Hills, Hills and the Seattle Half

This is almost another year late...wait, just 8 months late but none the less here is my day at the Seattle Half Marathon.

Not sure about this dorky face but all I know is, I'm almost done!

I feel this pic shows how cold and wet is was that day

My sister's family is the BEST race crew around.  She stood out in the frozen rain to cheer me on and she was 8.5 months pregnant.  What a rock star!!!

I can look back at this day and say I put in a college try.  My training was sketchy at best.  The weather in Juneau was horrible to train in and I think I had lost that lovin' feelin' for running at that time.  This race was far from a PR. I had added 8 minutes to my best time from the Seattle Rock N Roll Half.  That being said, I feel like I walked a whole bunch more in this race.  So for all the walking I did, 8 minutes is not bad.  I have mixed feeling about this race and vowed to NEVER run it again.  The course was unbelievably hilly and it was so cold and wet.  The last mile was a hill for cryin' out loud!  But I did it. Half Mary number three on the books at 2:46:03

ONE whole hour?!?

Those were the first words to come out of my mouth when I called my mom and asked her my finish time.  I kid you not, I shaved a whole hour off my half marathon time, completing it in 2:38!  If I could have bottled that moment in time just to feel that feeling again, I would be in crazy business.

I realize I am a year late with this and have no idea why I didn't post this sooner.  I  look back at this day and even the summer and I am proud. I was a rockstar! Without further ado, this is my mini recap of my 2011 Seattle Rock N Roll Half Marathon.

Here's my few days in a nutshell....

My race support crew

I love him!

My beautiful sister and I before the race

Ready...set....

BLING!

If I could bottle this feeling....

A rockin' stitch in time....

In reference to the "stitch in time"...Holy side stitches Batman!  I seem to get them in the diaphragm area quite often.  I'm trying to focus on breathing and what not but still seem to get them.  Is there something else I should be doing for these bad mamma-jamma's?

In reference to the "rockin'" in the title, just made a new play list that is making me as giddy as a school girl.  I've been thinking I need to switch it around a little and change the style to keep my running fresh.  Drum roll please! 

Today I had three miles on the books.  Woke up to lots of rain, instantly wasn't feeling it.  I had about 4.5 hours of sleep from night shift and was looking for all the excuses in the world to not run.  I ended up sitting in my running clothes, sipping on my coffee, telling myself I didn't have time to run because the ladies would be home any second. 

My ma called and said she could pick up kid #1.  Score!  I dropped off kid #2 at dance practice and busted out a nice three miler.  For the run that almost wasn't, I ran all three miles in the 10's.  Huh?  Let me say that again for posterity's sake....I RAN ALL THREE MILES IN THE 10's!!!  Who is this billy bad @$$?!?  Me, that's who!

I don't know if you know this but, I'm kind of a big deal.

After I ran, I promptly fell on the floor at my gram's and the dog tried to revive me in all my schweaty glory.

I know I sound pretty silly being so jazzed and excited about 10+ min miles but ya know, I worked pretty darn hard to get to this point and by gosh by golly I'm proud of myself.  I can't wait to spank my half marathon time in June!

All right, enough fun, off to work some night shift action

Welcome Back Kotter

image found here

No, I haven't gone back to my old high school (Go Wolverines!) to teach a bunch of rag tag students called the Sweathogs......
I'm back on the blogosphere baby!



Me, rockin' the Mr. Kotter 'do



So, what's been up with me since we last met? Here's the highlights...in bullet form!

• Since I've last posted, I've taken my avg pace from 12-13 min miles to 10-11 min miles!  Feeling quite rock star lately.
• I have down graded to the half marthon for Seattle Rock N Roll this year.  I wasn't respecting the distance and realize that I'm still not ready for the 'ol 26.2  I am ready however to spank my finishing time from last year.  PR here I come!
• I've done some winter running and I have to say it made me feel like a bad@** mother runner.  I was super slow but decked out in my yaktracks, my headlamp and layers of running duds, I was feeling pretty cool.
• I've done some running with pals.  This is a big thing because I always feel like a slow heiffer when I run with anyone. Not so much this time....well except for once.  Not a pretty story.
• I am debating signing up for the Rock N Roll Portland Half for next year.  Sign up 5/1/2011 at pay $55.  Tempting...
• I have a fab play list that I think is contributing to my lightness of foot?!?

