosed with a form of high functioning autism and went into a special ed room this past summer. Just recently Ayden was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. It broke my heart to find this out.  This family has been through so much it makes you wonder why God tests people so much.  I want to help in some way so I am thinking I will run a 1/2 marathon or maybe a full marathon in the spring and raise money for Ayden's family.  I feel like if I combine my passion for running along with my passion for young children i think I can accomplish great things!!  I will think and reflect upon this some before i decide how i am going to go about all of it.  Ayden's mom has started a Facebook page called "Hope for Ayden" .  Like his page and follow his journey I will be following and praying for this little sweetheart and his family.  Live Strong Ayden!!

Wildlife Marathon

Last Sunday I ran in the Wildlife 1/2 Marathon.  My goal going into this race was to get a 1:50.  The night before the race I went to the packet pick up and promoted MARATHON Protien Bars.  I handed out 66 bars and talked with countless people that night.  What I liked best was describing the marathon course.  I have ran down almost all the roads and if not I have drove  down them!

The morning of the race comes and it is a cool morning that promised to be an awesome day.  I did a short 1/2 mile jog to just warm up the muscles a little.  Went to the bathroom countless times and mingled with the crowd.  Got some compliments on my MARATHON Bar uniform, it does stand out!  Right before the start of the full marathon I met my MARATHON Bar teammate Melanie Peters who would ultimately end of winning the womens marathon and finish 3rd overall.

So now it is time for the 1/2 to start and I get in the front of the pack so I have less people to manuver around.  I go out at a 8 minute pace for my first mile, oops wanted to hover around 8:30.  So my next mile is on pace and I feel great.  I get to the road I live on and there is Robyn Halsey cheering for me.  It was nice to have someone there since my family was less than 400 feet away and sleeping.  I get to the Teft Rd crossing and their is Robin Ellison cheering for me.  There was quite a crowd here and lots of SAU kids handing out gatoraide and water.  I am feeling great I head to the turn around and there are more SAU students and the ygive me a small bottle of water and I tell them SAU is my Alma Mater and I ran there 25 years ago.  They thought that was keen!  So off i go back down the trail towards Concord.  I am still feeling good.

So I am finally at the end of the trail and take in a little more water before treading on to the finish.  I head up the turn and short hill and decide to walk up the hill a little bit.  I look at my watch and I say to myself I will still get 1:50 I know i will.  So I conserved a little energy there and took off halfway up the hill and kicked it in for a strong finish with less than a mile left.  I cross the finish line in 1:50:57!  Woot Woot!  Made my goal!

I still felt good after the run as well.  I really did feel good all through the race, my hips did get a little tight and sore about mile 10-11 but they always do by then.  All in all it was a great race, great weather and great time!  I made my goal and now I need to move onto my next goal.  I just have to figure what that is going to be.

I Am a Runner!!

I had a nice chat with my running buddy from Montana the other day.  My friend Amy and I have been friends since middle school.  She is my best friend's little sister.  We were part of a pretty awesome 2 mile relay team in high school.  That was the first  experienced I had of working towards a goal as an individual and as a team all in one.  Every meet we ran in we had a goal to better our time and we worked together in practice to achieve this.  We did it too!  We might not have been the fastest bunch all together but we were dedicated and committed to each other and our goal.  We set a school record and metaled at the conference meet to boot!

Cathy, Paige, Amy & Shelly 2 mile relay 1987

So in our conversation were discussing how runners are a whole breed of their own!  Anyone who is a runner can relate here.  I told her that being on a cross country team while in school is full of all kinds of life lessons.  Goal setting is the major one.  I feel a good coach encourages and requires the team to make goals individual and as a team.  How can you strive to get somewhere if there is no goal in sight?  Running accomplishes this.  Kids learn to set those goals, devise a plan (workout) to get there and then ultimately becomes successful in reaching their goal and then moves on to setting a new goal.  Life is like that as well if you have no goal, no purpose you will just run circles and never get anywhere or accomplish what you want.  Set a goal derive a plan and meet that goal!  Yes there are obstacles in running an injury some really awful weather and in life an unexpected thing could happen like being laid off or your car motor blowing up. Running also makes a person become resilient.  You learn to push through, to get back up and finish and it becomes a habit to just get up everyday and run.

