Tag Archives: Marathon

2013 Boston Marathon: Moving Forward, Hand in Hand

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It didn’t seem real, the events of Monday’s Boston Marathon. One moment I was taking a break at work, receiving mass updates from all of my friends who were running the event. Full of so much joy for all of the runners. The next instant, I was inside watching the news poor in, the images spreading across every TV channel…

How? Why? Who? The questions are endless. The reasoning will never be understood. One thing is for certain though, as many times as bad things happen… I am reminded of the compassion that humans can have for one another. The news showed so many videos where you saw people running TOWARD the chaos to help in any way possible, even if that meant putting themselves in danger.

This is why I run races. This is why I believe that people in the running community are some of the most incredible, selfless human beings you will ever encounter…. Exhausted ahletes who just tested their endurance for 26.2 miles coming to the rescue as a makeshift medical team. The reminder we needed that this is NOT what our world is coming to.

I know that we as a community, will (and already have) come together hand in hand and move FORWARD. We will all still strive to some day toe the line of The Boston Marathon. Boston will continue to celebrate Patriots Day with pride and love.

So, instead of looking back and dwelling on this tragic moment. I propose a toast.

Cheers to each and every one of you. Cheers to everyone who toed the line yesterday morning at the 117th Boston Marathon. Let us look forward with hope, love and strength. Let us always run out of love, passion and dedication, NEVER out of fear.

San Francisco Marathon Training: An Update

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In 3 months I will be running my very first marathon in one of the most beautiful cities in the USA. 10 weeks of training for the San Francisco Marathon have completely flown by. Between work and the time spent training, it’s beginning to feel like I have a part-time job on top of my full time job. Not that I think of running as a ‘job’ — just as far as time put into training goes…

Which has left very little time to sit down and write a blog post. Okay, that isn’t entirely true… I’ve had time but I’ve instead enjoyed the brief moments of relaxation or socializing. Sue me ;)

With 15 weeks left of training there are only 2 more weeks of base building before my mileage starts entering territory I’ve never been…. Quite frankly I’m getting a bit nervous about it! My body is still adjusting to running 25-30 miles (and only increasing) and working 50+ hours on my feet a week. There are days that I really don’t know if I’m remotely cut out for running 26.2 miles. But I just tell myself that the time on my feet is going to benefit me in the long run so long as I rest properly and don’t get injured.

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This is what happens when your feet are always in work or running shoes…

I’ve been playing with my training and rest days the last several weeks. Trying to find something that works for me and my schedule. The last thing I want is to have my long runs set for the day of or before I work a double shift or have to close the restaurant at 3 in the morning….(Which is typically the weekends… when normal people do their LRs ;) ) Something tells me when I start hitting those big scary numbers the last thing I’m going to want to do is work on my feet for 12 hours after. 

With a majority of my training still in front of me, I have still thoroughly enjoyed and learned a TON from these early weeks of marathon training… It’s also a huge adjustment to run in the warmer weather… I lived in Dallas for several years, but I wasn’t a distance runner at the time. Heck, I wasn’t a runner at all back then… So adjusting to the increasingly warmer and humid weather is fun. While it certainly got warm in Maryland, it was a lot more dry. After this weekend’s 90 degree and humiiiiid 10 miler I solemnly swear to never go out for more than a few miles without wearing body glide between my buttcheeks.

Life lessons you learn during marathon training, y’all.. Life lessons. ;)

 

You musn't be afraid to dream a little bigger, darling - Inception

I may cross the finish line on June 16 and decide that marathon running isn’t for me. However, I’m going to put every ounce of passion and energy I have into the next 15 weeks and push through all of the pain, because after the pain comes the euphoria. I’m going to train hard, have fun, and come my birthday I will be a marathoner! :)

Are you training for anything right now?

Good-Bye Austin Half Marathon, Hello Air Cast

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I haven’t wanted to talk about this.. However, it has become more clear to me that it’s time to lay it out there. Once I talk about it, I’ll start to get over it a little bit. I’ll lose the chip on my shoulder… With that being said, I’ve been trying to write this since Sunday night and I keep allowing myself to become distracted. Obviously, there is a part of me still not ready to come to terms with things.

