Outa Towner

Birch Lake ~ Babbitt, MN

Dusky view of Seattle

Alkai Beach, Seattle WA

Pike's Market

Holy-no-post-in-a-long-time-Batman!  Where the heck have I been?  As you can tell from the pics, I was out of town.  I had to head to MN to check on my Gram and Aunt.  Health issues and all.  I was in MN for about 12 days and had much pre-trip anxiety especially about my running and eating.  Whould I be able to maintain my running and eating clean?  Let's just say the first week was pretty bad.  I had already jinxed myself when due to time constraints and what-not, I missed my long run the weekend before I had left on Tuesday.  That put me in a foul mood and sort of layed the foundation for my crappy attitude aftewards.  I had planned on getting that long run in on Tuesday in Seattle with my sis but was so sleep deprived I passed out on the couch as my nephew was trying to show me his new games.  I think he even tried to shake me a couple times to wake.  Must've been pretty tired!

The first week was pretty rough.  After the first burger and fries, it gets a little foggy from there!  I was so "prepared" to continue my healthy ways I had even packed my blender and protein powder.  Somehow I just abandoned ship.  I had one run that week and it was HORRIBLE!!  It had been about a week since I had last run and I headed out on a dirt road in the country and figured I'd go for it.  It was just 3 miles but the longest, most painful run of my life.  My breathing was all wrong, I walked most of it and truly hated myself for slacking and letting it get to this point.  After that run I had really strong thoughts of just abandoning the whole marathon training and running thing.  What was the point.  Needless to say, I didn't run again for another week. 

 I'm not sure when my crappy thinking went out the window.  All I know is, less than a week later I was mentally back in the game.  I ate what I wanted but tried not to over do it.  I didn't hop on a scale once while I was gone and just went by how my clothes were fitting.  I had gotten a few green monster's in so I felt a bit more normal at times.  I started my run week again and let's just say it kept getting better and better.  Each run was more awesome than the next.  Time wise, it wasn't the best I had done but on my last 3 mile run before I had left, I ran the whole thing and didn't stop once!  HELLO!!  I felt like a million bucks that day.  I also tried to appreciate and just ENJOY my runs.  I had new scenery and sunny days.  That's not to say that my 8 mile run was all roses. Ended up walking a lot more than I had wanted to but really tried to enjoy it for what it was.  Even though it was a crap-tastic run, I still felt the same sense of accomplishment at the end.  I JUST RAN (ran/walked) 8 MILES!!  Who me?!? Yeah me!

So once I got over all that, I was on my way to Seattle.  Insert major anxiety here!  I was going to be running for the first time with my marathon running partner...my sis.  Was I going to be fast enough?  Were we going to be in sync with one another?  Was she going to laugh at how terrible I am at this running thing?

First run we had to go super slow.  It was on Alkai Beach in Washington.  See picture above.  My 4 year old nephew was with and was riding his little bike.  Let's just say, there were a lot of starts and stops and it was a V-E-R-Y slow 3 miles for the both of us.  I think we both came to the conslusion that "running" that slow was almost harder on the body than pounding it out, balls to the wall. 

That run over, our next was a 5 miler.  Can we say HILLS?!?  I now know the pain and suffering my sis goes through.  Yowzah!  Any who, we started out and I swear, this run was so awesome for me.  My time was better than it had ever been before.  My breathing was in sync.  As we ran together, I felt the running twins from runningskirts.com!  I have the BEST running partner EVER!  I had had so much anxiety about running with her being that she had a few half marathons and some races under her belt.  Being with her really pushed me to do better and to go faster.  The next run was just as good.  Still visions of me and her as the running twins. 

Fast forward.  I'm home.  I had to readjust my training due to a few missed runs and what not.  My first solo run since I got home was a 4 miler.  I started out not feeling it.  I missed my running buddy, it was raining, blah, blah, blah.  Got out there any ways and had the BEST RUN EVER!  I know I keep saying it but this really was a great run.  I was faster than I had ever been and felt like I could push myself.  The breathing was great and I fell like my pace was pretty consistent.  I check with Forrest (my garmin....as in Forrest Gump!) when I got home and he pretty much said the same thing.  I really felt like a runner this past week and I'm lovin' it!

So that's my life in a nutshell.  Hadn't been on the computer that much while I was gone.  Still trying to catch up in the world of blogs.  The excitement of Boston is contagious.  Way to go all who ran!  I did buy a few running accesories and some more fun stuff that I've seen in the blog world.  I felt like a little kid at Whole Foods!  Pics to come of all my running stuff and food stuffs!  And before I sign off, I'm going to gush about about how much I LOVE One More Mile and their shirts and their customer service!  Love, love, love it!