i am, in fact, still alive

i told myself that i wouldn't let an entire month go by without blogging anything, so being the procrastinator that i am...i'm cutting it close and finally blogging before the month ends.

i'd apologize for being a bad blogger, but the truth is, i'm not sorry. i've been busy and blogging wasn't ranking too high on my 'must-do' list.

and since i don't have much time today, i'm just here to give a quick rundown of my last month.

runningwise, i've been doing mostly 6 or 8 milers two or three times a week, sprinkle in a 3 or 4 miler and maybe a 10 if i feel like it. i've either been out of town, or working on saturday mornings, so i really miss seeing my Saturday morning running buddies :(

and just as i was thinking about training for the SeaFair marathon in Seattle (instead of the half marathon), my running took a sidenote when i got really sick for a couple of days. the sick where every single muscle fiber in your entire body hurts, and you can't eat, can't sleep, can't do anything except lay on the floor and cry. it was absolutely awful. i've had back problems since a high school car accident, and the vertebrae i injured is linked to the stomach, which is linked to my head, which is linked to my muscles. and basically, all of those shut down.

but i'm better now (i think).

i took a trip to Seattle for some fun with the Todd, and it makes me really excited to move out there.


packing up my stuff and getting ready to move is exhausting. and i went home to my parents farm for Memorial Day and was able to see some of my cousins i hadn't seen since my grandma's funeral last year. and lately i've been working so much that i feel like i live at Starbucks. and i've been getting ready for my friend's wedding this weekend, finishing up designing the wedding programs, etc. (and making sure i fit into my bridesmaid's dress).

other than all that...not much is going on :)

one last thing: Happy Running to everyone running Rock n Roll San Diego this weekend!!!!! can't believe that was a year ago when i suffered through that :) i do wish i were doing it again this year, though.

Oklahoma, you're OK!

Actually, better than just OK. The weekend in Oklahoma City far exceeded my expectations. It was GREAT.

Going in to the half marathon, my only goal was to finish under 2:00. I wore my GPS, but didn't even look at it once during the race. The primary concern was to just have fun and enjoy all that Oklahoma City had to offer us. We ran at a comfortable pace, singing songs, dancing (as much as you can while running) along with the music and just having a grand old time.

Finish time-- 1:57:24

I was certainly glad i did the half, because shortly after we finished, the temperature skyrocketed, leaving us concerned for our friends out on the marathon course dealing with the heat. But they all did great, and there's nothing quite like being rewarded for running a marathon than with a fresh-from-the-grill Carl's Jr Cheeseburger. mmmmmm.



And the main reason I enjoyed the weekend....running in remembrance of the 168 victims of the Oklahoma City bombing.

Before the race, the running crowd of 15,000 reflected during 168 seconds of silence. And we started off running past the Memorial. It was extra motivating during the run to see the 168 banners that lined the course, displaying the names of the innocent lives lost and seeing all the 'In Honor Of' signs on runners during the race.

Afterwards, we took some time to visit the Memorial and pay respect to the 168 victims. I'm really glad that I was able to finally visit the Memorial and get a better sense of Oklahoma's spirit of survival.



I admit, i've never been a fan of anyone who calls themself a Sooner (bad past experience at a KSU/OU football game).

My opinion has been completely changed.

The city was welcoming and had a clean, vibrant downtown area. There was also a Festival of the Arts going on Saturday evening that we went to. The supporters all along the race course were amazing and i've already deemed this as my favorite half marathon. I'd love to return in the future, maybe even run the full marathon.

Thanks OKC, you were great.

just me and the boys

it's that time again.

half marathon time.

only this is probably the least prepared i've ever been for a half. i've ran 8 milers on the weekends and mostly 4 and 6 milers during the week, but i haven't ran anything over 8 since the Olathe Half a month ago.

oh, i have no doubt that i'll finish....but if i finish under 2:00 i'll be happy. my endurance is not up to its par and i've convinced myself i'm out there more to enjoy Oklahoma City than to try and run a PR.

other than some slight apprehension, it should be an excellent weekend. just me and the boys.

have i mentioned that i'll be traveling in a van with 5 guys? and sharing a hotel room with josh? yeah, well i am. and i'm pretty excited about it.

as long as they all shower afterwards.

me and a van full of smelly guys is not my idea of a good time.

this day

this day...April 19...i'm not a fan of it at all. and i feel that more so than any other day of the year it always brings up a mixture of emotions for me.

most notable to many people is that 12 years ago the Oklahoma City bombings occurred and i can remember where i was, what i was doing, and how incomprehensible it was. i was in 7th grade social studies class when we were told about the bombing and watched in disbelief as the events of the day unfolded.

this is one of the main reasons why i really wanted to take part in the Oklahoma City Memorial (Half) Marathon next weekend. and in some small way, it's a chance for me to honor the victims and their families.

but this day...April 19...cemented itself as one of the worst days of my life when i was a senior in high school. i don't talk about it much, many of my close friends don't even know this part of my life. but every year it's an unavoidable sorrow that hangs over my head. and with the recent events at Virginia Tech and all of the bomb threats around this area lately, i can't help but weep.

my senior class was exactly one month away from graduation, we had just had our senior prom 'Heaven Awaits', and our close knit group of 88 students were loving life and looking forward to that last month before we all said our goodbyes and headed off on our separate ways.

but this day...April 19, 1999... this day would forever change us.

every year, the senior class would help participate in the city-wide cleanup. as part of our community service, we would assist the city workers in picking up unwanted large items that people put out on their curbs. it was a day to be excused from classes, get out and enjoy the weather, and goof off as we drove around town looking for garbage.

this day....it's still as vivid as the day it happened.....a group of about 8 of my friends had split into two trucks as we drove around and we were headed back to the dropoff spot to unload. we had to find spots to sit amongst the trash in the truck beds and i was in the lead truck, facing backwards, waving to the girls in the truck behind us.

we were driving down Main Street, they were sitting in their truck bed also, atop mattresses, chairs, boxes....Tara waved back and giggled.

and then the wind blew.

the gust caught the edge of the mattress she was sitting on. she was just a little girl and the wind flipped that mattress, knocking her off onto the pavement like a ragdoll. her boyfriend was sitting next to me, and we noticed that nobody in her truck had seen her fall, so we pointed and yelled that they wait for her to hop back on the truck.

but she didn't get up.

she never got up.

they life flighted her to Topeka, and we were sent back to school where we waited all afternoon to hear good news. it never came.

It didn't make sense. The truck was only going 20 mph, she only fell 4 feet. she was doing community service...one month from graduation...she was headed to college to be a teacher just like her mom.

Tara never woke up. She died that afternoon and our lives were forever changed.

There is a picture of Tara at prom, beaming from ear to ear, standing under the words 'Heaven Awaits'...and it makes me smile.

this day. April 19. it's a day of remembrance.

new toys

i like to prove myself wrong....
the thought of running in the snow on saturday morning actually exhilarated me, so on friday night i set my alarm for 6 am on saturday morning and made the sleety early morning drive out to Independence.

and i'm glad i did. we ran on a crushed gravel trail and there was some puddle hopping required. but after a while, it was pretty pointless to try and avoid them so i just splashed my way through the 8 miles. the rain/sleet dissipated after the first couple miles, and it turned out to be a nice, peaceful early morning jog.

plus, i got myself some new running stuff with our TNT alumni discount: Nike Tempo track shorts, Asics Hera running gloves, and some mmmm....Espresso Love Gu.


and finally spring has returned to its rightful owner!!

yesterday the temps were back in the 60s, so my roommate and i went on a bike ride. we stopped by Bike America on the way to the trail and i bought myself a Giro Transfer bike helmet so i wouldn't have to keep borrowing hers.


i don't have to work today so i'm heading out to enjoy the sweet, sweet sunshiney day. first to the gym, then out for another bike ride and run this afternoon.

April's a Fool

Oh, that April....she's such a jokester.

The forecast for tomorrow morning:


This weather has just been hampering my running style. Since the Olathe Half almost two weeks ago, i've logged a total of 7 running miles. I took last week off from running and made myself run 3 & 4 miles on the treadmill this week.

April needs to get her act together and warm up. I have another half marathon in 15 days and need to get some longer runs in. The snow tomorrow morning will probably keep me from doing the 7 am run, especially since it's scheduled on a trail 30 minutes away. I'll have to motivate myself to get my running in by myself.

