Year: 2015

Hello friends!

I can’t believe another week (and weekend) has flown by. Let’s catch up over an end of the week summary.

First things first … I know I kind of left y’all hanging the last two posts about “what’s next,” so I am gonna go ahead and put it out there. I have decided to train for the Rock ‘N’ Roll New Orleans marathon on February 28th, 2016.

I have talked with my coach about it and he feels like it is plenty of time to recover and get another training cycle in and after all, I do have a title to defend. No pressure, right? I’m also really excited about this training cycle because Daniel and two of his buddies are planning to run it as well, so we should all be able to train together. Plus it seems like just about everyone that I know from our area that runs is going to NOLA for either the half or the full. It should be lots of fun!

Now that I’ve put that out there, hopefully I will hold myself accountable to stick with my training. My motivation has been slightly lacking the past few weeks, which is fine. I needed some down time. Now I think it is time to set new goals and get back to work. Last week was officially the 1st week of my NOLA training cycle. It didn’t go exactly as planned (i.e., I completely skipped a race that I was supposed to do), but that’s okay.

Monday and Tuesday were easy runs with Daniel before work. We’ve gotten into a pretty good routine with our early morning runs. It is so nice now that we are actually working somewhat similar schedules. He used to work 12 hour shifts that weren’t always set days of the week, so it was harder for us to run together in the mornings. Now we both pretty much work 8 to 5, which makes it so much easier to coordinate our training.

Workout Wednesday found its way back into my life this week. I had a progressive tempo run (where you gradually increase the intensity and pace of the run) on the schedule. I was supposed to start the tempo portion of the run at a comfortably quick rhythm (think marathon pace) and gradually increase the intensity as I went, finishing at strong quick rhythm (think 10k pace). Coach told me it would start off feeling good but get fairly intense in last third of the run and boy was he right!

I did a 2 mile warm up, a 4 mile progressive tempo (6:58, 6:44, 6:31, 6:15), and a 2 mile cool down. The last mile of the workout was super tough! That was the first real workout I had done since the marathon though, so I guess that makes sense. I felt awesome (once the workout was done)!

Thursday was another easy run with Daniel before work. After work we headed down to the “Tree Lighting Celebration” in downtown Fairhope. I love this little tradition. They close the streets off and everyone gathers to watch the Christmas lights come on for the first time of the holiday season. It is absolutely beautiful! The lights stay on the trees from mid-November through the “Arts & Crafts Festival” in mid-March. I love that they are on for about half of the year! The picture doesn’t exactly do it justice, but you get the idea.

Apparently some of the “locals” (or at least this lady) were upset that the crowds were large at this event this year. I must say, I am completely baffled by this. The city promotes the event and they have Santa and all the frozen characters (well … at least Elsa, Anna & Olaf) there. There is fake snow and everything. I guess I really just don’t understand why this lady would be upset that people came to support the city?!

We stayed around for a while after the lighting and ate at one of the restaurants downtown. I’m pretty sure most of the people that came did the same, so I feel like this was a good thing for the city and local businesses, but perhaps I am missing something. Sorry to get off on a tangent, but for some reason I felt like I needed to get that out there.

Friday morning Daniel and I did yet another easy run before work. Are you noticing the pattern here? I love it.

Saturday morning I was supposed to race the Turkey 10 miler in Creola, AL. I usually love this race! It’s flat as a pancake. For whatever reason, I was just not feeling it this year. It’s a little bit of a haul to get to and I didn’t want to spend the entire day Saturday at a race. Plus, 10 miles just seemed like so far to race (says the marathoner, I know). What can I say, sometimes you just aren’t feeling it and I most definitely wasn’t, so we slept in a little and ran 10 miles at home (at about an 8:30 pace, as opposed to the 6:30 pace that I would’ve been *trying* to run at the race). Much more pleasant.

Saturday evening we had the graduation party for the Running Wild half and full marathon training groups. Missy and Mike were so gracious to open their home to everyone. It was fun to see everyone after the race and hear “what’s next” for all of them as well!

Sunday morning we planned to do our usual group run and we woke up to a major cold front. I know the wind shows that it was 12 mph, but I am fairly certain that it was at least 20 mph (if not more). The breeze blowing right off the bay made for an exceptionally chilly run. We had a fun group and got in 15 miles at a 7:37 average, which I was very pleased with!

I played tennis again this Sunday afternoon and the wind definitely kept things interesting for us on the courts. My partner and I won, but it was a really close, fun match. We split sets and the third set went all the way to a tiebreaker, which we managed to win. Our match last week was the exact same. I guess our teams are really evenly matched, which makes for some good tennis!

Sunday evening we had “Friendsgiving” with our small group. We had so much food (and so much fun)! Everyone contributed to the meal. I was asked to bring a salad and a veggie tray. My friends know me well (i.e., they know that I don’t cook).

This was a very “social” weekend for us. I am so thankful for the friendships that we have made through running and through our small group.

Hello and happy weekend!

I have heard of the “post-marathon blues” before, but I don’t think that I had ever actually experienced it until after this last race. Training takes a lot of mental, physical and emotional energy and after all of the dust settles you are left with an overwhelming feeling of, “Well … now what?” Like any major life event that includes lots of brain (and body) power leading up to it, the result, no matter where it falls on the spectrum, can leave you feeling funky once it’s over and done.