You know those moments that flash before your eyes in slow motion but you just can’t stop them? Well, one of those situations happened to me Saturday morning. I awoke bright and early that day to get in 4 easy-paced miles before work. I headed down MLK toward campus just like I do every weekend. Campus is practically empty on the weekend mornings, making a peaceful and beautiful route to run. I turned up my tunes and completely lost myself in my thoughts as I entered the UT Campus. I was ticking along when I suddenly got the urge to go a different direction through campus than I typically do. I find myself taking a right turn toward Robert Dedman, and up past the Football Stadium. Then the moment came. I’m chugging along and suddenly I launch my foot off the ground to notice (too late) that there was a step down on the sidewalk. The moment passes so slowly that I can feel myself realize that I’m about to do some damage on the landing. Yet, it was too late to do anything about it… I had already launched off the ground. My foot slammed into the ground funny and rolled to the outside.

Down I went.

There was an instant pain shooting up the outside of my left ankle and top of my left foot. Every single curse word in the english (and even some from the italian) dictionary came out of my mouth. There was a super nice, helpful gentleman running the opposite way and came to my rescue when he saw me go down. He asked me if I was okay. I just kind of sat there… No words came out of my mouth. He knelt down on the ground next to me, as if to see if there was any life in my eyes or something. I shook myself, literally, and told him quite frankly “I don’t know. I think so” and hopped to my feet. I couldn’t put my weight on my left foot. I started crying.. Not out of pain (which yes.. I was in pain, but not enough to cry) but because I was terrified I had ruined my chances of running SFM in June. The pain felt exactly like I remember it feeling when I was diagnosed with Peroneal Tendonitis in high school when I was a gymnast… I had to take nearly a month off and very very slowly build my training back up once I returned. AINT NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT!

The kind gentlemen swooped me up and helped me hobble to the bus stop. It was time to swallow my pride, thank the guy, and take the metro home to dump my foot into a bucket of ice before heading to work. All day at work I was favoring my left foot as much as possible and cringing with every step. Several hours later, I yanked my shoe off as soon as clocking out….

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….Fantastic…

Sunday morning I crawled out of bed to discover it was even more stiff, and the swelling/bruising hadn’t gone down at all. I was supposed to close the bar that night, I am 20 weeks out from San Francisco Marathon, and I work 5-6 shifts a week on my feet. I wasn’t taking any chances to do serious damage and off to Urgent Care I went for X-Rays and to pray for the best. A chuckle from the doctor, something silly.. Maybe a “just lay off it for a few days and you’ll be good as new.”

Of course, we never get what we’re hoping for in the doctor’s office, now do we? Nope. The doctor came back, films in hand, chart in the other, just shaking his hand. “I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first.” I hate when they say that. Don’t give me options, just lay it on me flat.

The verdict? I will not be running the Austin Half-Marathon in February. I will however, if I take the right amount of time off, do the PT exercises, and ease back into training, be able to catch up on Marathon Training!!

I know what you’re thinking, Give me the DEEETS!
It turns out it’s a Grade II Ankle Sprain.

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I get to sport this super stylish air cast and compression brace until I’m able to put weight on my left foot while it’s straight. At which point I will start adding in dorsiflexion–plantar flexion (aka pumping my foot up and down) Which I’m not allowed to start doing until the end of the week. (insert fit of frustration, here) At which point I’ll start adding in other ankle exercises and some walking. I’m hoping within 3 weeks I’ll be able to run again and ease back into Marathon Training. At this point, I’m just thankful this happened at the beginning of Marathon training, rather than when I’m only a month or two out.

If I’m not able to run on February 7th… Just watch out world, that’s all I have to say.

I’m kind of freaking out, because yes… I know that an ankle sprain, even a grade II, isn’t exactly the end of the world or the end of marathon training. With the proper time to heal I will bounce back from this.. However, I work on my feet. I work long, and hard, exhausting hours that make my feet and ankles hurt even when I’m not injured… How does one go about healing properly while marathon training, when they have bills to pay, and those bills are paid by running around a crazy busy restaurant for 10+ hours at a time? I’ve taken this entire week off… But I can NOT afford to take any more time than that off. I just can’t afford it. I also can’t afford to be injured for more time than I already will be.

FUDGE.

Anyone out there who has been injured while working a job on their feet? How do you deal? How do you prevent yourselves from becoming more injured while still putting food on the table and a roof over your head?

