Ragnar Ready!

This Friday my team, "A Bad Case of the Runs" will be racing across the Wasatch Mountains from Logan, Utah to Park City, Utah!  We each will run 3 times.  We start at 11am on Friday and hope to be done by 6:30pm on Saturday. That is if we can all keep our paces as outlined by the Ragnar Staff. Yea right!  I am leg 2, 14, and 26.  Which means I will run around 12pm, 10pm, and 9:30 am Saturday.  My sister is leg 9, 21, 33.  She will run at 6:40 pm, 4:18 am Saturday (which happens to be a no support leg) and at 2:49pm, Saturday. Her last leg starts at an elevation of 5763 ft and climbs for 3.2 miles to 7233 ft! Climbing 1400 ft.! Whew! I'm glad it's her and not me!  The runner after her will climb 1600ft in 4 miles! 

I am excited to be participating in this race and be among the masses.  There are 1100 teams of 12 people, and 20 teams of 6, which means OVER 13,000 runners! Wow, that's about as many people that live in a small town! 

I  love all the camaraderie that comes with being part of a team.   It will be a crazy couple of days, but I think I'm ready.  I have been anticipating this race since last summer and never thought it would actually get here.  I feel good about my training. My body feels stronger and my running is improving.  I'm hoping the excitement will help get me through the tired muscles and lack of sleep.  

Wish us luck!  

Hard things

I have this running issue. I won't go into details because, well, it's the internet and there is such thing as TMI! I will say that if I run an hour or more my tummy gets real upset with me. There were other related problems that led me to seek the advise of a Dr. After visiting with him he decided that he knew what would fix it. So the procedure was done and my symptoms were still there. I returned to the same Dr. and he was baffled. He was certain he had fixed the problem and said, "why don't you choose another form of exercise?" I smiled politely and proceeded to tell him how I thought the problem should be handled. He wished me good luck and said to come back and see him if it didn't work. What I failed to tell the Dr. was that running wasn't just my form of exercise, it was so much more.

I recently read this post and as I was reading remembered a post my sister wrote. I often wonder if I have the running "gift". In fact, I asked my sister why it seems so easy for some people, and others work so hard. Is it genetics, hard work and determination, no fear? It may be a combination of all of that. When I was a kid I thought I was runner, and knew I could out race half the girls in my neighborhood. In fact, one day I raced my best friend across her back yard. When I reached the other end of the yard I couldn't stop and put my hand through her wooden fence. And yes, I did win that race. In Jr. High, my track coach told me she found my talent in running too late. I was a runner who kept getting faster (probably why I ran through the fence!). I didn't know what to do with that so I stopped running.

I think had I not had these experiences as a child and read these posts I may have taken that Dr.'s advise and quit. But he has no idea how hard I have actually worked, and how much time I've spent working up to 3 miles, 8 miles, and finally 13.1! Both of these blog posts gave me the voice I was searching for. Running is hard! In the first post she challenged readers to finish this sentence, "Running is hard, but I stick with it because..." I thought about why I stick with running and this is what I came up with. "Running is hard, but I stick with it because I CAN DO HARD THINGS!" It's my motto now. I 'm taping it to my mirror and my treadmill, and when my run seems hard I say in my head, "I can do this because I can do hard things!" It may seem cheezy to you, but it has worked for me.

My BIL texted me the other day and said he just ran 3 miles and he didn't know if it was fast or not, but he did it. I thought what would MY coach say to me? So I told him I've learned the hard way that running is an individual sport so if that's your time celebrate it. Running 3 miles it great! He said if he could catch his breath he would!! So for now on I'm going to take my own advise and celebrate each mile I run no matter how fast because running is HARD!

Just a side note from your coach. I know I posted this in the comments but I don't know that our readers always read others comments. I learned something from Sister Dalton, the general Young women's president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saint, she is also a runner and she has even done Boston. Her motto use to be I can do hard things but she changed it to, With the Lord I can do all things! This is my motto and so as your coach I think you should think about changing yours just bit.
Corrine!

Mad Recap

The M.A.D. Race was well, a little mad!  Glad I ran the 10K because the Half Marathoners actually ran 15 miles! There was a little confusion as to where to turn.  This was the first year for this race so they have a few bugs to iron out.  However, everyone who ran seemed in good spirits which made for a good day.

The night before the race I was a little nervous.  Even though I was just treating it as a training run I was still worried. I was worried my hips and back would start hurting, and my legs seemed to be tight, and I was running by myself.  I was talking with my dad via text that night and his last words were, "start slow and finish."  Ok. I can do that.

I got there early because it wasn't clear where my race started and, well because I am a nervous nellie.  One of my first races I did the start time was listed differently on the web site I looked at and it actually started a half hour earlier than what I had read.   Luckily, my friend and I decided to show up a half hour early the day of the race,  but it wasn't early enough. We were yelling at our husbands to let us out of the car so we could run with the rest of the group, and her husband said no that would be cheating you have to start at the starting line! So I get a little nervous.  It was good I did get there early because I had to park a half mile from the starting line. I figured it was a good warm up.  As much as I stretched I still felt tight and it was worrying me.

The race began and we all started out.  I love the excitement in the air just before the race and during the first few minutes of the race.  I started out slow and ran very cautiously.  I felt really good throughout the race and tried to keep a level head and not get discouraged by anything.  There was a lady that kept running ahead of me and then stopping to walk and then I would pass her.  So I told her if we just kept playing leap frog the rest of the way we could keep each other going.  After that we ran together and pushed each other to the end of the race.  My little sprint to the finish felt really good and I believe I could have run a little harder, but hey, it was just another training run I will have to sign up for a "real" race in the future!