I think the funkiness was especially magnified after NYC because the timing of this past training cycle also coincided with the Runner’s World cover search, the training cycle for the marathon training group that I was coaching and a busy season at work. I also think that the time change also has me feeling off. The sun sets before I get home from work most days and I definitely don’t like it. It is difficult to find any sort of motivation to do, well anything, when it is so dark out.

I had several months with a lot going on and it was wonderful, but exhausting. I was so ready for a break … or so I thought. If you know me or have been reading along for a little bit now, you probably know that “breaks” aren’t really my forte. Several months ago we took the Gallup strength finder test at work. Note: this is different from the “kingdomality” quiz that I wrote about here. The Gallup thing was an actual, legit test. It is several hundred questions and the results give your top five strengths. I really love this test because it shows you positive results (i.e., it is a strength finder, not a weakness finder) and also gives you suggestions of how to best apply your strengths in your life and work. Anyway, my number one strength is called “achiever.” The results read: “People who are especially talented in the achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great satisfaction from being busy and productive.” Basically not being busy was leaving me feeling very unsatisfied.

I also realized that I was falling into the trap of basing my self-worth on my performance. I am overly self-critical, like way harder on myself than anyone else ever would think about being. It goes hand in hand with the whole people pleasing, perfectionistic tendencies. I figured some of you might could identify with this as well. It is easy to feel good about yourself when things are going well. It is also easy to get achievement confused with worth. This confusion leaves you with an unstable sense of worth that fluctuates with each “performance” that you give. Now that my “performances” were done (the race, the cover search, coaching, etc.), I was left feeling like I didn’t have a direction or purpose.

Now I know that this isn’t true, but it is definitely how I was feeling. Sometimes our feelings don’t make sense, but they are what they are, so it is best to address them and figure out where they are coming from. I think the Lord was using this time to remind me that my feeling of self-worth should come from the fact that I am His child, created in His image.

I was instantly reminded of the Casting Crowns song “Who Am I.”

Not because of who I am

But because of what You’ve done.

Not because of what I’ve done

But because of who You are.

I am a flower quickly fading,

Here today and gone tomorrow.

A wave tossed in the ocean.

A vapor in the wind.

Still You hear me when I’m calling.

Lord, You catch me when I’m falling.

And You’ve told me who I am.

I am Yours, I am Yours.

I was also reminded of this passage from Isaiah .. Isaiah 43:1-3: “But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be there with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. For I am the Lord you God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.”

I guess all that was really just a reminder that you don’t have to “earn” your self-worth and our worth is not really of the “self” at all; rather, it is worth given to us by God. We are of inestimable value to Him because of the price He paid to make us worthy—the death of His Son on the cross. Our self-worth is too often based on what other people tell us about ourselves or if you are like me, what your own silly brain conjures up. The one, true authority on our self-worth is Jesus, and since He gave His own life up for us by dying on a cross, that should tell us just how valuable we really are.

So, that was the main thing that I wanted to share today, but I also want to catch up on a few fun things that have been going on, amidst the aforementioned “funkiness.” In the spirit of November and with Thanksgiving quickly approaching (how did that happen so fast, by the way), I want to share with you a few things that happened this week that I am thankful for. Take this list with a grain of salt … it’s just a silly list for fun, but it’ll be a good way to get you caught up on some things that have been going on.

Yoga. Daniel and I got to do a yoga session Monday evening. We tried another disc of our Runner’s World yoga DVD and it was really good! Basically, I was really thankful to spend some time with quality time with him and yoga has a special way of putting you into the right frame of mind to be present and grateful for what you have.

Friends. I able to get in three quality runs with Rebecca this week and one with Lizzie. We have all been busy with work and our own training, so it was great to be able to catch up over some easy miles this week.

Mail. We don’t typically get a ton of mail (and usually when we do, it is just bills, etc.), but this week I got two fun packages!

First up was a big box from Runner’s World with several copies of the December issue. It was so much fun to actually get my hands on the magazine!

The second delivery was my Stitch Fix box, which was awesome this month! I haven’t posted a review in a few months. My September and October boxes both had more fall/winter pieces than I was ready for, so I didn’t end up keeping much of anything from those. The temperatures have finally dropped a good bit (i.e., high 40s) and this month I was happy to see jeans and a big sweater!

Cooking. Y’all. Something is probably wrong with me, but I had a major desire to cook something this weekend. I found a couple of recipes that I wanted to try. I made turkey, quinoa and apple pilaf Friday evening. It had red and green bell peppers, onion, celery and apricots (along with the ingredients in the title). Daniel even liked it. He ranked it an 8 out of 10 (in case you haven’t been following along, a rating of 1 is the equivalent of olives and 10 is the equivalent of pizza). It looks like a big mess, but it was really good … kind of tasted like a good Thanksgiving turkey and dressing.

Fire. Since it is finally cold out, Daniel and I decided to put the fire pit to use. He made a little fire and we sat outside for a while yesterday evening after the game. Something about a fire is quite mesmerizing and we really enjoyed getting some fresh air after an afternoon indoors watching football (I watched the entire AL game yesterday, by the way … I’m pretty sure I get special points for that). Anyway, the fire was nice and the weather was perfect! I forgot to get marshmallows this week at the grocery store, but I think I see some s’more action in our future.