Texas Gone Arctic: AKA 3M Half Marathon Recap

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After the RnR San Antonio debacle I immediately decided I needed to A) hold off on my first full marathon. Which most of you know, I pulled out of the Austin Marathon and decided to wait until June to knock out my first 26.2 (The San Francisco Marathon) and B) I needed to register for another half-marathon to redeem myself. It was a no-brainer what half-marathon I was going to choose. The 3M Half-Marathon! This race has been on my running bucket list since I started running. I wanted it to be my first half last year, but travel logistics were going to be too expensive for a gal who was (at the time) planning a mostly out-of-pocket wedding, so I ended up running Columbia instead. This year, since I now live in Austin it was an easy decision to just go for it. :)

I set some mighty goals for myself with 3M. I really wasn’t okay with running my first full marathon this Summer without having run a sub 2:30 Half-Marathon. I just wasn’t going to accept a time any slower than that. Plain. and. Simple. It was a pretty big goal to make. If I crossed the finish line in 2:29:59 that would shave 30 minutes off of my half-marathon time in under 9 months.

The 2-3 weeks leading up to Sunday I was feeling less and less confident about the race. Work ate my life, and I missed two long runs because of work and other life events. I tried to make up for my long run last Monday and did 8 miles at a pretty easy pace and felt good. I still had no idea what 13.1 was going to bring me, though.

When Saturday rolled around I wasn’t even sure if I was going to be able to race. I had planned on hitting the expo before work, but was woken up by my boss calling me in early. Great…. All day I was so anxious. Terrified I wasn’t going to get out of work early enough to make it to the Crowne Plaza Hotel by 6pm. Around 5:30 I even went outside and had a moment where I cried a little. I was certain my chances of racing Sunday were o-v-e-r. I got out of work at exactly 6pm. When the expo was closing. Fantastic. I didn’t know what to do, so I just decided to speed across town and see if they would let me get my packet. What was the worst thing that could happen? They say no?… At least I tried… I get there, and everything is taken down except for the registration/cashier booth which was being stripped down as I walked up. I’m sure my words were a jumbled mess because I was FREAKING out, but I explained my situation. They could see the panic in my face and gave me my bib and t-shirt. I wasn’t able to get my swag bag, but screw it. I got what I needed. Insert huge-ass sigh of relief here.

Sunday morning started at the crack of Dark-Thirty. I decided to take the metro to the start area since the finish line was literally 6 blocks away from my apartment and there was no sense being shuttled back to the car from where I live just to drive back over this way. I looked at the weather and died a little. I was pleased as punch that the chance of rain seemed to disappear over night, I was not impressed with the fact that it was 35 degrees with headwinds that made it feel like 25. I THOUGHT I MOVED TO TEXAS, Y’ALL!

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6:45AM is not a time I am used to and not a time I want to start a race. I am not and may never be a morning person, but I was surprisingly alert jumping up and down at the start line trying to keep myself warm. I had planned on ditching my jacket at gear check, but when I was still freezing my booty off I decided to just keep it on. If worse came to worse I would just tie it around my waste and bring the 90′s back. ;) I was thankful at the start line to have kept it on. Mostly for the thumb holes that were keeping my hands a little bit warmer than they would have otherwise been. While hanging out I was shivering soo bad! The wind was wipping around all over the place, and the nerves of “oh god the last few weeks of training have been terrible” really kicked in. I decided then and there that my biggest priority for this race was just to push myself as hard as I can and leave it ALL on the course. Even if I didn’t make my goal, at least I’d be able to say I gave it my all.

We were off! The course starts wayyyy north by Mopac and Capitol of TX Highway, in an area of Austin I am absolutely not familiar with what-so-ever.

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The first 9ish miles are ‘downhill’. It’s a nice, easy, downhill course that doesn’t take too much of a toll on your legs, and sometimes isn’t even noticeable at all.

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Every couple of miles you can see your time during 3M. This was awesome.. I ran with my Garmin, but it was nice not to have to worry about it. I’ve never run a race where you can see your splits that often. I was surprising myself during the first 10k with how comfortable I was maintaining a faster pace than my goal. I live in West Campus, though. I knew the last stretch of the race had some pretty decent sized hills. I had to reel it in so I’d still have momentum going into that section of the race.

Mile 9 is where the bigger hills come in. We turned on to 45th street and we were running directly into the part of town I know like the back of my hand. Unfortunately, this didn’t really make the hills any easier since it was toward the end of the race. ;) But, it was really cool that the last stretch of the race was something I know and see every day.

