Crawling into the New Year (2013)

As you can tell from the gap between my posts that these feet nor my Nike's have not seen the road, the treadmill or any more mileage for that matter. Unfortunately, my positive energy and spirits were quickly caged after my last run where I felt the "Dog days being over." It fact, I was quite wrong about them being over and the truth was there were starting over. It wasn't but two days later I found myself once again a victim of the wicked illness most commonly known as a cold. This was round two since October 28th and as you might imagine being a walking, coughing, stuffing head, red nosed petri-dish of germs makes it very difficult to resume a workout routine.

Over the last few weeks I have missed the quality time I get with myself when I run. Being that it is the holidays season the air has been filled with everything merry and bright with a little bit of chaos thrown in for good measure. Being healthy and being able to pound out the very long, stressful to do lists in preparation of the holidays would have been a bonus gift I would have liked to give myself. Alas, it wasn't in the holiday cards for me; however, I was given a extra dose of inspiration to kick start 2013 from my family. Even through I haven't been able to run most of this holiday season the ones closest to me understood how important learning to run has become to me and through the gifts of winter beanie hats and ear warmer headbands I felt their underlining encouragement and support for my goal.

Although I won't be running into the New Year I will consider this crawling over the finish line of 2012 only to learn how to walk, run in 2013. Like most average non-runners when you take several weeks off from running your have to crawl before you walk or in this case run. The first order of business is to give an eviction notice to the "Mucinex family" living in my lungs. (see Mucinex commercial for reference)

The next steps are as simple as lacing up my Nike's, plugging in my Iphone complete with a new motivation play-list and starting the race slow and steady.

My running goals for 2013 are simple or one could say "baby steps." I want to re-run two of the 5k races I did in 2012. The Oklahoma City National Memorial and the Color Run are both on the list for a re-run. Not because I am trying to compete for a better time but because I had so much fun! I am hoping to make both of these and annual event. I would like to add a half marathon, running in cold weather and doubling my 2012 mileage. I was hoping to end 2012 with 200 miles under my feet but due to the Mucinex family as I referenced above that won't be happening. So next year, I would like to hit 400 miles before I run into 2014.

Wish me luck on making these goals a reality!

Happy New Me!!  Happy New Year!

Miles 176.6 to 190.2 - "The Dog Days are OVER"

It was time! I had to jump back on the wagon before Santa arrived with his sleigh full of sugar cookies, puppy chow, brownies, and of course sugar plums. I will say that maybe I should have not "jumped" back on the wagon but instead slowly skipped. In the last two weeks I have only been able to put another 13 miles under my belt or should I say under my shoes. I was so excited about getting back into my routine after five weeks of being a walking, coughing, tissue holding germ carrier. I behaved like a little kid on Christmas morning driving right into tearing through the pretty packages without even admiring the ribbons. My excitement and enthusiasm lead me to running three miles that first day and adding fourteen flights of stairs. What can I say the high had taken over and I felt like Rocky climbing the ultimate staircase of success. After my workout I was still riding on the high and finished out my day with a little Christmas shopping walking around the mall. I am sure by now everyone can assume what happened next. When I woke the next morning my legs were on fire! With every step and every bend I could feel my muscles stretch as if I were sling shooting a rubber band. I did my best to stretch but with every movement I was sure I was going to lose the use of my legs.
So much for getting back on the wagon for my "routine." It took my four days of rest and one day of walking before I could attempt a jog. Lesson dually noted!

Today was my second attempt at hitting the treadmill in a full on jog/run to figure out if I was back to my old self. I am happy to report it was successful. The moment I knew I was back is when I heard the beats of the first song and proceeded to run the entire 3.44 minutes before realizing that I wasn't concentrating on the physical act of running. I wasn't having to talk myself into one more minute or one more mile. The sounds, the thoughts and my feet were once again working in harmony!

 

"Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father
Run for your children, for your sisters and brothers
Leave all your love and your longing behind
You can't carry it with you if you want to survive"

~Lyrics from "Dog Days are Over" Florence + The Machine

Back to the Future

I think before I can bring you to present day I need to finish telling my back story.

Source: Pinterest

Once I had decided that I was going to make the commitment to become a "runner" I had to find my motivation. So I looked to the thing I love most...MUSIC!! Now most "professional" runners would say if you are good runner you shouldn't listen to music while running because you are suppose to be listening to your breathing, etc. I can totally respect that angle; however, I am not a professional and at this point I wasn't even an amateur so I needed all the motivation I could find.