Coffee. I mean, really, who isn’t thankful for coffee? Daniel and I have an ongoing “discussion” of what qualifies as real coffee. He tends to go for the sweeter drinks and I prefer the regular stuff. He texted me a picture of his “coffee” that a pharmaceutical rep brought by their office this week. I told him that they must have gotten confused and brought him ice cream instead.

If you like iced coffee (which I definitely do), you absolutely must go check out this recipe. It is a really funny read (yes, it’s about coffee, but this lady knows how to keep it interesting) and the iced coffee that it makes it incredible. We have a steady supply of this on hand at work and everyone in the office is obsessed. It keeps us productive.

Tennis. I got a text last night from a lady who I have played tennis with a few times asking if I wanted to play tennis this afternoon. What a perfect way to get out and enjoy the day?! It’s been way too long since I have played. I just hope I don’t embarrass myself! It’s actually probably very good timing, seeing as how now I have a good reminder that my “worth” is not based on my “performance” on the courts today!

I hope everyone has a blessed Sunday and a wonderful week ahead. Thanks for reading!

Hey guys!

It’s been a little while since we’ve last talked. I have been busy recovering from my marathon and watching my training group dominate their race!

We got home from New York late Monday evening and thankfully, I was able to take the day off from work on Tuesday. Tuesday evening I was worn out, but Daniel convinced me that we should go to the group run at Running Wild that evening. I should’ve known something was up at this point, because usually I am the one trying to convince him that we need to go to the group run and not the other way around. I reluctantly got out of bed (it was 5:30 p.m. #noshame) and we headed to the store.

My legs felt surprisingly good and we were able to get in 6 miles with the group. Daniel and I were planning to go grocery shopping after the run, but that didn’t happen. We got in the car and he started driving, but he passed the turn for the store. I was really confused at this point, but as it turns out, a few of my friends had planned a little “surprise party” for me after the run that evening and Daniel was in on it. I was so surprised and very appreciative of such a kind gesture! We stayed around for a while talking and hanging out with everyone. I hate that I didn’t get any pictures that evening, but I do have a picture of the banner that they made for me. Isn’t it awesome?!

The rest of the week was pretty standard stuff, which was actually pretty nice after a couple of weeks that felt like a whirlwind. I was ready to get back into somewhat of a routine. Work, a few short, easy runs and a few rest days happened. We did finally make it to the store at some point, as well. Oh, and Brookser got a bath. He loves his baths! It is so funny to see him prance all around in his scarf after he is cleaned up. It’s like he just knows he is a big ‘ole heart throb. He was actually the only thing that got documented on my camera the rest of the week, so here ‘ya go.

Saturday morning, Daniel and I headed back to Running Wild for my training group’s last run of the training cycle. They only had three miles on the schedule (their race was the next day), so we decided to meet a little bit later and we all went to breakfast afterwards to talk about the game plan for the race. We went to Sweet Olive at the Windmill Market in Fairhope. I have been hearing a lot of really good things about this place, so I was really excited to try it out. It definitely didn’t disappoint. They had lots of healthy “carb” options, which is exactly what marathoners need the day before a race. I think everyone either got the homemade fruit and nut granola, the organic rolled oatmeal or the breakfast quiche and everyone was happy!

Sunday morning was a very early wake up call (i.e., 3:15 a.m.). A few of us met to carpool over to the race, which started at 6:30 that morning in Pensacola. When I woke up and looked at the weather forecast, the radar was a solid green blob. 100% chance of rain all the way through the morning. I really hated that for my girls. They have trained so hard and race-day weather plays a huge part in your marathon success and/or failure. The only silver lining was that the temperatures had cooled off a little bit from the previous two days.

I was absolutely amazed and how well the group handled the weather. They stayed positive and went out there and ran their hearts out. I absolutely loved being there to watch each one of them cross the finish line. It was so exciting to catch a glimpse of them in the distance. Every time, I would exclaim, “Oh my gosh, here comes (insert runner name here)! Ahh! Yay!” I am having a hard time putting my feelings into words here, but you get the idea … I was just so darn proud of and happy for them.

It would have been really easy for them to get discouraged or give up on the race because the conditions were bad, but for the most part they stayed relentlessly positive. They really inspired me! Not everyone got the goal that they wanted (for the most part, they actually did though), but they all showed up and gave it their all. As a coach, you can’t ask for more than that.

Watching them run was so much fun and of course, made me want to run! I had already decided that Sunday was going to be a rest day for me, so I didn’t do any actual running. BUT, I did do some actual thinking about running. I’ve officially (well, as official as you can be without actually registering for the race yet) made up my mind about the next marathon I am going to run …

More to come on that on the next installment. Stay tuned!

Anyone have any guesses?

Hello, hello!

I think we have officially survived the remnants of Hurricane Patricia that blew through our area here in lower Alabama. It’s been a very soggy couple of days, but otherwise not too bad.

