Real Heroes Don't Wear Capes

Tomorrow morning I'll wake up dark and early and head out to attempt marathon #7. I chose the Marine Corps Marathon for a few reasons. Kate and Ally (tee hee) both ran it last year and only had great things to say. I was in D.C. around the same time last October and the weather was amazing. Plus, there's the whole "my oldest and dearest friend lives in the D.C. area" aspect...oh yes, and KATIE!

But it's more than that. Our service men and women hold a very special place in my heart. I've got a lot of friends still on Active Duty - all of them have spent time in either Iraq or Afghanistan. I'm thankful that every one of them have returned from each deployment safe and sound.

And I'm thankful for their sacrifice and their service.

I wanted to do something to honor the brave men and women who have given up so much, just to insure my freedoms, and yours too.

I have a special allegiance to the U.S.Army, however, currently, there isn't an Army Marathon in D.C. So, MCM it was! I expect this will be an emotional journey. Starting near the Pentagon, long since repaired from the attacks September 11, 2001, those visions will surely be on my mind. The hundreds of Marines along the course will keep my purpose at the forefront of my mind. I anticipate some somber reflection as I run past the monuments honoring those that made the ultimate sacrifice.

When I began training, I knew I wanted my running to benefit a greater cause. I did a lot of research and contacted my active duty buddies to get their opinions. Then, I made a commitment to diligently log my miles and donate $1 for each mile run during training to the Wounded Warrior Project. They provide so many resources to service men and women who have been injured in the line of duty. You can read about their great work here.

Many of you helped me collect new children's books for the USO project, United Through Reading. And I thank you so much for your support. Together, we collected dozens and dozens of new children's books! (they are still coming in - look for a post soon!) I so enjoyed pouring over each of the books contributed and imagining the soldier, sailor, airman or marine that would select that particular title.

So tomorrow, as I tackle those 26.2 miles, if it gets hard, and it surely will, I'll ask myself, "Can I give more?" And the answer undoubtedly will be, "Yes." I'm running for those who always go the extra mile.

Because real heroes don't wear capes; they wear dog tags.

Friday Fave

I'm not even sure when I started reading her blog.  It was years and years ago.  Living in Dallas too, she made the move from blog buddy to IRL friend and I'm so thankful for that!  This girl has great style, is a ball of energy and so much fun to be around!  Introducing The Shabby Princess, Ally!

Blog Name: The Shabby Princess

Where are you from?: Central Coast of California, but, I got to Texas as soon I could!
When/why/how did you start blogging?: Started blogging in early 2008 after a several month stint staying with my family, it was a way for my Texas friends to stay up to date.
What is one of your all time favorite songs?:  Hmmm... There are a lot. I love music. I love 80s music. But, the songs that are the most meaningful are the songs that remind me of my mom, hmm--It's Five O'Clock Somewhere by Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett.
Now, confession, look in iTunes, which song has the most plays?: "Take Me Out to The Dancehall" by Pat Green.
Do you like to read? Who are your favorite authors?: Love to read! I'm currently loving anything written by Kristin Hannah, but, my all time favorite is The Great Gatsby.
What was your favorite book as a child?: I can't remember the name of it, but, it was a book all about teddy bears! I've looked for a copy for years, but, I haven't found it yet. Boo!
If you had a signature scent, what scent would that be?: In my mind, the beach!
Confession, in your office, how do co-workers refer to you?:I don't have anything, they usually just call me by my name--although, there was the constant asking of "so, how many miles did you do this morning?!"
When you meet someone new, what is the first thing you notice about them?: How they react to my loud craziness! I can be a lot to handle at first, haha.
Do you have any tattoos? Is there a story behind it?: I have two--a fairy on my hip and a flower on my back. I KNOW. I was 18, I'm not saying I was smart.
Do you have a mantra, verse or quote that inspires you?: "Just keep swimming"--even though I do not swim, ha!
For you athletes - what is your ultimate goal race/achievement?: One day, I really, really want to run Comrades, that's my dream. (girl, let's go, I'm totally IN!)
What is your dream vacation?: Tortola, British Virgin Islands. Easiest question!
What advice would you give to bloggers just starting out?: Have fun with it! Blog for you, write from your voice.

Ally, I have so much fun every time I'm with you and I'm looking forward to hanging out with you in D.C. when we take MCM by storm!  Whether it's lunch at Smashburger, shopping at Ulta or running into you at races, I pink sparkle heart you!