I never experienced running on a cross country team until college.  I was recruited to run track and play basketball and the track coach talked me into running cross country.  I was a ballplayer and a sprinter I never ran farther than 5 miles until that summer before my freshman year of college.  I remember the friends I made and the races I ran in but I was still a sprinter at heart.  Well the sprinter in me is gone and now i am a true long distance runner and i love everything about it.  I have to laugh because it is so ironic that for the longest time I was trying to run away from my "jock type runner image" that now in my 40's I am OK with that image, that is who I am.  I am also a wife, mom, teacher, sister etc. but for sure I am a Runner!

My University Has Let Me Down

While looking on my Alma mater's website at the upcoming homecoming activities I took a moment to check out the women's track and cross country pages.  They had the school records archived there.  They even went to the trouble of having the top ten times jumps or throws as well.  I was dismayed to find my name no where to be found.  My freshman year I set the school record in the 60 meter dash (indoor track) and tied the NCCAA record.  (national christian college athletic association)  After looking at the long jump best 10 jumps I should have been about fifth on that list as well.  When I checked out the cross country records they had all the girls who ran under 19 minutes on there.  I was not one of those girls, but my teammate Tina should have been in there she always ran constantly low 18s the whole season I ran with her.  I wonder now if it was just our coach at the time not recording this or if it was an oversight by the college.  I have my medals, my memories and my newspaper clippings so I have all the proof I need it would just be nice to receive the recognition due us.  I am not going to approach the college about this I do not want to start a ruckus I did not have the best experiences there, it definatley was not a good fit for me at the time.

Onward to better things.  My training has been consistanly better.  My times in my speed work have been coming down and I can tell in my other runs through the week how it has helped.  I had a great long run today I just felt like running so I did.  I held an easy 8:50 pace for almost 12 miles.  I was happy with that.  I am finding it much more productive if I just go out and run and only time the total run.  I am leaving my Garmin home for most runs and just wearing my Timex to get total time.  I am more relaxed when I am not focused on my pace. 

During my long run today my mind drifted off and then I found myself going over multiplication facts in my head.  I have no idea why but I was 12 x 12 is 144 then I would go on with 12 x 13 etc.  It was crazy so then I started focusing on the music coming through my head phones.  Then I turned that down and listened to the leaves crunching beneath my Nikes.  I had a nice mixture of running down the trail, then around the village of Concord then back to the trail and then around my short block down the gravel roads.  It was a great run!!

We will see what this week has in store I have to work lots of late nights because of Open House at my two different centers.  So I might find myself running in the morning, maybe at night with a head lamp or on my treadmill that I snagged off Craigslist last week.  I will let you know next time! Peace Out!

It's Been a Long Time

It's been a long time since I last posted something on here.  Since the last time I went off to Chicago with my best friend Gina to run in the Rock n Roll 1/2 Marathon.  I did fairly well my goal was to get in around 1:50 and I made it in at 1:56 so that was not too bad.  The weather was great very cloudy at the start, nice breeze off Lake Michigan and at about the 7 mile mark it rained for awhile.  There were thousands of people running by far the largest race I have run in yet.  I would love to go back and run it again but I think I will shoot for the Chicago Marathon next fall if I can get in.

Onward HO!  Time to think about my upcoming races the big one is the Falling Waters Trail 1/2 that I am going to run in October.  Goal again to get a 1:50 should be do-able since it is basically flat and it should be much cooler by then.  The colors will be awesome this time of year so it will be a very pretty run.

I have all these great thoughts and reflections when I am out running and when I sit down to write them all out I forget them.  One thought I can recall somewhat is the fact that I need to find someone to do some speedwork with.  I want to get faster but I think I am at a point of where I need someone else to me push me faster.  How to find that person I have no idea.  I am thinking of contacting the Spring Arbor coach and seeing if I could od speed workouts with them! lol

We will see.  Anyway I just keep plugging away the miles which is getting easier as the temps are falling quickly at night and they are nice and cool most mornings. 

I will try and remember to jot down my thoughts as they come to me so my blog will become better and more meaningful. Peace out.

Are Four 1/2's Too Many in Two Months????