I had a couple of interviews Monday in Mobile (related to the Runner’s World cover search), so I had to brave the Bay Way in the middle of the storm. Thankfully I made it in one piece and on time, nonetheless. I had a few hours to kill in between interviews so I headed to Carpe Diem (a local coffee shop in Mobile) for some Monday morning coffee.

I don’t know what it is about local coffee shops, but I just love them. I really enjoy the people watching. I find myself wondering about all of the people sitting around me (what do they do, what their stories are, why they are sitting at a coffee shop at 10:00 am on a Monday, etc.). People are so fascinating. Maybe one of these days I will get up the nerve to strike up a conversation with one of these fascinating creatures.

The first interview was inside at the WKRG (News 5 CBS) studio. Originally, we were planning to meet outside at a park but since the weather was horrible that didn’t work out. The rain had started to let up a little bit around the time that the second interview was scheduled, so we were able to met the crew at Cottage Hill Park, which was their suggestion. This interview was with WPMI (Local 15 NBC) and they wanted to interview Daniel and I together. The meeting location was perfect because that is the park where we first met. The crew had no idea about that though. It definitely made for a good topic of conversation.

Since the rain had let up a little bit at this point, they wanted to get some footage of us running. I threw on a hat and a rain jacket and we ran some circles around the parking lot. I was pretty much drenched by the time I got home, so I probably should’ve just gone on out for a run in the rain, but I decided to stick to the treadmill. I did a very easy 6 mile run.

The grocery situation is pretty bad at our house at the moment, but since we are headed out of town it doesn’t really make too much sense to stock up on groceries. Lenny’s drive through for the win. We recently discovered the series White Collar on Netflix. I know we are a little late to the party on this one (since the series concluded last year), but we are enjoying it so far. We are also really enjoying watching The Voice. Oh, and a brand new episode of The Profit is on tonight after the debate. That is what taper will do to you. You have too much free time on your hands and you start getting hooked on television shows.

Tuesday morning I had a nice little 7 mile run with the middle three “up-tempo.” I ended up with an average of 7:52 for the run and did the middle three at 6:31 pace. My legs felt really good! I am getting so excited about the marathon. I hope they feel good on race day! I have nothing but easy runs in between now and then, so I should be rested and ready to go by the time the race gets here.

Speaking of the race … my office gave me the most thoughtful gift basket ever today. It has a journal, KIND bars, CLIF bars, candy corn (they know me well), a Starbucks gift card (they know me really well) and a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils! If you’ve been following along, you’ve probably heard me rambling about how much I love the movie You’ve Got Mail. I quoted part of it in a previous post that talks about NYC in the fall and buying school supplies. Joe Fox says that he would send Kathleen Kelly “a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils” if he knew her name and address … so they got me a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils! I love it!

I am so very thankful for my work family. The work situation was a bit of a saga over the past year, but it seems to have all worked out exactly like it was supposed to and things are going really well.

Since this lovely taper (typed with no sarcasm) has given me a little bit of extra time to think, I figured I could post some taper thoughts and some final thoughts before heading to New York. For whatever reason, it is really easy to let self-doubt creep into your brain during the taper weeks. For instance, when I finished up my 14 miles Sunday, I felt like there was no way I could possibly run one step further, which is silly because I had run 20 miles the two Sundays prior to that. In order to combat the taper crazies, I am trying to follow the advice listed in this article.

First up is rest. I’m pretty much knocking this one out of the park. I don’t typically need an excuse to go to bed at 8 pm, but now I can be all like “taper made me do it.”

Second on the list is positive thinking. I’ve got a couple of things (songs, mantras, and strategies) that I am using to help me in this area.

The first song is “Soar” by Meredith Andrews. I love this song so much. It is so powerful. If you have time, you have to check out this video. Otherwise, here is an excerpt from the lyrics:

I’m gonna run and not grow weary
I’m gonna walk and not grow faint
Rise up on wings like eagles
To soar

I know with everything you’re with me
I know you’re working as I wait
Lift me up on wings like eagles
To soar

Creator, Keeper
Life breather
Your name is greater than anything I’ve faced

Sustainer, Savior,
Stronghold breaker
Your name is greater than anything I’ve faced

The second song is “Fight Song” by Rachel Platten. This one’s pretty popular, so you’ve probably have heard it, but just in case you haven’t, here in an excerpt from the lyrics:

This is my fight song
Take back my life song
Prove I’m alright song
My power’s turned on
Starting right now I’ll be strong
I’ll play my fight song
And I don’t really care if nobody else believes
‘Cause I’ve still got a lot of fight left in me

I’ve got a few mantras that I will be repeating to myself as I run as well. The first one isn’t really a mantra I don’t guess, but it is simply “persevere.” The second one might not really be considered to be a mantra either. For me, it used to simply be “overcome,” but now I am using “run to overcome.” This is the hashtag that I chose for the Runner’s World cover search. That whole process has been such a blessing and I feel like so much healing (for myself) has come from sharing my story that now I am making this one my personal mantra.

The last one is really random and doesn’t have all that much to do with running, but more about having confidence in myself. It is the famous quote from the movie The Help. “You is kind. You is smart. You is important.” I have no clue why that one is sticking in my brain, I have only seen that movie once (years ago), but for some reason that quote is really fresh right now.