These hills hurt. It’s a cruel joke that all race organizers are in on to always make the last stretch of a distance event, up hill… ;) I kid I kid. I just tried to tune out the pain and focus on the beautiful surroundings. Running down through campus and up MLK is a beautiful view. On Deen Keaton you get a beautiful straight on view of the Austin skyline and you cross the finish line to a beautiful view of the Texas Capitol building.

I finished in an official time of 2:28:34!! PR baby!!! I DID IT. Sub-2:30. :D :D :D

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I’m really proud of myself for just letting it all loose on the course. I may not be very fast. I may very well never be, and that’s okay because I IMPROVE all the time. I’m constantly growing as a runner, and that’s all that matters to me. :)

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and just so you have an idea of how windy it was. My hair was super hhawwwt after the race. The back was pretty much sticking straight up. haha

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Absolutely a fun fun race!!! I’ve never run a distance race in my home town. Columbia and DC were both only an hour away, but still. It was a really neat and stress-free experience! Not to mention 3M SURPASSES it’s reputation! It was a great race, so incredibly well organized. I may be a little biased because of my situation, but the volunteers were amazing. I’m so thankful they let me get my bib, even though I was absurdly late, and I’m sure they were exhausted. I saw the swag bags and they were packed with goodies, since 3M makes like, everything! :P

There were even some food trucks in the finisher’s area, but I didn’t stick around to eat anything. Once I stopped moving I was absolutely FREEZING. The space blanket didn’t protect my face from the winds :P All I wanted to do was change into something warm and head to brunch! lol

If you want to run a half-marathon with a fast course, beautiful finish, huge medal, and organized to a T… 3M is definitely a great choice!! I plan on running it again next year, for sure!

Giving Self-Doubt The Boot

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There is a reason that certain people go on to accomplish magnificent things in their lifetime, while so many other people cringe at the very idea of the tiniest challenge. It certainly isn’t lack of desire. We all want these things (whatever these things may be. Run a marathon. Travel the world. Write a book. Become a movie star. Climb Mt. Everest. Graduate college. Lose those extra pounds. Start a new career. Anything) We want them so badly. Some, of course, more than others.. But we all have at least one thing that we want more than anything else in our life. Yet, if you had everything everything you needed to tackle your goals, would you go after it? Too many times, the answer is a big fat NO. Far too often we let self-doubt get in our way of doing anything extraordinary. We let it get in our way of BEING extraordinary.

What is it that we are so afraid of? How do we stop it? How do we kick down the walls that are ‘protecting’ us, and accomplish the seemingly impossible? From my experience, it’s typically the ‘what if’ that gets us the most.

What if I cross the start line and end up taking a DNF? What if I get lost in the middle of some unknown country? What if I lose the weight only to put it back on? What if I quit my job and end up even more miserable or unsuccessful? What if I die trying to climb the mountain? What if. What if. What if!?!!?!?!?!?!

What’s stopping us, isn’t really the fear of rejection, failure, embarrassment. What is truly stopping us, is the meaning we have given rejection, failure, embarrassment and other emotions that tie in to not accomplishing what we have set out to do. Throughout our entire lives we have been conditioned to think that these things hold more value than they really do… We’ve let fear tame the masses throughout history.

It’s time that we free ourselves from our pasts and get over our fear and self-doubt. It’s time that we all, as human-beings, as athletes, as goal oriented individuals, finally go after the things that we want to achieve.

How do we break a bad habit when it exists entirely in the mind? Start paying attention to your thoughts. Every time you are struck with self-doubt, throw the thought away. Actually visualize this. Try shrinking the image in your mind until it just disappears as you are throwing it behind you. It feels ridiculous at first, but practice makes perfect. Once you immediately get rid of the negative thought, replace it with a positive one and again, visualize it. Only this time making the image grow larger and larger in your mind until it takes over. For example: if struck with the thought “I can’t run a marathon” toss it away and instead think “I CAN run a marathon.” while picturing yourself crossing the finish line. Medal around your neck. Smile plastered across your face.

There is not a single better way to eliminate self doubt than to take action that disproves your initial negative thoughts. Always be searching for things that you think are challenging. Taking action in EVERYTHING you do is the most direct route to success, happiness, and self-confidence.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.”
- Michael Jordan

2012 I am Glad to See You Go

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It scares me and also delights me that 2012 is already coming to a close.