Within the next 63 days I have on my schedule four 1/2 marathon's planned.  Chicago this coming weekend, Capital City River Run and Baker's Dozen in September and then the first week of October the Wildlife 1/2.  I know i can do it I just have to figure out which ones i really want to push for PR's and which ones for fun.  The Baker's Dozen I am sure will be for fun since it is one week after the Capital City which I want to push myself in.  Chicago is iffy....it depends upon the humidity that day.  I can't help it I really suck air on those hot and humid days.  The Wildlife I will be seriously competing in that one with the other local 40 year olds!!

I want to put a few 10k's in there as well I think I will play it smart and go with how I feel rather than signing up way in advance and then regretting it.

Training went well this week I felt like I was really back in my grove and my speed work out session went better than expected.  I am trying to run in the heat and humidity to get use to it more but it is just plain torture some days. 

Long run went really well this morning.  I kept a nice easy pace for the first 9 miles and then I sped it up for the last 3 to help get myself used to that feeling of utter exhaustion.  The same way you feel at an end of a race.  Train myself to persevere and push through the fatigue and anguish.  I was running 8:12 miles for the last 3 and my goal pace for a the 1/2 is 8:30-45 depending upon the weather conditions.  Boston's song Smokin came on my MP3 player and man did I haul ass then.  That is the best song to run to!

So 6 more days and I leave for Chicago and 7 days until the race.  Taper week and healthy eating!!!  Carb load on Friday!  TTFN!!

Where Did July Go?

Where did July go?  I look and I have not blogged since July 9th maybe because I was getting ready for my second trip of the summer to Montana.  I loved running in the UP and also had a great time running in Montana while I was there but nothing compares to the stress free, familiar course where I can get lost in my thoughts and lifes worries just seem to disappear here at home.

So after I ran the Bear Run in the UP on the 4th I was experiencing pain in my left hip.  I felt it was from running on the very uneven landscape during the trail run and also that hard as a rock bed i was sleeping on.  I was nursing it before I went out to Montana riding my bike more, taking a few days off and stretching.  I think the 3 days in the car helped to since it kept me from running.  I felt great in Montana even did a "rave run" on the Rimrock in Billings.  I felt great when I got home also and then Friday came I did my run in the morning and then went to town.  I got out of the car and bam I could not move my hip it was like it was out of joint.  Damn I had to make myself walk on it and it popped back into place and of course hurt like hell after that.  I ran this morning it was sore but I was able to get through it.  It feels ok this evening as well.  So hopefully all is well.

So now as the month comes to an end and I go back to work on Monday I realize I have only 15 more days until the Chicago Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon!  I do not know how well I will run it with my hip and the humidity lately.  We will see, I always run much faster on race days with all the excitement and adrenaline running through me.  So I will just rely on my smart training and my natural ability to run to get me through.  My goal is a 1:50.



Blister in the Sun

It's been awhile....well I was out of town in the UP running during the nice cool UP mornings.  Ah how I miss the coolness up there just to come home and be engulfed in heat once again and the nasty deerfly. 

So I had a nice training week while visiting the Upper Penisula of Michigan.  Ran in an awesome trail race on the 4th of July.  The Black Bear 12k Trail Run.  The first 2k or so was down a paved road running into the morning sun we turned left into the Hiawatha National Forest and was greeted with ice cold water and a hard limestone packed trail.  The trails we ran on are ones used by four wheelers.  Then about 4k into the race the trail turned to sand.  OMG is that the hardest thing to run through.  It pulls at your hips, begs you to stop but I kept plugging away.  Picking people off as I went, I was not in a hurry at the start I still cannot figure out why people kill themselves at the begining.  Well I guess they just do not understand how to race.  Finally we turned a corner and there it was the mud the starter told us about.  Not too bad but there were logs down on the ground and it was not safe to run on so i walked through this area only about 20 feet or so of this and took off up the hill.  Ah the hill, a nice rocky, sandy, crappy beat up by 4 wheelers hill.  I started running up it and then it got too steep so I walked the rest of the way up got a drink and started on my last 3 miles or so through the nice hard packed trail through the hardwoods that made a wonderful cool canopy over our heads.  I had my eye on the guy in front of me I knew I had to get him, he kept slowing down I kept speeding up I got him in the last 2k stretch.  We come out of the woods onto a paved road that went downhill and around a loop to the finish.  I was really bookin' then!  My brother yelled go Cathy only 100 more yards!!  I was sprinting to the finish.  I felt great!  First in age group, 12th overall and there were only 35 runners in the 12k....everyone else ran in the 6k which had over 100 runners in it.  Hmm wonder why?

