Aloha!

Hello from Waikiki beach! And just because I'm on vacation don't think that I won't be training like a bad ass. This morning I recruited my dad and we went running along the shore, in the park and even through the hotel lobby. I may have not been the fastest jogger out there but I did it! I successfully completed the work out I attempted on Tuesday.

So dear readers, I will leave you with these photos. But if you'll excuse me please, I have some snorkeling to do.

Take the Stage

Flying to Seattle today. Its the first leg of our trip to Hawaii! For the next two weeks I'll be trading in the pavement on the W and OD trail for sand and sun on Waikiki Beach. Don't worry though, I'll be posting pictures of my adventures.

I asked my sister if she'd want to train with me while we're on vacation together and she said she'd only do it if we ran on a treadmill! Forget that. I'm in Hawaii. I'm going to be getting in and taking in all the sights, sounds and even smells that the island has to offer. I will not be contained to the hotel gym.

As for today's run, I certainly wasn't perfect. I powered through the first run but I had trouble finishing the long run. I stopped and walked for about a minute towards the end and then finished up the last two minutes strong. The final 5 minutes though I probably only made it about half way through before tiring out. I'll try it again in a much more tropical setting in a few days.  I'm not going to let it get me down. Nothing can get you down when you're on vacation.

Since it was later in the morning on a work day, the trail was fairly deserted. So naturally, I started belting out lyrics to the songs that were playing on Pandora at the moment. So to those who may have accidentally over herd my out of breath notes, I'm not sorry. And one other thing?

Hey, I just met you. And this is crazy. But here's my number, so call me maybe?

I'm also not sorry if the song is now stuck in your head.

Today's attempted itinerary:

• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 8 minutes
• Walk 5 minutes
• Run 5 minutes

I'm going to challenge you dear readers as I jet off to the other side of the world. Find your own stage. What are your strengths? What are your weaknesses? Find something that makes people look at you and say, "Great Job!" I may have finally found my stage and its fairly awesome.

Get Along Lil' Doggie!

It was early this Sunday morning and everyone and their dogs were out hitting the trail! Including Dolce, Meghan and I.

I made a promise to you blogger world. I know I said that the next time I made that run that I'd smash it. Rain sort of delayed that but there were no excuses today. I repeated the week 5, day 1 of our 13 week program and I did it! I may have been slower than Meghan but I ran the entire time of every interval that I needed to and that makes me awesome.

Lets look back loyal followers to about two weeks ago when 5 minutes felt like the longest moments of my life. Those hills in Locust Grove kicked my ass and it brought me to tears. I began to wonder if it was even worth it. Today, 5 minutes was the short run! I'm so excited that I was able to finish and I didn't feel like I was going to fall over.

I got to borrow Dolce from the last run and I have to say, that little spit fire can pull! When I return from Hawaii I may have to borrow her for another interval or two.

Today's Itinerary:

• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 6 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 5 minutes
• Be awesome

Rolling Thunder

I started a run today but then I heard thunder... Sorry readers. I made it through the first 5 minute interval when I heard it so I headed on home and ran half of the next interval. Perhaps I'll try again tomorrow.

But hey, 1 mile is better than nothing!

Testing! Testing! Is This Thing Working?

I bought new insoles for my shoes They were not cheap but I think they were worth it. Midway through my run Saturday I noticed that I kept rolling my feet inwards. So since I had some money I thought I'd see what Potomac River Running Store had to offer me. I ended up getting these and this was my first run using them. Click here if you want to check them out.

So how did they do? Well my feet didn't roll. I also certainly feel a lot more support in my arches which should help with any shin splints. I think I had my shoes too tight though because I ended up rubbing a blister and my toes fell asleep in my right shoe. I guess we'll try again Thursday and we'll see how they go. Good thing they have a 60 day guarantee!

Over all today's work out had it's ups and downs. I was able to go through the first 5 minute run and even powered through the 6 minute run! After that though I started loosing it. The last 5 minute interval I was able to run and walk it.