This year has been full of so many ups and downs. It has been without a doubt the worst year of my entire life, so far. With that being said, I have also grown so much that I don’t even recognize the girl I was in 2011. She was selfish, stubborn, and significantly less mature.

I lost a brother, my ex-fiancé, life as I knew it. But in their place I grew stronger, independent, and a new city that feels more like home than any place ever has. I ran my first 10k, 10 miler, and half marathon… I even began training for my first full marathon, even if the race itself isn’t until 2013 ;)

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As painful as the year may have been, I am thankful for the opportunity to grow and become a truly better human being, through and through. I learned more valuable life lessons in the last 12 months than I have in the last twenty-something years I’ve been on this planet. One of the most important lessons I learned, is who my true friends are.. The people who will be there for me no matter what. The people who even if we go a few months without speaking, pick back up once we re-connect as if we haven’t skipped a beat. The people who will travel thousands of miles to make sure you’re okay. Those are real friends.

friendsI even became an auntie to the most beautiful little princess.

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So honestly, as difficult as 2012 has been, it’s hard to chalk it up as a total bust. With that being said, I am over-joyed that the year is nearing its expiration date. I couldn’t be happier that 2013 is around the corner.

2013 is going to be MY year. I know everybody says that, every New Year’s Eve… However, I believe it. I feel it. I feel it in every bone in my body. It will be a year full of more growth, experiences, and love.

I, like many others have put together a list of resolutions goals for 2013. However, this year… They aren’t quite like a bucket list the way many years in the past have been. Okay, well perhaps part is ;)

  1. Run the San Francisco Marathon – my first 26.2
  2. Express my feelings more often. I have a habit of never letting people in entirely and hiding what my heart says. Enough of that!
  3. Live in the moment. I’m always planning 3 steps ahead or thinking about tomorrow. Sometimes I have a very difficult time enjoying the present.
  4. Spend more time with family.
  5. Open my heart again. Now, this doesn’t necessarily mean get into a serious relationship or fall in love.. But, after Zack and I split up I shut off the very idea of romantic interest. Shut down every guy who gave me the time of day, and ended up very lonely in the process. It took me until very recently to even have the desire to flirt with a guy… Which is bizarre for me, because I have a very very flirty personality, even when I’m not interested.
  6. See the bright side of things.

That’s it. A lot of these kind of blend together. I would say 2,3, 5 and 6 go hand in hand. Without one the rest are hard to accomplish. Now, I’m ready to scream it at the top of my lungs, 2013 I AM READY FOR YOU!!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful New Years Eve. I hope you have many laughs and cocktails, and sip on bubbly champagne. Please be safe. A cab is much cheaper than bail or medical bills.

;

What are your NON FITNESS related goals for 2013? What are your FITNESS goals?! Would love to hear both.

Stepping Out Of My Comfort Zone: The San Francisco Marathon

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No one ever went to the moon without stepping outside of their comfort zone. While, I certainly don’t plan on going to the moon any time soon ;) I do have big, scary, life changing goals for myself. These goals are not something that I can just wake up tomorrow and accomplish. They are goals that take hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes I let fear get in my way. Even allowed fear (equal parts fear and knowing my body) come between me and running the Austin Marathon in February. I am absolutely done with that. I am ready to look fear straight in the eye, and laugh in its face.

I WILL be running the San Francisco Marathon on June 16th (my BIRTHDAY) with so many other baller runners like Pavement Runner, Josephine, Krissy, Lauren,  (hopefully) Jane and so many many many others that I hope do not feel offended by me leaving them out!!!!!

I even started training THIS week. The day I signed up I went out for my first training run… Which granted, was 28 weeks away from the race. However, if I have learned anything from this last half-marathon training cycle it is this:

I know my body. I know what it is capable of. Some people can go out and train for 12-13 weeks for a marathon and ROCK it… I, am not yet one of those people. Someday, I hope to be able to say that I am in that group of bad ass runners. But, I am not there yet, and that’s perfectly okay. It will take me the next 6 months to get 26.2 ready. I have NO shame in that.

WHY do I have no shame in that??? Because I am strong enough of a runner and human being to know my limits. I know that I need to step out of my comfort zone, but I also know where and when my body says OK ENOUGH IS ENOUGH. I need 28 weeks because quite frankly, I need more cut back weeks than a lot of runners do.

