Running with Bubbles

Half-marathon training
Week eleven, day two

Six miles tonight. My plan was to go straight from work, run 4, meet up with the group and do the last two with them. It didn’t quite work out that way…first of all, I had barely started when I realized I really needed to pee! Those of you who have been on the Katy Trail know it’s not like you can sneak off into the woods, so when I got to AA I ran all the way around hoping it would be open for some reason and I could sneak in to the bathroom. No such luck, so I ran back up the trail and over to the Reverchon Park rec center. I don’t think I was really supposed to use the restroom in there but hey it’s part of the park isn’t it? No?

Anyway…after that adventure I was still just struggling. I think it was the heat/humidity because once again my legs seemed to weigh 100 pounds each. So when I saw my friends go by, I told them to go ahead – I was running too slow to keep up with them and I hate for people to have to slow down for me.

But I made it, and boy was I glad to get home! Now I just have to figure out why my runkeeper app keeps killing my phone after 5 miles or so….

Half-marathon training
Week ten, day four and
Week eleven, day one

I didn’t post after my nine mile run on Saturday…for once I didn’t have anything to say. (I know, mark it down!) It was the closest I have come yet to not showing up at the lake. I had been sick the night before and only slept 3.5 hours. I can’t say I would have gone except I woke up and was wide awake five minutes before the alarm went off.

I made it through okay, but I didn’t have that feeling of accomplishment and happiness that I usually do at the end. If there is a runner’s high then I had a runner’s low…I was completely shattered and spent all day on the couch watching college football until I finally did manage to drag myself out to a Halloween party.

I felt the effects of that run during today’s two miles which is the most difficult run I’ve done in a while. I didn’t stretch enough on Saturday and my calves were like rocks. It was more of a stumble-shuffle than a run.

Hey, it’s not going to be easy and like anything else there are going to be these times when I wonder why I’m even bothering. I was thinking that today just as I ran by a couple of houses completely decked out for Halloween – Angi’s favorite holiday. Yeah, it’s not easy, but it’s still worth it.

Half-marathon training
Week ten, day three

You know how those motivational sayings all talk about taking the first step? “The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” “The first step is the toughest.”

Well, I’m here to tell you it’s not true. The first step is NOT the hardest part of the journey. Putting on your damn shoes is the hardest part!

I only had two miles to run yesterday, and decided to do them at the Katy Trail. Even for someone as slow as me, that’s less than half an hour of running. But by the time I got home, flipped through the mail, had a drink, changed clothes, found a hair tie, found something to put my keys in while I ran, fought back through rush-hour traffic…it was an hour later and I was annoyed! Of course all that went away as soon as I fell into my rhythm and I was in a much better mood when I was finished.

If you’re up to lacing up your own shoes, come out and run the Glow Run on Nov. 17! It raises money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and is going to be a ton of fun. Or, if you have four hours to spare, come volunteer to man a water station with Tony and me! For each volunteer that joins us, I’ll get $60 towards my fundraising!

Half-marathon training
Week ten, day two

Six miles last night with the Tuesday night running group. We started behind On the Border on Knox, ran all the way down the Katy trail to the parking garage by the AA center and back again. I’m the slowest runner in that group but luckily Coach Joe came back and finished with me, because the trail got really empty on the way back! I guess everyone went home to watch the debate. The only bad part about running with Coach Joe is that you get to listen to all of his bad jokes. Still, six miles on a Tuesday night led to a great night’s sleep last night!

Fundraising is still moving right along. I can barely keep the chocolate bars in stock that I’ve been selling at work (luckily, because I have bought a couple for myself already, which I definitely do not need!). Also, I think Tony and I will be volunteering at the Glow Run in Las Colinas on November 17. If you want to come out and run/walk a 5K for LLS, let me know and I’ll send you the info!

I’m still trying to hit that first fundraising goal, and every little bit helps!

Half-marathon training
Week 10, day one

It’s becoming a routine to get home from work on Monday, lace up my running shoes and pound out my 2 miles up and down Lomo Alto. There are always other people out, especially on a day like today (close to 80, but low humidity). Kids on bikes and scooters, dog walkers, other runners, older couples strolling after dinner…it’s nice.

Today, when I rounded the corner past Whole Foods, I saw the street blocked off by a police SUV. When I got closer I could see that there had been a car accident – pretty serious from the looks of it with 2 or 3 cars involved. There were five cop cars (cop SUVs – I guess they don’t drive plain old cars in HP), two ambulances, and a fire truck. By the time I was coming back the other way, they had a young man on a back board immobilized to transfer him to the stretcher. I hope he will be okay.