Don't Listen to This

Listen to this instead.
Okay, so you lost the one you love.  He left you, you got dumped. Whatevs.  And you want to wallow.  I feel ya. 

The following songs irritate me every sinkin' time I heard them on the radio. They are dumb and they just plain make girls look bad.  Look crazy.  Ugh.  Don't listen to this!

Top 3 Crazy Girl Songs:
1. Someone Like  You - Adele.  Girl has a phenomenal voice, yes. But this song. Ugh, this song.  She's a stalker!  Get OVER it woman!  You cannot go around following him and just randomly showing up. He's married, you said so yourself.  "Why are you so shy?"  Um, because he's freaked out that you just showed up after all this time. Move on or at least move away. Creepy McCreeperson.
2. Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood.  I cannot condone destruction of property.  I mean yes, he's probably going to wince when he comes out to find that you've "dug your keys into the side of his pretty little souped up 4 wheel drive" but mostly he's going to be glad he left you after all. Even if he did cheat.  You aren't teaching him a lesson about fidelity.  You are confirming that you are a freakshow and he's safer without you. Plus, girl, you could serve some jail time for that.  He's a cheater, he's def not worth it!  Slow your roll.
3.  You Belong With Me - Taylor Swift.  No baby, just no.  You sound desperate.  And girl, he's with someone else.  Just because "She wears short shorts  (dont' hate) you wear t-shirts, She's Cheer Captain and you're on the bleachers" does not mean that you can spy on him from your bedroom window.  Stop it now.  Find someone else that likes the way you dress and admires the fact that you have minimal school spirit.  He's out there.

Instead, wallow like a guy.  Guys don't get all weird and stalkerish.  They do it right. They just get mad.  I'm pretty sure there is a well placed f-bomb in each of these songs.

Now, Listen to This!
1. I Will Survive - Cake.  He don't need you.  Just get to steppin'.  You left, he's moved on.  At first he was afraid, he was petrified.  But now, now he's stronger and don't wanna hear from you no mo.  (this might be directed at Adele...)
2. Gives you Hell - All American Rejects.  True, this was written about a former manager, not a girl, but it still works.  He isn't skulking about town spying on her.  He's living his life, happy and hoping, just a little, that she's miserable without him.  All without stalking.
3.  F** You - Cee Lo Green.  Resist the urge to buy the edited version. Go whole hog.  Cee Lo is sad, he even cries in this song, but he gathers the gumption to tell the man who took his woman exactly how he feels about him. Without scratching up his Ferrari.  Well done Cee Lo, well done. 

See the difference?  Now, I've been accused of being more like a dude emotionally on more than one occasion.  But there is no call for crazy behavior.  If you want to sing at the top of your lungs, stop the graveley, throat scratching "someone like yooooouuuuu" and crank up some angry, bad words. 

Empower yourself, don't embarrass yourself.

Rando Thoughts from my Taper Brain

So apparently some people actually have lives other than training.

I am not one of those people.

I know that taper is for me to rest my body.  The hay is in the barn.  I've paid the man.  The miles are run.  But guah.  What to DO with all this time? 

Saturday night we had a hunormous hail storm hit at 1:45 am.  Of course I was up, natch.  Me and sleep, still not good friends.  Always one to love watching it storm, I peered out the backdoor to take a look. The backyard was covered in ice in a matter of minutes and the leaves from my trees were pulverized into a fine mulch.  A fantastic lightning storm accompanied the hail, keep in mind this photo was taken around 2 am!

Erin mentioned to me that Kroger sold caramel apple flavored candy corn.  Knowing that Michelle is a fellow candy corn fiend, I decided to pick up a bag for her before our run at the lake Sunday.  Now, I don't normally shop at Kroger or any other larger grocery store.  The store I frequent is small and filled mostly with fresh cheeses, meats, breads and produce. The "hardlines" section is very small and consists mostly of organic fare.  So being in a huge grocery store was like a wonderland of junk food for me.  Quickly finding the candy corn, I went up and down a few other aisles, curious to see what else the shelves held.  Mostly crap. Including bacon flavored popcorn.  For reals.

Our admin made my week by surprising me with new markers!  Dry erase in a wide selection of fun colors (two purples!) and, gasp, my favorite, Mr. Sketch scented markers!  She splurged and got me the bonus pack of the bigger markers.  I was so excited to sniff all the new to me scents including Bubble Gum and Cotton Candy.  What can I say, I'm really easy to impress!

