Make the Most of It Monday

So, I have definitely been neglecting the ole blog lately. I plan on getting back on my usual schedule with the blog again this week, so here’s this week’s edition of Make the Most of It Monday.

I have been trying to get my lazy butt in high gear and ready for Saturday’s Tom King Half Marathon. I told myself this time I would prepare better and stick to the training plan down to the very last mile…well let’s just say things “came up” and I might have missed a mile or two. I even managed to get my dates mixed up and thought I had an extra week to train…oops. So needless to say, I am a little apprehensive about Saturday’s run. Today, I finally got in my last long run and made it all the way to 9 miles. I know a lot of dedicated runners would not approve of having a long run of 9 miles before you go run a half, but it is going to have to do. I did feel really good tonight throughout the entire run until I finished and my knee started throbbing and realized my pinky toe had a blister:( I am pretty concerned about getting rid of this blister before Saturday. A pinky toe makes all the difference in the world!

I thought that since this is my 2nd race I would be a little more relaxed going into this race, but I am just as nervous as the first race in October. The only thing that makes me feel a little better is the fact that I know what to expect and that I pushed through 13.1 miles before and if I did it once I can do it again. I do hope to finish this race without walking and would like to finish under 2:30. This would be about a 9 minute improvement on my 1st race.

Yeah, so here we are after the Haunted Half in October. Do I look like I am about to collapse and not sure what’s going on? Well, that’s how I felt and the reason for the creepy smile. But, you can’t replace the feeling of accomplishment when it’s all said and done. That’s exactly what I plan on focusing on Saturday morning…get to the finish line and finish strong!

Happy Monday

Running…It’s a Love Hate Relationship

About 2 years ago, I began a pretty serious relationship with running. I was really needing to get into shape and be more active, so I decided to start running. I watched all sorts of people twice my age running around town, and decided “Well, if they can do it so can I.” I started off pretty small just trying to run/walk for 30-45 minutes. I can remember the first time I ran a mile…you would have thought I had just ran a marathon.

Chugging along...

I had heard all sorts of people talk about how running was a release, a way to get away and just relax. Yeah, I didn’t really see it this way. In the beginning, I was absolutely miserable at times when I was running. I remember driving to my running spot sitting in my car and having to give myself a pep talk to take that first step. After a few months, I decided to  sign up for my first 5k, Predators Fangtastic 5K, hoping that having a goal would help me stick to running. ( By the way, this is a really fun race in Downtown Nashville and as part of the entry fee you get a ticket to that night’s hockey game.) Well, it worked. The morning of the race I knew I was hooked. The excitement and energy right before the gun shot is what kept me running and turned me into a real runner.

Going to the hockey game...guess I was pretty excited

Over this summer, I finally bit the bullet and signed up for a HALF MARATHON! YIKES! I had gone back and forth talking myself into doing a half then talking myself out of it. All I could think about was how loooonnnngggg 13.1 miles was going to be. I guess what finally made me do it was the fact that I was doubting my ability to accomplish a goal. I’ve never had a problem tackling a challenge and wasn’t going to let a few miles stand in my way (okay 13.1 is more than a few). I, also, somehow managed to convince my husband into running the race with me, so I had someone else to face the 13.1 with. So, on October 18th we woke up bright and early(and I mean bright and early it was 4:30!) and ran the Upper Cumberland Haunted Half in Cookeville, TN.

Lookin' pretty good after 13.1 miles:)

It is really hard to explain the sense of accomplishment that I gained throughout the course of this race. At times, all I could think was “Amber, keep putting one foot in front of the other” and then out of nowhere I would be overcome with a jolt of exhilaration that kept me going. At about mile 8, I knew I was going to finish. I gained confidence in my ability to push myself, while going through some pretty intense pain, that I never had experienced. I ran the whole race and finished in 2:40. It wasn’t the time I was hoping for (2:20), but I was so thrilled to have been able to run the whole thing without walking I could have cared less! I plan on running another half this March in Nashville with my brothers. My goal is to reach 2:20…without stopping. Happy running!