Run the Race

I have not blogged in a long time, but that doesn't mean that life has stopped. We are in full throttle mode here in the Kyle household.
Dave has become a lieutenant in the fire department (so proud of him!)
Ashley is in her second year of cheer (go DE)
Ryan has started VPK and today is his first tee ball game
Lexi is almost 2 (WHAT?!?! How did that happen?)
and I am almost done training for the Wine and Dine Half Marathon in 2 weeks :)

Busy times and I don't want to forget any of it- so I will be blogging again.

I will leave you with this inspirational thought from the Lord:

"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize."
1 Corinthians 9:24

Happy Running,

Jama

Another Half Marathon is on the Horizon

Week	Mon	Tue	Wed	Thur	Fri	Sat	Sun
1	cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	rest	5 m pace	6
2	cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	rest	3 m run	7
3	cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	rest	5 m pace	6
4	cross	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	rest	6 m pace	8
5	cross	3 m run	6 m run	3 m run	rest	6 m run	9
6	cross	3 m run	5 m run	3 m run	rest	6 m pace	9
7	cross	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	rest	7 m pace	7
8	cross	4 m run	7 m run	4 m run	rest	7 m run	8
9	cross	4 m run	5 m run	4 m run	rest	7 m pace	10
10	cross	4 m run	8 m run	4 m run	rest	8 m pace	11
11	cross	5 m run	8 m run	5 m run	rest	8 m run	12
12	cross	5 m run	5 m run	5 m run	rest	8 m pace	13

I AM a Princess

Well- I finished the Princess Half Marathon and I know that should be enough BUT I finished it in the time that I wanted to 2'16"10!!!

It was an amazing experience and I am just chomping to find another race soon :)

My recap is a little haphazard but I just want to remember as much as I can.

I honestly do not understand why Disney required runners to arrive at the starting line so stinking early! It may have had something to do with the 13,000 runners but other marathons don't require you to be there 2 hours ahead of time. It was a very chilly 38 when we arrived at Epcot at 4 a.m. (why oh why) where we sat in my van with the seat warmers going full out until about 4:30. We sadly had to leave the warmth and walked toward to potties ( which for a Disney race -there was hardly a line and they had 3 different locations GREAT JOB ON THIS DISNEY) and then headed through the bag check tents to walk to the starting line. I did read the packet instructions where it said it is a 1/4 mile walk to the start- which I really didn't listen to but I wish I had. We walked in a HUGE circle (over the 1/4 mile) all bundled together and all of this before running a single step. I am guessing once again, that this is because of the number of runners because at 4:30 a.m. it didn't make much sense to me.

We finally arrived at the location of the start and made our way into the corrals. We lined up with the others that were in corral B and then the waiting began. Now, I knew we would be waiting for awhile- nearly an hour and a half before we started running but it was sooooo cold. So, first suggestion to Disney...if the temperature is under 40 please get some of those big heaters and have then set up if you have to have us wait to start for 2 hours. I think all the runners would really appreciate it. So T and I hung out, tried to stay as warm as possible, and chit chatted with the other people around us. We complained a lot about being cold but in the afterglow of a great finish, I don't remember that all too much. Then all of a sudden it was 6 a.m. and time to get started.

We took off at 6:07 and I was so cold from standing outside in 30 degree weather that my toes were a tad frozen. So we started running and I had a plan for this race. I really just looked at is another long run with a lot of people I didn't know. I started running and the pace was a little slower than my usual because i honestly couldn't feel my toes for the first 3 miles. The first 2 miles went by so quickly but i knew they would because you try to get into "your" zone while you have all of these other people trying to get into theirs too. There were the typical people who are so excited to start, that they begin sprinting right from the beginning and there was also those that were walking from the start as well. I figured as long as I just did what I normally did that we would be ok. We hit mile 3 and when I could feel my toes again I began to just look around and enjoy the other runners. My 5k stats were 00:34:08. T and I kept plugging along and at mile 5 were approaching the Magic Kingdom. I have done many Disney races in the past but I do believe that this was my favorite (except for the waiting around). I also knew, that people would be stopping left and right to take pictures during this race, especially in front of the castle. We raced through and saw a ton of characters, they also had the floats from the parade out with the characters around them as well for pictures (which many runners took advantage of). 10K stats were 1:06:30. Miles 7-10, I knew beforehand were going to be long and BORING!!!! and they did not disappoint. 15K stats were 1:38:14. By mile 10 I was still having a ton of fun and I knew I only had to run a 5k. The lat 3 miles where a lot of hills (aka expressway ramps) but then we ran back into Epcot and I knew that we were almost done. I did get a little sad when approaching the finish line. Then it was over in a short 02:16:10. I am so happy that I did it and am proud that I was able to accomplish this race in the time that I was shooting for. Now I have to go and look for another race:)