I had some good runs while in the UP and did a lot of hiking on the Pictured Rock Lakeshore.  Nice get away.  Time to gear up and get ready for the next trip out to Montana.  Try some running in the higher elevations see how that goes.  I will be running with my high school running buddy Amy I cannot wait.

Everyone needs a goal

Isn't it true everyone should have goals, big or small, shouldn't we all be striving in life and trying to reach the top in anything we do?  My goal this year was to work on speed to bring my 5k race time down.  Hard thing to do when your 42 and are not running like your 22 anymore.  I have made it though I finally got under 24 minutes this week two times!  Tuesday nights race in Lansing with Crissy I was able to run 23:34 and then again today in Concord I ran a 23:30!  I was not too sure about my time today after Wednesday but there is no stopping me now.

New goal now is to get under 23 minutes in a 5k.  I think training for the marathon last year and getting that hellish base built up that I maintained all winter long has fueled my fire!  I am in great shape, eating well, sleeping well, enjoying my job, my life, my family.  There is always room for new goals. 

The other goal pertaining to my running is to go for a 1:45 in the 1/2 marathon, if I can't do it in Chicago I should be able to by October for the Wildlife 1/2.

Another goal this year is to support Abbie in her school year.  This will be a transitioning year for her since she will be attending the Career Center in the mornings.  The girl does not like change and does not like her schedule messed up so there will be some adjusting the first month of school.  We will get through it together with me supporting her and trying to stay calm and understanding.

So all in all this has been a great week and I am totally looking forward to my nice cool long run in the morning.  I have not picked a route yet I guess I will figure that out when i leave the driveway tomorrow!

The Joys of Summer Break

Summer break started this week for me.  The break is shorter now for me since I crossed over from teaching into administration this year.  No more beginning of June to the end of August off anymore, now it's end of June through the end of July off.  It's ok I used to get stir crazy by the first of August anyway.  Now on my 5-6 weeks off I can concentrate on my running more and i do not have to worry about planning or making things for next school year like I always did when I was a teacher.

I have been really working hard on speed work this summer and it is paying off!  Last night I finally ran under 24 minutes in a 5k!  My official time 23:34 my best yet as a Masters Runner!  I know I will never get those low 20's like back in the day and I am ok with that once I get below 23 minutes in a 5k I will be happy!  Last summer I was totally focused on my marathon and speed went by the wayside.  This year I only have 1/2 Marathons planned and it is much easier for me to add the speed work into my running schedule.

I also believe that being part of the Team MARATHON Bar has really enticed me to step it up.  The team is very encouraging and enthusiastic about running and that helps tremendously plus I want to do well in the Chicago Rock and Roll 1/2 in August since I will be representing Team MARATHON!

So far my summer break is going great I am gearing up for a trail run in the UP on the 4th of July and really looking forward to my trip to Montana to see my friend and run in some higher elevations!  July should be an exciting month!

Reflective Running

Sunday was a time for reflection.  About a month ago or so I posted on Facebook that if I would have trained the way I do now back in high school I would have went on to a bigger and better school to run for rather than a small private Christian college.  But hey I was able to run in college and I did set a record while I was there.  I am still running now and that is all that matters.  I guess it is that "could have, would have, SHOULD have" thoughts running through my mind lately.  Natural talent can take you so far, but to be better you must hone that skill and train hard.

I was thinking about my journey on becoming a runner, it all started when I was little and did not have a bike so i had to run to keep up with my friends around town!  When I was going into 6th grade I would wait for my brothers cross country team to come running through Horton and I would run with them through town until they headed back out of town and up to the high school.  That was cool.

When I finally reached the middle school doors our school district decided to cut all middle school sports and they did.  We had intramural sports that the gym teachers would do after school.  It still was not the same.  In 8th grade I practiced basketball everyday with the girls Varsity team and then took their stats at the games.  I was still running to get places.

Finally high school came and I was able to run track and it was on a dirt track!  I set many school records, our coach really sucked but he was nice and he gave us Snickers Bars when we did good.  I did every event in high school except throwing the discus.  I had to try them all and i was good at them all but I decided middle distance was my thing the 400 and the 800.  Ran the 400 in 64 on dirt and 62 on all weather, the 800 2:30 on dirt 2:24 on all weather.  Not bad for a kid who barely trained, but if I had trained hard who knows what could have become of it. 