Life changes in an instant, you know? I don’t know what caused the accident, of course, but certainly none of those people expected that when they set out to wherever they were headed. Sometimes that surprise change is good – you meet the person who will become your spouse, or get into a great graduate program, or buy the winning lottery ticket. Sometimes, it’s bad. You have an accident, you lose your job, you get the news from the doctor that you never expected to hear. The people we are fighting for with Team in Training certainly know that feeling.

No one knows what’s around the next corner. Enjoy what you can, while you can, and tell your loved ones that you love them every chance you get!

Half-marathon training
Week 9, day 4

After my success on the hills last weekend, I was really looking forward to running ten miles today.

Well, until about 5:00 yesterday afternoon, when a little voice popped up in my head. “Come on, you can’t run ten miles.” “You’re 43 years old. You used to weigh 300 pounds. You smoked a pack a day for what, 15 years?” “Remember that orthopedic surgeon who told you that you had the knees of a 70 year old?” “You trip over furniture and break your toes in your own house.” Etc., etc.

I did my best to ignore it, but needless to say I didn’t sleep well last night. I told myself I would just go out and do my best, even if I had to walk or even if I had to quit.

Most of my teammates are training for the Dallas half, and they only had nine miles on their schedule, so they were doing the loop of the lake (which is technically 9.3). My race is about a month after theirs, so I could just run the 9.3 and call it a day. But I knew that wouldn’t do it. Training is as much mental as it is physical, and if I didn’t do 10 today I would still worry that I couldn’t. I needed to hit double digits. So I turned back at the end of the loop and finished my ten miles.

Yes, I finished. I ran ten miles! Which means I only have to add 3.1 more to get to race length. Interestingly, once the checks I mailed today go through, I’m $315 away from my first fundraising goal.

I think Angi would be proud of me. Actually, I’m pretty damn proud of myself.

Half-marathon training
Week nine, day three

I’m a day late on the update again (I’m sure you’ve been waiting with bated breath). Yesterday Tony got great job news so we celebrated with dinner out and a bottle of Veuve. But before we did that, I went to the gym and got in my two miles! The more I run outside, the more boring the track is. I actually ran about 40 seconds faster per mile than usual but I think that’s just because I was anxious to get to the champagne.

I really wanted to post today to share that I am writing a check to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society for $760! That’s $700 from the football squares and $60 that I made in ONE day of selling chocolate bars at work. Needless to say, I’ve ordered more chocolate! Thank you all for your support, but remember there is a long way to go before we find a cure, and every penny counts! I’m still trying to reach my minimum so I can set my next goal, and I can’t wait to get there!

Half-marathon training
Week nine, day two

I totally forgot to post this last night – I have been so tired lately! I hope I’m not getting sick. On the plus side, I’ve been sleeping 7.5-8 hours a night instead of 5.5-6, so that’s probably a good thing.

Four miles last night; I decided to wait until 6:30 and run with the group. It was lots of fun and I will definitely be doing that on Tuesday’s runs from now on! I also think I run faster with the group than I do on my own, and that’s probably a good thing too.
The only downside is that we meet behind On the Border and 4 miles means turning around at Texas de Brazil, so I was definitely ready for dinner when we finished.

Mmmmm, meat. Is it lunch time yet?

Half-marathon training
Week nine, day one

Wow, week nine already! Even though I’m starting to prefer the longer distances, Monday’s two miles are nice because they require so little thought. Throw on my running shoes, step out the front door, run down to Versailles (Street – not running to France), turn around and come back. It’s a nice easy route and the most “dangerous” part is running across the entrance to the Whole Foods parking lot.

This weekend we went to Erica and Drew’s wedding (hence the new profile picture). It was a beautiful, fun evening, but I know I wasn’t the only one who was a little sad too. Joel, Angi’s fiance, was Drew’s best man and I couldn’t help think of the wedding that never would be. I pushed that out of my mind on Saturday but today I let myself be sad and mad and whatever else about that while I was on my run. Ended up running about a minute faster per mile than I usually do, and I felt a lot better when I was done.

Running is good therapy some days.

Oh, and my week eight wrap-up is posted along with a picture from this weekend’s hill run!

Half-marathon training
Week eight, day four

Eight miles of hills today. I was so NOT looking forward to it. I feel like 8 miles is still a struggle and I don’t like going up or down hills (down hurts my knees).

Luckily it cooled off, it was a bit chilly even starting out. Ran with Shana and Jennifer and it was fantastic! Started flagging around mile 5, so had my espresso gu and for the rest of the way I felt great. For the first time I felt like I could have even gone a little farther. Whoo-hoo!

Definitely feeling it in my hip today, so definitely will be doing some stretching before going to a wedding later this afternoon. Next week our Saturday run is 10 miles and I’m ready!