Training with kids

I have no idea how all the mom's out there find the time to balance all of their home duties with training for any type of enduarance event. My husband is a firefighter, and he works shifts so training can be a tad tricky but I feel it is important enough to my sanity that I find time (pretty much).
I would love to be able to run whenever I want to but sadly, once you have children your priorities must change. This last weekend was a prime example of that.
I knew the Gasparilla Half and full marathons were this weekend. I was very tempted to sign up- knowing that I would be done running well before Ashely had to perform. What I did not know was that I would have runners all over the same convention center taunting ( not really) me every second. My mantra was "my daughter comes first" which is always a dilema for my training.
How do you justify all the hours you spend training away from your family?At this point with the Princess Half only 5 days away, I can still only justify 2 hours once a week and I still feel like I am taking away something from my family. Whether it be just the time spent training or researching products, how much is too much?
Don't get me wrong, I love running! Balancing though isn't a strong suit of mine- so how do you balance??

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

A little out of sorts

So, it has been a really long time since I have blogged. I decided to change the focus of my blog back to what my focus should be. I tried to make a blog about just my family and that did not turn out so well. Then I tried to make a blog based solely on my running and after a while even I was tired of hearing about my running, so I decided to just be my myself and make a blog where I can focus on writing on all of the things that are going on in the Kyle household.
My husband left this morning to fly to New Jersey to drive a truck down to Mississippi for his mothers company. He has been doing this since last October and we are on the last one. He flies up, drive the truck to the Salvation Army and then he flies home. Usually this isn't that big of a deal (although I am without him for a couple of days) but it just so happens that this time when he comes home he will be going on a business trip to Las Vegas to do 2 trade shows for the same company and won't be home until March 10th. Yes, my husband is a fireman but he is able to swap shifts when he has to go to trade shows and this definitely helps us tremendously in the financial department.
So, he flew out this morning and I had scheduled for Ashley and Ryan to get their physicals for the upcoming school year. I should have known that my day wouldn't go as I planned it out. I honestly don't know why I think that it should. Once we arrived at the pediatrician they weighed and measured and all looked great. Then, they decided that Ryan needed an eye exam. I wasn't too concerned until he started to read the chart. He was allowed to miss 2 per line and he did not do well. After the eye exam, Dr. Carroll came in and let me know that Ashley and Ryan would need to get shots today.
*** great I thought- there goes my day***
He looked Ryan over and everything else was great. He is in the 95th percentile for height and weight. Ashley is in the 53rd percentile for both too. Then he told me that Ashley would need to go to St. Pete to see an ENT doctor, which we kinda knew already.
But see, both of these appointments will be while Dave is out of town. I have no idea how those single mom's out there do it. Having my kids and driving them all over Florida is a FULL TIME JOB.
Oh, and the half marathon that I have been training for, for the last 5 months is NEXT WEEK as well. I am so ready for it to be here and for me to run it already.

My Lexi just woke up so I will just have to finish up this post a little later- hopefully after a nice long run and a half an hour listening to God telling me to "be still and know him better."

