10 Things I Think I Love About Running

While checking out one of my favorite iPad apps; ZITE tonight I found a terrific blog post at www.irunnerblog.com. He is a marathon runner and has a terrific blog that I now follow. He was posting his top 10 list about his love of running to keep himself inspired.

Last week Lennie and I started a new 10k running clinic with the Running Room. Lennie has never run before but he thought as a Christmas gift it would be great to do one together. Turns out that he is fantastic at running, unfortunately has a bad knee, and didn't realize how hard it was to run. As a great, frequent hockey player, he thought that his physical strength from hockey would carry over into running. After he ran his first 6k he said, "I respect you even more now for running 42 of those." It was hilarious to see him struggle to get up the stairs for the first couple of days. He then commented "I have never relied on handrails so much in my life." Too funny to hear him moaning and groaning about sore muscles.

www.irunnerblog.com asked his Twitter followers to help him stay motivated and he got a response from @TriMeOn who suggested that he "list ten things you love about running……..”. I decided that to keep myself moving forward and excited about running that I would do the same thing. 

We all know that I do not love running but am trying it for a couple of years to see if it is something I can see myself doing for many more years to come.  Being "big" and the thyroid thing do not help provide success in this sport.  Runners are fit, lean, fast and a tad crazy and I am only a few of those things :) Making this list helps me realize that running is great and I love the people and success of it but not necessarily the work involved.

10 Things I Think I Love About Running...

...being able to drink lots of chocolate milk
...talking about running with Lish and Lindsay
...being in Springbank Park for hours on end
...tracking my mileage on www.dailymile.com
...pushing myself during tempo runs
...wearing capri tights
...finish line photos
...the Port Stanley Sunday summer runs
...the look on people's faces when they find out I am a marathoner
...my Garmin watch

I could go on and on and will continue to focus on how fun races are, the wonderful friends I have made, and that it has added years to my life.

What would be on your love of running list?

"Road to Chicago"

Yesterday was the start of week 1 of 19 weeks to the Chicago marathon.  I could not be any happier with my thoughts surrounding my journey to another marathon.

Thursday I got a tattoo I have wanted to get for a long time and will add red hearts every time I do a marathon so that it links up with my ankle one.

Saturday I got all my clothes, water belts, gel stock, hair bands, watch and music ready to go.  I love preparing all my stuff and laying it out in the spare room.  You never realize how much stuff you need in order to be successful and I am a bit of a freak when it comes to being organized. 

Lish, Lindsay and the rest of the BA crew have chatted about our schedule so I made up the 19 week training plan and put it on the fridge.  It is based on the Running Room schedule with some modifications.  First of all, we are starting out doing 14k and add 1k each week instead of the suggested 10 10 13 13 16 16.  We knew we could start out longer but move up more slowly.  We have also built in a race in August - Midsummer's Nights race http://www.amidsummernightsrun.ca/.  It is a 30km in Toronto and fits perfectly into our schedule.  The other ladies ran it last year and loved it so I am looking forward to it helping with our preparation.  Also, we are all on the MS Rona bike team with a 2 day bike race in July.  The cross training on Thursdays and Saturdays will be a huge benefit too. 

Remember my blog post setting my goals for the 2011 marathon? 

Below is the list I made so I could take 43 minutes off my time in order to run a 5:45 marathon (I am going to be 43 years old too on race day).  I am happy to say that many are underway to being accomplished or done already including buying a new Garmin (I lost my first one in July on a plane to Seattle :( expensive lesson learned)

• don't freak out about the hot weather - "suck it up sweetheart"
• drop 14 pounds - don't know what I weigh but it is less than last year
• see a podiatrist about my foot pain - done and have the orthotics
• learn to run faster - done already have taken 7 minutes off my 10ks and my average pace is way faster
• don't high-five so many people  - race day plan
• run in the middle of the road - race day plan  - worked well in last races
• run more to practice no more 10:1s - done only 10:1ing on Sundays during long runs
• only walk the water stations - race day plan
• less sightseeing - race day plan
• take Cold FX so I don't get sick the week of the race - race week plan
• carry 2 more gels for energy - race day plan

Having the Garmin, more race experience and a positive attitude is really going to give me more success. 

What I also am so happy about is my goal race pace.  I ran a 7:22 at the last race and my Sunday long runs are about 8:15, I was faster than that yesterday for our 14k.  Running long distance is so mental and knowing that having great friends, experience and a solid training regime will get me my goal time. 

Screw the cancer!!!!!

Reality or Fate...or does it really matter?

The reality is that I could talk for hours and hours about this past weekend in Chicago.  Top 4 in my life's proudest moments, (marriage, masters degree and award of distinction are the other 3) tears at the start line, getting my medal and finishing in time for my name to appear in the paper. 
I could tell you about the expo, the heat, the fans and the mile markers.  I could list the 15 ways that I am going to take 1 hour off my time for next year...hopefully cooler temps, drop 16 pounds, less high-fiving :), no 10:1s, only walk the water stations, less sightseeing during the race:), and keep my shoes dry.  But, really I am having a hard time believing what I see every time I walk into my laundry room and see my wall of fame (as I have named it). 
Last October, weighing 230 pounds I go to a hockey game, bump into an acquaintance (who now is a great bud), chat about working out, join a running club and bingo bango bongo a year later I run a marathon - seriously...who does that?
If I can run a 10km race, then 3 1/2 marathons, and then a full marathon in 1 year ANYONE can do it.
The race itself is not the hard part - it is the fun part.  The tough part is sticking to a workout schedule, following a training plan and maintaining healthy choices.  I needed to lose more weight, stop drinking so much, eat better and make some social sacrifices order to be prepared to race.
I realize that millions and millions of people have completed marathons, run races and sacrificed for a goal but when I think of myself as someone who "sticks to it" I am just not that kind of person.  I am not a quitter and never have been but just someone who doesn't say she is going to do stuff because I don't want to let anyone down.  But, for some strange reason and for some strange year, I pulled this off. 
Why wasn't I able to do this years ago when I was in my 20s or even in my 30s??? 
I wonder if it's a maturity thing, or I needed to have the Crohns/thyroid health scare stuff or I needed to find these running people in my life?  Maybe it's just fate but does it really matter?  I did it and to me, that is what matters most.

The Running Room 10km clinic

Yeap, I am doing it!! Thanks to my buddy Lindsay, I have joined the Running Room's 10kn clinic. We run every Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday for the next 8 weeks with a 10km race on December 31st.

Last night was our first night. We meet at 6:30 for a 30 minute lecture and then we do a run. We had a 4.93 route last night and I completed it in 41 minutes. Not bad for not doing much for the last couple of weeks. I would love to be able to finish the 10 in 1 hour but even Lindsay who has completed a marathon does 1 in 1 hour and 10 minutes. (the photo is Lindsay and her husband in Vegas at our wedding renewal last summer)((their costumes rocked))

So my goal is 1 hour and 15 minutes - pretty good for a big girl eh!?!Every run our leaders; Dawn and Lisa, e-mail us the routes so that we preplan and visually see where we are going - Sunday at 8:30am we are doing 6.25km - that may be a bit much for me but we are running 10:1 which means you run for 10 minutes then walk for 1 minute. It is great to have so many people in the club too as there is someone for everyone to pace with. I met this girl Rosie who had the same speed as me so we chugged along together last night - she too said it is great to have a pace partner - Lindsay did the run in 36 minutes so she is way out in front of me - no biggie as our goals are the same and what I liked about last night was that I finished and felt great!
Oh, Lindsay is going to come to FR with me in the summer for 2 weeks - she will love it!!!!