IL half marathon - a new PR!

So, you may remember that I began training for the IL half marathon back in January. Well, yesterday was the big day. The last time I ran a race was Spring 2010 (PA school has kept me way too busy to get the training in). My PR, or personal record, for the half marathon is 2:30:01. My goal for this race was just to beat that time.

I started running again back in January with my Vibram Komodo Sports. Then in February I bought myself a Garmin Forerunner 210 (amazingness). I did pretty well with sticking to my plan and felt really good about my training. I headed to the race expo on Friday afternoon with my husband and just wasn't that jazzed. The weather forecast was calling for 48 degrees with 20 mph winds and 30-40% chance of rain. This is not the kind of running whether that I consider optimal... to say the least. That, and the fact that I didn't see any of my running buddies at the expo, just had me feeling a bit "blah". Nevertheless, I set out all my gear and made sure I was in bed by 9pm. It took me a while to fall asleep, and then 4:30am arrived and my alarm was going off.

I suited up in my new CWX 3/4 Stabylx compression tights, lightweight Under Armor running jacket, and Vibrams, etc and made the drive up to Champaign. I hit some patches of rain, but then it died out. I stopped at the first group of porta-potties I saw and then met up with my running buddies. I was starting to get more excited at that point. It was pretty cold and I'm really glad I remembered my gloves!

The race started and I was feeling good. I finished my first 2 miles way under goal (9:40-9:50). I took a 1 minute walk break at 3.75 miles and then again at 6.5 miles. That's when I ate some energy beans too. We were winding through a park on a narrow path for most of miles 7 and 8. This is when I started getting tired and a had to take some short walk breaks. Mile 9 seemed to go on forever, but mile 11 was worse. At mile 12 I knew we were getting close to Memorial Stadium, where we would finish at the 50 yard line. At that point it was all about pushing myself mentally. I saw my friend Randy cheering me on right before the turn to enter the stadium and I gave my last kick of energy to finish strong.

I crossed the finish line at 2:22:00 and scored a new PR!!

Congrats to Jaymie (who also scored a new PR of 2:06), Paula, and Kathy for finishing strong. I hope to one day be like Kathy - she's 61 and finished the full marathon in 4:45. Pure amazing.

Here are some pics:

Happy, happy, happy!!

Jaymie's a rockstar and ran a 5k on Friday night and the half marathon on Saturday, so she got 2 medals. And she PR'd on BOTH RACES!!!

Randy and Jaymie. Unfortunately Randy pulled a muscle last weekend and was unable to run the half marathon.

Jaymie, Kathy and Randy

I hope everyone has a great weekend. Now I'm off to work on my master's paper and powerpoint. Ugh.

-Damaris

Lately... some running, some reading, and some music

I've been really keeping up with my running lately, and I'm feeling pretty good. I did another 10 mile long run yesterday. Next week will be a cut-back week, so only 8 miles on Saturday. I had planned to run Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday but have only run 3 times a week for these last two weeks. I was actually outside stretching before my Wednesday evening run when a friend stopped by. We just sat outside and chatted and then went for ice cream with eyes (at my suggestion ;) Mine was lemon and it was yummy! Sometimes it just feels good to step away from the schedule.

Despite the indiscretion, my weight loss is going well. I'm down 9.5 pounds since the beginning of the year and I already feel sooo much better.

In other news, my brother emailed me an electronic copy of The Hunger Games this week. He finished Book 1 and was thoroughly impressed. I've been hearing so much about this series and how good it is. So I decided that I would not study on Friday or Saturday and would take these days to enjoy myself and read The Hunger Games. And I'm really glad I did. The book is riveting! I'm hoping to see the movie in the next few days. 

I hope everyone takes a little bit of time this weekend to do something for YOURSELF. It'll make you feel so much better. :)

So, I'm just gonna leave you with some music - again, brought to you by my brother's great taste- this time in music. When I visited him 2 weeks ago in Miami we listened to The Roots album "Undun" and it's been stuck in my head since then. I bought the entire album last week and it's really good.

Make My - The Roots ft. Big K.R.I.T. and Dice Raw

One Time - The Roots ft. Phonte and Dice Raw

Kool on - The Roots ft. Greg Porn and Truck North

Enjoy and have a great week!

A very chilly run

So, I got my Garmin Forerunner 210 yesterday!! YAY.