Speaking of confidence, the other strategy that I am using is an exercise in confidence as well. I printed out my training log for the last 4 months and highlighted some of my key workouts. The blue highlights are my workouts and the pink highlights are my long runs (OCD much?). I haven’t ever done this before, but it has been very reassuring to look back over all of the (many, many) miles and remember all of the hard work and successful workouts that have gone into this training cycle.

Third is to plan a realistic race-day strategy. This article was extremely helpful regarding the actual NYC Marathon course. My coach also sent me a detailed race strategy yesterday, so that I can go ahead and get a jump on preparing myself “mentally” for the challenge at hand. Remember how I told you that Meb said, “Once the gun goes off, racing is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical.” Just let that sink in for a minute! Once you start the race, how close you get to racing your best (based on your current fitness) is largely based on making good decisions and staying strong mentally. That is pretty eye-opening.

Basically the general game plan is going to be to use the first 2 miles over the Verrazano Narrows Bridge to ease into the pace and then try to settle into a solid, sustainable rhythm. Basically the goal is to stay relaxed and smooth and to use as little energy as possible. There are several bridges along the course and I won’t be trying to keep a set pace over the bridges. I will just let the pace naturally slow a little bit so that I don’t expend unnecessary energy.

He also warned me to try to avoid the classic NYC mistake of picking the pace up unnecessarily after coming off of the Queensboro Bridge. This is where the course is flat and the crowds are loud. I don’t want to get too excited and pick the pace up too much between miles 16 to 20 and then run out of gas around 21 or 22 (that makes for a really long 4 or 5 miles to the finish). I pretty much don’t want to run out of gas period. That seems to be the all-elusive marathon goal though. I will definitely let y’all know how that works out for me.

Good luck to everyone running and racing this weekend!

Hey friends!

Can you believe that at this time next week I will have run the NYC marathon?! Holy moly. It’s almost here. I think I have been training for this marathon for about a year. Not really, just since the summer, but you know what I mean …

Also, can you believe that at this time next week we will officially know who the winners of the #RWCoverSearch will be? Holy moly X 2. The suspense is killing me. I can’t wait to find out.

This week flew by and I’m sure next week will follow suit. Let’s catch up!

I was off work Monday, so I took the opportunity to rest and catch up on some miscellaneous errands (like getting the headlight that has been out in my car for over 6 months (oops) fixed). The weather was beautiful. Mom and I took full advantage of the crisp, fall day and we decided to walk the 10K route that we did for the virtual race last weekend again. Daniel and I tried out the Runner’s World yoga for core DVD Monday evening and we both really liked it. It was challenging, but doable.

I slept in Tuesday morning and headed to Running Wild for the group run after work. It was really nice to get a little bit of extra sleep. I did 10 miles with Jessica on Tuesday evening again this week. Joy, Rebecca and Lizzie joined us for parts of the run as well. It was a good girls night group!

Daniel also came to the store to run, but he was wanting to do a workout, so he kind of did his own thing. He had a good tempo run! He had stopped at home before coming to run and he decided to make monkey bread in the crock pot. I don’t know how he comes up with these things, but they always turn out so good. This one was only a few ingredients (1 container of biscuits, 1 tsp of cinnamon, 0.25 cup of melted butter and 1 cup of brown sugar) and it was ready in just over 2 hours. Not the healthiest of recipes I reckon, but we’ll just go with it because I’m pretty sure those carbs are going to make me run super fast 🙂

Wednesday morning was my last workout of the training cycle! It was a 10 mile tempo run and it was a bit of a doozy. I did a two mile warm up and then started the tempo portion of the workout. My goal range was 6:35 to 6:40 pace. I ended up with a 6:36 average for the tempo miles, so I was really happy with that. After a one mile cool down, I was done with the workout. It was a wonderful way to wrap up an intense training cycle.

Thursday and Friday were some easy, shorter runs and some relaxing evenings at home. Brooks decided that he wanted to go for a swim Thursday evening before Daniel got home. He hadn’t been a little while and once he gets those bay eyes, it is pretty hard to stop him. Daniel does a better job of disciplining him than I do (which is probably why he knew he could get away with it). I’m pretty sure this is going to be an issue for us if kids are ever in the mix. Anyways … Brooksy enjoyed some nice play time. When he can’t find his ball, he stands up to look for it. For some reason that cracks me up. He looks like a little loch ness monster.

Saturday morning was filled with some fun running activities (shocking I know)! My group ran 16 miles with 10 miles at marathon pace. That was a tough workout for them, but everyone ran really strong. I was so proud. Since I am in taper-mode, I only ran 4.5 miles with them and then Daniel came and met me on the route in the car and we drove back and forth the rest of the way and cheered them along.

After the group got done, we walked over to watch the “Run Forrest Run” 5K prediction run downtown. I was thinking about running this race “for fun,” but I had some doubts about my ability to actually run in a race and not “race” it so I decided against that. It was much more fun spectating anyway! Rebecca and Keith ran it, so we wanted to go watch them. Rebecca pushed Savannah in the stroller and had the timing chip on Savannah’s shoe. I love it.

There were lot of fun costumes. David (top left) won the race (in khaki pants and a button down, no less). He is one of the Running Wild “elite” team members, so he usually sports the cheetah singlet, but apparently he can run in just about anything! Fun fact: Fairhope is actually the home of Winston Groom, author of Forrest Gump.