• I actually downloaded the song Smooth after watching this clip from Mom vs. Marathon I too just want to shout "Thank you Rob Thomas!" while I'm running this years half in Seattle ;o)
• Fave Quote right now "We must be willing to let go of the life we have planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us" - Josheph Campbell

Looking at the calendar, I've noticed 8 weeks until Seattle Rock N Roll 1/2 Marathon.  It's time to kick things into gear.  I've got 5 miles on the books today.  It's rainy and a little cold but I gotsta get my miles in. 

And I no longer rock the Mr. Kotter 'do

Getting lost will help you find yourself

source

I don't know how to say this but,

I'm kind of a big deal.

Why?

Cuz I got mah bootay out there and finally ran!  Hello, my name is Brandi.  I haven't run in 14 days.  Well get outa here sad sack and give this girl a high five!  Legs felt awesome although I think it was because it was so gosh darn cold that I couldn't feel them!  Some tightness in the IT band but was able to work through it by imagining the lovely foam rolling sesh waiting for me at home.  The only downer was a side stitch that I tried to breathe through but kept nagging me. Other than that, sunny weather, fresh legs and good times!

So it was my first run in 20 degree weather.  I ended up wearing 2 long sleeve moisure wicking shirts and my Brooks RNR jacket, long Moving Comfort pants, compression socks, hat and some gloves.  It was definitely a great combo to start out because I sure was chilly.  I may or may not have gotten a little too warm in my core area, the jury is still out on that one.  Overall, good outfit for a cold run.

On another note, Chelsea over at Will Run for Food posted a link to this article and booyah! it is awesome.  As Chelsea says, Everyone. Go read this. NOW!

Tomorrow starts the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge.  Head on over and sign up!  Here's a little info on the challenge from Run to the Finish:

The 3rd annual Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge is here!! We have had over 120 participants for the last two years and I expect even more this year. The goal of HBBC is to provide a little additional motivation to stay active and make good choices throughout the holiday season. The stats say the average American may gain at LEAST 5lbs…but even if you gain 2lbs and don’t lose it that adds up each year.



WHY PARTICIPATE??

A. We had an awesome time! The involvement from everyone and encouragement is amazing.

B. It kept folks from gaining holiday poundage

C. Some seriously good prizes…Sweaty Bands, Once Again Nut Butter, Lara bar, New Balance Shorts, Oiselle Running tank, CEP socks, green teas, yoga bag…to name a few…more details to come.


Have a great weekend!!

It's Bootay Kickin' Time!

So, I've decided to join the Holiday Bootie Buster Challenge over at Run To The Finish  I haven't been doing so well since Halloween....a whole lotta candy and a whole lotta slackin' in the workout department. The statistics don't look to good for the average joe over the holidays.  A 7 to 10 pound weight gain isn't what I want to see at all! 

I think a nice group challenge is just what I need.  Head on over and let's kick some Holiday Bootie!

Laziness mixed with a lil randomness

"Now if you are going to win any battle you have to do one thing. You have to make the mind run the body. Never let the body tell the mind what to do. The body will always give up. It is always tired in the morning, noon, and night. But the body is never tired if the mind is not tired."

- George S. Patton, U.S. Army General, 1912 Olympian

 

 

I had this gem hidden away on my computer somewhere and found it this morning.  I'm reading your loud and clear General Patton, over. (that was me on a walkie talkie, oh yeah, that just happened!)  The past two weeks have been me enabling myself with the "your tired, you need to sleep".  Side note, I do believe that you need to listen to your body and not over do it and be aware of over training, etc..  For those of you who read my little ramblings, you know that I would and probably never will be accused of over training, I'm lucky if I can follow my schedule at all! I make sure I wake up early enough to get my run in on the days that I work but end up laying there talking myself out of it or hitting snooze because I'm just too tuckered out. Secretly my inner self knows what a crock that line is but I still lay there.  On the days that I'm not working, my new excuses include

• It's a new gym, I don't know when the cardio equipment will be less full. 
• The weather is too craptastic and I hate the treadmill - see above
• the girls need to be here at a certain time and need me to volunteer or I have only x amount of time and just realistically can't fit it in before they need to be somewhere
• I've got to bake
• Peace in the Middle East will be restored if I just finish reading all of my google reader
• My social security number and birth date were stolen and fraudulently used.
• I'm really just too tired from spin class 5 days ago.

As you can tell through my sad attempt at humor, some of those excuses are real and some are just, well, stupid.  And that my folks is what excuses are, kinda lame and pretty stupid. 

