Registered!

I finally registered for the half marathon. No backing out now! WOOHOO!

track your run!

An interesting website where you can plan and track your running routes! Cool beans!

http://www.walkjogrun.net/

It's a Run

No great shakes on our four miles today except Vickie completed it with out stopping for the second time. Always glad it's done with. Feels like we accomplished something for the day:)

Morning Runs

Ok, I'm going to tell you guys a little known secret about me...you ready?

I'm not a morning person.

There. I said it. The cat's out of the bag!

Unfortunately, it seems that most races are in the morning. So this week I decided it was time I started incorporating morning runs into my workout, and trying to get used to it. Not only will this hopefully help me to feel acclimated and not shocked when I go to a race far far too early in the morning, but it will also allow me to try out different eating options to see what works for me (I tend to get really nauseated if I eat before I run...so if anyone has any good suggestions...I can easily do short runs without eating first, but above maybe five or six miles and I get hungry and run out of energy).

So this morning, I got up at 5:45 so I could run at 6:00. However, I didn't think about the fact that it's still dark that early, so I didn't end up going until 6:20 which meant I had to cut my 35 minute run down to 20 minutes. Nevertheless, it went pretty well. I was very tired, and didn't want to do it but I'm sure I'll get used to it after a while.

Also, last night I dreamt that a snake was on the trail and attacked me...like, saw me from several feet away and chased me down. Fortunately rattlesnakes aren't out in the cool mornings, so don't worry I didn't get bit to death.

END!

is this okay??

A friend here has asked if I'll run the 5k with my dog to benefit the Capital Area Humane Society. I've avoided so in the past because they wouldn't take my dog Macy, and she ended up in the county pound (where she waited for 2 months before we came along). So, should I run it with Macy and put a sign on her: "I was rejected by CAHS as unadoptable and look at me now"???

The thought of doing this is giving my odd motivation to run. I'm also thinking about doing the 5k that end on the field in Michigan Stadium--it would be my chance to spit on that ugly yellow M.

I need better reasons to run.

on celebrating the little things

I'm going to say it. I'll just be honest.

I REALLY like working out (aka swimming and running). My favorite part is strutting and flexing my new found muscles at the mirror and then singing along to Fergie's song "...up in the gym just working on my fitness!!" over and over again. Now, I'm not saying that I'm miss suave (hardly!) or that I don't still have a LONG way to go, but dammit I'm definitely in better shape than I was say, 6 months ago? That to me is awesome and something to be celebrated. Here's to the little things! (Like not having to suck it in to get your pants buttoned!)

I think its snapper time!! Cheers!!!

no more chafing

I signed up for a 5 K next week! And today I did some speed work during my usual run to get it use to running FAST!!!

I found a cool product for those of us with chafing issues: Bodyglide! Now I don't have to wear fat girl spandex shorts under my normal shorts on my long runs! Woohoo!!!

Running Gear by Vic

This is what got us over the hump today!!!!

A Momentous Occasion

Today Vickie ran the entire four miles!!!! To think last year at this time she was whining after walking two miles.

Run Runny Run

As Jenny mentioned, we are doing a half marathon in November. I am looking forward to it right now, but we'll see if my tune changes in a couple of months.

Until then, I have started my training this past week. My schedule consists of 2 days of cardio kickboxing because it's just plain badass, 3 days of running but ZERO consecutive days right now. I learned last time I get really burned out and tired if I run consecutive days, so I'm breaking the 3 days up with 2 days of swimming. This is especially necessary because apparently my lungs have decided to revolt. Curse them.

Anyway, I'm only running 20 minutes right now, but am bumping up to 30 tomorrow. I didn't feel like working at work so I took a few minutes to come up with the training schedule.

In the course of training, I am going to do both of these races, both to help with nerves on race day AND to help with running in the freaking morning:

Bridge to Bridge 12K

Faith Fancher Breast Cancer Challenge 5K

You all should do them too! Let's go!

half....?

Bekah and I are training to do a half marathon in November. You all are of course invited to join us!

http://www.clarksburgcountryrun.com/

Hope we don't die.

the end.

Running

The last two days sucked. The end.

death by pink Barbie car

She didn't look evil at all in her cute little pink car, golden curls the color of sunbeams shining in the late afternoon light. She couldn't be much older than 4, I thought to myself. It wasn't until I was a few paces away from her that she veered the Barbie car with its whining engine off of the paved path and onto the dirt I was jogging on. I realized she intended to hit me with her car. Luckily it wasn't fast in dirt and I had enough time to come to a stop, inches from her little pink bumper. She glared up at me, seeming disappointed she'd missed her target. As I stepped around her she slammed her dainty foot on the gas and spun her back tires until she was back on the path. I was almost hesitant to turn my back on the little devil. I never dreamed that a "close call with a car" while running would be in the form of a pink Barbie car with a four year old behind the wheel.