And I finally registered for the Oklahoma City Half this morning, so i can't back out now. Gotta deal with this wintery weather and get my butt running. I can handle another treadmill run for today...off to the gym i go!

Greener pastures

A pleasant surprise after the half marathon

1st place in my age group!! I definitely wasn't expecting that, but my confidence sure is boosted because of it.

So today is my last day here at GlynnDevins Marketing. I'm a wee bit sad to leave some of my co-workers who've become my close friends over the past two years. But the joy of leaving this job that I have disliked for so long FAR outweighs any sadness. And I'm excited to just work at Starbucks and hang out with family and friends during this intermittent time before I move to Seattle.

It's definitely overdue that I leave here, I feel like I lost a lot of my intelligence and ambition while I worked here. Although, I do have to note that this is the place I met Josh, who has played a most integral role in my running life. So for that, I am happy. But lately, everytime I sit down at my desk, my head starts pounding, my eyes get spotty, and I get dizzy. This place is making me sick.

Time to move on to greener pastures.

Is it happy hour time yet?!!

low expectations

My quest for sleep is still ongoing....

Todd was scheduled to fly in to town on Thursday evening, but due to delayed flights in Seattle, de-icing in Denver, and a diversion to Omaha, he finally arrived early Friday morning around 2 a.m. Combine that with a 5:30 alarm this morning for the half marathon, and an early rise tomorrow to get him to the airport for an 8 a.m. flight, i am not getting caught up on my beauty sleep.

Since last night was a pre-race meal, I had to be careful about where we went out to eat. Not being a huge fan of pasta, I suggested that we get somewhere for sushi. We went to Kyoto japanese steakhouse and i ordered chicken teriyaki with assorted sushi. Protein, veggies, rice....that's a solid combination for raceday nutrition. Unless....the assorted sushi ends up being assorted sashimi (the raw fish on rice) instead of the rolls like i was expecting.

Oh well, its fish and rice, that's still good stuff...so i ate it. And then i felt tummyachey afterwards.

Yet another reason my sleep was not too pleasant.

But by the time we got to the start, i was feeling good. The forecast called for 60% chance of rain, and it was a bit chilly waiting for the gun, but once the race began, i was glad i opted to wear shorts and a sleeveless top. Stupid Kansas mugginess. And stupid Kansas wind (at least it was at our backs for the last 4 miles).

The course was actually decent, hardly any hills and the hills that were present were just tiny ones.
The things I didn't like about the race were:
1. Running the 5K, 15K, and half marathoners all together. At the beginning, this messed with my pace b/c being mixed in with runners who are all going different distances, my competitive nature took over so i was running a faster pace to keep up. I told myself to slow down after the first half mile, b/c i still had over 12 miles to go, not 2 miles.
2. The out-and-back part around the Great Mall of the Great Plains was windy and long. Thankfully, i had Todd and my brother out there cheering for me and the way that part of the course was set up, I got to run by them 3 times. And i also got to see my pal Courtney as we were crossing paths on the loop, she's always a bundle of cheer and super supportive.
3. The finish was uphill. No other explanation needed.

But overall, i liked this half marathon quite a bit, it definitely helped that i had a great support staff out there cheering me on. (THANK YOU guys)

i went into the race just aiming for a sub-2 hour, not feeling quite as ready as I have been for my prior half marathons. And oh what a pleasant surprise when i got myself a little thing we like to call....a PR! see what happens when you have low expectations?

1:47:52 (at 13.1 miles on my Garmin). the finish line registered at 13.4 miles and i haven't seen the official time posted yet, but it will still be a PR regardless.

woe is me.

sleep is definitely NOT overrated.

i can get by with 5 or 6 hours of sleep. i cannot get by with 3 hours of sleep. especially if i have to run the next morning.

such was the case this past friday night. i worked at Starbucks until midnight, then I went home to find a party at my house with loud people, loud music, and no chance at all of getting any good sleep. i knew of this party happening beforehand, so it wasn't just a random surprise, but combine that with being woke up a couple hours later by the bar-goers, it just once more reinforced my desire to live by myself. roommate-free.

i am a person who needs space.
i need quiet time.
i need my sleep. even if it's only the average 6 hours i get on a regular weekday.

i managed to drag myself out of bed at 5:15, planning on running 10 miles. i was struggling to run 8. it was a very non-energetic, non-pleasant run, and very humid.

i guess it was fine i only ran 8 though, since the Olathe half marathon is this saturday, so i was actually on schedule for 'tapering'. but still.....sleeeeeeeeep. good sleep would've been nice.

the weather has been so nice (despite the humidity and gusty winds) so yesterday i decided to dust off my bike and take it for a spring spin. i rode 4 miles from my house, where i hopped on the Indian/Tomahawk Creek trails and biked on them for 15 miles before riding the 4 miles back home.

23 miles total. and a very sore bum today.

here's some pics i took during my ride.
me and my awesome helmet head and a springy creekside pic of my $15 bike:

Catching Up

i'm so far behind on my blogging...let me do a quick summary....

I was on a running rampage last week. I enjoyed my 12 miler on sunday so much that i did 6 miles tuesday and 8 thursday on that same route.

In other news, last week i was offered a job at Starbucks. My friends say they've never heard someone so excited to quit their full-time job and get a part-time one. Clearly a sign that I hated my job. Actually, hate (present tense) my job since i'm still working there for 3 more weeks.

Saturday morning was a scheduled 14 miler starting at 7 am, but i had to be to a Starbucks Experience workshop at 9 so i started my run at 6 instead. The time crunch made me run faster than i wanted and i was only able to run 12 in order to go home, shower, and make it to the workshop on time. Despite spending 5 hours inside on a lovely saturday, the Starbucks class was pretty fun.

but the best part of saturday was another get-together at Paul & Brita's with Team in Training friends. When Brita was going through chemo, her friends brought her some wigs...some CRAZY looking wigs. perfect for Guitar Hero and Karaoke. This is Courtney and I rockin' the wigs and playing Sweet Child O' Mine. I don't want to brag, but i looked pretty hot with a mullet.



and another of us just looking, um......'special'.

All By Myself

i missed the team run on saturday morning because i was still in Mississippi. And since i had the Olathe Half Marathon coming up in 4 weeks, i knew i needed to get my mileage in. It was supposed to be an 'easy' day of just 6 miles, so i wasn't too dreadful of having to run by myself.

i decided to take advantage of the nice warm(er) spring weather on sunday afternoon and do my 6 miler. i ran my usual path down Mission Road to 71st St, but decided to mix it up a bit and run ALL THE WAY to Missouri. (ok, it's really not that impressive since i live less than a mile from the Kansas/Missouri border). But for no apparent reason, I always run on the Kansas side. Not today.

I was feeling good. I think I'll run 8 miles instead of six.

I ran down Ward Parkway and i kept going. and going. and going. Until suddenly i was at 51st Street on the edge of the Plaza and had no more sidewalk and too much traffic to run on the street. i turned around and headed back. I would've finished at 10 miles if i went straight home, but the weather was so nice and i didn't want to stop so i ran around the Mission Hills area a couple more miles.

12 miles. ALL BY MYSELF.

actually i think it was more like 12.5, but who's counting? (i am)

I'm totally good-to-go for the Olathe Half, and i ran 6 miles last night down the same route. It's a hillier route than i normally run, but i think i like it. Just as our high school cross country mantra said: Hills are our friends.

My trip to Mississippi was fabulous, hopefully i'll get around to writing a recap of that sometime soon.

I could get used to this

I'm on a new work schedule where i only work Mon-Thurs, and have fridays off. It's a pretty sweet deal. So friday morning I made my regular trip to the gym to lift weights, only this week I got to go at 10:30 am instead of 5:45 am. And since I didn't have anything else to do, I decided I might as well get on the treadmill and, hey why not, do my weekly treadmill test.

Experience has taught me that mid-morning is not my best time of the day to run, i'm usually more sluggish than early morning or evening. So i ran 2 miles instead of 3. And i nearly threw up.

2 miles....14:56. Definitely could not have gone another mile at that pace and still manage to hold my breakfast in.

I stopped at Starbucks on my way home and saw a sign for an open invitation for interviews to be a barista at a new store. It's not like i'm doing anything else today....I filled out an application and went in for an interview. They liked me so much (or so I tell myself) I had a second interview immediately following. We'll see what happens next, but i would be totally ecstatic to make capuccinos all day instead of doing what i do now. It might shake up my moving plans a little bit, but I'll worry about that when I need to.