So, for the running update, I've ran once each week for the past two weeks.  Both very good runs.  I do feel really bummed that I have to take this show indoors.  I guess that means I'm really gonna have to dig deep and just bust these runs out.  Any help/suggestions/pity would help.  On the upside, I've been getting some great cross training in.  I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE group power.  It's kinda like Body Pump, at least I assume it is.  I'm really diggin' spin class and I have a pal to go with so I'm less inclined to skip either.  Interesting to note is that I'm  normally a really outgoing person but I really really deep down hate doing new things alone.  That's where my pal Y comes in handy.  She'll do any class with me.

Weight loss update, last week was a great week for pound annihilation.  Weird thing is, I ate all of my points, flex and probably my work out points. (Yeah, I follow WW, some times more religiously than others) and lost 2.6 pounds.  Definitely something to look into.  I usually try to eat my allotted points only for the day and have had success in the weight loss department doing that, 1/2 marathon training excluded! 

So, on to some randomness:
Miss J is now a cheerleader on top of her busy dance schedule, my insomnia is out of control but then again, so is my sleep schedule, vegan and healthy baking makes me happy, I can't wait to go to Group Power today, trying to raise these two ladies is tough, the excuse for not working out because my identity was stolen is true, I am still inspired by one of my co-workers/readers, I still love running, my new glasses make me look like Christian Soriano, not sure if I like it, Mama Pea's recipes are absolutely delish, I don't take enough advantage of my ease of access to fresh salmon which I remedied by making the best salmond dip evah! I'm mentally depleted from work this week, Dean and Deluca makes the best coffee and finally I think I'll be ending this overly long post (sorry) by possibly making the girls a delicious breakfast and then some running!

Week in Review

I used to love watching that on CNN in 10th grade! 

Although I didn't reach all my goals for the week, I sure did better than last.  Gotta stay positive, right?  I rocked the running portion of my week.  Slacked on Friday but made up for the non run day by getting a quick Saturday run in after the girls dance class.  I have my mom to thank for taking them while I ran.  I am just so jazzed at the progress I've been making in the short amount of time that I've been back at it.

I had planned on doing 3 day of abs but alas 1 was all I did.  MUST. WORK. ON. THAT.

I am pretty proud of my cross training attempt.  Wednesday was a rock ma bootay spin class.  Thursday, I didn't exactly make it to the gym but I managed a Cathe vid, Pyramid Upper Body and then 40 minutes of step.  Friday I missed spin due to choppin' my hair off at the salon.

Speaking of the salon, my pal/semi-ex hair stylist (he's too hard to get into these days!) was telling me about a beginners triathlon class.  I was about to jump up and down until he told me the days it will be on....Sunday eves.  Booo!  I have to work Sunday nights.  Oh well. 

Well, off to bed.  Night shift calls.  Have a great Sunday!!!

Ironman, I am not

I think I was having visions of grandeur.  I had a little pep in my step yesterday and was getting things crossed off my to do list.  I promised myself last week I would follow through with my cross training and abs.  Tuesday, I barely got my abs in but I did do them.  So Wednesday comes and, like I said I was highly motivated, I decided to go to a one hour spin class at my gym. [love love love spin class] That was from noon to one.  I got home and new I needed to get my run in before the ladies got out of school, otherwise it might not get done due to dinner having to be made, a quick grocery run, dance practice for Miss J and a mandatory vegan baking fest for me.  I almost didn't run because in between all that, I needed to eat!  Green monster down and out I went.

Mistake number two.  I really didn't want to run right after having eaten but I figured I had get out there.  Hello side cramps!!  Let's head back to mistake number one, not allotting my self enough time.  I was down to the wire.  I had only 45 minutes to get a 42 min run in.  That had to include the driving time back to the house.  High five to myself, I got it done and met Miss R right after she had gotten off the bus.  That messed with my focus because I was worried about getting home on time.

Mistake number three, spin class then less than an hour later, run.  For some, this may be nothing but for this lady, legs felt like I was running through sand!  All of my lower body was feeling it.  I was wanting to quit the whole time. Enter the self talk.  I knew a yucky run was inevitable, I had been having way too many good ones.  I kept thinking, I hate running!!! success is hanging on when you want to let go.  I had to analyze what I was doing/did wrong and what I could learn from it.  See mistakes one through three. 

• Don't eat so close to running
• Run before spin class or other classes
• Make enough time for a run so I don't have worries about being somewhere.  I can just focus on the run.
• Most importanly....Schedule/plan better!

Lessons learned.  This is the life of a running, working, full-time mom.