Collin surprised me with a teeny white pumpkin for fall.  So cute, right?  And yes, it's sitting on my work Bible.  No, that's not sacrilegious.  God made pumpkins.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

I think I might have killed my group last night.  We were supposed to run 25 minutes easy but I took them on a new (to them) route and we ended up being out for 38 minutes.  Longer than many of them have ever run.  They all hung in there but they all looked mighty tired when we finished.  Oops, sorry y'all.  We ran about an 11 min mile and that was a great taper pace for me while pushing them. Win win! 


Tonight I ran errands like crazy getting ready to go out of town.  Like a boss, I ate my Panera mac n cheese while heading to pick up some books a friend's book club donated.  What?  You don't eat mac n cheese while driving?  I'm just super skilled like that.

My hip is tight this week but not hurting. In the past when my hip has been tight before a race, I've PR'd so let's hope that rings true again. I signed up for auto tweeting my splits so we'll see how that works. If you follow me on Twitter and don't see any updates for a while on Sunday, assume it's not working, not that I dropped out, k? Okay, well, maybe shoot me a text to be sure.

The shuffle is on charge, laundry is churning away, I'm drinking my weight in water each day...preparations are almost done.  I have the small matter of deciding what to wear and what to eat Saturday night but other than that...

I'm ready to head to D.C.  Read to see my girls, ready to experience some fall weather and ready to run this race.  I'm feeling good but who knows what race day will hold? That's part of the excitement though, the anticipation of the crowds, putting my training to the test and looking forward to crossing that finish line and proving to myself, once again, that I can do anything I set my mind to. 

Just try and stop me.

Pumpkin Patch Days

One of the things I love about my town is the sense of community and of tradition. Example: each year, one fall afternoon, they shut down a major road for the high school homecoming parade. Everyone comes out to watch the floats, cheer the football team, hear the marching band and ooh and ah over the fantastic homecoming mums!

And every autumn, the church down the road turns their lawn into a pumpkin patch. Church members volunteer to work the patch and the money raised is used to fund mission trips for the youth throughout the year. Neat, huh?

I've always meant to stop and in the eight years I've lived here, it just never happened. But I  get a little thrill every October when I see that the pumpkins have arrived.
Lately, I'm purposing to do things that I enjoy.  So, I resolved to visit the pumpkin patch at the church. A beautiful, warm sunny day, I wandered among the remaining pumpkins, taking my time to select just the right one.

There were families with children, on the same quest as I. Photos were taken, smiling young faces among the gourds.

One young couple propped an infant on a hay bale, clearly excited about this new tradition. I smiled in spite of myself.

Families.

Kelly recently posted about a trip her young family made to their local pumpkin patch. She wrote how she dreamed for years of this day, snapping pictures of her children in the fall harvest. And she closed her post with the following words,"Keep hope. Your pumpkin patch days are coming. And they will be worth the wait."

This really spoke to me. My life has changed so much in the past year. I'm not where I thought I'd be. I'm not where I hoped I'd be. And I'm not even sure anymore where I want to be.

I'm starting from scratch at a point in my life where I should be in the growing phase, not a building phase.  But this is where I am.  For someone who has always been a planner, it's difficult to see my plans destroyed, left only with broken pieces to reassemble somehow into a new plan.

My life upheaval isn't a punishment from God. I don't think that at all. But I do firmly believe that He can use any situation to teach us, to grow us. And I'm trying hard to learn the lessons He has for me. And I'm trying to be patient while He reveals His plan for me. It's hard, waiting on the Lord. But I know His plans are far better than even I, with my vast imagination, could put together.

I don't know what my future holds. I doubt I have days of little faces among the pumpkins. That's an opportunity passed.  I may not ever again have days to share my life with someone.  There are people who never even have one someone.  What makes me think I might get two?  That's just reality and a possibility I accept.

But I have Pumpkin Patch Days ahead of some sort. I'm sure of it. So I'll do my best to be patient. And do my best to keep my heart open for whatever He has in store for me. Because I know that indeed, it will be worth the wait.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future."  Jeremiah 29:11

The Day I BQ'd

By Yasso.
Ha!  Had ya there for a minute, huh?  No worries, a BQ is not in my near future. 