My right hip will taunt me for the rest of my life. I have learned that in the past 2 years. I trained too hard, too intensely, too long as a gymnast… As an adult I am paying the price. Am I sorry for the intensity of my training as a teenager? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Do I wish that it was easier for me as a runner, now? Absolutely. But, I have come to terms with the fact that I have done damage to my body. I have come to terms with the fact that I am not as natural of a runner as some people out there.

I work hard to run a FIVE FRIGGIN K. I work ridiiiiiiiiiculously hard to run a half-marathon. I know several people who have the the ability to wake up on a Friday and decide they are running a half marathon that Sunday. I am not, and very well may NEVER be that person.

There was a time (in fact that time was NOT that long ago at all) in which I felt SAD that I wasn’t that person.. However, I have realized in the last few months that everybody is drastically different. Everyone’s body was built drastically different. More importantly, everybody’s life has determined whether or not they can be that runner as an adult.

I have come to terms with the fact that my body may not have been built to run. But, that does not mean that I can’t run. That doesn’t mean that I can’t train it (in a healthy way) to be a runner. We have the ability to be whoever and whatever want to be.

I WANT TO BE A MARATHONER. I will be a marathoner, in 27 weeks. On June 16th, my 25th birthday, I will be a marathoner. I will have earned the title.

While some of the runners I know won’t start training for SF for another 10ish weeks, I am proud to have started last week. I am proud of the fact that I pushed my fears aside and said I CAN DO WHATEVER I PUT MY HEART AND SOUL INTO.

There is no going back for this runner. I have registered for the race. I have booked the flights. I have even made hotel arrangements. All that is left is awaiting the ability to book a rental car… (which may take until race day since THAT is when I’ll be legal for most rental cars.. darn you guys and your 25+ year laws…pffft)

Guest Post: TINKER BELL Virtual Race

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One of my first ever Blends (blog friends) Was Jennie from Running Jennie.. We were both training for our first half-marathon (which we both accomplished!!) Both fairly new to the blogosphere. Today, Jennie has a guest post for y’all!!! :)
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A year ago, if you had told me I would be training for my third half marathon while trying to raise $5,000 for charity, I would have told you that you were crazy.  I had not yet run my first half marathon and have never been a strong fundraiser.  To find myself doing both right now is shocking.  But here I am!
When I decided I wanted to run another half marathon this coming winter, I knew that I wanted to make it about something bigger than me.  I had heard a lot about Team in Training, a group that trains for endurance events like half marathons while raising money to support blood cancer research and programs.  I decided to join them.   Although I am blessed to not have a personal connection to blood cancers right now, I know many people who do have stories, and I know that there are many more people that I don’t know yet who have stories.  I am running for all those people.  There are people in the world who will never have this opportunity, for so many different reasons, and I count myself lucky that I have this chance to make a difference.

One of my fundraisers is a virtual run.  A virtual run is  a race where you sign up, pay a “race fee” (donation), and run the race on your own (or with friends!) on a date of your choosing and at a location of your choosing.  You run, jog or walk either a 5k or 10k distance on your own or with friends, outside or on a treadmill.  All proceeds of this virtual run are going to Team in Training, and participants have the opportunity to win fantastic prizes from great companies like Endorphin Warrior, KT Tape, Larabar and SPIbelt.  Participants will also receive Tinker Bell themed “bling” as a thank you for your support.

Registration is open now, and will stay open until November 23rd.  You can complete your run at any time from now until November 30th.  If you want to sign up, please check out [this post on my blog] (http://runningjennie.blogspot.ca/2012/10/tink-in-training-virtual-run-team-in.html).  That post also has all sorts of information about participant goodies, the prizes and more!

I hope you all can join us for this virtual run to raise money for Team in Training.  For more information about Team in Training, you can visit [their website] (http://www.teamintraining.com) and for information on my fundraising progress or to make a donation, visit my [personal fundraising page ] (http://www.tinkintraining.com).  Thank you for your support!

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Virtual Runs are becoming more & more popular! I mean, who doesn’t want to get a sweet Tinker bell bling to show that they helped the lives of cancer patients??

You can find Jennie at her blog RunningJennie.blogspot.com or via twitter at @JennieRunning

Life Is About The Journey

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I apologize if you came over to my corner of the web today looking for a Rock n Roll San Antonio recap. That is not what you will be getting.