Happy 4th Birthday Ry

You will always be the most special boy in this world to me :0)
love always- Mommy

A slow day

Yesterday was a crazy day...we went to Ashley's Mini Team practice and was asked if she could be moved up and do the Youth team as well- oh yeah and the first competition is tomorrow(HA). So she stayed at Dynasty from 9-2 for the double practice and she also has practice Monday from 12-4 and then the competition that night. I am so proud of her but my day did not go the way I thought it was going to.
This morning I got up and ran a very SLOW 6 miles by myself. I really enjoyed the quiet time and was proud that I mentally could run without talking to anyone for an hour :)
When I got home all my kids were coughing so I utilized a new feature at our church called http://woodlandlive.com. I was able to watch church while keeping my kids home and in bed how cool is that. Here is what Pastor Tim's message was about I hope you enjoy what I learned :

CREST
Connect-Reach-Equip- Service-Trust
Living on top of the mountain
Top, side, in the valley- god wants us to move toward the crest of the mountain
Reaching with good news

God Loves you and wants to be a part of your family
Everybody wants to be loved
God’s purpose has not changed
Isaiah 61:1; Luke 4:18-19
Luke 19:10
Poor are people without spiritual things- people that need the good news
Jesus came to seek and to save the lost and that should be our purpose
1. It’s a Spirit thing.
Anointed with power from the Holy Spirit- set apart because we have the good news.
He gives us power.- stronger the presence- the stronger our witness
Help the brokenhearted. (Disappointed )
Blinded by living for the wrong things
Speak of freedom from living the roller coaster life
Peak happiness- pleasure when pleasure goes down
Peak joy find in Christ
Life is dependant on being loved and I am loved by god
He motivates us.
Acts 4:31
Pray- fill-speak (boldly)
When holy spirit fills us we automatically speak boldly the words of Christ.
We need to be filled in every aspect of our lives by the holy spirit

Prayer Spirit Speak


The more filled with spirit of god the more I speak for God.
Need to charge our batteries through prayer.
Find the things distracting us from God then let prayer attack that thing to zap it out of our lives.
Need some spiritual shocks!!!
When shocked in life you stand up and are bold with God’s message and you look like Life
He teaches us.

Don’t speak because afraid….more concerned about people’s opinions of you.
Afraid because you don’t know what to say
Matthew 10:19-20

People don’t need to hear YOU they need to hear GOD!! So don’t be afraid to share.
Our problem is putting ourselves out there- do we trust him to help us.
If spirit filled take the steps to speak anyway- through trusting in God.
Takes the excuse of the not sharing of Christ- use your story to help change people’s lives.
When we do that- that is when we reach others.

Happy Running!!

Baby it's cold outside- still

This morning I got up bring and early at 5 to go for a 5 miler of course. I put on my cold weather clothes ( really need to buy another jacket) and headed out by myself with my faithful ipod. I really am enjoying the morning. I was going to try to run with the Lakewood Ranch Running Club but my options were run from 4:30-6 a.m. or 6-7 a.m. and one was too early and the other too late for me to get home and get the kids ready. I planned on going at a slower pace and I did not disappoint myself. I really wanted to roll back over and stay in bed but I am working on the mental aspect of pushing myself when I don't really want to do things so out the door I went. I passed 2 runners on my way back in and we each did the obligatory wave. By the time I got home I had run 5.16 on the trusty Garmin and I was still cold.
I am really excited for the weekend and the reappearance of running in my shorts. Oh how I am missing my shorts!

Happy Running!!

The road to good intentions

Did I mention that I live in Florida? Did I also mention that the temperature has been consistently below 40 degrees for the last 2 weeks? Did I mention that I have been running consistently in weather under 30 because I usually run before the sun comes up to avoid the wind? This has been my crazy running life and I do not know how people up North or anywhere the temps stay cold do any long distance exercise outside. My run times have been quicker than normal because I guess I have been trying to run faster to avoid being outside. Luckily I have had my FIL here to watch my kids so I haven't had to push them in the jogger for some time. I do know however, that those days are coming to an end but I also think that the cold weather is coming to an end too. I am not quite sure exactly how many days until the Princess Half but I do know that as long as I stick to my plan and don't get hurt that I will be just fine.
Bad news is M broke her knee cap so sadly she will not be running it with me (she did break it falling while running). This just means that mentally I need to prepare to running alone. I did an early 5 miles alone this week and it went really good. I think I am also becoming a morning runner since cheerleading is taking up every evening during the week.
My plan is usually to get up around 5 a.m. and depending on the plan- running, then coming home getting my kids up and ready for school, and then being the bus driver I am the rest of the day, until cheer practice hits at 5:30 and we usually don't get home until 8ish, then bed routines with meals interspersed throughout the day. So the morning it seems is the only time that I have to be able to get my miles in and if I don't BEWARE of the cranky mom!