Saturday morning started out rainy, rainy and even more rainy. Other than my hands being frozen the first 3 miles, it was a great morning to run. I ended up going 10 miles, so I guess i'm right on schedule for the Olathe half marathon in a month. I still need to register though. *making mental note*

I'm off work all this week because Wednesday I'm heading to Biloxi, Mississippi to help rebuild homes with my parents and people from their church. But for now, i'm heading to the gym to work my arms....good prep for banging a hammer.

Only a true friend....

...pays money to have you run with them.

I've never had anyone pay me to workout, but that's what happened on my dreadmill date with josh. apparently my 24Hr gym membership only allows me to go to my gym, so he was kind enough to take care of my $5 cover charge at his gym.

saturday morning....no way was i getting up to run in the morning when i heard the winds and temps were going to be downright ridiculous. so i slept in a little bit and went to the gym to hop back on the treadmill, where i ran into fellow TNTer Courtney. apparently only the true crazies were out running in the frosty morning.

i wasn't sure how far i was going to run. after all, the gym was busy and i can only make myself run on that revolving conveyor belt for so long. i ran six miles and stopped, because people were waiting in line. and then i walked around and hopped on the next one that opened up and ran another two. eight miles total.

but the true excitement of the weekend (other than me getting my taxes done ALL BY MYSELF--with a nice refund), was the TNT Mardi Gras pub crawl, put on by none other than kevin the rockstar. you can't go wrong with this equation:

school bus + jello shots & beer + good friends = FUN.

TNT family portrait: Courtney, Me, Kevin & Josh

Weekly Treadmill Challenge

In following with my post from last week about the treadmill time limit, last night i participated in my Weekly Treadmill Challenge:

2.6 miles in 20:00
3 miles 23:20

Ideally, i should be improving from week to week but that didn't happen. I blame that on the candy i ate during the day.

Stupid candy. Why must there be a bowl filled with sugary goodness staring at me from across the hall? My favorite is the bite-size Midnight Milky Way. mmmm...fluffy nougat and creamy caramel coated in decadent dark chocolate.

But its okay to eat those because dark chocolate has been proven to be healthy.

It's a scientific fact.
I read it in a book.

Tonight I have a dreadmill date with Josh. He's inviting me to his gym since their treadmills don't have time restraints. 5 miles. I hope he doesn't expect to race, because I'm going to have another Milky Way now.

i'm not bitter.

I don't like the so-called 'Valentines Day' for many reasons, but i won't go into details. I just think it's a ridiculous 'holiday'.

And no....it's not that i'm bitter or jealous. I have no need to be, i'm in a wonderful relationship. I've hated 'Valentine's Day' for many years. My friends and I started referring to it as 'Half February Day' in college because of its commercial ridiculousness. And we still send each other Happy HFD wishes.

I'm not Jewish, but I liken this day to how a Jew may feel about Christmas. Sure, all the hubbub and hoopla is around you, but you just treat it like any other day. So its just another Wednesday for me. I'll go to the gym....make dinner...and probably watch tv while i work on designing some wedding invitations for a friend.

So have a Happy Half February day, and in celebration maybe watch Half Baked, Half Nelson, Two and a Half Men...there are just so many choices. It's mindblowing.

sun run fun

 I've been told that it rains in Seattle.  But everytime i come here, i apparently scare it away.  Maybe, just maybe, i'll get lucky before i leave tomorrow and i'll be convinced of its rainy reputation. 

   Yesterday and today though, it's like the weather we don't usually get in Kansas until March or April.  And it makes for awesome running.  (unless you overdress b/c you're used to freezing temps)  Still, i went for a 4 mile run this morning in the sunshine and pine-scented Washington air. 

    We took the bus downtown yesterday to walk around the Capitol Hill area and scope out the neighborhood.  It ended up being about a 3 mile walk through the Montlake area with some gorgeous views and very hilly streets.  This is a view overlooking Lake Union towards Queen Anne hill. 

 Supersonics game tonight!

swift kicks.

there's a silly 20-minute treadmill rule at my gym right now. it's only between 4-8pm, but i still don't like it (mainly b/c nobody obeys it). i ran 5 on tuesday so i wasn't planning on running last night too, but i saw a treadmill open up, so i hopped right on it.

and like the bright pink paper noted, i only had 20 minutes, so i had to crank it up. it's like a challenge against myself to see how far, how fast i can go in 20 minutes.

and (shhh, don't tell) i ended up being 'that person' who disobeys the time restriction rule. but only by 3 minutes. not like the girl next to me who stayed on for 40 minutes (RUDE). but i just really wanted to hit 3 miles.

3 miles...22:30. i think i hit about 2.75 miles at the 20 minute mark.
i'm going to make this a weekly challenge for myself.

i also figured it was about time to get myself some new shoes since i bought my last ones back in September before the KC half marathon. These were highly recommended by josh and i got them for a great price online. Asics GT-2110.

so i took them out for a run tonight. i like them. and they're pretty. i just planned on a 3 miler, but ended up going 4 since i'm not quite sure if i'll run this weekend. i'll try to squeeze something in, but i'm going to Seattle, so i'll have to motivate myself instead of running with the TNT group. hopefully it'll be a smooth-sailing trip, unlike last time.

deep thoughts

Deep Thoughts, by Me.

I feel like an entirely different person compared to this time last year. I was just going through the motions of life like a normal 23-year old.
Limited Responsibilites....check. Partying with friends....check. Single and ready to mingle....check. Earning a *meager* salary...check.

But there was something missing. Several things missing, actually. Problem was, I didn't quite know what they were and I wasn't sure where to find them. But one thing I DID know, was that I felt like there had to be something more. Something to make me happy.

This past weekend marked the one year anniversary of a very special (I might even go so far to call it 'life changing') event. It was my first training run with Team in Training. It's hard to express how awesome of an experience the whole thing was, but if you've been a part of TNT, you already know. And, despite my marathon being the most physically, emotionally, and painfully challenging thing i've ever done, I still had an absolutely fantastic time.

It certainly helps having such a great bunch of people to run with and that's definitely one of the things I'll miss the most when I move to Seattle.

I'm sorry...what? Move?

Yeah, so i figure if i tell enough people that i'm planning on moving this spring, then there's no backing out of it. It's just another thing that i gotta do in my life. But when the right person comes along, you gotta do what you gotta do. I can't let this one slip away. And it's hard being in a long distance relationship. VERY hard. I probably enjoy flying more than the next person, but after awhile it is just too financially and emotionally draining to keep on doing this. I have so much more respect and admiration for those in the military who go months, even years without seeing each other.

More on this subject later, but for now i'm off to go run in the balmy 50 degree weather!! It'll be gone tomorrow so I might as well enjoy while i can.

not too shabby

An excellent weekend to recap...

For the first Saturday in a long time, i got to sleep in. And yes, 8:30a.m. is considered sleeping in for me. With my recent hamstring problems, and a 10K on sunday, I skipped out on the morning run and decided to test out the hamstring that afternoon. I was a bit apprehensive, since i hadn't ran since Tuesday and BRRRRRR...it was freezing and super windy outside. But my leg felt good, so i ended up going 5 miles to reassure myself i'd be fine for the 6 on sunday.

Saturday night couldn't have been more fun. Brita, my Team in Training honored patient for the San Diego marathon, and her husband Paul, invited me and several other teammates over to their house for sushi, karaoke, and some Playstation Guitar Hero.

With all of our karaoke, dancing and video game guitar skills, i think we could start our own band. A cover band of course, since none of us are songwriters, but i'm not gonna lie....we'd be a hot commodity for junior high dances and retirement community entertainment.

I love my teammates, and it's awesome that our passion for running and our desire to help others is what brought us all together in the first place. But from there, we've became great friends, and they're such a strong support system, almost like a second family.

I had to ditch out on the party a bit early, since i was set to run the Groundhog 10K the next morning. I picked Josh up around 8:15 and we headed to the caves. I had no idea what to expect, except that it's all underground in the storage tunnels and warmer than outside.

