Running with Bubbles

Half-marathon training
Week eight, day three

I decided to accept the fact that the weather was going to have me waking up with a headache until the front goes through and just planned to run on the Katy Trail after work again. Four miles, just like Tuesday.

Except today, I was really looking forward to it! Man I couldn’t wait for 5:00 so I could get in my running gear and head out to the trail. So I’m sure you know I had a great run, right?

Um, no. Actually it sucked. (Pardon my language, Coach Joe! Did I mention my running coach is a Baptist preacher?) The first mile always sucks but today it didn’t get better. I would think it was getting better for a minute or so…nope. My legs felt like cement and a couple of times I had to look down to make sure I was actually moving forward!

It was extra humid today, which I always struggle with, and sometimes you’re just tired I guess. Doesn’t matter, just keep running! I was glad when it was over though!

In other news – 3 of the winners of our football squares donated all or most of their winnings back to the cause ~ with no one asking and none of them knew the others had done it! So instead of $400, we raised $700!!! I’m constantly amazed at the generosity and support of my friends and family. Thank you all, not just for the financial contributions, but for the emotional support, the understanding of time constraints, the likes and comments on Facebook. You’re what keeps me going on days like today!

Half-marathon training
Week eight, day two

Four miles on the schedule today. Woke up but felt tired and had a headache (again – must be allergies or the weather I guess) so decided to go after work. Then I couldn’t decide whether to go to the gym, run the Katy Trail, run through the neighborhood, or wait until 6:30 and run with some of my teammates. I literally went back and forth in my mind all day and even when I left work I didn’t know where I was going.

I finally realized that the problem was I just didn’t want to run today! For no good reason, I just “didn’t wanna.” Well, I know how to fix that problem – do it anyway. I threw on my running clothes and drove over to the Katy Trail and ran my four miles. Passed my teammates going the other direction. 🙂 And by the time I was halfway done, I was even glad to be doing it. Just keep running!

Half-marathon training
Week eight, day one

Two quick miles through Highland Park after work. Was a great run until I almost choked in a cloud of pinon smoke. Only in Dallas do people light their chimineas when it’s 80 degrees outside!

Watching the Cowboys game right now, and even though my boys are not playing well, I’m very happy. Thanks to this game and my great friends and family, we raised $400 more for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society through our football squares! Stay tuned for more fundraisers to come.

Half-marathon training
Week 7, day 4

Raindrops keep falling on my head, but that doesn’t mean my eyes will soon be turning red, crying’s not for me…

(That was my favorite song when I was 3, and the first song I remember knowing all the words to. Hey, it was the early 70s, and I was a dork.) I was kind of happy that it was raining when I went out to do my 8 miles today. After all, it might rain on race day, so it’s good practice, right?

So I just did me some talkin’ to the sun, and I said I didn’t like the way he got things done, sleeping on the job…

Of course by the time we started the drizzle had stopped and we did the first four miles in 99% humidity instead. Ugh! Ran with Holly today, who was nice enough to slow down with me even though she’s a faster runner. And that hill at the end of mile 3 still sucks.

But I’m never going to stop the rain by complainin’…because I’m free, nothin’s worrying me.

The drizzle came back by the time we turned around and the last four miles wasn’t so bad. It’s never as bad going back anyway, because you have to go back to your car so you’re not tempted to quit. Eight miles – DONE!
(Oh, and I used to insist the last line of the song was, “because I’m three, nothin’s worrying me.” Which still works, I think.)

Half-marathon training
Week seven, day three

Woke up with a headache this morning so I decided to run after work in hopes it would be gone. It wasn’t (I still have it, actually) but I did stop and get my 2 miles in after work. I just love checking off the workouts on my schedule after I do them! It’s kind of like crossing things off your to-do list. (Ever put something on your to-do list that you already did so you can cross it off? I do that all the time.)

You know what else is fun about running? There’s shopping involved! I know you remember Earl and the shoes from week one, and since then I’ve bought multiple pairs of socks and my fuel belt (which is pink, btw). And today I decided I really needed more running bras (I have 2 great ones and 1 okay one, which means at least once a week I’m wearing two non-running workout bras at a time, which still isn’t very good). So two new ones are on the way, in light blue and purple.