No I did not run cross country in high school I played basketball in the fall that was my first love.  I did however run cross country my freshman year in college and ran in the low 20's.  20:12 was my PR in college.  I Only ran one year.  That's a whole another story for another time.  My sophomore year I started training to do the Heptathlon in my senior year.  Well I never made it to my senior year that goes along with the other story. 

My running journey did not end I ran until about 21-22 years old, had my son when I was 23 and turned to bike riding then because jogging strollers back then cost around $200-300! SO I would put Joey on the back and away we would go.  Then we had Abbie so Barry had to put a seat on his bike so we could do family bike rides.  Back to school i went finishing up my degree, raising my kids and running went by the wayside for about 10 years.  I started walk/running again and finally after Joe started in cross country in middle school and I heard that gun go off I was hooked and back to running and I have been running ever since and just started road racing about 4 years ago again.

So that is my running journey in a nutshell.  I was also blessed to watch my son and his teammates grow from little middle school runners into State Champs in both Cross Country and Track.  I will never forget in my sons Senior year they had just won the State Cross Country meet and he was an All State runner he was crying and thanking me for pushing him to run and in his running.  That was an all time great "Mom" moment.  What a talented group of runners! 

So enough reflecting it is time to look forward and see what I can do in "master" years of running and hopefully I will have lots of years left!!

The HEAT is ON!!

Yes it has been one heck of a hot week so far.  The humidity will not go away.  The weather man said after tomorrow we should have a break in the hot and humid weather for a few days.  So training has been rough this week.  5:30am runs, sweat pouring of me, annoying deer fly buzzing me and stickin' rotten dead animals along side the roads.  YUCK!

Among all of the heat and stinky dead stuff out there I have seen some really beautiful things these past few days.  I see the geese with their goslings, the swans with their babies, beautiful wildflowers, some amazingly colorful birds and of course lots of deer.  The other morning when I was running down the trail a deer snorted to the others that I was approaching I never saw them I just heard them take off through the thicket!  One road I run down is just one solid wall of Jacob's Ladder in purple and white.  It is just gorgeous!  The most amazing sight on my runs this week was watching the sun rise while I was running this morning.  It was just a big red ball in the sky.  I took a picture on my phone but it did not do it justice.  While others are hitting their snooze buttons in the mornings I am out in all of God's glory!

The best thing about the heat is at least now I can condition my body to it in small increments.  Short quick runs to help the old body adapt.  This is good since last summer I kept sucking air whenever it was hot and humid now I am taking a proactive approach against the heat.  Bring it on I say!!!

Running on Empty

Running on empty the song is going through my mind right now and what a nice title lets see if it fits tonight's blog post!

So I have neglected my blog this week.  It was a very busy week since Monday was Memorial Day and then it was the last week of school and a endless list of things to do.  I managed to get all of runs in of course.

To recap the week, on Monday was a nice easy quick run followed by Tuesdays night of 800 repeats in between thunderstorms.  I ran 3 then had to stop for about 45 minutes and then resumed the last 3.  Held them at 3:40 each.  Wednesday was quick run with some strength training and on Thursday I did 8 hill repeats. Friday was a rest day and today I ran 4 miles on some trails with my meet up group.

On Friday I received my box of goodies from Snickers MARATHON Bars they are my official sponsor this year.  Yes I am almost a professional runner.  In exchange for some really nice running gear, all I have to do is promote the product at races and at group training runs etc.  They sent cases of product to be handed out and coupons and tattoos.  For me it's an incredible opportunity because I always wanted to run professionally when I was a kid.  So it is my dream come true.  Who knows it could lead to something else in the future.  I and 249 others were picked out of 1000's who applied for our commitment to an active lifestyle filled with nutritious energy bars!! :)

Just really bummed that Barry could not get the week off of work for when I wanted to do my first 1/2 marathon for this year.  Been training since spring break for this.  I might just drive up to the UP myself, but it seems silly because 6 days later we will be leaving for the UP.  I will just have to settle for the local 10k in Manistique when we go up.  We will see I could change my mind and hop in the car and go!

I think my next blog might be a little more "colorful" because i have been having some really deep thoughts on my runs and working some things out.  We will see running on empty in my thoughts tonight!