I am still deeply in my Corn Candy Funk.  I'm blaming corn candy.  Which really isn't fair.  It might be all the war movies I'm watching.  To get fired up for MCM I've been watching war movies every night.  Since I can't actually ride my bike, Monday night I rode the trainer for 2 hours while watching "Letters from Iwo Jima."  Sunday it was "Flags of Our Fathers."  Tuesday, "We Were Soldiers."  Last night, "Saving Private Ryan." 

I love a good war movie.  Always have.  But they can be a little heavy.  Keep in mind, I'm the same girl who had dry eyes during "The Notebook."  The one who yawned at "Titanic" and couldn't wait for Jack to finally just let go and get it over with. I mean, they had only known each other for a few days.  Puhleeze, like they were really in love? 

But plunk me down in front of a war movie?  I started to sniff when the horse died, bawled when they shot the dog and totally LOST IT when the Japanese soldiers stood as he read Sam's mother's letter.  Just imagine, me pedaling away, tears flowing, my sniffling barely audible over the whirring of the trainer.  This is what my life has come to.  Please notice, my cat thinks the bike is his own personal giant cat toy. 

Tuesday, I ran with my group and then was supposed to hit the track for Yassos.  (800's)  But there was a football game going on.  And no parking spaces. So I just gave up and went home and watched a war movie. So Wednesday, which is usually yoga night, but I still can't put weight on my wrist, I headed BACK to the track to get in my Yassos.  Annnd another football game. Texas.  This time I managed to find a spot to park so I set out to do my Yassos in the neighborhood using the route Sare Bare and I mapped out last time I Yasso'd. 
My goal this time was 4:15 Yassos.  But really, secretly, I hoped to run them in 3:58.  I know, secret from whom?  I play these games.  My first Yasso was 3:39.  Ooops!  Fluke, right?  Well check out my 6 Yassos: 3:39, 3:37, 3:32, 3:35, 3:37, 3:38.  Um, yeah.  4:15 my bony pink butt.  If Yassos are supposed to be an accurate prediction of your marathon time, I BQ'd all but one of them, ha! 

I only ran 23 miles this week. Taper makes me nervous.  23 miles?  Eek.

I have no idea what to expect from this race.  I trained for a 4:30 marathon but I just don't know.  We'll find out in just over a week!

Side note: I can't wait to see this girl and this girl next week in DC.  And of course this girl (that I can see anytime in Dallas but will still be fun to hang with in DC with everyone else because she is awesome!)

Do you Yasso?  Do you feel it was an accurate prediction of your marathon time?

Listen to This

We all think we have just fabulous taste in music. And we all do. To our own ears at least! Leigh joked that she always gave her hubs a hard time for listening to Three 6 Mafia, but after I posted about my love for “Shake My” she thinks she’ll give it a listen. Hoodrats for life!

No lie, when I get in your car, I’m going to make suppositions based on what your iPod is tuned to. Note, I am always the DJ when a passenger; I like to know what moves ya. So, put away the Barry Manilow unless you are going to OWN it. No shame.

I for one, am not afraid to profess my love for Neil Diamond. Nobody messes with Neil while I’m around.

Some of the best stuff, I’ve found through recommendations of friends. And no, I’m not counting Pandora as a friend, but yes, I’ve discovered more than one gem that way. Anna is basically my music twin. She’s always good for a rec. (Anna, you enjoying your new tunes?) Charlie turned me on to Guster a few years ago. (are you listening to Guster? You should be!) 


Lately, I’ve been feeling nostalgic. Back inna day I followed a local Dallas band, the Old 97’s. Described as alternative country, I've adored them since the beginning.  We all know about my obsession, and my arrangement with the Potbelly guitarist, regarding “Question.” Why don’t you go ahead and just download it right now?  Best $1.29 you’ll spend all week. Go ahead, I’ll wait.

You back? Good, right? You’re very welcome.

After much deliberation:
Top Three Old 97’s Tunes

1. Question – duh, we covered this one already. Brilliant.  Rando fact, I've never been asked "that" question.  True story.

2. Valentine – Upbeat tempo, sad song. You’re tapping your feet, singing along and then all of the sudden you realize, whoa, this is gut wrenching! “Cried, I cried, til I couldn’t carry on. It’s a lonely, lonely feeling when your Valentine was wrong.”

3. Love is What You Are – “Love is what you are, not what you do. I know what you are and I love you.” Tragic or hopeful? You decide.