My first playlist:



These are some of the songs that pushed me through learning how to run that first mile without stopping for the occasional walk/run to catch my breath. They are you typical upbeat pop songs that you would hear at any gym; however, for me there were my personal cheerleaders. Depending on the kind of day I was having there would be a least one song that would resenate with me and I found myself getting lost in the lyrics and what they were teaching me at that moment.

My first "kick-butt" song that I quickly made what Nike calls my "powersong" was Kelly Clarkson's "What doesn't Kill You Makes You Stronger." Although the song was is written in a relationship format when you are pouring with sweat, hearing your heartbeat behind the bass of the music and wanting to quite the song becomes your personal coach. I would grit my teeth and as I purged all the weak thoughts not only about running but about the stress life was bringing to my door. Because "what doesn't kill you makes you a fighter, footsteps even lighter." ~Kelly Clarkson

Every song on this playlist found it's way there because A) I like the song and B) they became my cheer sections and my inspiration to keep running.

I have now moved onto a new playlists but sometimes when I am feeling like I need a little push I go back to my cheer squad!

Hope you enjoy them and that maybe one will inspire you to be stronger, see the light when there is no light, give you the strength you need to push you, get your kicks pumped up and while doing all of that remind you to have FUN!

Good Luck!!

"Remember...it is a marathon, not a sprint."

From there to here...

Where to begin? I guess I should take you back to the time before I took my first step of the 176.6 miles to tell you how I got from there to here.

I have never been an "official" runner. I wasn't the track star in high school and since then I have not developed an obsession for fitness. (Although some days I wish I had that discipline because weight management would be so much easier. I am just your average 5'ft woman who loves chocolate, wine and all things tasty.)

Source: Pinterest

In my younger years I was involved in all kinds of sports but after graduation and college the passion to play didn't linger. I found that as the years pasted exercising became more of a chore than a way to "play" and it became less and less of a priority. I remember times when I was working out and I would think to my self "I wish I could be a runner." I am not talking about running on a treadmil for hours at a time but the kind of runner that laces up their Nike's even when it is pouring rain, snowing or on vacation at a beautiful beach. The kind of runner that runs from the soul and not to check off "daily exercise" from their to day to day checklist.  

In February this year I turned 31 and I found myself feeling trapped in the mundane routine of life. I had completed school, established a career and found love. Although it took years to accomplish all of these great things in my short lifetime I couldn't help but wonder if this was what the rest of my life was going to be like. All my great accomplishment behind me and now part of a "when I was younger story."

After a couple of weeks of this reoccurring feelings and thoughts I had come to the conclusion that although I had accomplished many great things there was still more that I wanted to accomplish. I had come to the realization that I had transitioned out of a learning phase of life and into steady state. Not that steady state is a bad thing but for my life I realized steady state involved busy work days that kept my mind, body and emotions stressed. Along with the stress of a career I was also a full time partner, daughter, sister and a friend. I love all of these things about my steady state I just didn't want that to be all that my lift was about. I wanted my life to be full, have depth, color and a multitude of personal experiences and growth.

Source: Pinterest

These are the thoughts that lead me to taking the first step out of the steady state and back into a learning phase; however, this learning phase was not about career or education it was about becoming a better me. I choose becoming a runner as my first phase in the learning process because it would allow me to get the exercise I need as the years keep coming but it also allowed me time for just me. This was an hour of the day that could be for my music (which I love and wasn't getting to do enough listening), my thoughts and decompressing from all the stress of life. Let's be honest the steady state of life is always going to be there so this was a perfect way to take a "time out" just for me.



Source: Pinterest

Over the last ten months and 176.6 miles I have been learning to become a "soul runner." With every pound of my heartbeat, the thumping of my feet hitting the ground and the music in my ears I am finding my place as a runner.

My goal from this point forward is to become a better running and to take the next step in the learning phase and become a better writer. That is where this blog begins.

My journey from this point forward will be about documenting what I am still learnering about becoming a runner, how I keep myself motivated, the music that helps to keep me motivated and the my random thoughts blaze a path through my mind while I am having my quality time.

Remember "it is a marathon, not a sprint." ;-)

P.S. If you haven't noticed I am in love with quotes.