Nervous and having doubts.

 Has anyone had doubts that they couldn't finish their first marathon while training and yet on race day did fine?  I am having some serious doubts about my ability to finish this race.  I have not once doubted myself on any of my other goals that I set for myself but this one.
I tried to log 10miles Friday night and couldn't finish. I had to have my hubby come pick me up. I literally shut down at 7 miles.
It really drags me down mentally.  I was thirsty and hot. I had drank damn near all my water and had 3 more miles to go. It's really rather depressing to me.
I don't know how to get out of this mental block.
I did find a new training plan. It's a 16 week plan and since my marathon is 14 weeks out I am ok with starting at week 3.  This weeks long run is 7 miles.  I pray this one goes more smoothly. It is a novice training plan. While I don't believe I am a novice runner, I am a novice marathoner in training.
Praying for a miracle and hoping that I can find a circle of friends to keep me motivated and mentally boosted.
On a side note, I won a 100 dollar gift certificate to my favorite running store, Running Wild, toward a new pair of shoes. I had just told my husband I needed a new pair as I had been running in my Newtons for two years now. Obviously time to break in a new pair before the big race.
I have Amanda Brown to thank. She registered me for the race as she is running it with me and voila, I won the gift certificate.  I bought her lunch in return.

Took small hiatus

So I took a small hiatus from my blog but I am back.  I have been training for my first Marathon and it's so freaking difficult.  The heat and humidity here in Florida saps my energy and slows me down to a snail's pace.  It's so hard to not feel defeated. I never thought that I would have second thoughts about whether I could complete this race, but yet here I am doubting myself.
Today I tried to log 10 miles and it was not a successful run. I had to walk a lot more than I thought I would and I ended up only doing 9 miles. My pace was so slow I am embarrassed by it.
Not to mention that I have had the post runner's trots since I finished the run. I forgot to take my immodium before I ran like I started doing.
Well here is to hoping that I can continue on this course injury free and start doing better.
I have taken some great snap shots of the beautiful scenery while running. I will upload them.
I seen a deer the other day on my trail but I couldn't snap a shot quick enough.  Secondly there is a trail where my hubby and I went camping and we hiked it. I may try running it in the future.

Turtle that I helped move off the trail

My beautiful trail

Post run flowers and me resting

More flowers found on my trail

Flowers on the trail

I visited Ohio in June and ran around the reservoir with my running partner, Ollie. This was him and my two girls Hannah and Hayleigh post 6 miles, getting our feet wet.

Gulf Coast Half Marathon

      Today I ran the Gulf Coast half marathon. I surprised myself.  I was doing good and didn't hit the wall until about 7 miles in. I think I mentally prepared myself better today than I did last year. I also bought a water belt, brought my sunscreen chapstick, premedicated with immodium and motrin to help hit off any problems.
       I didn't do as great as I had hoped but I did beat my  time from last year. Last year I ran it in 3:03:07 AND this year it was 2:57 seconds.  I had family there to help spur me on and my friend Amanda came to cheer me on.  I was so happy to see them.
       I was hot and sweaty but doing great.  I have to say that after last year's half, I was so sore and stiff but this year I actually am not sore at all.
        I also noted that I didn't have that overwhelming thirst that I got last year while running. I did however let a lot of the kids cheering us on squirt me with squirt guns and I made sure to run under every sprinkler I could.  I did contemplate running into the water..lol.
This couple did the half today, one day after they got married. They did a triathalon last year.  They had to be in their 60's and still going strong.

 Amanda coming to show some support.

Thankful

Today I got out and ran a 5 mile run. A decent distance finally after my surgery and poor comeback last week.  I felt very light on my feet today, and yet my chest felt heavy and tight but I didn't care. It was absolutely beautiful out, and the perfect temperature, 55 degrees.
I am hoping all is not lost for the half marathon I am to run April 13th. I have 3 weeks to get some of that endurance and distance back. I understand now that time is not going to matter. Of course I would so love to run a PR that day but I have been hindered a bit.
Today I am thankful to be able to run no matter the distance or the speed. I was reminded of that after I watched a wounded warrior on my beloved trails, in his racing bike pedaling like a demon with his arms. It couldn't have come at a better time as I was slowing down in my fourth mile. The left side of my lower back ached so bad, whether from the left over pesky kidney stone or just muscle fatigue in my back I don't know, but I realized that I am grateful.
I finished with a distance and time I can be happy and thankful for.  After run thankful for my sweat photo.