This was a good first race of the season.  I needed the boost of confidence that I could run 6 miles and live to tell about it.  I think I needed to go by myself and do a run alone and get myself through it.  It was also good to be among other runners and I think for the first time I didn't compare myself to other runners. I had a good time and I'm excited to sign up for more races.  

Until the next race... Keep running!

Let's get Ready to Run!

This Saturday kicks off my first race for the summer.  I'm running a 10k in the M.A.D. running series.  It's a benefit run for Olive Osmond Perpetual Hearing Fund.  I don't think Donny will be there but some of his siblings will be there to put on a benefit concert Friday night.  Moses and Kaylee Kinikini from this season's Biggest Looser will be running, (not sure which race)  but they may take the place of Donny!

I'm not treating this race as a race that I hope to take first place in or get an amazing time.  I am really thinking of it as another run with a number attached to my shirt (or pants if your my dad) and a bunch of other people, with numbers on their shirts will be running it with me! It will be like one big running club! My big focus right now is the Ragnar Relay in June and hoping that I can feed off the excitement at the race.

I'm so excited about my new workout gear! I needed some new summer clothes (some of my favorites from last summer are too big! Yea for me!) and I found some bermuda shorts I love, love, LOVE! They are the Brooks Glyceren Bermuda II.  I am not a short, shorts kind of gal and I don't like things too tight so these are perfect for me. Not to tight and gives me the coverage I need.  The world is NOT ready to see too much of my thighs!


I'm excited to get out there and run and cheer on some of my friends who are also running this Saturday! Go get 'em Ladies!

It's a daily thing

Last Saturday I had a terrible run.  My two-year-old decided he really wanted to come with me.  So I got him bundled up and in the stroller and headed for a very windy run.  I ended up walking some of it because the wind was blowing so hard pushing the stroller became very difficult.  I didn't feel good after the run and even took a nap!

Yesterday I went out for a run and decided not to take a watch or timer I was just going to run.  I didn't want to know it took me a very long time to reach my set distance, I was out there only to run.  Usually I walk the short distance from my house to the corner and do a little stretching (waste a little time, gear up for the run)  but yesterday I ran the minute I got out of the door.  I started running down the street and thought,  can I keep this pace?  Wait!  I wasn't going to think about that.  Just run!  And I did.  With every step I felt strong.  I didn't feel as if my feet were shuffling on the ground. I was running.  Through the whole run I didn't have a time when I felt like I needed a break. My body felt great, my mind felt great this is what I needed.

I am usually a patient person with other people but I am finding I am not so patient with myself.  I expect myself to be progressing faster than my body wants to.  Then I forget the whole reason I started enjoying running and it becomes a chore.  I have to remind myself that running is daily.  Each day is different and no two runs are the same.  Some days I may feel like crap and need a nap after a run and other days I may feel invigorated and ready to take on four kids, two cats and a husband! So I blogged about this last run so I can remember how a great run feels.  

I have been calling one of my friends each Monday this last month and we tell each other what healthy choice we are going to set as our goal for the week.  I have a hard time with the scale and loosing weight so I am making it about a healthy lifestyle and changing my bad habits for good ones (and hopefully that will help in the weightloss?)  My first goal was to drink more water.  Next was not eating after 8pm.  My third goal was to exercise early in the morning.  I should have re-thought that one it was a bad week to try that, but I have a goal for next week!  I can't say I have been perfect with all three of these goals, but I have made improvements.  This type of goal setting works for me because I don't feel like I am trying to do too much at one time.  It's manageable for me.

I'm going to remember that each run and each lifestyle change is daily.  I may have really good days and of course I will have bad days, but each day I'm doing something and in the long run I will be better for it!

*Image from Google pictures. 

Boston Marathon Course Tour

In honor of the Boston Marathon this Monday take a look at the course. There are three American women to watch, Kara Goucher, Desiree Davila, and Blake Russell.

Have any of you ever wanted to run the Boston Marathon? I know my sister has that goal.
I know some of you ran races this past weekend, or put in some mileage, chime in and let us know how you did. I ran this weekend with a babyjogger in the wind and it was hard. However, I did think of my friends running full/half marathons this weekend and that is what got me out the door. Thanks ladies.

who deserves the title of runner?

Mother of: 2 “beautiful little girls who are my inspiration”

I have decided: ”Runner” is a title you give yourself, and I’m giving to myself now. Anyone can run if they just decide to go and do it.

Okay so these pictures I copied from the blog http://anothermotherrunner.com/ I wanted you to look at these pictures of all sorts of different women who consider themselves runners. What makes somebody a runner? Is it natural born ability, is it mental toughness, is it how far and fast someone can go that makes them a runner? How can one person run a marathon and another only make it around her block? Is the first one a true runner and the other one just a hopeful woman who wants to be a runner? Do you have to have the approval of someone else to tell you that yes you qualify for the title of "runner"?
In my personal opinion anyone who laces up in whatever shoes they choose to wear and heads to the treadmill or out her front door can confidently call herself a runner. That woman that day can hold her head high no matter how far or how fast she is going. She does not need to qualify for Boston or have the approval of anyone to hold her title confidently. I believe that all this woman needs to do is to choose to run and she can consider herself a runner.

"She believed she could, so she did"

Believe in yourself and that is all you need. Believe in what your doing!!!!

Run on my friends!!!!