It took her for a spin today on a very cold 6 mile run through Lake of the Woods. It was 33 degrees with about 17mph winds - so the wind chill was about 22 degrees. Ugh. It was my first run in the cold in a looooong time. It was also my first training run in this weather wearing my Vibrams (and injinjii socks). My toes were numb for the first 2-2.5 miles, but then they warmed up and thawed out. Thankfully!! Today's run is the highest mileage I've run in the vibrams, and I'm pretty happy with them. I don't feel any more sore than when I ran in my Brooks. My step may not be as springy, but what can you do? No biggie.

It was great to meet up with my old TNT buddies - Jaymie, Randy, Kathy, and Coach Mike. A few of us went to Panera afterwards, like old times. I was really conscious of the caloric value of my meal, since I've been logging all of my calories on MyFitnessPal. Let's just say it was a good thing I ran today, cause my breakfast sandwich (bacon, egg & cheese on ciabatta bread) was 510 calories!!! But it was damn good. Pure yum. And I had a cappuccino too.

So I came home and plugged in my Garmin to upload my info and look at all of the info it gave me:

And it's really easy to plug in and upload all of the info to GarminConnect

In case you can't tell, I'm pretty stoked about this investment.

Anyway, I'm off to study like a good PA student. Happy Saturday!!
-Damaris

GOALS

So, in the last year I've been very busy with PA school. Unfortunately, all of the studying and stressing left me very little time to run or work out, and a ton of time sitting on the couch and snacking while working on assignments for class. The result ---> I gained 11 pounds. Ugh. Putting it in writing makes me really ashamed. I was in the best shape since I had started running in May 2008 when the program started last June. I felt confident. I felt good about myself. Now, not so much.

The plan is to get back in shape as quickly as possible. I started running again on Monday (6/6) and plan to run the Nashville Women's half marathon on 9/24. My last half time was 2:30 (my fastest to date), so my plan is to come in at 2:20.

I also got my copy of P90x in the mail today. I'm really excited to start the program tomorrow. I'm going to do the lean version. I spent all day looking over the nutrition plan and other material. I can't lie- i'm excited, but I'm also more than a little bit intimidated. I'll need some help to push me along. Any encouragement will be greatly appreciated. And if anyone has the program and wants to start with me tomorrow that would be awesome!!!

Here's my plan for the next 7 days:
-1 Core synergistics
-2 Cardio X
-3 Shoulders & arms, Ab ripper X
-4 Yoga X
-5 Legs & back, Ab ripper X
-6 Kenpo X
-7 Rest or X stretch
I'll also be running 3-4 times a week.

So, without further ado, here are the "before" pics....

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

*

Please know that I don't feel good about these pics at all. The term "upset" is a mild version of how I feel about my body right now, but this was not meant to be a pity party. I've made the first step toward making a change, and tomorrow will be day 1 on my 90-day journey to a better me.

Please send positive vibes.

-Damaris

edited on 7/31/11 - i removed the pics. they were really bothering me. :(

See you soon...

Currently listening to: Deep Inside of You - Third Eye Blind

always makes me think of summers passed...

Silent All These Years - Tori Amos

I can see everything she sings...

Yesterday was my last long run up at LOW. I had some muscle twinges going on so Coach & I just walked for 6.6. We chatted the entire way and it was wonderful. The day was perfect, and the park looked awesome, and I was in great company. Couldn't ask for anything else (except a few more Saturdays to enjoy with my runners). Afterwards we sat outside at Panera while we ate breakfast and chatted some more. I will really miss these people. It's funny - you never imagine when you first meet a group of people, how dependent you'll become on their presence and their friendship. I'm sure I'll meet other people to run with, but I must say that these friendships are some of the deepest I've made in years and new people won't come close.

No tears. This is not "good bye". It's "see you soon". The reunion will be at the Lewis & CLark Marathon in St, Charles, Missouri on October 3rd. A little more then 4 months. See you all there!!!

One last time...

This summer a fair few of those in my running group will be moving. Some of us will be moving for school, others for work. This means that our group runs are numbered.

Yesterday a few of us ran in the Buffalo Trace 5 mile trail race through Lake of the Woods (LOW) in Mahomet. It was 5 mile of wet, hilly trails... and it was GREAT! The day started off cool and foggy, but by the time we started running at 8am, it had turned into a beautiful day (although a bit humid). Our Saturday morning runs are usually at LOW but we mostly stick to the bike path, so the trails were a nice break from routine. I must admit, though, that as I finished my final mile I was cursing whoever thought it was a good idea to end the race on an uphill. I crossed the finish line to cheers from my awesome, runner friends - always a great feeling! My time was 54:34.50.

