Ketchup

I know its been a little while since I've blogged and now I need ketchup. (hehe see what I did there. Clever, huh?). So sit back and relax because this is gonna be a loooooooong blog.


Week 7

ummmm....I can't even remember what I did this week. So let's just pretend that I did a ton of running and it went totally smooth with no hissy fits, pouting, bargaining, falling or cussing.



Week 8: Smile Center Memorial Day 10k  - Orem, UT 


This was my first 10k. Now you might be thinking, "Wait a minute, you did a 12k last month. How hard could   a 10k be for you?" Well my friends, let me tell you something that I've learned throughout this little quest of mine. Altitude totally counts! Seriously.
There was no Devil Hill during this 10k but we were back in Utah altitude.It was raining (of course) and a little cold and at one point we were running on the side of the road with lots of nasty exhaust. Once we got through that, we took a trek through Orem suburbia which was actually quite pleasant. Until we passed a sign around 3 miles which lovingly said:  "If you would have run the 5k, you'd be done by now."
Thanks, Sign. You're a jerk.

Around 3.5 miles, I really started to struggle. I wanted to walk soooo bad. My calves were tight and I was hoping that my panting wasn't too obvious to Coach Jim because I didn't want him to know that I was having a rough time. I mean, we're only half way through. So I decided to just suck it up and keep going although my pace seriously slowed.
All of a sudden, the Running Gods looked upon my poor desperate ass and said, "Maybe we should help a sister out." Thank you! I needed that.
Mile 4-5 was freaking awesome! I picked up pace and felt amazing! I felt like I was just out for a stroll. Unfortunately it only lasted that one mile because 5-6 was rough. Not as rough as someone else who ran it before me, however, because they actually puked all over the sidewalk.
And they had oatmeal for breakfast. Did you get that visual? Good. And you're welcome.
Check out my stats. And a picture. Because that's what we do.

Week 9: Pride Day 5k - Memory Grove Park - Salt Lake City, UT 


Talk about a fun race! It was the next closest thing to the Bay to Breakers. Except there were no Nakeds.
I loved the overall attitude of this race. Everyone was there to have a great time and share an overall message of love and diversity. Plus it was a SUPER gorgeous day outside which made for a very nice run through Memory Grove by the capital building.
But alas....I can't have too nice of a run. That just wouldn't be right. So of course there was a massive hill. Again....ugh.
I've decided that when you walk up a hill but make the arm motion like you're running, it totally counts. So if anyone ever tells you that you're not actually running, tell them they're stupid and keep on truckin' up that mountain!
I ran this race separate from Jim because I could tell that he was really jonesing to run really fast. Plus, he just got a wicked tattoo to honor his awesome marathon achievements so I think that might have added to his desire to kick some 5k ass. Check it out

Jim's bitchin tattoo 

This 5k was really cool and I feel like I had a good run. My official time was 33:10 so my average pace was about 10:40/mile.

Before race 

After. PS...no one wanted a hug :(

Week 10

So, no running this week. Just imagine week 7 but with the hissy fits and cussing. That's all I'm going to say about that.


Week 11


No race this week, just training runs. So we actually went back to the same location at the capital building but instead of running 3 miles, we did 7. I had to run that stupid hill again but I'm told that hills are actually really good for you when training. So up we go. Again....ugh.
Those of you that live in Utah know that the area around the capital is anything but flat.So its no surprise that if you travel along that area in the early morning hours during the summer, you are sure to find lots of runners and bikers out there getting in their cardio burn. It was kind of nice to pass by people and say hello and get a smile and nod from the other runners who are sharing my pain. Even that lady with fantastic legs who isn't even breaking a sweat. She's suffering. I just know it. She just has to be! Either way, it feels like a little community and I'm kind of glad I get to experience that every once in a while.
This was also my first run that I've ever used an energy aid other than Gatorade during a run. If any of you out there are running long distances and not using something like GU or Shot Blocks, STOP DOING THAT! Seriously, you're body is stressed the hell out when you put it through that many miles and it needs fuel. I felt awesome during my run but I know I couldn't have done it without a little pick me up. I definitely recommend trying these little miracles on your next run. You won't regret it.

The next few weeks will be serious training because I'm running my first Half Marathon (ahhhhh!!) on July 15th. Wow....that's only a few weeks away.
I'm a little bit sick to my stomach just thinking about it.


Whew..holy long blog, Batman!!
Sorry 'bout that. I promise to keep in touch more, OK? Don't leave angry mob posts on my Facebook page anymore. Mom, I'm looking at you. You totally started it.
:)

Week 6: Bay to Breakers - San Francisco, CA

Top 10 things I learned (or didn't learn) during my experience at the 100th annual Bay To Breakers 12k in San Francisco, CA 


10. Find a happy place before your run. Center your chi...or whatever

Lake Tahoe! 

                                     



9. Wear comfortable clothing that you can run in. Nudity is not recommended only because of chafing
     issues*

Jealous?

     
                                     

                                           












   *(side note...my shorts led to major thigh chafing that HURT and looks like road rash. Lesson learned.)





8.  Do not wear masks or anything that will impair your vision.

Pac Man ghosts!