First Run After Surgery

Yesterday I had the pleasure of returning to running after almost a month off due to kidney stone extraction surgery.  Omg was it slow going and further more, I feel like I lost a lot of progress.  This week is solely devoted to getting the legs pumping again. Starting Sunday, I have exactly 3 weeks left until my half marathon. I was up to running 10miles and now I can barely run 2. I am so disheartened but I am also determined to get myself up there without injury.
I ran yesterday 2 miles, today was a little more with hill sprints. My shins ache a bit, but I am feeling good about being able to get out there. I think I will take tomorrow off and try to get out there and run at least a 4 miler on Friday.  I know it's all mental. I need some positive mental boosting.
Here are some past photos of me and my girls running on the trail. I put them up for a mental boost for me.

2014 Double Bridge Run Reflections

So the race has came and went and I am still reflecting on some things that could've been done differently, but I am truly happy with the overall fact that I completed this 15k race. Last year at this time, I couldn't even barely run 3-6 miles without dying. This  year here I am a finisher of this magnificent race.
The night before the race a group of wonderful ladies joined me in a pre race dinner to carb load.  I enjoyed the company. I don't get out a lot,  I am sort of a homebody (much like my mother, eeek....just kidding mom, love you).  We ate, we enjoyed company outside the confines of work.  We later went to Liz's house and played cards and my girls played with Jana's daughters and Liz's daughter. It' s all they talk about even now. Oh and what a horse Liz's dog is. He's ginormous.  I am really proud of Liz. She did the 5k race. It was steep with its bridges but she finished.
Off to bed I went around 11-12 am and up at 4 ish.  Man was that rough. I hate mornings.
First thing I should've done differently, that I normally do on all other runs,  prepare the night before. I couldn't find my compression sleeves that I wear on all race days. One was missing so I had to go without. I grabbed a banana out of the fridge and started eating it on the way to the race. I was trying to get there to catch the shuttle to the start line.  I took one bite and about gagged. It was damn green banana. Puke. I launched that sucker out the window on Garcon Point Bridge. I got to the shuttle and waited for Holly. I ran into Beth while waiting. I also ran into Candy who I hadn't seen since last year at the Gulf Coast Half Marathon, (Semper Fi Marine).  Holly finally arrived with her future sister n law, Katie, (who started running last year too) and gave me some lovely sporty jelly beans.  I tried them out, just a couple. They tasted like pure vitamins, but settled well.
 We got separated on the buses but then met back up at the starting area. She was headed to the bathroom for prerace unload. :) 
We went to our time corrals. Katie and I headed to the 11 min mile while Holly went to the 10minute corral.  We waited for each gun shot to go off before heading out.
I started off doing great. My first three miles were averaging 10:30 range. I was super excited. I slowed a bit in mile 4 when we were onto the three mile bridge. Somewhere between mile 4-5 I got fatigued so decided to eat the rest of my sporty jelly beans. I popped a bunch in my mouth and went on.  About  15-30 mins later the bubble guts started. I got off the bridge and hit the next watering station at about mile 6 and took a good 20sec break to drink a glass of water to see if it would ease my tummy. Oh no. I started running again and side stitches started. I kept saying "you only have 3 more miles"  As I was headed up the small ramp to toward Bob Sikes Bridge I seen a Krispy Kreme truck. The darn thing had me thinking about damn donuts. Who does that? Me, however, I was not the only one. A bunch of runners were calling out after the truck. It was kind of comical.  I stopped again at the next water station to ease my side stitch just before heading up Bob Sike's bridge.  Then I attempted to get up that bridge without walking but dang was it hard. I was going so slow.  I was never so glad to get to the downward slope. I finished the race with an aching side and bubbling gut but dang it I finished it.  My finishing time 1:54: 30sec. I had hoped to run it in 1: 40 some odd minutes but i'll take that 1:54 with the thought in mind that there is always the next race.
After the race I beelined to the Cactus Flower to unload. It was terrible. I felt like I was vagaling out. I was seeing stars.  Before I left the beach,  I had gone to the bathroom 4x before I left the beach, then several more times at home. The splitting headache happened with nausea. I was so dehydrated. I hydrated and rested all day. I finally googled my symptoms. I don't know why I hadn't thought about this before but it's runner's diarrhea. It's caused by internal organs josling around and increasing motility. One suggestion that I never thought about doing, was taking immodium before running. It's worth a try to see if it helps.
I am not unhappy with my race, but I am a little disappointed that I didn't do a little better with my times. I know I need to really try incorporating tempo runs in my weekly regime. I took yesterday off. Thank goodness I worked as it forced me to walk and relieve the stiff soreness from my muscles. My abs hurt, my butt hurts, those bridges worked me out. I even used my frenemy,,, the foam roller.
Today I did a tempo run with walk breaks. My first mile was 10:06. I walked some then ran fast paces, with some ranging in the 8 min range. My overall time for 3 miles was 33:48 which was not bad for walk breaks in between for a tempo run.

