Marathon Training Begins!

I realize that it has been quite sometime since my last post.  I’ve been dealing with a lot in my personal life – most notably, the passing of my grandmother.  She was a wonderful, strong woman who taught me a lot about life.  We were very close, and I will miss her dearly.  Through everything, running has done a lot to help keep me grounded.  Sometimes it feels like running is the only thing that is going right in my life.  A good run goes a long way to help me deal with a bad day.

My birthday is on Saturday, and I will be spending it with my husband and my parents in Orange Beach.  I am looking forward to the vacation, even though there are currently sharks swarming that very beach!  Saturday will mark the first day of the last year of my twenties.  It’s a weird feeling to enter a new decade.  My wonderful friends threw a party for me yesterday, and it was a blast!  They set up a day at the pool followed by a crawfish boil/cookout.  And they got my favorite DQ ice cream cake.  I am one lucky girl to have such amazing people in my life who care about me!!

As I have previously discussed, I am planning to wrap up my twenties by running a full marathon before I turn 30.  I met with a coach last week, and my program starts today!  My first “goal race” will be the Talladega Half Marathon on September 14, 2014.  This will hopefully serve as a measuring stick to continue my training for the full in January.  (Presently, that goal race will be the Rock-N-Roll Marathon in New Orleans on January 25, 2015.)  I am going to try to be more diligent about posting here as I work through my training program.  Hopefully, my experiences will be both entertaining and informative for you.

I am going to run this evening.  My plan for today is an easy two-mile run followed by 2 x 20 second strides.  Coach Alex, who started Resolute Running, explained that my primary focus will be on conditioning my body for endurance – teaching it to burn fat for consistent energy over long periods of time.  Once I have developed the endurance, speed will come easy he says.  To do this, my pace for the first month’s runs will be much slower than I typically run.  This week, every run will be at a 10:17 pace.  Coach Kelly will be my personal coach, and I am excited to see what all she has in store for me.  If I put my trust in them and work through the program as designed, they have assured me that I will reach my goals.  So here we go…

A-Day, Easter, Law Day & Crazy Weather

I had a great time Easter weekend.  On Saturday, my friend, Stephanie, and I went to the Alabama spring football game, affectionately known as "A-Day."  We met up with my friend Holly and the great folks she was there with.  It was so much fun to be back to Tuscaloosa for a game day, especially one with such beautiful weather!

Me and Steph

Me and Holly

Hanging out at the Houndstooth

On Sunday, we meet my parents and nephew at church for service then went to Tannehill State Park for a picnic lunch with my husband's family before desserts at my grandmother's house back in Mt. Olive.  It was another beautiful day!  We were exhausted by the end of it, though.

Owen and I at Church

After such a busy weekend (full of eating), I had to buckle down on Monday.  I ran 5.2 miles downtown after work on Monday.  It was hot and tough, but it felt good to get some miles in.  The spring flowers are so pretty, and I was especially enjoying running under the dogwoods!

Tuesday, I new that I needed to get Tully some exercise.  So I picked him up after work, and we ran a 5K around the neighborhood.  It was another very warm afternoon, which I love, but Tully doesn't too much care for the heat.  I guess I wouldn't either if I wore a fur coat and couldn't sweat!  I think it's almost time for him to be relegated to only short runs near water.  We still had a great afternoon, though!

Wednesday and Friday consisted of a 5 miler and a 3.25 mile run respectively.  Friday, April 25th, was Law Day, and the Madison County Courthouse and most law firms closed early.  Holly and I went to the Law Day party that night and spent Saturday lying in the sun at Ditto Landing on the Tennessee River.  It was such a gorgeous day!  I learned from my last trip with Tully and took him some shade this time!

He was so happy!

Monday brought some pretty severe weather across the State of Alabama.  We were lucky enough not to get hit too hard in Huntsville, but friends and family in Birmingham and surrounding areas were not so lucky.  Tornadoes ripped through the area just north of my in-law's house.  Yesterday, I was able to get a 4 mile run in before the storms started, although a few raindrops threatened to start early.  