First 5K

Vickie and I ran for the Boobies. Vic's first 5K and she kicked butt at 36:42!!!!

where I want to be when I grow up

On the eve of my upcoming birthday I had an epiphany...I'm going to be 28 and that means I only have two more years before I'm 30!!! *gasps and cue the dramatic music* I whine to myself....but, but I thought I'd be so cool by now!!! With the new quarter not even three weeks behind me I decided it was about time I started taking my life more seriously than my studies (please no one tell my advisor this).

As a result of my impending birthday I have decided it is time to meet some of those goals I set myself when I was like 12. By the time I am thirty I wanted to...

• be able to speak another language
  
• completed a triathlon
  
• written a novel
• be healthy (um, what does that mean?)
• play a musical instrument
  

There are more but I think those few are enough for now...no sense in overwhelming myself now is there?

So, three weeks ago I started on the list above. So far I've started cooking more delicious and nutritions foods (like, yesterday I made a delicious Mexican Bean Salad...so good!) . I also started working out three times a week and running.

While I'm nowhere near meeting the above goals I have at least started something. That's worth a little bit of celebrating right? RIGHT?!?!

New shoez

I bought new running shoes today.

Then I ran up all but one of the 8 blocks of the hill from hell.

YAY!

on being a failure

Dude, this sucks. So I went for a "run" the other day and it really hurt and I mostly walked. I wanted to cry. All I could think about were the good old days (think last summer) when I was running 5 to 7 mile runs no problem and now I can't go around the block without my shines feeling like I'm running through fire!

Slowly but surely I guess, right??

Running

I'm making Jenny do the cowtown half marathon. Supposedly you get a cow bell at the end. I mean, HELL-O how could we NOT do this.

Anyway running sucks. I've gone 3 times so far this week and the first one I swear to God I am now 200lbs 'cause that's how much I felt like I was dragging down the street. The other two were much easier though, thank God, but they still sucked. I don't remember being this slow before.

I need new running shoes, though. Jess' face exhibited nothing less than horror when she examined mine yesterday. Hopefully that will help some.

Also, anyone who is anyone is doing the Bay to Breakers run in May, although, sadly, they have banned nudity and drinking this year. I highly doubt that will stop anyone...except the mail room man I know who plans to find a flesh-colored speedo and attach "something" to it. I hope he either runs a lot faster than me or a lot slower...most likely faster at the rate I'm going.

I went running. The end.

Wind, Rain, and Running.

Do not mix!!!!! With April 26th looming out there we are trying to get back into the routine of running. Seeing a break in the rain we took off on our four mile run but we both were caught in a down pour that turned in to a sideways rain with the wind. I finished, grabbed the car a rescued Vic who had a mile to go. We decided running sucks.

yeah....

Alright! Alright!! *throws hands in the air* I will admit, I've been lazy. I have ran probably three time since I've been back from my holiday. It just seems school holds your life screaming by the throat out the window of a fast moving car and says, "HAHA SUCKA! Now whacha gonna do!?!" I always give in and beg, "please just let me live!!!!" It lets me....but barely.

But that is over now!!! I am tired of letting this thing called school hold my life ransom!! I will rise up in revolution! (...me and my cells!) Together we will over come this bourgeoisie rule! ....wait...that's Marx, *cough* wrong revolution...but you get the picture. Anyway, so what really made me start thinking about how wimpy I am and how I need to whip this ass into shape is the 11 mile hike up the side of a mountain I went on last weekend at Pinnacles National Monument. It was awesome and I felt really bad ass once we were done and my whimpering had subsided. But the day after I thought I was going to have to ask someone to shoot me seeing I couldn't move, roll over in bed, sit on the toilet or NOT do anything that didn't make every muscle in my body scream bloody murder. Just so you can get an idea of how hard this hike was, here is a picture of Bekah and I half way up the mountain....


As you can see, we are suffering.

So, like I was saying I realized I'm a big lump and although I have a good excuse, scary professors who are ready to swoop down on your dying corpse at the first sign of weakness or slacking, I really need to get in shape.

After our hike I went to the gym the next couple of days just to help alliviate the stiffness of my muscles. What I found was after I went to the gym I was actually more productive and less stressed out. Picture me before the gym: hyped up on coffee and worrying about the state of her fieldnotes, do they have all the right details, did I remember everything, etc etc. Now picture me walking out of the gym: "I'm the king of the world!!! Hear me roar! Who gives a shit about fieldnotes! Actually, what fieldnotes? Those fieldnotes? Oh, I already finished them in my sleep!"

So yeah, at least I'm going to the gym now. Next step, running outside.

7 Degrees

I haven't run outside for a while. I have been using the treadmill at work and that is just plain boring. So today I went for a four mile run here at home and it was a great run. Chilly but rewarding. A pleasant reminder of why I do this. Now that I have accomplished this I don't have to do anything more today *looks away from Vic's icy "yes you do" stare*.

I am a running GODDESS! *not*

I ran yesterday and I have a bum leg to show for it!

I will PREVAIL!!!! *Shakes fist in air*


Coming soon to theaters near you: Jenny K's running makeover plan. Stay tuned!!!

Slackers UNITE

So um, has anyone run lately?

My name is Bekah and I've been off running for almost 4 weeks now...