 Pre race dinner photos. left to right, Laura (front) Jana (in the back) Holly, Liz, and myself.

Me, Holly and Katie, pre race

 Me and Candy, pre race

Holly and I, pre race

One beautiful view, pre race

Bib and shirt

Post race with finisher's medal

Finisher's medal

Finish line

Top of Bob Sikes Bridge

My favorite supporters, my girls.

Every run is something to learn from. You adapt and overcome and grow.

Happy Running

Florida Freeze

I biked last Monday thinking it was going to be not so bad, but boy did my arse hurt. I did 14 miles thinking it would give my shins a break but man, I need a padded seat. Kudos to bikers.
So I ran last Wednesday and I was super slow. I ran almost 9 miles with an average pace of 11:44. True to my Snailrunning name. I took a break as I worked for 12 hour shifts and was tired, left work Monday morning to go to my second job. I was too exhausted to run on Monday. Tues the freezing rain started. Yes, we had freezing rain here in Florida. So for two days, it was a no go and the it didn't melt until today. I refused to run on a treadmill especially days before a race.
A group of us from work are running the Pensacola Double Bridge Run this Saturday, a 15k, and I am sure I will be the last one to cross that finish line. I miss running, I feel like I'm getting cabin fever and it's only been a couple days in the freezing weather.  I can't imagine living up north again Missing running is making me depressed....
Praying we all make a safe journey across that finish line.
Pics are from our little freeze here in Florida. My girls and I excited to see something that resembled snow.

memory of meg

So this week our running communities have lost a fellow runner to a drunk driver while out running. Meg Menzies, mother of 3 was hit and killed by a drunk driver and runners across the globe United to dedicate miles to her. I was completely in awe of the unity runners have shown. Makes me proud to say it. I am a runner. I belong to this wonderful group of people who share the same passion for this sport.
I dedicated this whole weeks runs to her. I could only muster through one mile on Saturday as my shins needed rest. Tomorrow I'm suppose to run 4 miles but I'm biking instead. I need more days rest to prepare for my long run. I have also been doing a 30 day butt challenge....Damn do my thighs hurt.
Well the I'm double bridge run is Feb 1st. Lots of my co workers running, we aretrying to set up a carb load dinner before the night of race. I'm excited about it. Should be fun. Last big race before my half marathon in April.

Some pics dedicated to Meg and some I have to read to remind myself, slow is ok, quitting is not.

running in wind and rain

So yesterday Melissa and I headed out to our race. It was her anniversary race. One year of sporadic running. She ran the five k while I did the 10 k. We were excited to be able to run this race. It was the first race I convinced her to ever run. She started chickening out but after verbally slapping her around, she came to her senses. I lost her right from the start. Things,were going good for me in t I'll I hit 4 miles in. The rain kicked up hard core. Stinging  windy, whipping rain, slows you down a lot. I felt like a bird trying to fly against the wind as nd getting no where. It was pelting me in the eyes. I knew I was moving slow but I felt so heavy and felt pushed back from the wind.  I was never so happy to see that finish line. Ran it in, with time of 1:12 minutes..slower time for me but considering the elements, oh well.
But we did it.
Next up Pensacola Double Bridge Run. 15k
First two pictures are from our Pensacola Beach Run race this year2014, the last one is from the same race 2013. Notice how I look like I'm dying in last year's. Notice the difference in the weather too.