It's hard to describe to someone who's never been there, but it was a very interesting place to run in. I liked that it was warm, flat, and asphalt. I did not like that the air was musty, the scenery is limited to giant concrete pillars and flourescent lights, and it feels like you're running in circles. Basically, it looked like this for 6.2 miles:


I went into the race with a goal of 52:00, and walked away from my first 10K in 50:32. Not too shabby. AND...i placed 8th overall in my age division, which really makes me feel good about myself. Here I am with Josh and fellow TNT alum Randy, looking very similar to a stoplight:

i pulled my hammy

i thought really hard about when the last time i pulled a muscle was....and i couldn't remember. i think it's been that long. like maybe back in high school. and it's not like i ever stretch before i run. i just walk out my front door, or show up at the park, and go. and i seldom stretch after i run.

i've always secretly thought stretching was overrated, and since i never pulled anything, i never made it a point to stretch.

but i pulled my hamstring this morning.
and it hurt.

was i running? nope.
playing softball? nope.
doing some strenuous biking? nope.

i was at the gym.
doing bicep curls.
and i pulled my hamstring.

somehow that seems to go against the laws of physics.

you may be thinking: how does one pull a muscle in the leg, when they're only moving their arms?

it's simple, really. a caveman could do it. i was standing up and using the dumbbell bar, doing my 3rd set of bicep curls. like i'd done the past two times, i dropped forward to put the bar on the floor.

should've bent my legs. even just a bit.
instead....RRRRrrrrriiiiiiipp. (you know the feeling.)
apparently i like to think i'm more flexible than i really am.

thankfully, i ran monday and tuesday nights so i was planning on taking tonight off. i think this is a sign that i need to start doing pilates again.

donde es el bano?

so i ended up taking like a week off from running. Whoopsie. it was kinda by accident, kinda by result of the weather and icy-ness. but i like to think that the miles of walking around Seattle count towards my mileage. in like a weird small percentage way compared to running.

my flight was cancelled on sunday, which was cool with me since i got an extra day to spend in Seattle. and i spent the next day flying, along with 4 hours at the Cincinatti airport, thanks to another delayed flight. needless to say, it was not the smoothest trip of traveling i've ever had. but i grew up around airplanes and everything aviation, so inconveniences like those don't bother me. in fact, i love being in airports and i think soon, i could write a book of reviews on U.S. airports. hmmm...perhaps there's a future career there for me.....

back to kansas. grrr. brrrr. more ice. lots of ice.

but i actually got up this morning and ran before work. amidst the snow. and lots of ice. but it was fine. i did not fall. and fortunately, i did not get hit by a car while i was running on Mission Road forced off the sidewalks due to gobs of ice chunks and ice rink-like surfaces. seriously, cities of Prairie Village and Leawood...can you please do something to clear those at least partially off?? unfortunately, i got stomach cramps (ie: really needed a bathroom) around mile 3 so i hurried home and called it quits at 3.5 miles.

treacherous traveling

i ran 6 miles on Tuesday evening, and i felt great. I was 'that girl'. Running in the 20 degree weather, in shorts. I set out only planning to run 4, but the weather made for great running so i kept on going. i was trying to get a feel for my 10K pace, and then out of the blue, my Garmin battery died somewhere around mile 3. bummer. i think i probably finished about 50:00.

now, off to my trip to Seattle.....this is a long story, but then again, so was my day.

i got up at 5:15am wednesday morning to go to the gym since i knew i wouldn't have time after work, since my flight to Seattle left at 8pm. if i would've known what lay ahead of me, i probably would've slept longer.

i'd been watching the Weather Channel during the flight and they kept mentioning the snow and ice in the Pacific Northwest, so i knew the conditions were not ideal. but we landed safely in Seattle, where i got a voicemail from Todd saying that he drove two blocks from his apt and couldn't make it any further up the hill. great. he'd called rental car companies, nobody had any 4 wheel drive cars available, he called limos, shuttles and nobody had availability to pick me up. it was almost midnight, i was exhausted, dehydrated and my cell phone battery was dead. i just stood in the airport and cried.

luckily, my luggage finally got there and i was able to charge my phone and call him back. i really didn't want to have to stay in a hotel, so my last option was to see if any taxis would drive me out to his apartment in Sammamish, which is normally a 30-45 minute drive. i went to the taxi pick-up area and got in line behind about 70 other people, where i waited for about 45 minutes. i talked to a couple who were headed to Issaquah, a town near Sammamish, so we planned to get a cab together.

all the police officers there told us to just get a hotel, the roads off of the interstates were horrible and we'd probably end up getting stranded since our destinations were in very hilly/mountainous areas. i just wanted to go to sleep and the other couple was determined to get home. a taxi pulled up and out stepped a driver whom i could barely even understand and who didn't even know where Issaquah and Sammamish were. luckily, the other couple said they'd direct him.

We left the airport around 1 am (think 3am kansas time). there were hundreds of cars deserted along the roads, people just couldn't go any further and left them there. thank God this taxi had good tires, luggage weighing down the back, and a taxi driver determined to get us home. we got to Issaquah, and i was left to direct the cabbie the last 5 miles. we kept going and every hill we made it up, i just thought 'thats one less hill i'll have to walk my luggage up when this car stops'. fortunately, we finally arrived where Todd was waiting for me. i've never been happier to see him. so $80 and a nearly 2 hour cab ride, i was safe. poor cabbie though, he had no clue where he was so we gave him the best directions possible and wished him luck.

i got to bed around 3:00, so basically i had been up for 24 hours. it was definitely one of the scariest travel epsiodes i've ever had, but i made it here. and other than the ice and inability to drive anywhere, it's really pretty. with the help of two good samaritans, we finally got Todd's car back home. but we're riding the bus everywhere now.

my first 2007 post

And I'm back!! (for the two or so people who were concerned about my whereabouts)

I took an unplanned, yet very much needed blogging sabbatical while I ran through the holidays, attempted to organize my life, and ponder what lies ahead in the wonderful year of 2007. While 2006 was one of my best years (i might even go out on a limb and say it was THE best year), i'm hopeful that this coming year will be just as great, if not better.

And to kick off the running year, my company is a sponsor of the Groundhog Run on the 28th, so that means i have a free ticket to run. I was debating over whether to play it safe with the 5K, or run my first ever 10K in the above avg. temperature, claustrophobia, and noise of a completely underground run.

And I, being so easily persuaded by fellow runners, let Josh convince me that the 5K was (not his exact words) wimpy. So, a 10K it is. And the underground-ness of it all makes me both excited and apprehensive. Six miles is no problem at all, but i don't have any prior 10K finish times to go off of, so during my 8 miler on Saturday, i focused on figuring out my 10K pace. I think I'll shoot for 53:00.

I don't really have any new year's resolutions, just some new plans for the new year. Perhaps i'll blog those later, but for now i need to finish doing my laundry so i can pack and fly myself away to Seattle on Wednesday. Yipeeeee!

Feliz Navidad

yes, my blogging heart is still beating...very faintly.

with holiday festivities, a visit from The Todd, Christmas shopping, and running, i just haven't had much time to do any noteworthy blogging. yes, despite all the business, i refuse to let my running go the wayside and its has been great. now that i'm not training for anything, i'm just enjoying some relaxed, easy runs and it's awesome.

i suppose once life settles down, i'll get around to posting something 'slightly' more entertaining for you.

as for now, i'm heading for an 8 mile holiday run with Josh, and then home to the parents' house. and in a battle against Mom's holiday cookies, caramels, etc. i have some much anticipated runs scheduled with old friends while i'm back home.

until later, have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Wittiness is overrated

no time to think of something witty to write. so i'll sum up the time since my last blog in a few elementary points:
1. me run. feel good. brrr.
2. have Frosty the Snowman in my head for 5 miles. grrr.
3. Christmas parties every day this weekend. fun.
4. Kevin's off to Vegas, Josh is doing Dallas. run.

That's about it. Good luck to everyone running this weekend. Odds are i will only manage to squeeze in a 4 miler....if i'm lucky.

'Tis the Season

At Last,the Holiday Season is upon us! I've been waiting about 330 days for this. It's my favorite time of year and it pretty much took all my energy to wait until after Thanksgiving to put up Christmas decorations and turn on the Christmas carols.

Thanksgiving was a bit odd for me this year. It was the first time in 24 years where I wasn't home with my family on Thanksgiving morning, and it was sad. Instead, good ol' Josh and I decided to meet up that morning and go for a run in the awesome autumn weather. What was supposed to be eight miles ended up being six, thanks to stupid me, who ate only a half hour before i ran and had some tummy issues. Nonetheless, the six miles went great and i earned myself a guilt-free conscience for eating T-Day dinner.