This weekend is mandatory cheer practice because Monday night Ash has her first CHEER competition. If you all remember from earlier, I was not too thrilled to be forced into this new role as cheer mom and I don't really think I make a good one. Well this will all be getting tested this coming Monday at the Manatee County Fair. Yes, I said the fair- you know with livestock and carney rides and weird people. Why wouldn't I want to parade by beautiful daughter decked out in her short cheer uniform in front of these strange people. Did I mention my daughter is 6? Needless to say, I have already told Ashley that I will not be letting her out of my site during the entire time that we are at the fair and that as soon as we are allowed to leave - we will be! I know, not the best attitude going in -but I am working on it.

Ryan's birthday is in about a month and we are throwing him a party at the local bounce house place. I feel that he gets the short end of the stick sometimes so we are going all out for my boy to turn 4. He really has no clue that he is having this party (it's not a surprise) but he really doesn't care about things like birthdays, presents. If you were to ask him what he wants he will probably tell me something like he wants a ball or something silly like that. I love my boy and am so sad that he is growing up.

Alexis- oh my lord the child can get into some trouble. She usually warms up to people pretty quickly BUT not my FIL. It has taken her 2 full weeks to not cry when he is in the same room. That also has contributed to my 5 a.m. running since I couldn't leave her with him crying for an hour straight. She also is now walking everywhere and she has given up on baby food for good. She shakes her head NO when trying to feed her anything with a spoon because she feels that it is baby food (even when it isn't). She gets into EVERY cabinet in the house and the nail polish I have under my vanity is her favorite thing to bang on the floor ( and she did break one when I was with Ashley at cheer and I left her with my FIL!) She is also the smiliest baby I have ever had and her little giggle cracks me up.

That is what we have been up to lately I WILL be better at updating- I WILL!!

Happy Running!!!

2010 - wow

So, I am a blog slacker- sue me (but please don't)! It seems as though as each day passes the busier that i become. Being a stay at home mom is a crazy job. Winter break is almost over (HALL-E-LU-JAH!!!) and my kids will be going back to school in 2 days. I have survived visits from every member of our immediate family and have come out of it almost unscathed. We have had people in our house for the last month and we have at least 2 more weeks of our last visitor so running has been my saving grace these last few weeks.

I have found that if people start to really bother me I can leave my kids with them and run out all of the frustration then come home and be the loving family member that I am.

Lexi started walking this last week and although I am sad about it, I am also happy that I do not have to lug her around everywhere. Ashley has her first cheer competitions this month and I still don't think that I am ready for it. Ryan is COMPLETELY potty trained- no diapers at all which is pretty impressive for me right now.

I am training for the half-marathon at Disney on March 7 and training is going extremely well. My goal for 2010 is to be more consistent in the things that I choose to do and blogging is one of those things, so keep coming back because I can guarantee that there is going to be a lot of fun going on here this next year!!

Happy Running!!!

Jingle Bell 5K

It was first and foremost a lot of fun!!
There was a lot leading up to this 5k because my parents were not able to come and watch my kids and I DO NOT leave them with people I don't know. So then M was going to watch them for me and that ended up falling through too. So there I am with a race and 3 kids. T worked it out so that I could leave Ashley with her parents and kids during the actual race and we decided that I would run pushing the baby jogger. At the time the thought of pushing the jogger wasn't too bad (although I dislike pushing the jogger under normal circumstances). Of course the circumstances became not normal when the temperature dropped to 55 instead of 85 and I started having mommy guilt over pushing my munchkins in that temperature.
I decided to just go and have fun. I went to good old Target and got hats for my kiddies brought a blanket to wrap around them and we were ready to go.
What I wasn't prepared for was the amount of people involved in this 5k. The first mile I spent trying to dodge walkers (yes I said walkers) and not hitting those who took off to quickly and felt the need to just STOP in the middle of the street. Mile 1 was fun to run but not to race and definitely not easy with the jogger. Mile 2 was along the street that was covered in Christmas lights and then went along the river. It was windy and chilly but the kids thought it was so fun. We couldn't even actually cross the finish running at Mile 3.1 because everyone had stopped and were chit chatting and I did hit the lady who just STOPPED right in front of me ( i apologized).
T and I ran the whole time and finished in 33 minutes which considering the jogger and maneuvering the masses I thought was pretty good. Did I mention that it was fun?
I would love to run it next year-minus my kids (i love them but i don't like pushing them).
Happy Running!!