One thing that I've noticed since my half is how much that bout of bronchitis affected me.  It has been a struggle coming back from illness and a week off.  My breathing, endurance, and speed is not where it was just a few weeks ago!  I've got two 5Ks scheduled in May, though.  So I hope I can build back up and set a new PR!

Well, I guess that gets me up to date!  I've got to get on here more often!

Bridgestreet Half Marathon

So... Last week was tough.  My running streak came to an end after 85 days.  I was so disappointed.  I wanted so badly to make it to 100 days on Easter, but I was hit with a brutal case of bronchitis that culminated last Saturday (April 5).  This was one week before my scheduled Bridgestreet Half Marathon.  I had been training so hard for this race.  I wanted to beat my business partner's half time as well as set a new PR for myself.  Therefore, I made the decision to take a break and rest my lungs and body.

I had gone for a short one mile run that Saturday morning, and it was my last until a brisk run this past Saturday to test my recovery.  After 85 straight days, I went a solid week without running.  I was not happy.  (I guess that's why I haven't written in a while.)  On Saturday, I went for an easy 2 mile run just to see where I was before my race.  It wasn't great, and my lungs were still weak, but I felt like I could do it.

My parents came to Huntsville for the race, and I was super excited about this.  I was finally going to have someone to be there for me on race day!  (They were also there for the Gulf Coast Half, but we know what happened with that race.)  They came up Saturday afternoon, and we went out for a delicious dinner and a stroll around Big Spring Park.  Then we went back to my apartment for an early bedtime before a very early race.

My alarm went of at 4:00 am, and I quietly drug myself out of bed to start eating breakfast and hydrating.  We left the house at 6:00 am and headed to Bridgestreet.  It was packed, and everyone was excited for this inaugural event!  The weather was perfect - sunny and beautiful!  There was a slight nip in the air in the morning, but it warmed up significantly during the race!

My goal was to stay ahead of the 2 hr. 15 min. pace group and fall in line with them if I had to.  My partner's half time was 2:19, and I wanted so badly to beat it.  I did great for the first four miles, staying well ahead of the group, but mile 5 killed me.  I started losing momentum quickly.  I had forgotten to use my inhaler before the race, and I was suffering.  I had a "rattle" in my chest - fluid in my lungs that vibrated every time I inhaled and exhaled.  I texted my mother, and she brought me my inhaler around mile 7.5.  After a couple of puffs, my rattle started to subside, but I just could not recover.  I was so angry with myself as I had to keep taking walk breaks to catch my breath.  I was still doing okay on time for a while, but the last 3-4 miles were brutal.  I watched as the time ticked by, and I realized that I was not going to beat my partners time.  I was furious with myself and cussing myself for being so weak.  I won't lie - I wanted to cry.

But the course was beautiful, and the participants were so happy, and my family was there.  I had posted to Facebook just before the race started, and several of my friends had been sending me wonderful, inspirational texts.  Then, two of my friends (a married couple with the wife 8 months pregnant) texted me to say that they were waiting for me just before the finish line.  I pulled together whatever I had left inside of me and forced myself to keep running.  Sure enough, they were there, shouting and cheering me on. It was wonderful!  I ran through the finish just in time to beat my previous half record (2:31.09) by about three minutes for a final time of 2:27.54.  It was bittersweet because I know I could have done better.  I have been running so much faster.  But sometimes life throws you curve balls of bronchitis, and you just have to accept it.  However, having my family and friends waiting for me at the finish line, so proud and supportive, was a feeling that could not be beaten!  Here are a few pics...

A not-so-great pic during the race.

My Parents and me after the finish.

My friends, Tracy and Scott, with me after the finish.