Afterwards we stood around eating delicious orange slices, watermelon slices, bananas, & tootsie rolls! <--- the tootsie rolls were a nice surprise, but nothing compares to a yummy orange post-run. Awards were then dispersed and surprise, surprise - Allison won 3rd in her age group!!! Rock Star. :) We then headed over to Panera for a yummy breakfast & smoothies.

All in all, it was a fantastic day!

Mike, me, and Joanna pre race :)

The gang: Joanna, Randy, Allison, me, Jaymie, and Mike post race. Randy & Jaymie were awesome! They ran from spot to spot on the trails cheering us on. :)

Allison with her awesome Buffalo trophy :)

Looks like next Saturday will be my last run with the group for a while. We plan to run the Lewis & Clark Marathon in St. Charles, Missouri together this October. Some of us will be doing the full marathon, and some will be doing the half. I can't wait!

All out mile

I like to consider myself pretty gangster... the truth is that I'm not. But frankly, I'm okay with that. Today I was scheduled to run my first ever all out mile with some friends. These friends are much faster than I am - one of them is working towards qualifying for the Boston Marathon! (THAT'S pretty gangster!) This said, I was pretty nervous about this all out mile.

Since state track championships are being held at EIU this week, we headed over to the Charleston High School track. We putzed around (and stretched) for a while before getting started with our warm up. We were clearly trying to put the whole thing off. I wasn't the only one who was nervous - that made me feel a little better. :) We jogged 2 laps to warm up and then toed the line.

I took off too quickly and was gassed at the end of lap 1. As I started lap 2 I seriously considered running straight to the bleachers instead of finishing! How pathetic. Anyway, I toughed it out and completed my mile in 8:34.59. I wish it had been better, but I can't really complain. Prior to today, my fastest mile had been 9:51 (mile 1 of the IL half marathon just 18 days ago).

Now I know where I'm at and where I'd like to get to. I'd like to continue working on this and come in at a sub 8:00 mile. I can do this. It just means incorporating speed work into my schedule. I'll keep you posted on my progress with this goal.

Happy running!!!

iTunes random plays

So, this morning I'm really procrastinating on cleaning the house. I hate cleaning, but I love when the house is clean. I got a new febreeze scent that I really like - I just need to get cracking, so I can enjoy the day. Later today I'll be running my first all-out mile with a friend. We're gonna hit the track at EIU. Wish me luck! I've cut 4 minutes off of my 5.18 mile loop in the past week, so I'm feeling good, but I don't really have a goal for this mile. I'm wondering if I could pull off an 8 min mile... We'll see.

Anyway, my iTunes library is currently on shuffle. Here's what's popped up:

Absolute - The Fray

Halleluja - Vitamin String Quartet (Paramore)

City - Sara Bareilles

32 Flavors - Alana Davos (originally by Ani DiFranco)

Love Ridden - Fiona Apple

23 - Jimmy Eat World

Everything I said - The Cranberries

This started off as a list of song that played randomly on my iTunes library... but I guess it evolved into a list of some of my favorite

"sad old bastard music". I've been trying to find something that suits my mood right now, but nothing seems to fit today. I just keep going to

the next song....

Big things are on the horizon...

In just 28 days I'll be sitting through my first day of graduate school. That means that in LESS than 4 weeks, I'll be living in Carbondale... away from my husband and my dog. The thought of this makes me sad and anxious.

On top of the emotional difficulty that I'll surely be experiencing in reference to the aforementioned realities, I'll be dealing with the stress of school, and getting used to living with a roommate. After being married for 4 years (this Wednesday is our anniversary!), I'm thinking that this transition is going to take some getting used to. With less than 4 weeks left here in Mattoon, I'm not willing to spend any time apart from Justin & Lucien. Another thing, our administrators keep reminding us that the class schedule is tentative. This is probably fine with some people, but I'm a type A personality. I like to have things planned, set in stone. How can I plan when I will see Justin, knowing that our test dates may shift? Justin's schedule changes today, so going forward he'll have Wednesday, Thursday, & Friday off, which will be a nice change. This means that he'll be able to come see me in Carbondale! This makes me really happy, but then I worry about who will take care of Lucien. My apartment doesn't allow pets on property and it makes me feel guilty that Lucien will be all alone. I know that he gets lonely, and it's really not fair to him either... :(

I'd love to plan some races, but what will my study schedule be like? Will I feasibly be able to fit long runs into an already intense schedule? Who will I run with? Will I be training all by myself? How will I stay motivated without my runner friends there to push me?