The Todd flew in that afternoon and we spent the evening at his parents' house for dinner and cards (which i was totally awesome at). Friday was an early 2 hour drive home to my parents' house for family Thanksgiving, and introducing Todd to small town Kansas Holiday Festivities. It was great to be home (despite the fact that i got booted out of my room to the pullout couch in the basement- oh, the sacrifices one makes...), but time flew by too fast and we headed back to KC on Saturday since he had to fly out that afternoon.

My running was put to the side this past weekend, but i have still managed to make it to the gym at 5:45 am to do some cross training. yeah for me. Perhaps i'll take advantage of this last day of nice weather and go for a run before the winter chill moves in until March.

As Clark Griswold so eloquently stated, "Tis the Season to be Merry"

One of these days...

i will learn how to set my alarm clock correctly.

I woke up on saturday morning with the sun shining through the window. Huh, that's weird, usually when i get up at 5:15am it's not sunny. And then my brain finally caught up. AAAAAAAAARGH! It's 7:30 and i missed the group run.

Not a big deal that i missed it, except for the fact that i enjoy going to see friends, and it's just easier to run 10 miles with them instead of by myself. Thanksfully, my roommate was making an early morning trip to the gym, so i tagged along and (still don't know why i keep doing this) ran 6 miles on the treadmill.

I ran 4 miles on the treadmill on Wednesday and 3 on Thursday. Seriously, i've never enjoyed treadmill running, but lately it just seems to be easier than bundling up and running outside in the dark.

So, the highlight of my weekend (obviously the lowlight was K-State's pathetic loss to KU) was the Chiefs game with Josh and tailgating with Kevin, who is by far the master of the tailgating universe. We had a decent win, good weather, and great fun.

kitkatbar

I'm still in a post vacay funk, just a tad bit lazy. Well, that and i also got a flu shot today and so i'm feeling a little bit lethargic.

Chicago was fun-o. It was so great to see my friends again, as well as enjoy the weekend with The Todd. He flew into KC from seattle on thursday night, then we hopped on another plane together and headed to chi-town. Whoever thought of that idea is pretty smart (me). That way we had a full 3 days to enjoy before leaving on monday.

We didn't really do anything too noteworthy, just some shopping, eating and hanging out together. Matt & kristin live just a block from Wrigley field, so it was nice to just hang out in the Wrigley/Boystown/Lincoln Park area.

We spent quite a bit of time on Michigan ave., braved the chilly weather at Navy Pier, went to the Bentley dealership 3 times (i guess that's the trade-off we get for dragging the guys around while we shop), and watched K-State beat Texas! That just capped off a spectacular weekend. And as a bonus, kristin had discovered a drag queen lounge near their place that was named after me which she'd managed to keep as a secret until i visited.

And yes, i did in fact get some great running in on saturday. I wasn't really planning on it (although i always seem to automatically pack my running gear anyways) but matt was going for a run along the lake, so i joined in. And despite the cold wind, it felt good and was nice to hang out with him. We ran about 5 miles at a 9 min pace on Lakeshore Dr.

And i haven't ran since chicago, but i plan to run tonight at the gym. There's nothing wrong with a few days off, right? Especially when i'm not training for any certain 'thon. Besides, it's nearing the end of our sand flag football season, so i'm focusing on that. (ha). Just so i keep my base by doing a few 3-5 milers, i'll be ready to rock'n roll when the time comes.

And just a few more pics from the weekend:

High Five

Well Fans, I'm getting ready to head to Chicago for the weekend to see friends from college. I have a slight problem with always cutting it a little too close on my airport arrival times, so i'm jetting out of work shortly to beat the traffic.

it's been a kinda crazy week in katieland, i enjoyed catching up with friends at dinner on Tuesday night, then we went to see Borat. hilarious. that's all, just go see it for yourself.

surprisingly, i've been doing really great at going to the gym in the mornings. i managed to do it 3 out of 4 days this week. and honestly, i would've made it 4 out of 5 if i wouldn't be going on vacation. and once again, i chose to run a 4 and 2 miler on the treadmill. i think i like it because it gets my metabolism nice and fired up in the morning.

i've also acquired myself somewhat of a personal running coach. my roommate Catherine and I have set up a nice deal where i run, and she bikes alongside me (or behind me, or wherever she needs to be to shield me from traffic). We usually try to do it once a week, and last night we did a 4 miler. It really helps to have someone whizzing along, nipping at your heels and trying to hold a conversation with. Pretty much after mile 3, she's only allowed to ask me Yes/No questions. Even though i was dead tired at the end, i managed to hold a 8:10 pace on the hilly route.

that's all the time we have for now, i'm off to the windy city.

Sunday, Bloody Sunday

After numerous requests to see my totally sweet blood blister, i've posted a picture here.

I did some research online and read that you should not drain a blood blister. So i reluctantly obeyed, put a bandage on it, and went on with my normal life. I helped my brother and sis-in-law move into their new house on Sunday and we took advantage of their nice backyard and threw the football around.

And when i came inside to take my shoes off, i discovered that my sock was EWWWwwwwww.......not so white anymore. More like a pinkish color from the blood and blister fluid (whatever that's made of). I was pretty excited, it had taken care of itself and released the pressure without any pain.

Now it's pretty much healed. I just have some more scar tissue decorating my foot. Who needs tattoos when you can have cool battlescars like these?

running love

Well that decision wasn't really too hard.

My Gobbler Grind Half Marathon is officially not going to happen. Chiefs vs. Raiders was too exciting to pass up. But I think I'll set my sights to run a half in February-ish.

And oddly, once i marked the Gobbler Half off my calendar, my running felt great. Tues, Wed, Fri i ran 4,3,3 ALL on the treadmill.

yep. i CHOSE to run on the treadmill. don't ask me why i ran indoors. it wasn't even that cold here. i apparently was just in a treadmill craze this past week.

but my best running of the week came on Saturday morning. i was only planning on going 6, maybe 8 miles since i hadn't ran 8 miles in 3 weeks. but then i started running with Courtney, Kevin and Becky and the pace was comfortable and i felt (relatively) good, so i went ahead and ran 10 miles with them.

i say it felt 'relatively' good, because the arch of my left foot had a blister flare up again and it was getting a little bit painful at about mile 4. not painful enough to make me stop though, so i kept running. hmm....i MAYBE shouldn't have done that. when i got home and took off my sock, i screamed.

now, my feet have seen some freaky blisters, so it would take a lot to scare me. i got a lot of 'that made me sick' comments when i posted that last picture, so i promise to spare you the grotesqueness of this blister. (unless you ask to see a pic, then i'll share) Bascially, i have a blister on my foot that looks like a heart. A cute, not-so-little heart. It has the same shape....and the same color. Yep, i have THE blood blister of all blood blisters.

talk about a new way to show ones love for running.

i like lists.

Happy Halloween, trick-or-treaters.

I'm not actually celebrating it much this year (aside from eating some goodies), due to several reasons:
1. i went home to see my parents this past weekend while holiday festivities were in full force around here. (sadly, i had to miss out on the TNT pub crawl)
2. i found a dead woodpecker on my Magic 8 Ball costume from last year (long story), and i loaned it to a friend (she didn't seem to mind).
3. there's no way i can top my friend Dustin's costume, i mean, Teen Wolf's outfit:




In running (also currently known as 'non-running') news, i've decided not to do the Gobbler Grind half marathon on Nov. 19th. I have my reasons, so don't call me a wuss:
1. i looked at the course map and although it's mostly on the trail we do our training runs on, i don't think i want to run that for a race.
2. i'm searching for a late winter/early spring half or full to aim for.
3. i've missed my past 2 long distance runs due to:
---- 3a. trip to Dallas
---- 3b. too many martinis at work last friday
4. i'm considering doing the 5K or volunteering, which is just as noteworthy as the 'thons.
5. my friend josh offered me a ticket to the Chiefs vs. Raiders game that same day. I've only been to 1 preseason Chiefs game before, so for me to pass that offer up would just be silly. I have 12 days to make my decision, but i'm 99% sure the half is not happening.

One last bit of absolutely exciting news, my friend Courtney (TNT San Diego alum & all-around cool gal) won an Emmy this past weekend for Best Morning Newscast as the exec producer of KCTV 5's More in the Morning show. AN EMMY!!!! i'm officially friends with an Emmy award winning producer. congrats, courtney!!

lessons learned

I realized some things tonight during my run.