And that my fair readers, is what you should be listening to this week.

Tell me, what should I be listening to?

Deep in the Heart of Texas

Where'd she go?
Oh, nowhere.  Instead of a gradual taper, my fall last week forced me into a screeching halt.  I was rendered incapacitated with fever and illness for a few days.  And too weak to get in any quality miles.  My janky arm confined to a brace, yoga and cycling are off the schedule. 
So what better way to recover  than to head to one of my favorites places, Austin, TX for a long weekend!  Our fair state capitol holds many fond memories and a very special place in my heart.  The 3 hour drive goes by so quickly - it's like my car just knows where it wants to be.  And every time I'm there I think, "Now, why don't I live here?"
I spent a day in downtown Austin visiting just a few of my favorite old haunts a a few new spaces too.

Austin IS the Live Music Capitol of the World. The world people.

Tacow

About 85, it was the perfect day for hanging your head out the window!

The 15th anniversary of the Livestrong Foundation, Lance and friends were hosting a huge party and expo at his shop. 

If you've never been to Austin, what are you waiting for? The weather is perfect year round, the hills are GREAT to run/ride and everyone is just so friendly.  There is a campaign to, "Keep Austin Weird" and believe me, the entire city is working hard on that particular goal.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  Austin just has an energy that makes me feel at home.  I love this place!
Later, I went see my friend Nat who recently moved to Boerne, about a half hour outside of San Antonio.    She is an amazing host!  And her house, right on the river, is just as beautiful as it could possibly be! 

That porch!  We were sure to spend time rocking in the cool night air.

I love a fireplace of Texas stone.  Simply gorgeous!

They live right on the Guadalupe River.  (pronounced Gwa-day-loop around here)

I would never tire of this view.

We took an early morning walk through the hills.

And headed down 1/2 mile trail which turns out, isn't even a quarter mile.  Oh, well.

It was so nice to spend time with a dear friend just relaxing and catching up.  Natalie has been a great friend to me.  She's been there for me this past year in ways even she will never know.  I'm blessed by her friendship and thankful to have her in my life!  Aw, her sweet puppies remembered me. There isn't much more restorative than time in the country and precious puppy hugs. Love me some sweet redbone coonhound lovin'!

Saturday we drove back up to Austin for some Longhorn football.  Who doesn't love some Fall football?  We were playing OSU so there was lots of orange to be seen. But let's face it, OSU is an ordinary ole orange not the pretty burnt orange of Texas!  Nat wore her Baylor tee as her alma mater was playing a&m. I'll refrain from making any a&m statements but let's just say anyone in orange was rooting for Baylor. 

All that burnt orange makes me feel all warm and snuggly. 

At halftime, the band played a tribute to the Beatles. Which, is basically the Longhorn Band's way of saying, "We love you TPG and we sure are glad you're here."

We ate nachos, drank coke and really just enjoyed ourselves.  It was a really good game, even though we lost.  There was plenty of excitement and we were in the game for most of it.  I love the atmosphere of college football.  (and high school too for that matter)  High fiving your neighbors, singing fight songs at the top of your lungs, cheering across the stadium (the stadium that holds more people that even Jerry Jones' Cowboy Wonderland, ahem) and throwing up those horns!  \m/ Hook 'em! 

We met up with our friends LIndsay and Drew (not pictured) after the game.  Friends & football.  A perfect Fall day!

I was sad to leave Nat and sad to leave Austin.  As I drove across Texas, listening to country music on the radio, I got a little homesick for the city I love so much. The Hill Country will always be a part of me.  Maybe visiting isn't enough anymore.  Because as I watched the Tower grow smaller in my rearview mirror I once again thought, "Now why don't I live here?"

Texas Tough

The irony is not lost on me that just Friday I posted about how to survive your first 20 miler.  And then I myself, the author, had such an entirely tough time surviving my 20 miler yesterday. More on that later.

Yesterday started off good enough.  I ran a 5K with my group.  For most of them it was their very first 5K!  I was honored to get to share that experience with them and they all did an incredible job!



We were done with the race and festivities around 9:30.  I got home closer to 10.  I just didn't feel up to heading out for 20 mile right then so I cleaned  house, napped.  You know, piddled around the house.  I guess I headed out around 3 or so.  Man it was  hot yesterday.  I'm really hoping for cooler temps at MCM but if it isn't, you can't say I didn't train in the heat! 