Memorial Weekend

Well the weekend is not done by far but had some thoughts running through my head and thought it best to jot them down here.  Yesterday I ran with my 9 year old running buddy Samantha in the Girls on the Run 5k in Coldwater.  We finished in 32:45!  What a great accomplishment for this kid.  She listened to her coach and followed what was asked of her when it came to her training.  She told me "My coach says you have to have a pace."  "My coach says you run the first half of the race a little slower so you can finish fast."  Well this kid held her pace, she was breathing easy and was offended that people would "liter" by throwing their water cups on the road.  I had to explain that this is common in a race and that someone would pick them up after the race was done.  She did great and I hope she sticks with it because she is definately on runner to look out for.

Today I went for my long run, 12 miles.  What a nice 12 they were.  It was very humid and I don't know what weighed more my Fuel Belt or the humidity.  I started out easy and just fell into nice pace and finished my last 2-3 miles in a little bit faster pace.  I am following Hal Higdon's Half Marathon training program for advanced runners.  I have never gone wrong with Hal and I hope this plan gets me where I want to be at the end of June for Pictured Rocks.

Had a very interesting music playlist today and I only listen to music on long runs by the way.  I don't care for music during speed work or just daily maintence runs.  So anyway I had songs from the 70's, 80's and now.  I mixed up ABBA Dancing Queen, with some Twisted Sister and Boston and topped it off with Foster the People and some Coldplay. 

Tomorrow will just be a quick run around the country block and then a cook out at my parents.  The picture is of the Millpond in Concord along the Falling Water Trail I took the trail into Concord ran around the village and went back home down the trail.  It was just beautiful and peaceful this morning.  So happy I am able to partake in my favorite past time in such a beautiful place! :)

TGIF

The best part of waking up today was Folgers in my cup and 3 homemade chocolate chip cookies to go along with it.  Waited until the afternoon to go out and run was hoping for some sunshine but we never got any today.  I am starting to think I live in Washington State rather than Michigan with all the rain we have been getting lately.

So I did an easy 6 today at a 8:40 pace up and around my Grandpa's farm.  I love to run around the farm it brings back many memories and it is just a nice peaceful place to run.  When I run around the farm I can get my thoughts together and work out any worries I may have.  So it was a therapeutic run today. 

I am looking forward to running with Samantha tomorrow in her Girls on the Run 5k.  Sam's mom is pregnant so I am running with her.  She is a good little runner and I hope she keeps on gettin' on with her running!

Rain When Will You Be DONE???

Seems like it has rained all week.  Last night I went out and ran in between thunderstorms.  Tonight I am taking the night off, tomorrow is actually my rest day but I just do not feel like getting out in the cold wet stuff tonight.  Rain and 45 degrees out you would think it was the first of April not the end of May.

I have to share about my Runners World Traiing log book my mom come across while cleaning out her upstairs.  It was from 1987 the summer when I was training for college cross country.  It had my mileage, my times and my wieght!  It was really cool to look back and see the training I was doing back then.  I was of course faster and lighter! 

Well tomorrow I will be back at the grind again in my running probably an easy 5-6 and the nSaturday I will run with my running buddy in the Girls on the Run race.  I bought us matching knee socks to go with our T shirts! Will post pics!  Sunday will be the long run 12-13.

Weekend Follies

What a weekend!  Friday was a rest day and then Saturday morning I wake up and get ready to travel to Marshall for a 5k.  My goal was to get under 24 minutes since i am familiar with the course this year.  I had my new racing flats on, mighty light weight ones by Brooks, and I felt good during my warm up.  Hips were a little tight but they always seem to be so I stretched real good.

So waiting for the 9am start and it starts 9 minutes late.  I hate those people who insist to be in the front even though their pace is a like a 10 minute mile not that mine is all that fast but yeah i am running 2-2 1/2 minutes faster than you lady!!!  So anyway the horn blows and off we go down and around the fountain up Michigan and then we run up one street and get to the street the hospital is on and that is when the weirdest pain creeps up in my belly and rest between my belly and and my lower lungs I go by the first mile marker at 7:49 right where I want to be.  I continue on and up the long climb of the 2 mile marker I am at 16 minutes and say in my head "WTF" I felt like i was at the same pace but I had slowed down so now i kick it in and finish the last mile a little faster.  I finish in 24:40 and i am disappointed.  It was a good run except for that pain that hung in there up until the 2 mile marker.  Maybe that is why I slowed down or it could have been the fact that the guy in front of spit way up high in the air and all his "after spit" flew in my face.  A-Hole I shout in my head. 