After the race we headed home to split some wood (it’s kind of addicting, y’all) and then mom and I headed out for a walk. I love having her in town. It’s made the taper week much more doable, since we can still be outside and enjoy some fresh air without actually running. The rest of the afternoon was filled with football (for Daniel) and napping (for me). We are pretty predictable. I need to come up with some new blog content soon, don’t I?

Today my schedule called for 14 miles, so we got that knocked out this morning and spent some quality time at coffee loft. Again, so predictable … sorry guys.

Next week will be anything but ordinary, so please stay tuned for some NYC fun! Speaking of NYC, check out my new kicks that I will be racing in. They are the Brooks PureCadence 4. I have run in the Cadence before and I have logged a few miles on these guys now as well. They are lightweight shoes that still provide an optimal level of support. I love them!

We are caught up on the training activities now. I’m off to pack for my trip and do some reading. I am so excited about this week. It’s gonna be a good one! Be sure to follow me on instagram or facebook to stay up to date on the latest happenings of NYC Marathon weekend. I’ll leave you with a random picture (that’ll make you smile). Cat in a box. It’s a wonderful way to put those old Stitch Fix boxes to good use. She loves them!

Anyone have any good NYC tips for me (things to do, places to eat, etc.)? I need some good ideas!

This is a post that I have been thinking about writing since I started the blog. I don’t have a good reason for not writing it before now, other than it was just difficult for me to write.

Safety is one of my biggest concerns (both when running and just in general). Most of you probably know my story at this point or you may have seen my interview for the Runner’s World cover search, but in case you missed it …

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10153086078776987

My interview was posted Friday on the Runner’s World social media accounts and so I feel like this is a perfect time for me to share some personal safety tips, as it is all pretty fresh in my mind right now. None of these things are super profound or things that you haven’t ever heard before, but I chose these five tips because they are all things that I didn’t do (or know to do at the time) that I feel could have affected my situation. We can all use a good reminder every now and then and I am hopeful that these tips will help everyone out there to stay safe!

Run with a friend.

We have probably all heard the expression that there is “safety in numbers.” Running can be a solitary activity and some people enjoy that aspect of it, but it can also be a really fun group activity! I would definitely encourage everyone to get involved with your local running community and find a friend (or spouse) to train with. I rarely run alone. I am so thankful to have wonderful running friends and a very supportive family that will always accompany me (by either running with me or biking beside me) when I need a buddy. Daniel, my dad and Daniel’s dad have all biked with me at various times throughout my training journeys.

You could also run with your pet. Brooks doesn’t make the best training partner as he has a little bit of difficulty pacing himself (it’s a hard lesson to learn, I know buddy). I run with him occasionally, but it’s usually just for very short distances. One time we ran a race together …

I would also like to point out that just because you are running with someone doesn’t mean that there is no potential for danger. You still need to be smart about the times and areas where you are running, because there is only safety in numbers unless you are outnumbered.

Be aware of your surroundings.

It is always a good idea to be familiar with the area that you are running in. Stick to routes where you typically see lots of runners out and areas that have lots of traffic regularly. If you listen to headphones when you run, make sure that you have the volume turned down low enough that you can hear all of the normal sounds around you and don’t get so lost in your music that you aren’t paying attention to what is going on.

When I was attacked I was listening to headphones, but I don’t think that actually made a difference. The thing that would’ve made a difference is if I had known that a similar instance had occurred in the park where I was running not long before my attack. I definitely wouldn’t have been running there alone had I known that. It wasn’t a highly trafficked area or an area where people run a lot. As much as I absolutely hated having a story written about the incident appear as the front page headline of the local newspaper the day after the attack, I now can appreciate why they did this. People need to know and be aware of things like this and hopefully that article helped keep other people safe.

Tell someone your route.

It is always best for someone to know where you are going to be running and how long you will be gone. If I do run alone, I either carry my phone or I text Daniel or my mom to let them know where I am going and what time I should be back. We just purchased an item called Trackimo, which is a GPS tracking device that has an SOS button that you can push to alert someone if you are in danger. This would’ve definitely been a game changer for me. I haven’t gotten my Trackimo yet, but it should come this week and I can’t wait to have it. I know that it will bring me a lot of peace of mind.

The day that I was attacked I was planning to run 8 miles. My parents knew this and even knew my route, but the problem was that I wasn’t planning to specifically let them know when I got back to my car. After my run, I was heading to the gym to do some strength training (yes, I used to actually do that) and then I was headed back to school. They weren’t really expecting to hear from me at a set time. If we had planned for me to call when I got back to the car, they would’ve known a lot sooner that something was wrong or if I had my phone or another device, like Trackimo, with me I could’ve just alerted someone immediately.

Run with a self-defense device.

In the event that you do have to run alone (or even when running in a group for that matter) take along mace or some other form of self-defense item. Here are a few self-defense items that I use:

Ruger Pepper Spray. Rebecca turned me onto this handy item a while back. This thing is pretty cool because it is pepper spray, a strobe light and a siren all in one. We both carry our pepper spray with us (even when we run together) on the early morning runs. She has had to use hers several times on dogs. I haven’t specifically ever had to use mine, but I have definitely had it out and ready to go a few times if I pass someone who I feel looks suspicious.