Today's Itinerary:

• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 6 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 5 minutes

I'll be trying this one again on Thursday. Hopefully by then my allergies will have subsided some and I can take a proper deep breath without wheezing. So here is my pledge to you blogger world: I will run every interval on Thursday. I will not wuss out on you! I WILL NOT GIVE UP.

A Tail from a Trail

 I ran a 5K today. And I was awesome. My pacing was all over the map but I averaged a 15 minute mile. I did the whole race in 45 minutes. Not quite as good as Meghan. But I'll take it.

It was a beautiful morning in Hagerstown today and it quickly became very crowded with people and dogs.

The small, skinny, light colored dog and I finished fairly close together. She was so freaking cute! I wished I could have brought Dolce along.

I would say my sister Sarah ran with me but after the first 30 seconds of the race, she was gone! She ended up finishing in 30 minutes. Before we left my mom told her, "Go for the gold Sarah!" She looks at me and says, "Finish!"

We're at slightly different skill levels... But even with Sarah running like crazy a guy ended up winning the race in 21 minutes! Now that's skill.

Did I mention you could bring your dog?

We were there an hour early but before we knew it it was time to pin up our numbers and get going!

On your marks,

Get set...

GO!

After I lost sight of Sarah I had only one thing in mind: Just keep going. I was being passed left and right but I knew I just wanted to finish. And I was far from last. Last person came in at 69 minutes. I'd say I did OK by comparison. 

The race course took you past the finish line once which was really quite the tease... As I was coming up the road again on the last leg I was able to watch Sarah cross it for the final time!

My big butt heading up the last leg

Water and other refreshments were provided after the run. It just sucked to have to see some people enjoying theirs when I had another 3/4 of a mile or so left. But I guess that helped me finish strong because when I look at my Nike+ graph, I started great, really slowed down in the middle and got my speed back up at the end.

Here's Sarah after her finish.

And here's me. Tired. Worn out. Still feeling fierce. I'm officially a runner.

Maybe I'll have to run next year and compare my time. Who's with me?

Who's Got That Funk?

I've got that funk. Ever since last Saturday I just haven't been able to get in the zone... I did however pass by a woman who smiled at me and said, "We're doing awesome!" She was pretty cool. But even after that I somehow managed to still fail...

Today's attempted itinerary:

• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes

Made it through the first run awesomely. I even made it through the second run! After that I started to loose myself. It was a fairly crappy day at work and I get the feeling my mind was more there than it was on the trail. One week until a two week vacation and I'm crazy stressed about it! I'm really hoping that Saturday's run will get me out of this funk. The cheers and so many people counting on me will hopefully push me that much harder.

Megan ran her 5K today and did fabulously. I hope I can do half as awesome as she did.

Preasure is On!

T-Minus 3 days until 5K race day. My sister and I have registered for a run called "Paws on the Pavement." All proceeds go to the Washington County Humane society in Maryland. If you feel like donating click the link and look for team "Wild Thang" That's us. We're wild. We're fierce. And fabulous. If you're interested in checking it out CLICK HERE!

On the other hand, as fabulously fierce as I am, I'm nervous. I think Megan set a good goal for her 5K this week. She says she just wants to finish and not be last. That sounds like a plan to me. She runs her race on Thursday so be sure to wish her luck! With all of our races and what-not, we haven't been able to get together this week.

Overall it wasn't a terrible run. I started out with a buddy who had to drop out before me. My knee was killing me by the end though. I ended up going 2.5 miles with an average of 17 minute mile. I walked a lot because of my knee but for some reason today I don't feel as guilty about it as I did failing Saturday's run. Probably because I went a hell of a lot further.

One more run until my race. 3.1 miles. Lets do this.

Also, I saw a bunny.

Attempted Redemption

I felt as though I needed to try and run again today since I was so pitiful yesterday morning. I decided to just go out and see how well I can do. Bad Idea... But on the bright side...

I made a new friend on the trail today.

My first thought was, "Oh dear... A black cat has crossed my path. This is bad omen for today's run" I assumed she was feral so I kept my distance.