1. when i don't run, i don't blog.

2. when i don't run my long runs with teammates, it is not a good run.

3. i think it's a good idea that i blog more about non-running activities.

4. my boyfriend is super cool.

So, i haven't blogged for awhile. Why? (See realization #1.) Ok, well that's not completely true, i have been running. But something hasn't been feeling right during my runs. Last week, i got up on friday to run 8 miles before i left for Dallas and despite the cool, sunny morning, after 2 miles I was reading to stop. So i turned around and headed back home. My legs felt as though they were weighted with bricks. 5 ton bricks. I stopped after 4 miles because i was dead tired. Seriously? 4 miles? Why? (See realization #2.)

I headed to The Big D where I met The Todd. Feeling guilty about my 4 mile run the day before (and knowing that i'd be eating wedding cake), i headed to the hotel gym Saturday morning to bike and run on the treadmill. 2 miles. And that was forcing it. I'm not sure what's wrong, i've just been lethargic, my legs don't want to run. I have two (relatively) good legs, why won't they just do their job?

All that whining aside, the weekend was a blast. (See realization #3) The wedding and reception were lovely and done in big Texas style downtown. They had a dance and BBQ later that evening at a ranch in Terrell. Now, i'm not a fan of country music, but I had a rootin' scootin' grand ol' time two-stepping. We spent some time at the JFK memorial on Sunday, then headed to the Galleria for lunch and shopping.

Since todd was feeling a little ill (probably due to my 'ooohing and aahhing' over shoes and purses), and i (shockingly) didn't feel like shopping, we headed to the airport 3 hours early. We spent the rest of the afternoon having escalator races and riding the tram around and around the terminals. fun times indeed. he always makes me laugh and feel like a kid again. (See realization #4) Oh, and he got a new position at Microsoft as a software developer. Which, in my opinion, is like 1,000 times cooler than his previous job as a software tester. I still don't understand 95% of what he does, but that's why having a pretty smile and nodding like you understand, saying 'mmhmm, yeah' is a good tactic.

No need to fear about my crappy runs, i think all it took was some rainy, mild weather and an evening run tonight to rekindle my love with running. 4 miles in 32:40, 8:10 pace. Felt really, really great.

Hello, my name is .......

I've finally uploaded some pics from the KC Half Marathon.

This one is my fave, because i just look like i'm having the best time. This was at the finish when i saw my friends and was gleeful.


I came, i saw, i conquered........


My awesome brother!


Post-race refueling and glamour-shot pose.


Team in Training teammates Rob, Courtney & Greg


And my roommate with her one-of-a-kind t-shirt. (nevermind that she got my number wrong)


Work is busy, so i'll keep this running update short. Well, actually there's nothing too exciting to talk about. Just a rainy 3 miler, hilly 5 miler, chilly 8 miler and some biking in between. I'm not sure what my running schedule will be like this week, as i'm heading to Dallas on friday and most likely won't feel like running 12 miles in a strange downtown.

In other sporting news, my co-ed sand flag football team had our 2nd game last night and i gave myself a mild concussion colliding with another player's knee. I spent half the night with a migraine, hunched over a trashcan and curled up in pain, until the Tylenol kicked in 4 hours after i took it.

But i seem to be okay now. I just can't seem to remember my name.........

Race Recap

I finished the race with a smile on my face!! It was a complete opposite feeling compared to my wretched San Diego finish. But then again, a half marathon is far more enjoyable for my body than a full marathon. I think i'll focus on doing more half marathons and put 'run a full marathon' on my "Things I would like to do only ONCE a year" list along with 'shave my legs' and 'pay rent'.

Not that i don't want to run more marathons, but so far my experience with full marathons (in the ONE that i did), hasn't been too pleasant, with that 'minor' injury and what not. I just think half marathons are easier on my body, both in training and during the actual event. And both half marathons i've ran have been awesome experiences and enjoyable times.

Back to my race recap...........

Saturday was an ideal day for running. It started out cool in the morning, but i knew that it would warm up so i shivered at the 50 degree start in a sleeveless top and my new pink shorts. (afterthought: i forgot to put on sunscreen and now my face and shoulders match my pink shorts) It was great to have so many fellow TNTers there for motivation, even though josh and greg said they were running a 9:00 pace and took off, leaving me in the dust after only a short distance. That's okay, i didn't really have a specific goal, except that i wanted to finish in under 2 hours. Of course, I wanted to beat my St. Louis half time, but i wasn't going to worry about it.

The first 2 miles were great, just those stupid hills by Liberty Memorial and then headed downhill to Westport area where i knew my roommate Cat would be waiting to cheer me on. I had packed a sort of emergency kit for her to carry in case i needed anything: sunglasses, Chapstick, Blister bandages, Biofreeze, camera, gum, etc. Luckily, the only thing i needed were sunglasses since we'd be headed directly into the morning sun soon. My shins hadn't felt this great since i don't remember when, and my blisters were causing no pain at all.

I was actually running a little ahead of my pace schedule (which i'd markered onto my forearm the night before), but i picked it up even a bit more as i anticipated seeing my friends Jamie, Jessi and Erin cheering me on at mile 6. Jamie was the only one i saw, so I stopped for a bit to hug her and kept on going. The bands along the course were helpful and while i was expecting more spectators, the first 8 miles seemed to fly by.

But it was at that point that my stomach began to cramp up a bit and i had to walk through the next water stop as we headed up another hill. I really didn't seem to mind this one though as i knew once i got to the top it would be all downhill (literally and figuratively) the last 2.5 miles. The tummy felt a little better and i used the downhill to my advantage, but had to stop again and work the uncomfortableness out at the last water stop with 1 mile left. I figured i'd give myself a little break, then bust it in to the finish.

And that's what i tried to do. But that last mile, as every runner knows, is the LONGEST mile of the race and i wanted to stop so bad.
NO katie, you're almost done. keep going.
Ugggh, my tummy hurts.
NO katie, you can do it. Only 3/4 mile left.
But i think my Gu might come back up.

And that was when i saw my big brother standing along the street. Like the hero he's always been to me, there he was, just when i needed someone the most. I waved my arms and ran over and gave him a huge, sweaty hug. My legs were heavy and i felt like i was dragging, but he said "you're running so fast! you're almost there, i'll meet you at the finish." And with that extra boost of encouragement and motivation, i sped off, rounded the last corner and sailed down the hill, feeling good, feeling strong and most importantly, not in any pain (other than the obvious 'i just ran 13 miles' pain).

I saw Cat cheering for me and i got teary-eyed, mostly because she was wearing a t-shirt with my face really big on it, and then there was Jamie hollering as i ran through the finish. I didn't even see what the clock said. I didn't care. I looked for my brother and when i saw him i was so happy and couldn't stop smiling. It was just incredibly awesome to have people care enough to wake up early and come out and support me. We all hung around at the finish area cheering on other runners for awhile and then they left and i stayed another 3 hours to cheer on fellow TNTers. Everyone did an awesome job that day (josh, kevin, courtney, brent.....and everyone else, but i don't know if they read my blog) and I cannot wait for my next half!

I did end up finishing in less than 2 hours, but upon further review, i did not end up beating my St. Louis time and I'm perfectly okay with that because this was a much better all-around experience. I think i'll still reward myself with a new pair of shoes. Ohhh, maybe some cute boots!! I deserve it.

Official time: 1:56:26. 8:55 pace.

Blister Sisters

Well, my shins are feeling better. That's the GOOD NEWS. I bought new shoes, and that helped immensely. well, duh....since the ones i was running in had quite a bit of miles logged on them. For Saturday's 8-mile run, the shins were a little sore, but just for the first mile and then the uncomfortableness disappeared. And then....BAD NEWS....at mile 3, i felt a burning, rubbing, chafing sensation on my left foot, in the inner arch. and then, at mile 3.1, i felt a burning, rubbing, chafing sensation on my right foot, in the inner arch.

SERIOUSLY?!?! Blisters?! Ok, i really could've prevented this from happening. All my socks that i usually wear were in the dirty laundry, so i grabbed the first pair of clean socks i saw in my drawer. Very thin, moisture wicking with some weird type of textured material. Bad idea. Basically what happened was that they were rubbing my skin raw.