And I still “need” a hat or visor, and it would be nice to carry my phone on my arm instead of in my hand or belt, and there are such cute tops and shorts….

I’m telling you, if I had known how much shopping was involved in running, I would have started earlier!

Half-marathon training
Week Seven, day two

Four miles at the gym this morning. I realized I had only plotted a 2 mile outside path and I didn’t want to run it twice, so back to the track I went. Still feeling pretty good!

The real news today is that I am now officially just over halfway to my initial fundraising goal! Hooray! Thanks to you all for your support, but of course there is still quite a way to go before January.

You’ve probably seen my current posts about the football squares for the Cowboys/Bears game on Monday night (Oct. 1). If you haven’t played squares before, you don’t need to know anything about (or even care about) football – it’s all luck based. Come join the group where there is a full explanation. Squares are only $10 each – $4 of each square goes to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and you could win up to $600!

And if you are a football fan, it will give you something to focus on besides the replacement refs!

Half-marathon training
Week seven, day one

Wow, week seven already? I don’t know if it’s hopeless optimism or sheer stupidity that has me setting my alarm for 6 a.m. every Monday when I have yet to get up and run before work on a Monday. Thanks to the “fall weather” of 95 degrees today, I did my 2 miles at the gym after work.

It was a real test of will to stick to my pace with that many people on the track! (In the morning I usually have it to myself.) What is it that makes you not want to let people pass you, whether on foot or in a car? Or is that just me? 🙂 Maybe it’s left over from my five years in NYC?

But I resisted and let (almost) everyone pass me so I could stick to my steady pace. That continues to make the whole run much…well, not more pleasurable but at least less painful.

Anyway, two down tonight and ready for four tomorrow!

Half-marathon training
Week six, day four

The funny thing about increasing distance is that anything less than that suddenly seems easy. Last night I told Tony, “I only have to run six miles tomorrow.” Never mind that two weeks ago I was freaking out about running six!

Ran with Amanda today. It’s kind of nice to run with one teammate as you get to really know them better chatting along the way (when I could breathe well enough to talk!) Also got to use my new “fuel belt” which held water and my sport beans.

Six miles done before 9 a.m., now we’re getting ready to go to the memorial benefit for Angi. Looking forward to spending some time with friends.

Oh, and a great sunrise this morning too! Who knew?

Half-marathon training
Week six, day three

Two miles around the track again today, and I did something odd – I went slower.

I’m slow already, but I’ve noticed a tendency to start out at a pace I have no hope of maintaining and then plod my way through when I have to slow down. Apparently, that’s not the best way to get through an endurance event so I purposefully started at a slow jog.

The first mile was still no fun, but overall it was much easier! And what do you know, I finished in the same amount of time as I would have starting quickly. So, I guess there is something to that whole tortoise/hare thing.

Meanwhile, come buy squares for the Cowboys/Bears game!

Half-marathon training
Week six, day two

Four miles this morning – at the gym because I don’t have reflective gear yet. Yes, for those keeping track, that means 64 laps around the track. Wow, that’s a lot. Oh, and the four miles included four fartleks, which may be my favorite word ever (it just means to speed up for a minute or so).

The good thing about getting out of bed and running in the morning is that it makes the rest of your day pretty awesome. Yesterday I left work feeling like I spent most of the day moving papers around without accomplishing anything. Today when I leave my desk will be clean!

And, now that I’m back from vacation and over whatever was wrong with me last week, it’s time to focus back on my fundraising. I am sooooo close to the halfway mark! Still working on some events to come. We should have the squares for the Cowboys games up this week, so I think the first game we sell them for will be Cowboys/Bears. We’ll do that through a facebook group that you’ll all be invited to once it’s all set up. Also, one of my teammates and I will be at a few home Cowboys games this year selling Jell-O shots. We hoped to be at the Bucs game Sunday but couldn’t work it out, but I’ll post here when and where we’ll be!

Stay tuned for more info ~ and once again, thank you all for your support!