Calendar wise it is indeed Fall and the neighborhood decor reflects that even if the weather does not.  I decided to do a little "As seen on my run" photo montage.  Spotted this friendly looking scarecrow driving some sort of sleigh.

Things were rocking along just fine.  Determined to hit my goal pace of 10:18, I kept having to remind myself to slow down.  Well, I slowed down for sure.  Because one moment I'm bringing sexy back with JT an the next I'm sprawled out on the pavement. 

I fell. Hard.

Stunned, I sat up taking  inventory of my injuries. Bloody hands.  Torn shirt and shorts.  Brand new pink iPod shuffle scratched.  (I can assure you there were some choice words uttered about that) Believe it or not, a cyclist saw it all happen and  he actually turned around and came to check on me.  Some of them are human!  I was embarrassed that he had seen my spill.

The blood didn't bother me, when you make contact with pavement that's going to happen.  I was grateful I didn't hit my head in any way.  I kind of like my teeth where they are and my orbital unshattered.  Peeling back my shorts revealed that my bony hip had taken a beating.  It was bloody and fast turning black and blue.  Of course I'd have to fall on the hip that is already wonky! 

I stood up and walked around for a bit trying to determine if I was actually hurt or just scraped up.  The cyclist offered to "call my mom and dad."  The reality is, there is no one to call.  I've been hurt so much worse this year.  A little tumble and some bruising can't keep me down.  Every time life has thrown a curve ball at me (and several time bonked me right in the face!) I kept going.  No sense stopping now! I was 8 miles from home and might was well finish my run. So that's just what I did.

Bleeding like an ax murderer the entire way.  My hip and knee bothered me a little and I even, gasp, walked up a few hills.  But I finished.  I'm Texas Tough. 
Arriving home I set about the business of cleaning the debris from my wound.  Never a fun chore.  I might have spewed forth a few unladylike terms.  Knowing two things, that I was out of date on my tetanus shot and that I had plans to swim at the lake in the morning, I set out to find an urgent care facility that could give me a tetanus vaccine. 
I really know how to spend a wild Saturday night y'all! 
 

I totally look like death warmed over.  I headed straight to Care Now before they closed.  No make up, no dinner and after running 20 mile I was beyond starving.  Just keeping it real folks.
They asked about my pain, examined my arm and hip. I turned down both xrays and pain medication. Pain medication, really?  I told them my pain was a 1 on a scale of 10.  Or a "Hurts a little" on the Wong-Baker scale.

I got my shot and the nurse cleaned and dressed my wound. The doctor looked at me like I was crazy when I asked if swimming in the lake was the worst idea ever.  So no lake swimming until this heals completely.  Although I'm okay for the pool once it closes over.  When I asked about my bike ride for today, she wanted to know for how long.  I replied around 3 hours and she said fine to that but I think both she and the nurse thought I was a little insane.  I must say, saying these things out loud to non athletes, it does sound kind of weird.  "So yeah, I was out running and I fell."  "How far?"  "20 miles." "And you didn't stop after you fell?"  "No, I had to get my 20 miles in!"

I got a pretty pink dressing and was instructed to keep it covered for a few days.  Once she cleaned it up, it actually looked a lot worse then when I initially fell.  I took a pretty big hunk out of my hand.  Oh well, just glad it was only my hand and nothing was broken.  Alls well that ends well!
Until.  Until about an hour later.  You know those sheets they send home with an Rx or a shot?  The one detailing all the possible side effects? Well, yeah.  I had a bad reaction to the vaccine.  I ran fever, had a horrible headache an was nauseated all night long.  It was a long night.  I'm feeling weak and miserable today. All from a shot! 
So I'm missing my ride with Velo  because I can barely  make it around the house.  (never did get a chance to refuel after my 20 miler) I knew I'd get dropped with that group as it was - I'm certainly in no shape today to try to keep up!  I'm a little sad about missing my swim too.  But, it is what it is. 
Here I've been so worried about falling on my bike and I take a big tumble just running.  Klutzy girl.  Now I'm really concerned about falling on my bike.  At least I won't have to worry about a tetanus shot when it happens!
In a little while I'll put myself together and head out in search of some food.  Gotta get my nutrition in if I'm going to remain Texas  Tough!

Have you ever fallen while running? 

Your First 20 Miler - How to Not Die

Catchy title, huh?