But i had no bandages with me and i still had over 4 miles left to go. No way was i turning back, not with my half marathon a week away. yes, i could injure myself so that i wouldn't even be able to run, but did i think about that? no. i was concerned with getting my mileage in. Ah yes, behold the mind of a runner.

So, what to do......what to do?

I ran past a tree with shiny, round leaves. "Ah ha! Eureka!" I grabbed a couple leaves, stopped at the 4 mile turnaround point, took off my shoes and socks (OWWWW!), and put them over both Half-Dollar size blisters.

Well, it wasn't the greatest thing I could've done, but i made do with what i had and it at least helped the rubbing stop. good, at least my feet won't be worn down to the bone by the time i finish.

I ran the last 3 miles with Josh and he helped me run a good pace (probably not so good of a pace for him). We even saw some cows, and horses, and donkeys, and llamas. Ya-mas!

Since then, i've been nursing my two HUGE blisters back to health so that i can run the half marathon on saturday. And thanks, mom, for your daily calls of concern and nursing advice. (She also told me "maybe you just shouldn't run". Yeah, ok. Good one. ha.)

My feet aren't pretty, but they're slowing healing and hopefully will be ready for saturday's half.

A letter to my shinemies enemies

Dear shins,
You're mean. Just plain mean. You are my nemesis. Nemesises. Nemesiseses. whatever.

I looked it up in the dictionary, and the correct plural form is nemeses:

nem·e·ses - noun [nem-uh-seez]

1. something that a person cannot conquer.

2. one that inflicts retribution or vengeance.

3. a source of harm or ruin.

(and yep, they sure hit the nail on the head with that definition.)

Why must you tease me like you do? You have GOT to be the moodiest beings around! You are 100 times worse than a PMSing female deprived of chocolate. One day you are my friend, letting me enjoy my running and making me feel like i am a superstar. But, you deceiving things...the next day you treat me like i am your enemy. You make me wince in pain, cause me to wish i weren't running, and make me feel like a broken down wagon.

You really are my nemeses, just when i am convinced that i have conquered you, you come back with a vengeance and ruin my fun.

I've tried to fight you off, i've covered you in ice, i've knocked you out with painkillers, i've slathered you with Biofreeze. But you won't stop, you won't back down. You won't let me just run.

That's all i ask of you. Just let me run. Let me be alone with my running shoes. It's really not necessary for you to come along for the ride. You're like an annoying backseat driver who won't shut up and plays country music non-stop for the entire cross country road trip and just talks incessantly and blah-di-blah blah blah.... Aarrrrgh!

Just enjoy the ride. How hard can that be? One of these days you're going to realize that i'm not backing down from you. I will defeat you. I'll keep running. I'll fight through the pain. I'll put myself back on crutches again if that's what it takes.

So this is your written warning. I'm giving you a chance to back down quietly without a fight. I'm offering you a 'Get out of Jail Free' card.

Just take this offer and run with it.

Sincerely,
your FRIEND katie

The Best 5 Ever

I just HAVE to blog about my latest run before i forget the details. Tuesday night i did an 8 mile bike ride and then set out on a 4 mile run. The weather was perfect that evening, the sun was starting to set, and the 68 degree temp felt like fall had finally arrived. I headed down the hill and knew it would be a good run, my shins weren't hurting AT ALL. No pain, no restrain. I picked up the pace and ran on the grass and street as much as the traffic allowed. I've learned that sidewalks are not a force to be reckoned with for me.

I don't know if it was the awesome weather, or the primarily grass running, but when i got to my 2 mile turnaround point I didn't stop. I just kept running. I had no hurry to be back home, so i figured i might as well enjoy the run. I ran through a park where there were little league football teams playing and families out for a stroll and it just made me happy. I just kept running.

And when i say 'running', i mean it.

I was bookin' along at an avg 8:20 pace. I was pretty impressed with myself, considering i still had at least 2 miles left to run. I decided at that point that i would make it a 5 mile run instead of 4, so i turned around at 2.5 and headed back home. 21:40 and i was feeling great, like i could keep running all night.

Please, please let me feel this great for the KC half marathon. Oh, that would be awesome.

I even picked up the pace slightly on my way back and finished one of the best runs i've had in a long, long time. Actually, that was THE BEST 5 mile run i've ever had.

5 miles.......40:55.....8:12 avg pace.

I biked a speedy, hilly 11 miles last night and plan on a 4 mile run tonight, and hopefully i can do a little something tomorrow morning since i won't have time after work. why? because my awesome bf is arriving tomorrow!!!!! i can't wait.

cheesecake pudding

i think i have trouble keeping up with my blogging for a couple of reasons. The main one being that i prefer my blogs to be entertaining for readers, and lately i just can't come up with anything that i feel would be interesting for others. No words of wisdom, no running revelations, no training triumphs....nothing. Just the same old, same old.

Not that that's a terrible thing, i guess, but it just doesn't create much blog excitement. I need something to inspire me. Something cool to happen. Actually, what i really need is a new job. I'm so bored in my current one, i think my brain is slowly turning to pudding. mmmm, pudding.... i wish i had some cheescake pudding right now.

Good to eat, but not good to have controlling your body. My friend Jessi suggested that i go work at Starbucks and do something fun for awhile, at least until I figure out what i want to do or where i want to go. See, ideally i would start out making lattes at my local Prairie Village Starbucks and then gradually move my way up the corporate ladder. And since i plan on moving to Seattle sometime anyway, i don't think this idea is too crazy. I'd have to make some financial sacrifices for sure, but happiness is more important than material goods 97% of the time. (I don't know for sure what the other 3% involves, but i would imagine it involves a very beautiful Kate Spade purse)

Well, since my blog is mostly about running, i suppose i should blog about running. As mentioned earlier, nothing exciting has happened, so this is just an update on my training for the KC half marathon on Oct. 7th
Since my last post:
9/1 - 3 mi 29:45.....9:55/mi
9/2 - 8 mi 1:14:02.....9:14/mi
9/5 - 2.5 mi 22:12....8:53/mi
9/7 - 4 mi 38:02.....9:30/mi
9/9 - bike 10 mi
9/9 - 10 mi 1:37:30....9:47/mi

The Todd is coming to KC this weekend. I'm pretty thrilled about that.

rollercoaster

whew! this past week was just an intense rollercoaster of emotions/events for me. this blog post is not very exciting, but i'll do my best to summarize my past week.

i just didn't feel like running since returning from seattle. and then Friday morning, i found out that my grandma passed away, but that was a blessing, so i felt better and decided that if i was going to run 8 on saturday, i had better run a little before then. So i went for a quick 3 miler on friday afternoon. it felt pretty good, except for the humidity.

friday night i went to the ben harper concert at starlight theatre with jamie and lauren. it was absolutely AWE-SOME. a-maz-ing. if you didn't go, you missed out. so after that fabulous night, i was all kinds of excited for the saturday morning run.

and what do you know....it was rainy too!! sweet!! i love rainy running. so, my original plan was to run 8 miles but i decided to turn around at the 3 mile water stop instead and run the last 3 miles back faster and push myself. it felt really great, i've just been having a problem with my shins hurting once i stop running. i suppose a cure for that would be to keep running and running and running........um, yeah, no.

but saturday night was what i was looking forward to all week. several Team in Training teammates from san diego, along with our honored patient and her husband met for dinner at a japanese steakhouse. first off, i love japanese steakhouses and second off, it's always a laugh-tastic time when we all get together.

sunday i got up early to get in a quick 2 miles before i headed home for the funeral since i knew i probably wouldn't have time/energy to run that evening or on monday.

tuesday i was back in full force, working in an 8 mile bike ride and a 3 mile run after work. the cooler weather is invigorating. ok, by 'cooler', i mean around 80s, not 90s or 100s like it has been the past couple of works.

i snuck in a 7 mile bike and 2 mile run tonight. once again, the shins are fine during the run, but sore afterwards. but i suppose that's better than them hurting during AND after, right? right.

so, in summary:
8/25 3 mi run....26:45....9:12/mi
8/26 6 mi run....58:08....9:41/mi (just for the record, my last 3 mi pace was 1:00/mi faster than the first 3 miles)
8/27 2 mi run....14:50....7:25/mi (my gps had trouble finding a satellite, so that's probably not accurate)
8/29 3 mi run....26:52....8:57/mi + 8 mi bike
8/30 2 mi run....16:57....8:28/mi + 7 mi bike

i think i'll run 4 tomorrow morning and shoot for 8 on saturday. maybe 10. we'll see.