Yes, I took a break :)

Mostly I just took a break from blogging because I really had nothing interesting to say. We have been in crunch mode around our house. Dave had foot surgery so instead of taking care of 3 kids I have been taking care if 4 kids- haha! I have been running and I actually went for a 10 miler tonight with T. It was so much fun for me (don't know if T thought the same). It was only supposed to be 9 but we got a little lost (really need to just buy the garmin) and ended up doing 10. We have Ashley's first cheer competition this weekend. I am so extremely nervous for her and since I honestly have no clue how she does the things she does I am also so proud. So after this weekend I am going to start blogging a little more consistently again. Dec 14 officially starts training for the half marathon but I feel like I could do one next week so I am just going to enjoy following a plan again and enjoy running with my buddies.

Thanks for being concerned about me but I am doing really good.

Happy Running!!!

Remembering...

I have wanted to sit down and write this post for 2 days but I didn't have a second to myself (which I think was a good thing). On October 30, 2008 I went into labor and I staying in labor for 3 weeks. I remember that day as clearly as if it was yesterday and in many ways to me it feels like it was only yesterday. I was 33 weeks pregnant and enjoying my day. I picked up Ash from kindergarten and started having contractions. I came home and laid down, drank some water, but they were getting closer together so Dave and I shuffled the kids to our emergency people, called my parents to come get them and went to the hospital. If you had told me then that I would have to stay there I would have laughed in your face. I figured we would go in, get a shot, maybe be admitted for a day and go back to my life until Lexi was ready to come out. Soooo not what happened.

I did go in and get the shot, many of them but the contractions were still there pretty hard but not painful and they were not stopping. I remember the nurse telling me they were going to put me on MAG and that I would want to die for 3 days and then I would feel better. Dave asked how long I would have to stay and she said "you may be here for 2 weeks" and we chuckled.

They started the MAG and they have to get you in a "theraputic" and yet not "toxic" range. First bolus put me in the "toxic" range. Oh yeah did I mention it makes you REALLY HOT (I still think I am recovering from this). I could not lift my head because it makes you really dizzy, I felt like my skin was being burned off (which it was from the heat coming out of my pores) I could barely function and I honestly don't remember much from those 3 days. I was violently ill and scared that any sudden movement would cause my water to break. The weird part is that I was never worried about Lexi. I knew that she was fine because I had daily ultrasounds for the next 2 weeks during my stay. I had really great nurses who always tried to talk with me and would let me know my options (although leaving was never one of them). I had contractions for the next 2 weeks at least 12-15 maybe more an hour but my body didn't feel them. I was on an antibiotic which apparently I was allergic too which no one figured out until I went into labor. I stayed on the dreaded MAG for those 2 weeks. My body was HOT but they kept my room at about 50 degrees. People would visit me in parkas and I would sit there in my gown and no blankets.

AND I CHANGED

it is really hard to explain how. I felt guilty for not being home with my kids and husband. I think that was the worst part of the whole ordeal was that I was stuck there. I often said it felt like prison to me because I could not leave. It was probably the hardest thing I have ever had to go through and I was lucky. My Lexi was healthy. She was active and growing and when she graced us with her presence at exactly 36 weeks she was gorgeous.

and look where we are today...

I am thankful for her and I am still a different person than I was on October 30, 2008. A friend told me that there are scars and there are but what a great prize right?

Oh and one of me and the brood :)

Happy Running!!

Tower of Terror Recap

I loved it!!! my M not so much :(

Dave and I drove over Saturday morning and checked in to the Gaylord Palms ( favorite hotel ever!) and then went to packet pick up at the Wide World of Sports. At this point we found out that we could buy tickets to the post race party so Dave could see me finish and I think this is where I became really excited to do the race. Earlier in the week I didn't think he would be able to be at the finish so after we bought his ticket I was so relieved that he wouldn't have to waste an hour and a half in the parking lot that I just vowed to relax and enjoy.

We met up with M and J and their significant others and went to Wolfgang Puck for lunch at Downtown Disney.