Then the kitty came up to me and did this:

And I knew she was OK to pet. so I did.

And she liked it. And so did I. And I had to remind myself that I have two cats at home who love me very very much.

I think kitty knew that I was on the trail for some work today. I needed to attempt to redeem myself for my crappy run Saturday morning. So she led me to the trail and sent me on my way.

So how did I do you ask? Not awesome. I spent most of my warm up petting a cat so I not long after I got going it was time to run. The first 3 minutes was great. Then I took a 2 minute walk break and the 5 minute walk just about killed me. I came home because my calves were burning and as soon as I got back to my apartment I collapsed on the couch and couldn't move for about an hour. Walking hurt my legs so bad that I couldn't move. I wore my knee brace all day yesterday and all day today, including during my run and it's beginning to feel better. I ran 1.1 miles at a 18'24" pace. That's not terrible but the pain after was. After about an hour or two I was doing much better.

Lesson learned: Your body REALLY needs that 24 hour break between workouts. Tuesday I plan on repeating Saturday's workout and I will run the full time that I need to.

Epic Fail

I am not proud of today. I'm not sure if it was because Megan dragged me out of bed at 7am or if it was the hills that I am totally unfamiliar with but I defiantly didn't do very well on this run. I decided to try something new and met Megan at her house so we could run around her neighborhood. I was afraid of these hills going in but I was cocky enough from my last run that I thought for sure I could do it. In the end Megan and Dolce kicked my ass. So here's a breakdown of today's run and we'll see exactly where I came up short.

Run 3 minutes, Walk 2 minutes
I did great here. Hell, according to nike+ this was the point in my run where I kept up the best pace.

Run 5 minutes, Walk 3 minutes
I started this 5 minutes off great. Then the hill came at the very end... So I wimped out about 20 seconds early and then felt really pissed at myself since I came so close to the 5 minute mark...

Run 5 minutes, Walk 2 minutes
I probably made it 3 or 4 minutes into this run when my breaths started feeling really painful. Maybe it was that other hill that I  managed to run up.

Run 3 minutes, Walk 2 minutes
This was just pitiful and I don't even want to discuss it further.

And to top it all off, I realized my knee started hurting on the way back.

There's always next run right? Everyone has their bad days.

Happy Birthday!

It's my mom's birthday. So happy birthday Mommy! :)

In other news... I RAN 5 MINUTES TODAY! I know it seems silly to most of you but its a pretty big deal for me. Having come from not being able to run 20 seconds to running for 5 minutes is really thrilling for me. I even ran it solo today and didn't wimp out. And yes, I'd tell you if I couldn't do it. One of the reasons why I started this whole blog thing was so I could look back on it in 6 months and just laugh. I'm hoping I'll be way more awesome by then!

Usually Megan and I have been using her couch to 10K program which is an iPhone app. I however have an android and there's nothing on the market that matches hers. I wanted to keep up with the program together so we're running the same runs on the same days even if we're not physically doing it together. So as you can imagine it can be a little difficult to run the right intervals when I'm on my own. And to add on top of all of that my phone has been doing some silly stuff and it shut itself off on my last run interval... But I'm pretty sure I kept it close.. I could be wrong though...

Even though I didn't have Megan or Dolce to push me, I did it and I'm super proud! I have to say a special thank you to Megan because I know if I were still doing this on my own, I wouldn't have nearly as much drive as I do now. I've been looking at my tracked runs over the last two weeks and each time they've gotten a little longer and my pace has gone down a little shorter. Even if my measurements are off... It's still awesome. 

Also:

It was freaking gorgeous outside. So where the hell is everyone?


Today's Itinerary:

• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 5 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes

  

  Sign on the old train station at the end of the trail

Rain? What Rain?

So all day I watched it pour and I was sure that we'd have to cancel our run. But we were lucky enough to have it all dry up just a couple hours before we met up! So Megan, Dolce and I dodged the puddles to complete a really killer run.