With half-marathon under my belt I have come to this moment, right here, enlightened. In regards to MY OWN running, that is.

You see, before this year I never thought I was capable of running 13.1 miles. I never thought I could actually run much more than a 5k. I mean marathon runners have like…. Less than 10% body fat (or ya know.. so I thought). I’ve always been a thin girl, but average thin.. Not anorexic thin. Until I became an adult I absolutely never had body image issues. Crazy, since I was a gymnast and a dancer. Both notorious for self-image issues.

I can pin the day I started having bad body images to the day I had ovarian surgery. I was bed-ridden for what felt like an eternity. I was on a diet that consisted mostly of mashed potatoes and ice cream. I needed help with everything. After a few weeks, I hated what I saw. Although even at my worst, I was never actually overweight. Actually, I don’t think anyone other than myself, including my boyfriend at the time, even noticed a difference what-so-ever. But I was growing more and more disgusted with the girl looking back at me in the mirror. I was also growing weaker and weaker every day. Truth be told, I had stopped being truly active about 2 years prior to this. Quit gymnastics and dancing entirely. My only form of physical activity at that point was waiting tables 30 hours a week.

When I began running, I saw my body transform. Not necessarily in appearance, but I was definitely getting stronger. I felt my core that was pretty badly destroyed from surgery recover with every run I went on. Even if I was running a mile with frequent walk breaks. Throughout my journey as a runner I have become stronger every day. My legs became the rocks they once were as a gymnast. After some time, I learned to incorporate other forms of strength training. Core work. Leg work. Even my arms, now…

At one point during this journey, running even taught me to love my body. It proved to me that my body is something to be proud of, flaws and all. If I’m smart about it, and put in the work; my body can do anything (within reason) I want it to. This is my body, and it’s the only one I get… Assuming I don’t get bionic parts in the future.

For this very reason, because I love my body. Because I respect my body I have decided to drop to the half-marathon at the Austin Marathon in February and postpone my Marathon debut. This wasn’t an easy decision to come to, yet it was the easiest decision of my life…

I realized there is a genius to the run-walk approach. Hang with me here, because I’m not being literal, though I really am at the same time. (Charlotte, get it together here. You’re not making any sense.)

Physical work is easier and healthier when you take breaks. This also works for learning…. There is a reason that teachers start their lessons with a brain warm-up, then dive into the heavy material, and end the class having backed off a bit.. Allowing creative and cognitive thought to replenish the brain.

After two-ish years of running, one of which was more ‘serious’ running, I have learned that my body needs me to back off after an intense training cycle. Like our brains, my body works best when given rest and variation. After 13 weeks of emotional, mental, and physical exhaustion, I know that my body needs me to back off a little. I never really spoke about my brother’s death. I downplayed how upset I was after the split between Zack and I. I downplayed how stressful it was to try to move to Austin after just getting back home to NY. I downplayed how painful my hip was getting at the end of training for San Antonio.

Sitting here right now.. It’s kind of silly to me that I did. I grew more than I knew possible this year. I’ve grown more in less than a year, than a lot of people do in a lifetime.

All of this. Every aspect of it. The epiphanies I’ve had, the injuries I’ve experienced, the heart ache…Wanting to rip my hair out over some of the stress; Have lead me to this comfort… I know now, that life really is all about the journey. There is no rush. I do not want to just survive this life, I want to thrive in it!

I don’t want to just survive my first marathon. I want to thrive! I want to be the strongest I’ve ever been. I want to cross the start line confident, not terrified. (Though yes, there is a certain level of fear in every marathoner, newb or experienced) I know that if I run in February, I will end up only half-way pleased. I will be proud of myself for finishing, but I will be disappointed with how poorly executed it was. I will be extremely frustrated with my body for doing something that it wasn’t prepared to do in the first place.

I will run a marathon. I still plan for it to be in 2013, it just won’t be Austin. It just won’t be 2 months from now. Instead I will be giving myself some time to back off the intensity so my body mind and soul can recover from the last several months of intense life. I’m going to find some local 5ks, pick out my favorite hole-in-the-wall bar in Austin, go to social outings and meet people, and even go on my first post-engagement date. GASP.

If you want to rain on my parade, go right on ahead. It will not bother me. I am comfortable with my decision. No, actually, I’m proud of it. Being smart enough to listen to our bodies takes a level of responsibility that only come after growing as a person, and a runner.