But all in all I did not do to bad I am just not where I wanted to be.  So more speed work and pace work for me.  On the bright side I did get a free massage and a cherry Popsicle after the race!

On Sunday I went out to do 12 miles and if not for the song that came on my MP3 player Help is on the Way by Rise Against I don't know if I would have made it.  That song gave me the extra boost I needed right then.  I was a about 23 meters shy of 12 miles but whose counting! 

So now on to a new week with a quick run tonight and some strength training and then tomorrow 4x1600 at race pace.  Goal 1/2 marathon race pace for Pictured Rocks is 8:30.

So lets do this thing! DESTROY YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Runners' High

It's no longer sport, no longer just a game.
It has become a way of life.
Every breath is a stride, every heartbeat a string of silence.
It is a compulsion from deep within.
It is a passion for glory.
To go through the torment.
To last through the waiting.
To gain that one moment, alone with myself.
And only the few, who chance to strive, can know the experience.
To hear nothing but breath.
To feel nothing but heartbeat.
To feel so much like hell, running so close to heaven.
This is the Runners' High.
This is the feeling I live for.
This is the goal I strive toward.
If my chance disappears, part of my life would end.

Opportunities are Knocking and the Dog's are a Barkin'

Well I found out this week that I was picked as an Ambassador for Snickers MArathon Bars.  What does this mean?  It means I get free running gear with the Marathon Bar logo on them and Marathon Bars to hand out at races and events.  I will find out more next week when I attend the mandatory webinar.

This weeks running has been going good I did 4x800's Tuesday night and held a 3:40 pace for all 4 of them!  i was stoked and I felt great.  Today was the first day in quite awhile i was able to run with the sun shining on me.  It has been so cool, rainy and dreary all week.  Sunday i did 10.5 in the cold rain.  I was soaked and chilled to the bone when i finished.

Having some problems with a dog who likes to charge out at me when I run by.  Of course it is across the road from the dog that bit me last fall.  So the owners were warned by the police that if they got another call from me about thier dog chasing me out in the road they would come back and ticket them.  Well the damn thing come out at me again.  I cussed those people out and threatened to call the police again.  How hard is it people to put up a fence or put your dog on a leash??  Well let all my neighbors know that it is not hard for me to go and get my CCW and that is what I am going to do this summer.  Then when any damn dog comes out into the right of way I will shoot it because I am totally fed up with irresponsible dog owners.  It's not the dog's fault its the fault of the owner period.  That is all I am going to say about that.

Back to the running, I run in Marshall this weekend there is a long slow climb during mile 2 and then it is a downhill finish!  Should be fun this year now that I know the course!

Week of May 16th

Well I skipped a week of blogging.  I was running just not blogging!  So anyway this was a tough week to get runs in.  Very busy week and then it went hot humid really quick and now rain and cold.  One extreme to the other!

I was able to log another 30 miles but no speedwork, only a tempo run but I do not consider that a real speed workout.  Tuesday night i ran with my running buddy for Girls On The Run.  We did 3 miles and she did a great job for a 3rd grader.  She told me thier coach was teaching them about having a pace.  Samantha had a pace too!  It was about a 11:30 pace but hey the kid hung in there and only had to stop and take a few walking breaks.  This was great considering it was our first day this year to reach 80 degrees and none of us are use to that weather yet here in MIchigan.  The girl has endurance she will be a great runner one day I hope I can rub some of my passion off on her!

Today was my long run 10.4 miles in 41 degree weather it was rainy and windy and i had one of my best runs yet!  I love to run in the cold and rain does not bother me.  I kept an 8:40 pace for the run i am working on getting down to at least  an 8:30 pace before my first 1/2 marathon this year.  I think i am well on my way!

We will see what this week brings.  My fav song on the long run playlist this week was Flo Rider's "Right Round". 

TTFN!

It All Starts Today

Well the blog does anyway!  This is going to be dedicated to recording my everyday running and training.  Maybe a few quirky stories of what is happening in life at the time too just to spice it up a little bit.  I just a want a place I can record how my training is going, what song is my favorite on my long run playlist, how the race went etc.  This will be my running legacy I will leave behind! :)