For the past few days I was looking at our next scheduled run and my stomach would turn a little... I'd look at it and say to myself, "This thing thinks I can run for 4 minutes straight?! Twice?!" And it turns out, I can! Now that's not to say that it wasn't incredibly difficult. And I'm sure if it weren't for having another person there then I would have wimped out way before hand.  I wanted to cry a little but I freaking did it!

Now here's the real question... Can I find the motivation to do it on my own Thursday? No one will be there to push me further. No one will be there to push me in Disney. I guess we'll find out.

Today's Itinerary:

• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 4 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 4 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes 

THEY WANT ME TO RUN HOW LONG NEXT TIME?! 5 MINUTES?... Can I do it without giving up to early? Guess we'll find out.

Grey Sunday

Its very grey today.

Clean and fresh faced before! You don't want to see after....

But Megan, Dolce and I went out and rocked it anyways! We ended up going a bit over two miles. Different devices gave us different measurements but either way I know it was over two miles. I went out sporting new clothes from my Mama, which were very comfy by the way, and Dolce wore a new running trainer!

I'm not sure if it was the ominous clouds that kept people off the trail or if its just because its Sunday but we basically had the trail to ourselves and It was pretty nice. Even if there wasn't very many people out, I did see something that I may need to purchase in the near future.

A few weeks ago I visited the doctor for some severe knee pain. He thinks I was running wrong and I just needed to rest it. I didn't go out for two weeks after that and I haven't had any issues since then. It stays on the back of my mind and I worry about it returning. Today I saw a man running with some sort of support band that sat just under both of his knees. They were small and didn't seem to be as obtrusive as the big ace bandages I had been using. It looked similar this.

I also wanted to share a picture:

It was absolutely gorgeous. It wasn't too hot or humid out.

 I think she's asking mom, "Whens the next run?" Answer: Tuesday.

Over all, I'm tired but I'm not sore. I lived through it and I'm ready for the next one!

Dolce pulling us back home

Today's Itinerary:

• Run 2 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes
• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 3 minutes
• Walk 3 minutes
• Run 2 minutes
• Walk 2 minutes

Finding Motivation

So for approximately the last six weeks I've been training for the Walt Disney World Half-Marathon in January of 2013.

Am I insane?
Maybe.

Am I determined?
Yes.

The idea popped into my head when my mother and I visited Disney World during this years marathon. I saw tons of people with a huge golden colored medallion around their neck. People would high-five them left and right and even the pilot on our flight home congratulated them all over the loud speaker.

I suddenly had this over-whelming desire for one of those silly medals. I wanted those high-fives and hugs from strangers. I wanted the cheers and recognition all for myself. I wanted the attention. For the first time in my life, this quiet and reclusive girl wanted EVERY eye on her. For all the right reasons of course. I then decided that next year, those congratulations would be mine. All I had to do was run 13.1 miles.

At that time a mile seemed like a marathon itself. Day by day and week by week I'm finally beginning to see myself be able to run farther and faster and i couldn't be more excited about it.

Living off of the W&OD trail makes for easy and scenic runs. I enjoy seeing the different people out and about and wonder how far they've run today and how much further they'll go. I've watched the flowers start to bloom and trees begin to fill in with large green leaves. I've seen super star runners speed past me and elderly walkers smile and nod as they go on their way.

But today I saw something that will stick with me for a while. There's a small park just off of the trail and today I came across a man in a wheelchair. Paralyzed from the waist down, he was there pushing his baby girl on a swing. That was my motivation for today. If he can get up every day and be there for his little girl, I can run just a little farther and I won't complain about the pain. 1.6 miles down.

As I turned around to come back home, he was chasing her around the playground. Rock on Daddy.

Today's running itinerary was as follows: *All runs include 5 minute warm-up and cool-down*

• 1.5 minute run
• 1.5 minute walk
• 2.5 minute run
• 2.5 minute walk
• 2.5 minute run
• 2.5 minute walk
• 1.5 minute run
• 1.5 minute walk 

What was your motivation today?