Making The Moment Count

71 Days to Go - I ran 1.25 miles during my lunch break on the YMCA treadmill at a pace of 11:22 per mile.

70 Days to Go - This morning H woke up exceptionally early. My plea for him to snuggle in the bed with me was futile; he wanted me to get up and play. So we had fun playing trains and cars, ate breakfast and watched cartoons together. All during this time a heavy rain and thunderstorm was going on outside. It appeared that I would not have an opportunity to run today. I already had plans made for the rest of the day and the morning was my only chance.

While H was engrossed in a favorite program, I slipped off to check my e-mail. Sharon, my guest blogger this week, had invited me to be a friend on RunKeeper. I accepted the invite and sat there in amazement looking at her stats..."how on earth does she find the time to run like that?"

After the thunder stopped I hopped in the shower to get my morning started. (I have a date with a cute young man at Dino Day later today.) As soon as I was out of the shower and dressed it was no longer raining. For the moment I was torn, I just got all cleaned up but I really want to run. If my new running friend had found the time to get in 5 miles this morning, surely I could do something, right?

It's Not About the Numbers

Since I've started training and blogging, word has spread across the community about my, now very public, plans. So far everyone has been very supportive and excited for my news. My friend Morgan made cute handmade hair ties for my workouts, Katie shared her recipe for delicious peanut butter energy balls and colleagues throughout the community have been sending me words of encouragement. It is exciting and I hope that I am inspiring others to become more active in 2014 and challenge themselves, personally.

One of the most common questions I hear is "Wow, you're running a half-marathon; so how many miles are you up to?" The question is innocent and very valid. The first week, my answer was sheepishly "one." This week, my answer is a confident "one to two miles."

Running with Sharon Kirby

Leading up to the Martinsville Half-Marathon, I'll feature the stories of other runners so you can hear different perspectives. Today's guest blogger is Sharon Kirby of Martinsville. Sharon is part of an amazing group of ladies who are all wives, mothers and professionals. Not only do they share a lifelong friendship together but also the love of running. 

It was just over a year ago while on vacation with a couple of girlfriends that the idea of training for a half marathon came up.  

The discussion started at breakfast while the three of us sat around relaxing, enjoying our morning coffee.  It went something like this, “So T, how do you stay in such great shape?”……”I try to squeeze in a run several times a week; maybe 3-4 miles.  Hey, I have an idea!  Let’s all train for a half marathon!” And I, being a loyal friend, agreed without much thought or hesitation.  

Life Hacks for Runners

Since today is a rest day, I wanted to share a new (to me) discovery. After my first two runs, I got very frustrated with the cords to my ear-buds flopping around. I've seen several products in stores and on TV before that are designed to solve this particular problem but I hate buying gimmicky products that are really good for only one purpose.

"Baby It's Cold Outside"

75 days until the Martinsville Half-Marathon and "Brrr" is all that I can say! On days like this, it's time to take the running indoors. As I mentioned in previous posts, getting up and out the door is often the biggest obstacle to running (or any fitness program, for that matter).

I snacked on healthy nibbles at my desk throughout the day with the intentions of running during my lunch break. The problem is that I kept finding things that needed to be done (wink, wink). Yes, these could have very easily been accomplished AFTER my lunch break, but it made for a great excuse while it lasted.

Finally, at 2 p.m. I forced myself up from the desk to head out into the cold. As I drove the few blocks over to the Martinsville YMCA, I had doubts about running and whether there would be enough time. As I wrangled my bags to quick-change from office wear to gym wear I had more doubts, but those soon all vanished.

Two Miles!

As I've been working to build up my endurance, breaking the two mile mark was my next "baby-step" goal. The end of last week was bitterly cold. Yesterday I truly did not have time to run and tomorrow is anticipated to be the coldest day of the year. So...better run today!

Despite the fact that it was 32 degrees and misting rain on and off, I was anxious to just go and get it over with this morning. I got dressed to run and played with H while waiting for a break in the mist. About 11 a.m. I saw the opportunity and went for it.

The first half-mile, my fingers and cheeks were cold but everything warmed up as I got going. At mile 1.2, I shed my outer jacket after coming up a steep hill and around mile 1.3 the jacket made an excellent matador cape to swat at the neighbors' grumpy dogs as they approached me.

The last half mile was the hardest but the RunKeeper app (and lure of the cozy couch waiting for me) kept me motivated to push onward to my goal.

I ran 2.02 miles at a pace of 12:01 per mile and covered 140 feet in elevation gain. Now that I have met my goal, I can enjoy the rest of this winter day inside by the fire with a cup of coffee and a feeling of accomplishment!

My next goal is to run the same 2 mile route at a pace of 11:30 per mile.

Setting the Pace

Now that the critical "first run" (a.k.a. "get off the couch") event has occurred. I plan to update the blog each week with my training progress and helpful tips that I discover along the way.

82 Days to Go - I took my first run using the RunKeeper app. I ran the same residential route as my first run Dec. 28th. Throughout the workout, my audio trainer gave me information on distance covered and pace to push me along. It's encouraging to hear when I've hit a milestone distance. I was happy to complete the route without any walking and could tell that it was a little easier the second time around.

When I completed the run and hit the stop button, I learned that I ran 1.65 miles at a pace of 11:20 per mile. The charts on the app show how my pace fluctuated during the run and the elevation of the course. This particular route provides 130 feet of elevation gain, adding to the challenge. I'm looking forward to learning tips in the YMCA's training program on when to pick up the pace and when to go easy so that I can be more efficient in my running.

The RunKeeper app thinks of everything and even sent an email to congratulate me on my new record. Ok, so it was my first run with the app but I did set the bar. Thanks for the shout out and encouragement, RunKeeper!