Seattle Awesupertacular

Seattle was awesome. super. spectacular. Therefore, i have created a new word to describe it. Awesupertacular. that pretty much sums it up. Since my visit in July was filled with touristy excitement, we decided to just hang out and relax more this time.

I finally got to sleep in on saturday, something i haven't done in a long time. The Todd (as he has been deemed by a co-worker of mine) dropped me off at the Lake Sammamish trail around 11 and i headed off on my six-miler. I really didn't have any idea where my final destination was, so i just decided to run until i hit 6.0 or until i ran out of trail and into the lake. which actually.....that wouldn't have felt too bad. It was a pleasant 73ish degrees during my run, but when the trail emerged from the cover of the trees, the sun was blazing down on me and i really wanted to jump in the water.

The trail was flat, soft gravel and ran all along the east side of the lake, next to the endless row of lake houses and docks. At this time of morning, there were hundreds of boats already out on the lake and it really made me want to waterski. It made me miss the summers growing up, spending every weekend at the lake, trying to perfect my slaloming skills. I need to get a friend with a boat..............my mind is wandering....
It was such an incredible view and my shins/knees felt great, i think i could've kept going. But that Seattle sun was pretty hot and i called The Todd to meet me at a rendevous point. Great run.
6.15 miles. 54:35 min. 8:52 pace

My knee was a little sore once i stopped running, but i think the Glucosamine actually might be making it somewhat better. *probably the placebo effect*

The rest of my stay in Seattle was spent doing some shopping, meeting some of Todd's friends out for his birthday dinner on Lake Union, running around downtown on the Harbor Steps... Oddly, i didn't take many pictures, which is weird because usually i'm a photo-fanatic. I really wish i would've taken a camera with me when i did my saturday morning run or at the lakefront dinner. better luck next time... I still have yet to see a single drop of precipitation during my times in Seattle. I was actually a little bit disappointed about that, but can't complain because i'm sure i'll be begging for sunny days once the rainy season starts.

It was difficult to leave Todd and come back to kansas. I think it gets harder to say goodbye each time. Also frustrating is that i haven't been able to run since saturday. most of monday was spent at airports/in flight, and yesterday i was looking forward to helping out at the Team in Training Kick-off meeting but i had to make an emergency trip back home to see my grandma. Her heart is slowly giving out on her, so all 6 of her children and several of us grandchildren were there to say our 'Goodnights' and now i guess we're just waiting for God to take her to an eternal rest. It's been a harried week thus far and not looking to get any better.

What day is it today anyway? Wednesday?? It's my only obligation-free night for awhile so I'm hoping to get a 3 mile run in and maybe go to the gym, but I haven't unpacked, laundry is piling up, Project Runway is on tonight and my energy level is just hovering above zero, so i'm not sure if that will happen.

Ramblin' On

oopsie, i've put off blogging for too long. i just couldn't really think of anything and then i got busy at work and delegated my blogging to someone else. so here's my post, according to JOSH:
I ran again this Saturday.

Yipppppie!

Four hilly miles I ran.

Woooo whoooo!

Four long, hilly miles.

Go Katie!

so there you have it. thank you, Speedy Josh.

but since his post just doesn't do much justice (no offense) to my actual training, i'll spice it up a bit.

let's see where we left off last time..........since we last saw Katie's blog, she did a sweaty 2.5 mile run in 100 degree heat, an uncomfortable morning 3 mile run (thanks to tummy issues) and then the hilly 4 miles. with a few 7-8 mile bike rides sprinkled in. (but it actually wasn't 4 miles. it was more like 4.35 miles. so we'll just say 4.5 and call it good.)

i really commend those who are training for the Nike Women's Marathon. those hills at Shawnee Mission Park are nothing to be laughed at and my knee was definitely hurting the rest of the day. i took a teammate's advice and bought some glucosamine/condroitin in the hopes that will ease the knee pain. i also found this info and it (kinda) helped convince me it was a good buy:

A recent Internet poll at runnersworld.com showed that 94.5 percent of respondents said they had tried one of the supplements. What's more, 79.8 percent reported that their symptoms "somewhat improved" or "greatly improved" after taking glucosamine and/or chondroitin. Less than one percent reported that "things got worse" with the supplements.

I mean, really.....if less than 1% reported that "things got worse", how much harm could it do me? those are pretty good odds. i can't tell a difference yet, but i've been slacking on keeping up with the correct dosage. see katie, it's reasons like these that you can never get fully healthy.

but i'm no slacker. if anything is for sure, i've realized that sleep is of little to no value to me lately. i'd say that 5 out of 7 days during the week, i wake up around 5:45 to go to the gym or run. which isn't really that bad, except that when your boyfriend lives in Pacific Time it makes for a late bedtime and i only get an avg. of 5-6 hours of sleep. i'm not complaining though, it's nothing a pot of coffee can't fix. but usually sundays are my day to sleep in and for some reason (actually it was for a good cause so that's why i did it) i volunteered to help with late registration at the Race for the Cure. That meant another alarm awakening at 5:30 to make it to Union Station by 6. i was (not surprisingly) a little late, but it was fun and i kinda wished i would've done the actual race. another year perhaps.

i ran a quick 2.5 mile run on monday. IN THE RAIN!!!! that's by far my favorite weather to run in. not the torrential rain, but the light soothing drizzle-y type. i run without my ipod and just listen to the sound of my surroundings. if i would've woken up earlier, i probably would've kept running longer....but that stupid alarm clock and i have been having major battles lately. biked another 8 miles tuesday and am planning on a 3 mile run tonight. this 'cooler' weather makes me happy.

but what really makes me happy is that i'm jetting off to Seattle on friday night!! and that means that my 6 mile saturday morning run will not be taking place at hilly Shawnee Mission Park, but on the shores of Lake Sammamish. some people may complain about Seattle always being rainy, but if it does rain, i would be ecstatic. just as long as its not rainy the entire weekend, i was hoping to do some kayaking. i just have to convince somebody else to accompany me :)

Humidity Stupidity

AAAaaaaaaaaargh. this stupid, stupid weather is stupid, stupid, stupid. i guess i can be thankful that i'm still recovering from my injury and my mileage is not up in the double digits, but still, it makes it really hard to motivate myself to even run a short distance.

regardless, i had a pretty good week of running since my last post. it's all about quality, not quantity.

on wednesday, i was already at the gym and figured, hey why not revisit my old friend mr. treadmill? so we had a good reunion of 2 miles together. despite being in a gym that felt like a sauna, the run felt great.

friday, got off work at noon so i went to the gym, but just couldn't bring myself to run on the treadmill again so i went to the trail and ran 2.5 miles. (well, actually 2.65) aside from the afternoon heat that nearly killed me, my legs felt great. i decided to reward myself with some tasty Smoothie King since i didn't end up passed out in the grass. mmmmm, i should do that more often. i've discovered that i just need to keep my right knee moving once i've finished running, otherwise it gets tight and painful. stretch, stretch, walk like an ostrich, stretch some more.

saturday, i had a little bit of trouble with my alarm again and woke up at 5:45. not good, since i was supposed to be at the TNT run at 6:00 and it's about a 25 minute drive from my house. i don't think i've ever gotten dressed faster than i did that morning. granted, it does make it easy when no one cares if you show up looking like you'd be better off with a paper bag over your face.

(note to self: in the future, please print off the directions to your destination instead of trying to use your internal GPS to guide you there.)

i got a little lost since it was my first time to meet at Shawnee Mission Park and i thought i knew a quicker back road to get there. wrong. by the time i arrived, the only people in sight were some fisherman and they just looked at me like i was lost. i had no idea which direction to run, so i just headed off and decided to run until the Forerunner said 3 miles. it felt good to run along the lake, to help combat the mugginess but the hills were not too gentle on my knee. (and by 'hills', i mean slight inclines. it's a good thing i didn't run the planned route because those large hills would've destroyed me)

i finished up at 3.25 miles and manned the water station for the next hour or so, which was lots of fun and made me extremely admire those who ran the hilly 8 miles and came back so sweaty they looked like they'd been hanging out in a car wash.

i rested on sunday and ran a quick 2.25 miles this morning, making it home just before it started downpouring. counting this morning's run, i'm looking to put in around 12 miles this week. hopefully the temperature drops, otherwise i'll be spending some quality time on the treadmill.