*I definitely had a nutrition goal for my pre-race and it went wonderfully.

I had the best pumpkin ravioli and some bread for lunch- it was seriously so good. M and J went to packet pick up and then we went back to the hotel for naps. Yes the naps that didn't happen because I could not turn my mind off and I kept going over the course in my head. Well my body was able to relax I guess which may have helped too. We went to Columbia for dinner and I had more bread and a salad. At this point it was getting close to 7 and we had to be at the park by 9 p.m. (normally in bed by 9)

We went back to the hotel to get dressed and I had a major dilemma- what to wear. I had my outfit picked out but it was a little cooler than usual, about 67ish and I didn't know if I should wear capris or a shirt over my running tank. Decided to just run in my original outfit and my Zensah leg sleeves.

WE got to the MGM parking lot and waited for J to arrive. I really had to use the restroom so I ate my hammer bar, kissed my hubs goodbye and told him i would see him at the finish and went to meet J at the start . I was still not feeling as nervous as usual but excited. Asked someone where the porta potties were and they said we had to use bathroom by MGM. So we walked that way then were told that those bathrooms were closed (in a rude manner) and that we needed to go back the way we just came from. By now I really had to go so I wasn't in a joking mood with the Disney workers. Finally found the potties which were right next to the starting line. Not the best place for the porta potties because it created a big mass of people right where we were supposed to be corralled for the race.

I used the potties and stood in line in the corral with J and M. WE all had our ipods in case they had to drop back or if we got separated. I was planning on staying with M to the end unless she had to stop but I am getting ahead of myself. At 10:30 the fireworks went off and we started, well we walked to the start because there were A LOT of people lined up WRONG and that was a tad annoying. We started and I already had gone over the course so I knew were every mile marker was. My plan was to take 2 chomps at the start, 1 at mile 4, and 1 at mile 7 to get me to the finish. Miles 1 & 2 were just getting out of the crowd of people and at 2 we had to run down a dirt path leading back into the Wide World of Sports. Miles 3 & 4 was running through Wide World of Sports fields. We were on the sidewalk running and then ran around a track, at this point J decided that she was going to fall back which was cool. She did a great job! At mile 4 we took out chomp and M said she felt ok. I knew that from mile 4-6 it was the MOST BORING part of the whole course. We were on the main road leading to MGM and we had to run up and down the ramps. M started to hurt about this time and I was trying to encourage her to do what she felt she needed to. Mile 6 was right outside of MGM and we had just run this 2 weeks ago. I was feeling really good still but M was not. She told me to go and that is just what i did.
I felt awesome so I picked up my pace and I had the BEST 2 MILES EVER!! I was running faster than I ever have and I was having so much fun. I was passing people left and right and I just kept picking it up. I got to mile 7 and took my chomp and I did my last mile in 8 MINUTES!!!!! There was a hill leading up to mile 8 but I was totally mentally prepared for it and was having so much fun that it might have been flat ground for all my body knew. I flew up that silly hill saw the 8 mile marker and knew I was only a turn from the finish. My endurance was definitely built up because I wasn't even tired. I crossed the finish smiling because my watch said 1:24.01 and Dave was there taking my pic and telling me great job!! I really feel like I could have ran 5 more that night. I have never felt better running than during the 13K. M came in at 1:35 and J at 1:39. M was having knee issues and could barely walk so we went back to the the hotel and I had to take Dave to the airport the next morning but since I was still on my running high not sleeping wasn't much of a problem.

M is taking about a month off but I ran today and realized that I still love it. I love running 3 miles just as much as I did the 8.

They aren't doing this race again but there is a replacement and I will definitely be signing up for it when registration opens Nov 16th.

Happy Running!!

Tower of Splendor

AWESOME RACE
Full report coming soon but i finished the 13K in
1:24.01
WOO HOO!!!

Race Across The Sky- Leadville Trail 100

Am I ready?