Happy Runnin

Hydrating before the race

  So tomorrow is the Pensacola Beach Run 10k. I have been trying to hydrate well tonight. It is something that I don't do enough of, especially for the longer runs. I did hear on the t.v. (I think on Good Morning America) and read it somewhere (don't recall where) that even drinking caffeinated beverages such as my addiction Diet Mountain Dew constitutes as hydrating myself. The t.v. show said that there was no real clinical difference between drinking the cup of coffee versus water in terms of hydration. It equated essentially the same thing. Hydration. Today however, I only drank one diet Dew and have been drinking my other favorite drink orange powerarde zero. 
  The race is at 0730 and about 45 minutes away (due to traffic). Poor Mel, she is so not an early bird at all and she works 3-11. I will have to bang on her dang door like I'm the police, just to get her to get her arse up. She is a slow mover in the morning. I believe she knows it's worth it though. We ran it last year and I almost died afterwards..lol That was the race that she was on such a high on afterward. It was her virgin 5k. She's popped that cherry now and has become an adrenaline running whore and I can honestly say that with such sincerity as she knows what I mean. I had cajoled her with "oh come on Mel, it's only 3 miles" 
I haven't convinced her to do the 10k yet, but hey, it's just the beginning of the New Year. There is always hope.
It's suppose to be rainy tomorrow, which the race will still go on, unless there is lightening. I can handle rain, just not cold windy rain. As they said in my Marine Corps days, "if it ain't raining, you ain't training"
well time to ice shins, and rest up
praying for a good time.
Happy Running.

Power after Rest

       Have you ever taken a rest day or days and find that the first run back out there seems to be a good one? You feel like you have endless energy.  I did that today.
       In the quest for a better half marathon time, I am strictly adhering to my rest days and yesterday was one. I didn't really feel the urge to go run today as it has been cold, may not be as cold as up north but for this Florida girl, 27 degrees is definitely cold.  I finally was able to get out there after it warmed up a bit and was able to do 8 miles without any shin splint pain. I was super thrilled about that. I stopped off at my drinking fountain to get a sip of water and it wasn't working. My guess is, it was so cold the water froze up in the fountain. Man was I thirsty.
       I seen a red fox while running my trails, and came across a squirrel and it scared the crap out of me.  I love the natural scenes I see when running. Definitely don't get that with dreadmill running.
       3 days and a wake up and it's the Pensacola Beach Run. Melissa Walters is running it with me. It'll be nice to see her catch the high again.
School started back this week and I have homework to do.

Happy Running from this snail runner here.

Kudos to those Treadmill/Dreadmill runners

       So I worked last night and with my training schedule I was due to run a 4 miler today. It was super cold, with the high of 30 degrees in sunny Florida, but the wind chill was frigid.  I went against my better judgment and ran on the treadmill, which I have not done in I don't know how long.  It was absolutely horrible. I hated every minute of it. My Nike app wouldn't log my miles correctly. What's worse was it didn't let me calibrate it either. I ran 3.05 in 31 minutes. My right shin had pains shooting up it while I was running. Every step I took on that t/dreadmill was painful. It took everything in me to make it three miles. I knew I should have listened to my inner running conscience. What should have been a great run as I took a few days off to rest my leg, was a killer run.
      I have to give some serious props to my fellow treadmill runners. I don't know how you keep your mind sane while on that treadmill. I hit the 2 mile mark in 18:30 but then the last mile was complete crap. I have to keep in mind that I did get up and do it.
       Tomorrow is rest day, and I am strictly adhering to this schedule unless there is a race going on, which I do have one on Saturday. I am running the Pensacola Beach Run, 10k. I am anxious to see how I do compared to last years race results.
       I did not log my 75 miles. I am not ashamed to admit my defeat as I have been battling this pain. I am contemplating going back to the doctor's to see if they will do an MRI, just to ease my mind. Shin splints seriously have not hurt me this badly before, to the point that I am awake at night with pain and if I step a certain way shooting pains sometimes go running up the medial side of my shin.
       Tomorrow, I believe I will finally break out my new bike, but I will have to bundle up. It's suppose to get down to 17 degrees tonight and only a high of 38 degrees.
REST, ICE, COMPRESS, & ELEVATING, at the moment,
to my treadmill running friends, you guys inspire me. keep up the good work. for myself, I will take to the pavement and enjoy the outdoor running and all the beauty that I get to see.

Happy running my friends.