Go Guarded. Go Guarded is a neat product that just slips on your finger. You will naturally use your hands to fight off an attack, so this product can be very useful and it can’t get knocked out of your hands. The product is adjustable to fit on different sized fingers and I don’t even really notice that it is there. I definitely feel like it would be useful in the event it were ever needed. I also keep this in my purse and slip in on if I am ever in a dark parking lot or something like that (which is very rare, because I make a very conscious effort to avoid any and all situations that could be questionable).

TigerLady. TigerLady is another neat product that is designed to fit in your hand. It quickly becomes a natural extension of your body. All you have to do is make a fist, and TigerLady is ready for action. The thing I like about this product is that it fits perfectly in your hand. I think it actually helps my running form because my hands are wrapped around the claws (it comes with two claws, one for each hand) and they aren’t too tense or too relaxed. The claws are really sharp and could definitely do some damage if needed.

Trust your instincts.

If something doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. Listen to that little voice inside that says, “Stop! Danger!” and get out of there. This is the one that definitely would’ve completely changed my situation. I actually ran past the man who would later attack me earlier on my run and something definitely felt off. He was sitting on a set of bleachers when I ran by the first time and when I passed, he got down and started walking the direction where I was planning to go. I decided not to go that way and instead ran a one-mile loop in the opposite direction. Unfortunately, my stubbornness got the best of me and I didn’t want to cut my run short, so I ran back by the bleachers and when I saw that he wasn’t there (or anywhere to be seen), I continued on the route that I was originally running. He was hiding about a half mile down the road waiting for me. I should’ve just run back to my car and cut my run short.

I think stubbornness is a quality that probably a lot of runners have in common. While this can definitely be an asset to your training and racing, don’t let it also be your biggest liability (a little accounting analogy for you guys). Don’t be dumb. There have been several times since that day when I have been out running and just felt like something was off and I get myself out of there as quickly as possible. I realize that I am hyper-aware of my surroundings and my fight or flight instinct is a tad sensitive, but that’s fine. I would much rather be safe than sorry. It just isn’t worth it.

Whew. I got it out and I feel much better. I think that the main reason this one was difficult for me to write was because it had me questioning how I could’ve been so naive and not been more careful. It is easy to play the “what if” game and question the decisions that you made (this could apply in lots of circumstances, not just as it relates to this story). That won’t get you anywhere though. What happened, happened and there isn’t anything you can do to change it at this point. This is going to probably sound completely crazy-train, but honestly I don’t think I would’ve changed anything. I survived. I wouldn’t be the person I am today had it not been for the things that I have gone through. I have learned so much about myself through this process and I definitely have a different meaning and different perspective on life. Every day is a blessing.

I am not trying to instill a feeling of fear in anyone. Unfortunately I learned these lessons the hard way, but you don’t have to. Please, please pay attention to these things. It is easy to think that nothing will ever happen and I pray that it doesn’t, but you can never be too safe or too smart.

What other safety tips do you have to add? We all need to hear any and all suggestions you have!

Hey guys!

There has been a lot going on over here in MobileBayRunner’s world (see what I did there). It has been a really good week! Lots of fun running and non-running activities going on. Let me tell you about it …

I started the week off with an easy 5 miles on the treadmill before work. I was pretty sore after my half marathon Sunday and so Monday was all about some (active) recovery. My legs actually felt pretty good once I got starting running and I worked some of the soreness out. Work was a little bit crazy this week with our last big tax deadline for the year on Thursday, October 15th (the individual returns that are extended in April are due in October). Going into Monday morning, I was a tad bit concerned that the returns were not going to get done, but thankfully several clients sent their remaining information in over the weekend and I was able to wrap up several returns that day. I felt much better about things by the end of the day Monday.

Monday evening after work I went to yoga. Man was that painful. I don’t think I would specifically recommend doing yoga the day after racing a half marathon. I could hardly do any of the poses, but then again I’m sure that the stretching was actually good for my tired, sore muscles (it just hurt a little bit). I came home Monday evening to find that Daniel had bought me some flowers “just because.” Those are the best!

Tuesday morning I did another easy 5 miles on the treadmill before work. I usually do a longer run in the morning and then go to RW for a shorter run with the group Tuesday evening, but I decided to reverse that this week and do my longer run later. I did 10 miles with Jessica (one of the girls in my training group) that evening. That worked out really well because they had 10 miles to do that day and she was going to have to start super early to get that in before work. I got a little bit of extra recovery time and felt pretty good by that evening.

Wednesday was the day before our deadline at work and by the time I left Wednesday evening, we had pretty much wrapped up all of our returns. It was a great feeling to leave work knowing that another “tax season” was done and that we have a little downtime ahead of us. I will be going back to my non-tax season schedule this coming up week, so that’ll be really nice. Daniel and I did 5 miles after work that evening.

Thursday morning I met Rebecca and Lizzie for 8 miles before work. We got all the last-minute details finalized and I was able to leave a little bit early! It was so nice. I even got a little nap in before Daniel got home.

