Change of Scenery

People have a lot of questions when they find out I'm a "distance runner." My distances right now cap at 14 miles and there are A LOT of people out there putting in WAY more miles than me. Still, that type of mileage can be intimidating to beginner runners or people who have never tried to run at all. The usual questions I get regard fatigue, injury, soreness and stretching, but I think the most common questions are more along the lines of, "don't you get bored," "how do you convince yourself to keep going," and "don't you get tired?"

Yes, you can get bored and yes you can get tired. But if you've trained to tackle 13 miles your body will do it. End of story. It's the mental game you then need to play. You're mind needs to be prepared to keep on going, not your legs.

Since I began training I've figured out what techniques work best for me. If I'm running with my group distance is never a problem. We usually run at a pace that we can have a conversation comfortably, which means we're talking to each other the whole time. During races it's a bit more difficult. We're usually running at a quicker pace and are almost never together. This is when I have upbeat music to help keep my pace and repeat mantras to myself when I get tired. Some of my favorites mantras are:

-Just one more mile (even if there's several)
-You can do it
-You've trained for this
-Push harder

I also focus on my breathing and maintaining a comfortable pace, adjusting it whenever I feel necessary. But my favorite thing to keep myself occupied during a race is pick out a person ahead of me that I'd like to pass. I'll take my time, maybe pick up my pace a tad, and slowly pass them. Then I pick the next person. This seems to be the best way for me to get through half marathons.

Recently we've been registering for races in areas we don't usually run, for the excitement and the change of scenery. A few months a go we did a 10k on Tybee Island in GA. Claire and I actually ran this entire race together and I FINALLY got some good race photos!

Pre-Race Team Photo

Finally an action shot where I don't look like I'm dying!

A few weeks after that a group of us went down to Tampa for the Gasparilla half marathon. The Expo was pretty big and we had a lot of fun. I even had the opportunity to get my body fat and BMI measured. They did the measurement by having me stand on a machine that weighed and measure me, while gripping handles for a few seconds. I'm not sure how accurate it is, but I was pretty pleased with the result.

Height: 5'8" 

(I really think I'm 5'9"...maybe I wasn't standing up straight)

Weight: 138 

Ideal Weight for me is 125.3 to 164.9

BMI: 21

Ideal BMI for me is 19 to 25

Body Fat %: 22%

Ideal Body Fat for me is 19% to 25.4%

Body Fat Mass: 31 lb

Ideal Body Fat Mass for me: 26.4 to 35.5

I was happy to find that I'm within the healthy range for all categories (though I'd prefer to be on the lower end of each of those ranges...)

After we all got measured we headed out to the water front for some R&R.

CJ with the Lego Man I found in Chris' van

Chris, Colin, John and CJ

Me and Mary

When the sun started to go down we got settled in the hotel and enjoyed a pre-race pasta dinner at a local favorite, Luigi's. We hit the sack early because our half marathon started at 6:30am.

We woke up at 4:30 am to the beginning of a storm. The wind was whipping and as we pulled into the parking garage it started to pour. Luckily the rain let up just minutes before our race began.

Chris and his bed head before the run

The run was beautiful and scenic, however, and it kept my mind occupied. For the first few miles I was completely focused on moving up in the pack. I accidentally started in the wrong heat with runners who would finish in over two hours. weaving in and out of people for a few miles made for an interesting run.

My goal was to finish under 1 hour 50 minutes and unfortunately I didn't quite hit my goal. I finished in 1 hour 51 minutes. I'm blaming it on the people dodging... But I did walk away with a bad-ass skull and cross bones metal :)

We also ran the local shamrock run last weekend, which was followed by the appropriate St. Patrick's day beverage: Guinness.

You'll notice some different faces in the above photo. Stephanie joined us, after taking a few months off of running due to some knee pain. Doug made it out and brought along our friend Pat. I finished the 5k in 23 min, 48 seconds.


My next "interesting" race is the LoziLu Women'sa Mud Run in Jacksonville, FL next month. We decided on a team name of the Bluffton Beer Runners. What can I say? We like beer!!

So the trick is to try different routes, try different races, challenge yourself, trick yourself at times and keep it interesting! Start slow and build your mileage. Anyone can be a runner. You just need to try :) And find an awesome group, it really helps!

Seek New Horizons

This morning was a typical Saturday- typical for me anyway. I woke up at 6:30am, brushed my teeth, put on my running clothes, laced up my Saucony shoes and met my friends by 7am. By 7:55 we were at the starting line of our third half marathon in the last 5 months. We've also done 5ks, 10ks, Turkey Trots, Jingle Jingles and any other race we can sign up for. We run in the heat, in the cold and in the rain. If it snowed in Hilton Head SC we'd run in that too. We train together week after week and I don't see that changing anytime soon. We're a team.