The Twitterverse, specifically concentrated in the NW Arkansas area, was, ahem, a twitter concerning an upcoming 20 miler. The first. 

Been there.

I remember my first 20 miler. Bahama Mama, the one I tricked into encouraged to run NYC with me crossed that threshold the same day.  My first marathon training plan called for something like five 20 + mile runs.  It's no wonder I ended up injured and only able to run one of those.  Everyone has their own opinion but I'm with Hal, there is no reason to run more than one 20 miler for your first marathon.  Remember, your goal is to cross that finish line with a smile on your face.  20 can be rough on a runner, both physically and mentally.  No need to visit that mileage multiples times.

20 miles.  It's far.  Heck, it starts with a TWO and ends in an enty! I totally get it. But there is no reason to freak out.  You've got this. 



TPG's Tips on Surviving Your 1st 20 Miler

1. Hydrate like it's your job.  Y'all have all heard me say this before. The time to start hydrating for a long run is days before.  You should have a water bottle in your paw at all times.  Bottoms up!
2. Run with a friend.  Even if they aren't training for a marathon too, try to get a few friends to split up with miles with you.  I often bribe ask my friends to meet me at different times during the morning to break up the run.  Someone will meet me early for 5 miles, another for 10 and so on.  I may make a lot of loops, but it feels less overwhelming that way.  Plus, I get to see even more of my cru!
3. Have a plan.  Don't just head out running.  Have a route mapped out, preferably one that is familiar.  This isn't the time to add in a lot of hills or unfamiliar busy streets to negotiate.  I used to write down my routes, turn by turn so that I wouldn't get lost.  Make two 10 mile loops if you need to do so.
4. Don't change a thing.  This is not the time to try new shoes, clothes or nutrition.  If you normally have pizza the night before a long run, do that.  If you usually have a bagel for breakfast, do that too.  Training is all about finding what works but let's keep the tinkering to shorter runs.  You won't want any surprises at mile 18.
5. Make sure someone knows where you are.  Once upon a time, I might actually be missed if I didn't show back up at home.  So I'd leave a copy of my route, with my estimated time to return.  Ex: Mile 10 7:30 ish, mile 15 8:30 and so on.  Even if you are with friends, it's a good idea for someone to know where you are headed.
6. Watch your pace. This is not the time to push your pace.  Keep it slow.  You are building endurance, not speed.  Walk if you need to.  It's all about time on your feet for your first 20. 
7. Trust your training. This is a BIG DEAL!  You are running TWENTY MILES. In a ROW!  Nothing says marathon training like a 20 mile run.  You've trained hard and your lungs and your legs know what to do. They are totally prepared for this.  You can do this.  So much of running your first marathon is mental.  Don't let the mileage overwhelm you.  Trust your training.  Can of corn baby, can of corn.
8. Recover.  Okay, you just put your body though a lot. Some people take ice baths.  Me, I'm meh about them.  I've done them, I've not done them. Foam roll.  Stretch.  Wear your compression socks.  Just try not to take a nap.  'Cause if you do, you're not going to be able to climb out of bed. Something akin to rigor mortis sets in. Trust me on this.  Go to be early, but resist the urge to take a nap!  
9. Tell people.  Once you're done, share the news of your survival!  Post it on Facebook and Daily Mile.  Shout from the rooftops, "I ran 20 miles today!  In a ROW!"  It's a big accomplishment and your friends, runners and non-runners alike, will be excited for you!  Even the most seasoned athletes, even ultrarunner extraordinaire Scott Jurek, (with whom I'm a little bit in love) surely remembers his first 20 miler.  Mad props to you for doing it!
10. Celebrate!  Pat yourself on the back!  We all know that I have a Nike Tempo addiction.  I went out that afternoon and bought a new pair to commemorate the occasion.  Get some new socks, a new pair of kicks leading up to the race, something.  You just rocked 20 miles!!! 

Now go RUN! 

(and then blog about it!)
 

Randomness from Pinterest

Tempo run tonight.
It went very well except for my pace.  Gotta get control of my pace.  I was about 45 seconds per mile under where I should have been.  Gah.  I guess there are much worse problems to have, right?!?!
So Pinterest is still a HUGE time suck for me.  It's basically like the Internet is new all over again.  Sad commentary on my life these days.
But it keeps me amused.  Maybe it will make you smile too!

This week was just silliness.  Next week I'll go back to inspiring.  Are you pinning?  Let's be Pin Friends!