Bib and Finisher's Medal

Running is a funny thing.  Especially in a long race like this, I go through so many emotions.  Frustration and disappointment are not uncommon.  And a long push like this is usually followed by a fair amount of pain (Sunday night and Monday were rather sore).  So people often ask me why I do it.  It's simple really - because I can.  Because when it's all said and done after I cross that finish line, I experience the most amazing sense of accomplishment.  I just ran 13.1 miles!!  And all of the frustration and disappointment immediately turn into determination.  Within an hour, all I could think about was when the next half would be so that I can really kill this time!

I snapped a picture of this lady running in front of me for a bit.  Her shirt says it all...

"Today I Will Do What Others Won't So Tomorrow I Can Do What Others Can't."

I couldn't have said it better myself!

After a quick shower at home, my parents and I packed a picnic and went to Ditto Landing on the Tennessee River for lunch.  Tully and I had spent the afternoon there the day before, and it was beautiful.  We had a great time.  

Here's a pic of Tully from Saturday.

And Mom and Tully on Sunday.

It was so wonderful to have my parents visit.  I think I may have mentioned that I have the greatest family ever!  A big thank you to Mom and Dad for making the trip to support me and to all of my friends for your motivation as well.  It means so much to me!

I hope everyone has a great week and a Happy Easter!

The Half That Didn't Happen

I was originally super excited to right this post. But things didn't turn out quite the way I had hoped.

Let me start from the beginning... My last post was our first morning in Orange Beach. That day only got better. The wind started to subside by lunch time. I took Tully for a 2 mile run and ended up quite hot since it was so chilly when I started. After our run, Mom and Dad and Me and Tully all walked to Cosmo's for a late lunch. It was perfect! 

The weather was just right to sit on the patio. We had Red Beans and Rice Balls for an appetizer. They were coated and fried and served with a smoked Gouda sauce. And they were as delicious as they sound! Mom had the shrimp étouffée - she was feeling the spirit of Mardis Gras. Daddy had the diver scallop special, grilled. And I had the catfish. Yes. I said catfish. But it had some sort of andouille sausage coating and a creamy sauce on top. Trust me, it wasn't your standard catfish. Tully had is own bowl of water (and maybe a few bites that fell from the table). He was so well behaved that people asked if he was a service dog. That's my boy!

After stuffing ourselves at lunch, we had a lazy afternoon. We hung around the condo and watched the first Bond movie that evening. Confession: it's the first one I've ever seen. 

Saturday was a little busier. After breakfast, Tully and I went for a 2 1/2 mile run. This time we ran to the Backcountry Trail in the State Park. It was a beautiful day, and the trail was loaded with snowbirds. One particular older gentleman told me that he remembered me and my dog from last year. I must be pretty memorable! Or maybe it's Tully?

After our run and a little cleaning up, we all (minus Tully this time) loaded up with some condo neighbors and went to the Seafood Festival. It was a neat festival with lots of arts and crafts, food, and an antique car show. We had a great time. 

When we got back to the condo, I took Tully for a walk down to our little beach on the bay. He loves the sights and smells and sounds of the beach. 

The clouds were starting to roll in, but I wasn't concerned just yet. I love the way they decorate the sky. 

That night we went to the Gulf Shores United Methodist Church, where our friends attend, to a "Stained Glass Blue Grass" music concert. I was easily the youngest person there by 20 years, aside from a few that were certainly family members of the bands. The music was great though, and the bands were very entertaining. After the concert, we came home for an early bedtime. 

Which brings me to today... The weather for my race has been a concern all week and apparently with good reason.  A little after midnight, the storms set in. Loud thunder and lightening woke Tully and I all night. When my alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. the weather was awful. I saw an email that the race coordinators sent the night before stating that the race would go on at 7:00 a.m. until further update. Officially: "We run with rain but not with lightning." So I got up and began my race preparations. 