Having a team has been incredible for me. They encourage me when I need it, push me to be better, deal with me being late on a regular basis and basically put up with my bullshit. We support each other when it comes to our health, physical ability and most importantly running. My team has also become my friends. We spend hours together every week and most of that time are chatting about personal lives, work...whatever comes to mind at that God awful hour in the morning. I believe having each other, combined with running, is an outlet. By the time we're done our run we're ready to face the world with an optimistic and energetic disposition. My running group has changed me. And I like it.

Joining a team was a catalyst for a lot of changes I've made over the last year or so. I've joined a book club, been more social with different types of people, started treating my body better than I ever have, began volunteering and now pay more attention to this blog (even if no one reads it). I jump on opportunities to go out of town and be adventurous. I feel like I have things going on. I'm not just going to work and going to the gym. I'm living my life and having fun.

I've said it before and even if it's redundant here I go again: Running is my metaphor for life. During my race today I pushed myself harder than I ever have. I looked up at the steep bridge at miles 4 and 5 and then again at 9 and 10 and thought to myself "I can push through this. This is no sweat." And I did. I conquered that bridge, then ran several miles after it, crossing the finish line at the best time I ever have on flat pavement. I knew my husband and our two dogs were waiting for me at the finish line, and I sprinted my last tenth of a mile like someone was chasing me. It wasn't easy, but it was possible. That's the way I'll continue to live my life: accepting challenges, staring them in the face and then owning them.

"Once upon a time, we believed the world was flat- that beyond a certain point, there would be nowhere to go. And though we know the world is round, we still fear falling off imaginary edges, too often thinking there's only so far we can stretch, so hard we can push. The most dangerous limits are those in our own head. When you feel you're at your edge, look again. You can go farther." -Self Magazine

The Impossible is Often the Untried

I remember the day I decided I wanted to be a runner. I was 18 and in my freshman year in college. I desperately did not want to be one of the women to succumb to the "freshman 15." Because all of my previous ways of staying in shape were through sports (mostly cheerleading and dance), I didn't really know how to workout efficiently. I tried a few classes at the gym on campus, but mostly I just ran. What started out as a 2-mile morning run on the indoor track quickly turned into 3 miles, then, 4 and eventually five. I'd run at school, I'd run after work with my mom....I just loved to run. The problem was I never pushed myself. I was comfortable doing 5 miles and it seemed to impress others. I'd follow up every run with 30 minutes of abs and stretching.

Now, almost 10 years later, I realize that although I may have been doing a great job caring for my heart with all the cardio, by leaving out strengthening exercises I hadn't been caring for the rest of my body. Additionally, I've learned that doing workouts at the right time of day is critical to building lean muscle and burning fat. I am finally learning and am fitter than ever.

Notice that I say FITTER and not THINNER. I certainly was thinner when all I did was run run run. But now I have shape. I have muscle. I am strong. I have a body that I am proud. That pride and strength translates into confidence which helps me physically, emotionally, professionally and personally.



For example, I'll start the day with a 3 mile run on the golf course in my neigborhood. It's a beautiful and safe route and I love starting my day this way. At the end of my run I may do 20 lunges, 20 burpees, 15 pushes, 50 bicycle crunches and a few minutes of stretching. This early morning workout is what we Tone It Up members call our Booty Call :) We get moving first thing to jump start our metabolism.

After work (I work a full 8 to 10 hours daily) I'll head to the gym to complete one of the Tone it Up workouts. Yesterday I did the below routine:



I followed it up by an intense 30 minutes of HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) to burn as much fat as possible. By the time I was done I was exhausted. 15-20 minutes of stretching and I was on my way home, with nothing but refueling on my mind (aka dinner).



I've also learned how to set goals for myself to keep me going. Last weekend I ran a 10K. It was my goal to place. I wanted a medal. Sure enough I came in 2nd place overall for women!! I could have pushed it harder and therefore have set my goals higher. Today I began training for my first half marathon.

I found out about a group of people in the area also training and ran with them for the first time this morning. I'm used to running alone and was surprised at how easy it is to run further and push harder when you're running with others. Before I knew it we soared past my comfort-zone (6 miles) and completed 9.12 miles! I was amazed and proud. I'm eager to see how far I can go next saturday and so thankful for finding my new running buddies to motivate me :)

I've found most of my inspiration through the Tone it Up community. Katrina and Karena, our trainers, motivate hundreds, if not thousands, of women everyday. They keep us involved, excited and make getting toned a group activity. Their meal plan is incredible and has taught me a lot about healthy eating. Finding these two online has positively affected my life more than I can describe. I don't think I'd have the confidence to try a half marathon if I hadn't already been training with these two, building my strength and endurance.

I will keep you posted on my progress. Until then, remember that it's only impossible if you don't try it. Lace up those running shoes and hit the pavement. You may surprise yourself ;)