Well, today was my last long run before the 13K- what is it with all the K's anyways and why when you get to a half does it finally go to miles- ok off topic. So the race is 8.01 miles. Today I ran at 11:45 a.m. and I did 7 miles by myself no M or T to run with me. I have NEVER ran anything over 5 by myself so this was a big deal for me. My hubs decided that he would ride the bike with Ry and Lexi and keep me company as I ran.
I was not going to turn down extra motivation so we decided that I would run and he would ride. When we originally talked about this plan I thought we would be going around 8:45 a.m. but Dave had a meeting with the chief so we didn't go until 11:45 (ugh!) We live in Florida BUT we are having a cold front (ha! I think it was in the mid 70's) so I was really nervous about running in the middle of the day. I usually do long runs at night (after the sun goes down) but I got my wonderful Nathan belt out, filled the water bottles, got my GU Chomp to take for a little boost at mile 4 and we took off.
It was so odd to be by myself but not alone. I say this because although Dave never left me, he isn't chatty like my girls. Usually we just talk and all of a sudden the miles are over. Not so today! Dave would talk to me for a while then fall back and then come up and talk to me some more. Once we hit the half way mark, I took my GU chomp and I still felt good. My endurance is definitely ok for the distance, I just hope that my legs do not rebel on me on Saturday. So we were to mile 4.5 when I heard this loud noise behind me and then what comes bounding out of the woods? 2 DEER!!! A doe followed by a buck with big horns. I literally stopped in my tracks because they freaked me out so bad. Dave thought it was neat and our kids loved it but it made my heartbeat soar which wasn't good for my last 2.5 miles. Plus I stopped running which is No-No for me. So since I was walking I drank some water and started running again. This was also the first time I ever ran with the Nathans Belt. It was a little uncomfortable at first but after the first few miles I really didn't notice it anymore. So, I started running again and Dave was riding along with me. It was a nice running with my family. Once I made the turn towards home I knew that I could do it. I knew that I was going to have run the 7 miles. I ran it at about a 10 minute pace which I was totally ok with seeing as I had never done it without gabbing before.
I am also glad that I was able to show my hubs and kids what I can do.
So, am I ready? I think I am . I am looking forward to Saturday knowing that it will be at night (no sun) and lots of people running around me (if not with me). I think that mentally I am confident that my body is ready. I will be wearing my one Zensah, which I have worn on my last 3 runs because my leg felt like it needed the extra support. I am hoping that M will be able to run the race with me but since she still has a groin injury it is doubtful that if she does race that she will run. I am going to run! I have been training and I know that I will be fine on my own if that is what happens.
Well, gotta do some Mommy Duties.
Happy Running!!

The difference between day and night

Thank you for all of your encouraging words about the eating. It is going well this week and I am treating it like training :)

I ran last night with T. She has wanted to run without the joggers and if finally worked out on a night. We met at her house and took off around 7:40. It was such a gorgeous night. The temperature was about 65 and that is the coolest temperature that I have ever run in. We took off ran down to the gate and it didn't open so we did a little adventure racing and shimmied under the gate (funny sight). We kept running and all of a sudden it there were no more street lights and then the sidewalk ended...so we turned around and had to rethink our course. We were only supposed to go five but we ended up doing 6 and walking a half to cool down. It was so much fun.

I was supposed to run a long run with M tomorrow night but she still has some groin pain from the 10K and we have the 13K this coming Saturday so we will see how she feels but T might run with us too. It is supposed to be in the 50's so pray that my Florida self doesn't freeze while running-ha!

I am really looking forward to doing the Tower of Terror 13K this Saturday. First because it is at night...a little late with a start time of 10:30 and my goal is to finish before midnight- which to me is a generous goal. Whether or not I finish in that time I am really going to try and enjoy this race. They won't be doing this one again because they added the Wine and Dine Half Marathon next October. I will be signing up for that as soon as registration opens- super excited about doing a half at night (remember I am not fond of mornings!)

Congrats to all of you who had races this weekend!! Hope you have a great week of recovery.