The storms had not let up at all when we arrived at LuLu's a little after 6:00. The worker at the front informed me that the Half Marathon had been officially canceled. They couldn't find any break in the weather long enough for the race. She told me that they were still looking to see if they could maybe have a 5K, 10K or some kind of shorter fun run. I could pick up my finisher medal and get a cup of coffee. About 30 minutes later the announcement was made that they could not find any break in the storms in which to safely allow any run. 

I was/am very disappointed. I have been planning for and looking forward to this race for almost a year. This was going to be my first half before I decided to run the Hunstville in November. And I finally had people to cheer for me! Ugh. Nothing could be done. I had spent enough money on all of it, though, that I told my parents that we were definitely going to stay for the post-race party, which was now the whole event, and eat and drink my money's worth. I'm not sure that we actually achieved that goal, but we did eat and drink and try to overcome the disappointment.

I'm really don't feel I deserve the medal. 

The race directors made the right call from a safety standpoint, but I still would've liked a refund. Oh well, you win some...

We got back to the condo a little after 9:00, and after much debate, decided to stick around for the day as planned and drive home tomorrow. (There was concern about our lack of sleep from our early morning.) We sat inside and watched the rain. I grew increasingly disappointed and frustrated at my lack of running. Not to mention that this was supposed to be the grand finale for my streak, and now I'm sedentary? I couldn't take it. 

At the first break in the rain, I was out the door. I ran a soggy 5 miles with soaking wet feet. It helped, but I'm feeling anxious  over my minimal miles the last couple of weeks. I'm ready to get back to it! At least I have another half scheduled for April. I guess that will have to be soon enough. 

Oh yeah, I wanted to use this race to help me make the decision about training for a full. Now I'm still stuck. I want it so bad, but it's so scary. Maybe that's all the more reason to do it!

To wrap up our day, we walked to dinner at Doc's, a local favorite of ours. They do have "the best fried shrimp in the entire civilized world!" And everyone needs a fried seafood platter when the don't run 13 miles, right?

Now it's time to settle in and get a good night's sleep before the drive home tomorrow. Leaving the beach is always sad in my book. But we like to leave our mark in the sand, and we always take some with us - just check out the back of my car!

Finally at the Beach...

It's been a busy week leading up to the beach. First, I'm sick. Of course I am, right? It's a sinus infection I think, probably a result of this crazy weather. I'm not messing around, though. I'm taking antibiotics and trying to knock it out as quickly as possible. Fingers crossed and prayers please. 

I have managed to keep my streak alive. Tuesday after work, I slogged out a slow 5 miles. Right at about mile 2, a cramp set it. A knot just above my right Achilles. Ouch! I stopped and stretched it out for a minute and mashed on it like my physical therapist does. By the time I reached the 3 mile mark, it had subsided for the most part. So I finished out 5. 

Wednesday morning, Tully and I went for a muddy 2.5 mile trail run before physical therapy. I had plans with Holly after work to go to the Food Truck and Craft Beer Rally in Huntsville. So we hit the trail early, and it was not quite dry from the rain the night before. Between the technical "rock gardens" and the slick flats, it was a slow one. I almost busted it a few times. But it was a beautiful start to the day. (This bridge is extremely slippery when wet.)

Thursday morning, Tully and I ran a quick mile before my last PT appointment for the week. Work became much busier than expected, but I finally started my journey south around 2. After a few errands in Gardendale, I picked up Mom, and we were off. We finally arrived at the condo around 11:00 p.m. (Daddy has been here all week.) The storms set in right after midnight, and we slept to loud thunder, lightening, and heavy rains all night. 

We woke up to a beautiful sunny sky, though. However, the wind is brutal and cold. And the water in the bay is extremely choppy. Hopefully, as the day goes on, the air will warm up for a beautiful weekend. But either way, life is always better at the beach!

Good morning from Orange Beach, Alabama!

Weekend Recap - It's a Girl!

I realize I'm a little late on this post, but it was a very busy and exhausting weekend.