Friday morning Daniel and I did 8 miles before work. We had a moving day at work and we rearranged some offices and just did some “housekeeping” type of things. Another early dismissal day! Friday evening we had a get together to celebrate the end of a successful tax season. We sat around the fire and ate some chilli, hotdogs and s’mores. It was a really fun, relaxing evening. Speaking of fire, apparently our county is actually under a burn ban until October 31st. We didn’t realize this. Oops. Also speaking of fire, my dad is pretty much the best fire builder ever. He and my mom were in town this weekend and so he helped us set up the fire for my work party (and by helped us I mean that he built the whole thing for us).

He has been splitting wood and building fires for as long as I can remember. He loves it. Friday evening I decided that I wanted to try to help him cut some of the wood. I need some practice, but I kind of loved it. It’s pretty therapeutic to swing a maul as hard as you can and *try to* split some wood. It’s also a great upper body workout (which I hate doing otherwise). My aim definitely needs some work (as you can see below).

The fire was perfect.

It was a tad warm out at first, but once the sun went down it got chilly and we enjoyed sitting out by the fire. I don’t know about you, but I haven’t had a s’more in quite some time and I do not remember them being so incredibly delicious … but they most definitely are! I didn’t even get a good picture of them (blogger fail), but that was probably because they were consumed rather quickly. There is definitely an art to getting the right degree of toastiness to your marshmallow. I think we pretty much mastered that by the end of the night. The kids definitely had fun!

Saturday morning my training group had their longest run of the training cycle! 21 miles (a couple of over-achievers even did 22)! I ran 13 miles with them and then hopped in the car to support them the rest of the way (with encouragement and hydration). I was biking with them some, but I am not a skilled biker and that was pretty much a disaster on wheels. I fell one time and the other times my legs were pretty sore the next day (when I was attempting to do my own long runs). I’m pretty sure that I need to consider doing some cross-training if riding the bike 10 miles is making me sore … I might do that, but definitely not until after the marathon. For now, the car will have to do.

My mom came and met me at the store after everyone got done with the run (they all did awesome) and we headed out to do our virtual race. I had already run some with the group, so we decided to walk the 10K. It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed catching up over a nice, long walk along the bay.

While we did that, Daniel also did the virtual race (running, not walking).

We got home and watched some football for a little while and then got ready for my cousin Erin’s wedding. She and her (now) husband live in Austin, but they got married here on the bay. It was a perfect day for a wedding and she was a gorgeous bride. Erin and I have been close over the years. Time, distance and some crappy family circumstances keep us from seeing each other much these days, but I am so glad that we were able to be there for her big day.

This morning I met Rebecca and Lizzie for my last 20 miler of the training cycle. I’m pretty sure that I told you guys last week that my run last Sunday was my last 20 miler … well, that wasn’t true (but I thought it was). Coach pulled a sneaky one on me and changed my schedule up this week. I thought I was supposed to do 16 today (I even wrote that down in my planner), but when I looked at my schedule this week, all of a sudden it said 20. I definitely trust his judgement and if he thought I needed to run another 20 miler, then I was most definitely going to run another 20 miler. We all survived. The weather was perfect and the company was even better.

When we got home (after coffee of course), I decided to settle the unfinished business I had with that pesky log I tried to split Friday evening. Yes, I brought the log home with me and yes, I am stubborn (it’s one of my most lovable qualities). Daniel recently bought a maul so that he could help my dad split wood, so we got that out and I went to work. It took me a little while, but I finally got it! Before …

And after …

Just call me Paul(ette) Bunyan. Btw, I don’t actually recommend chopping wood in sandals. I was being very careful. My toes leave a lot to be desired though (#runnerproblems), so if one went missing it wouldn’t be all that tragic. Anyways …

Now that it is officially taper time, I am planning to add in a couple more yoga sessions this week. I decided to buy the Runner’s World Yoga for Runners DVD set and it just came last week, so I am excited to try that out! It comes with a 50 -minute active-recovery workout that is supposed to ease tight, stiff muscles and prepare you for your next workout and also comes with three 30-minute workouts: yoga for beginners, yoga for recovery and yoga for core strength.

I love the class that I go to at RW on Monday evenings, but I have been wanting to add in another day (or two) of yoga during the week. I also really like the idea of being able to do it at home, because usually by the time we get to the savasana at the end of class I am just ready to go to sleep on my mat. If I am at home I can actually do that (assuming that Brooks is cooperative).

Speaking of Brooks … today is his birthday! He is four years old. I really can’t believe that, probably because he still acts like he is two. In doggie years, now he is as old as Daniel. Ha. We love him so much (I mean really, it’s a little ridiculous). He is the best dog though. Happy Birthday Brookser!

So, you know how I said that I had really been wanting to watch You’ve Got Mail? No? Well, I said it at some point in a previous post. My sweet mom found it for me. I plan to cuddle up on the couch later and watch it this afternoon and get excited about our trip to NYC (in less than two weeks)! To quote Joe Fox (in the movie), “Don’t you love New York in the fall? It makes me want to buy school supplies.”

That’s all I’ve got for now. Stay tuned this week for a post about safety tips for runners. I’ve been wanting to write that one for a while, but honestly I am having a hard time writing it. The words aren’t coming to me like I want them to, but it is a really important subject and now y’all can hold me accountable to actually get it done.