Happy Running!!

p.s. we went to the pumpking patch this weekend and my little pumpkin is 11 months old today

:(

Scared and Emberassed

I just received the link to the pics that were taken at the 10K and I am emaciated. Honestly when i look in the mirror I do not see that skeletal person that is me (i guess). It also scares the crap out of me! I have looked way worse (scary thought i know) but I have. At my lowest I weighed 10 lbs less than I do now and I didn't exercise. It was not a good time and I was trying to find something to control and my weight and eating habits fit the bill.
I wrote in a previous post about balance and I am NOT balancing very well I guess.
If you follow me on twitter I made some very nice comments about my talk with the scale (haha) and then I see pics of myself and I totally get slapped in the face. I really am struggling and I do not want to give up running at all but eating more isn't helping.
I haven't written about my runs this week (although I have ran every day) but I am making a conscious effort to put on the lbs. It is so hard, even though I know it is best because I do want to be healthy and I think it will make me run better too.
The people closest to me have been true encourager's and I appreciate them so much. After I saw the first pictures (that I took) I was upset but now I am just really sad. I am sad that this matters to me so much and I am MAD at myself. So.... operation put on 10 lbs is officially on.
This is my marathon!!! It is going to be hard. People say "just eat" but I feel like I have been so we are going to try something else I guess.
I am still going to be training for my half in March but I am going to HAVE to solve my nutrition issues and quick because I WILL NOT look like a skeleton in those pics. I want to be proud of them.
Happy Running!!

Race For the Taste 10K

Let me start by saying thank you to M, J, and Becky for making it a really fun weekend. It was the first time since I got married that I have gone ANYWHERE without my husband and kids. I did realize however, that I missed them immensely and will probably have them with me at any and all future races. We left of Saturday around noon and got to Wide World of Sports for the packet pick up and expo. Once again SOOOOOO disappointed with the Disney expo. You would think that because this is a race at Disney they would have something. I bought absolutely nothing because there was nothing to buy (sigh). We didn't get shirts either but we did get a beer mug (which my husband has claimed for his own). We had planned on going to Giordano's for our pre-race dinner and I have to say that I was not let down. My usual pre-race meal of choice is pizza and Giordano's did not disappoint. Becky and I shared a pizza that looked like this:

it was soooooo good!!! Then, we went back to the hotel, looked around and went to bed.

I was under the impression that the race started at 7:30 BUT it started at 7.

I DO NOT LIKE TO GET UP EARLY!!!!!

We had the wake-up call come in at 5:30 but M & J were up at 5. I ate my cliff bar (so didn't like it but forgot my hammer ones :( ), got dressed and off we went to the Wide World of Sports for the start of the race. I was a little nervous because we usually do our long runs at night but I must get over this because most races start in the morning (ugh!). We missed most of the crazy traffic and got there about 6:15ish. M met up with her brother and we took some pre-race pics

Of course I had to go use the porta pottys and the lines were CRAZY!! I probably stood in line for 30 minutes and then it was time to line up and start the race. Now, I knew that Becky would leave us and that was ok. I totally expected her to do awesome. She has been running for 2 years and is in the middle of marathon training. She did great and finished in 57:45- SO PROUD OF HER!

So we started Becky, took off and so did J. I am a slow and steady person so I don't sprint at the beginning because I knew we had 5 more miles to go and I wanted us to enjoy it and finish in our time not anyone else's. M and I just kept running and the 1st mile went by so fast. I think that was because we were running on 192 and there were so many people in such a small space. Before I knew it we were running into Hollywood Studios. We ran awhile with M's brother and then we just kind of enjoyed running behind the Light's, Motor's Action set. We went out the back side of Hollywood Studios and 3 miles were done. At this point I knew the rest of the course because we walk it ALL the time when we go to Disney. Around mile 5.5, my legs started to feel a tad heavy and I my tummy wasn't too happy about the cliff bar. I actually felt like I was going to be sick which has never happened to me before. Note to self: REMEMBER your HAMMER BARS!!! The best thing about running races at Disney is that most of them end in the same place. I knew once we passed Space Ship Earth that we had .2 left and I knew that no matter if I lost my cliff bar that I would finish strong and we did. We finished in 1:02.02. It was 2 minutes longer than I wanted but honestly I am so proud of the time we finished in. We ran and we had as much fun as 2 moms could have. We finished and I went and got my complimentary diet coke and all was well in my world. We got our medals, took tons of pictures and I was bummed that my hubs and kids weren't there.

I am so proud of my running girls. We have Tower of Terror 13K to look forward to in 2 weeks and it is at night (HALLELUJAH!!) It will be my last longer distance race before I begin training for the half next March.

Can't wait until Oct 15th when they announce how they are changing the races at Disney for next year! Hope everyone else had fun while running this weekend.

Happy Running!!