Friday morning started with a very early two mile run before going to physical therapy at 8:00 a.m. and then straight to work.  I finally left work a little after 5:00 p.m., ran a few errands, packed some clothes and picked up Tully, then headed to Gardendale.  When I finally arrived home around 8:30, my friend came over to relax and hang out for an uneventful Valentine's evening.  That was all about to change, though.

I checked my phone around 9:45 and saw the text message that my cousin, Maddie, was in labor.  Yay!  I cleaned up our dinner and said goodbye to my friend and left for the hospital.  When I found my family at about 11:30, I was just in time to be sent home.  They had just broken her water and weren't expecting a baby until 3-4:00 a.m. at the earliest, and then there would be a two hour bonding period for the parents.  So, we all headed home for a few hours of sleep.  After a restless few hours in bed, I received my next text at 5:03 a.m.  It was simple:

I was up!  I left my house, grabbed a large latte from the 24 hour McDonald's outside of St.Vincent's and was back in labor and delivery in an hour.  

She was is perfect!  Weighing in at a tiny 6 lb. 6 oz., she was a light weight by Weber standards.  And with a head full of dark hair and blue eyes, she is absolutely adorable!  And such a content little thing (at least that morning).  I was so honored to be one of the first people to meet this blessing.  I introduce you to Annalee Elizabeth Lott!

Isn't she beautiful?  Needless to say, she had a couple of exhausted parents, so we all left the hospital around 8:00 a.m. to let them try to get a little sleep.

 I had a day full of plans with girlfriends, though, and no time to waste.  I went straight to the park for a 3 mile run.  Then I went home to get ready for my friend to pick me up at 11:00.  We met our other girlfriends at the outlet mall for lunch and an afternoon of shopping, then on to a party full of games (our husbands were invited to his part only).  The Dance Dance Revolution at 11:00 p.m. was a hysterical end to a very long day.

I planned to get up Sunday morning and go watch some of the Mercedes Marathon/Half in Birmingham.  But the weekend just filled up too much.  However,  I did make sure to keep up with all of my friends running in it, and they did great.  When my husband and I met friends for lunch and a movie the next day, I was rather jealous of all of the runners I saw in their race shirts.  But I am going to "trust the taper," so I kept reminding myself that the Gulf Coast Half was in one week.

Whew!  By the time I finally made it back to Huntsville Sunday evening, I was beat!  I hammered out a 10 minute mile just to keep my streak alive, then collapsed on the couch to finally watch some House of Cards.  I told myself that I would use the first three days of this week to get some good runs in before I rested at the beach (we leave on Thursday!).  

It was raining and very dark when I finally left work yesterday, so I hit the treadmill.  As a tradeoff for not taking to the street, I pushed myself on the 'mill.  A 5K in 29:33 isn't too shabby.  Is it possible that I might have finally reached the point of continuous sub-30 5Ks?  

5 days until the Gulf Coast Half!  And I am so stoked to trade in snow for sand!!

A Sunday with Family

Today was a recovery run. I was planning for a pretty short run anyway after my 10 miler yesterday. But that run wore on me a little more than I thought. My right knee is hurting today for whatever reason. So Tully and I headed to the park to limp out 3 miles and try to work out some kinks. The run did loosen up some stiffness from yesterday, but my knee is still killing me. Nevertheless, we managed to pump out 3 miles in 31 minutes, so not quite as bad as I thought. 

After my run, I was finally able to catch one my nephew's basketball games. He played great and shot a perfect 3-pointer! Owen is the first nephew I was blessed with, and it's so hard to believe he is 12 years old now. I love this kid!!

Now, I'm off to my grandmother's house to spend some time with my wonderful family. (Disclaimer: You will probably tire of hearing about how great my family is, but they really are the best.) And I happen to know there is a delicious apple cake waiting for me there! After that, we are joining my husband's family at Joe's Crab Shack to celebrate his birthday. Not a bad Sunday.