Please don't get me wrong - I'm blessed to have been accepted into this program and I'm very excited. I'm just know that some sacrifices are going to have to be made to accomplish this. Reality is that I fear the unknown. I know I'll overcome this fear in time, but right now is not that time.

It's almost time...

I've been fighting a head cold (i think) for the past 9 days. My nose will not stop running. I went to see the Dr. yesterday and he thinks that seasonal allergies are the culprit. Weird. I've never suffered from allergies in the past. So, I went and got the generic Claritin and the generic Affrin spray - yes I'm cheap (thank you, dad, for bequeathing the cheap gene to me).

I started this regimen yesterday. Right now, I feel worse. Now my throat hurts too. Ugh. I just added some Nyquil to the mix. I'm really hoping I get better soon because the IL Half Marathon is just around the corner. 3 days, 9 hours and counting - to be exact. I really need to be in top form on Saturday. Last Saturday was my final long run in preparation for the event. It was 10 miles and it was miserable. I just was not feeling it. I ended up walking a lot and was very disappointed.

Thank goodness for post-long run breakfast with buddies. One of these lovely ladies told me that a bad dress rehearsal usually means a good event - i really hope this holds true for this Saturday...

Pacing...

This year's Christie Clinic Illinois Half Marathon is on May 1st. That is exactly 3 weeks from this morning. This means that today and next Saturday are my longest training runs before the big day. Today was absolutely PERFECT. It was about 42 degrees when I left my house and closer to 50 when we actually started running. This may sound cold to some of you, but the sun was shining brightly and it warmed up as we ran. All the trees and flowers are in bloom, and the birds are out singing and playing. No better way to start the weekend.

My fastest half marathon time is currently 2:41:23. This is an average pace of 12:19 per mile. My goal for this race is to finish in 2:30:00. This would be a pace of 11:27 per mile.

This said, I am very excited to report that on today's 11 mile run I kept an average pace of 11:22 per mile. If I can keep this pace on race day, I will come in at 2:28:54!!! This is soo exciting. :) And I've still got 3 weeks to improve!

I wasn't the only one kicking a$$ this morning. The ladies were all on top of their game this morning, but Randy was on FIRE! He has a torn meniscus and I was chasing him for half of my 11 miles. Incredible. Thank you to my group of amazing runner friends for always inspiring me!

P.S. Breakfast at Panera was awesome :) If you've never tried their lowfat black cherry smoothie, go do it NOW! Yum. :)

Reading & Running...

So, my running schedule called for 6 miles today. I was totally NOT looking forward to this. Thus far, the longest mid-week run I've done is 5 miles. It may not seem like a big increase, but just 2 months ago my longest mid-week run was like 3.1 miles. This said, I'm making inprovement and I just hope it pays off on this next half marathon. My best time for 13.1 so far is 2:41 and I'm hoping to break 2:30. I think I can totally do this. As a matter of fact, I WILL do this!

Anywho, since I was procrastinating on my run all day, I spent it reading. I'm more than half way through Good Omens and I'm enjoying it. Yay for my trip to the library yesterday. Today was beautiful, sunny and around 64 degrees. I actually sat out on the steps in the sunshine with Lucien for a bit. I read and he just enjoyed being outside without freezing. Poor guy. I'm pretty sure he hates these long winters just as much as I do. Hopefully the weather will be nice again tomorrow. Maybe we'll hit Douglas Hart Nature Center. We went on Saturday afternoon and it was beautiful. We walked through the trails in the woods and then out on the prairie trails. I'm really hoping that Spring is hear to stay.

When Hubby headed out for work I decided it was time to stop procrastinating and head to the gym. I've gotta say, I often do NOT enjoy running. It takes a lot out of me mentally to make myself get on the treadmill for an hour+ at a time. The fact of the matter is that I always feel fantastic when I'm finished. This feeling makes it all worthwhile. My friend Joanna said it best the other day: "Fun? No. Rewarding? Yes."

This January my dad and my aunt ran their first half marathon with me at Disney World. Neither of them have ever been runners, but they wanted to do it - and they rocked Disney. I was so proud of them. They both finished in under 3 hours. :) They're both already talking about which event they want to run next. I'm glad that this is becoming a family thing. Here are a few pictures of race weekend in Orlando.

This is after we finished and got back to our resort. We were exhausted and freezing.

Running down Main Street in Magic Kingdom with the castle behind me. It always makes me smile :)

Daddy before the race started. It was like 25 degrees and sleeting. (I can't figure out how to flip this pic!)

Excited/Nervous before the race.

Packet pick-up at the race expo.