7.  Do not run with sticks...you learned this in kindergarten. 

6.  Keep your eyes forward at all times. Keep your focus on the road ahead of you. 

5. Acknowledge supporting spectators but only take what they are offering you if it's water....not booze.

These Smurfs are freakin wasted.

4. On the same note, ignore spectators that may be "heckling" you. 

I'm still not sure why these people were there and why they're so angry. Maybe it was all the Nakeds.

3. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from harmful UV rays. And make sure you get a picture of your 

     boyfriend's bitchin' reflection. 

2.  Always keep a positive attitude. 

And number 1......hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! 

Quite possibly one of the worst pictures ever taken. But I show you because I love you. This beer was so delicious.

Needless to say, Bay To Breakers was awesome despite the chafing and a massive hill created by the Devil himself. That thing sucked!! But we had a blast and the route was gorgeous (except the Devil hill). We even saw a guy do a beer bong out of a 3rd story window! I mean, that's just impressive, I don't care who you are.

This was the farthest distance to date (7.46 miles) that I have run consecutively and despite a few points where I saw my life flash before my eyes (the worst being around mile 6), I think I did OK. It made it all worth it to enjoy the party that is San Francisco. Who wouldn't love a city that gets plastered to run a 12k and thinks clothing is optional?!

I say I'm going to move there. Coach Jim might have a different opinion....

    

Stupid Treadmill

So when you watch You Tube and someone falls on a treadmill, it's hilarious!
It's not so funny when it's you, dude!

I had to run 2 miles today so I decided to just to bust it out on the stupid treadmill early this morning instead of doing it after work because I wouldn't have time.
Around 1.5 miles, I got a little distracted and a little clumsy. That's a bad combo when you are on the stupid treadmill.
Needless to say, I fell.

The ONLY thing that made it somewhat funny was the only other person in the gym with me at the time.
There is this lady that I see all the time and even though we've never talked, we've acknowledged each other and I think we have a pretty good "gym relationship"
Well, she doesn't speak any English (which I guess is one reason we've never talked....).
So when I took my little tumble I had no idea what she was trying to say to me but I imagine it was something like this:

"Oh sweetie! I'm so sorry about your tumble. What a stupid treadmill! I saw how awesome you were doing on your run. I mean, you're so super speedy and your form is fantastic! It's totally the stupid treadmill's fault that you fell down. It certainly was not your fault. Would you like me to go make you a margarita? Will that help?"

Thank you Gym Lady. I appreciate your concern. But its 6am.
I don't want a margarita.

                                                             Sprained rotator cuff. Lame.

Week 5: Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k

Week 5 sucked.

Well...let me start over. Week 5 started out great! Throughout my training runs during the week I managed to keep a steady pace and shave almost 2 minutes off my regular time. And these were done with little to no complaining which was a HUGE accomplishment for me. I'm sure Coach Jim really appreciated the few days that I didn't bitch and moan about one thing or another.
(You're welcome, honey.)

And then....

Saturday came.

Saturday was the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 5k. I have done this 5k several times but I've never actually run it for several reasons.

1. I was chunky.
2. I was lazy.
3. I was (probably) hung over
4. I was a chunky hung over lazy person who just wanted to go to back to bed.

But alas, in my quest to become a super awesome runner, I have to actually run this 5k. Go fig.

One of the reasons it was so hard to run this 5k was the amount of people there. I think at one point I heard an announcer say there were an estimated 20,000 in attendance. That's an extraordinary large amount of people. And that's awesome! This is a great event and its for a great cause. But seriously...how in the hell do you run a race with 19,999 other people?? Solution: get in the front of the starting line and just haul ass in front of everyone!
Ummmm....no, that still didn't work.
Everyone took off of that starting line like tons of pink bats outta hell and I was still just trying to find my footing in all the madness. I couldn't really focus much on my running in the beginning because I was mostly just making the motion to make it look like I was running but really I was just trying not to get trampled. Then it was a matter of maneuvering around strollers, kids, dogs and old people.
Oh! And at one point, the road had a bump that I swear came out of nowhere and I almost face planted. Funny for others to watch, I'm sure. But not so much for me.
Anyway...once I was able to get through the crowd and into a somewhat decent area to run in, I could finally focus on what I was doing. But that still didn't help. My heart rate was out of control and I felt like my legs weighed about 20 lbs each. I had to walk several times and just could not keep a consistent pace. I was frustrated with myself and wanted to just run faster. I felt like I was back at square one and got a little discouraged to think about how far I still have to go. Needless to say...the entire race was like that.

Coach Jim says sometimes you just have a bad run. I can definitely say that's true.
Considering how many people were there and how many times I had to walk, my time wasn't too bad. It was only 2 minutes longer than the previous 5k. So in normal, sensible-person reality, that's great! I should be happy! But I'm a little bit crazy and I can definitely admit that I'm too hard on myself most times.
Overall, I should be proud of the work I did.

But I certainly made up for my lack of complaining during the week with lots of whining in those few minutes of the race.

I also had a few people comment on our cute shirts so I wanted to give a shout out to Mandi!
These shirts were for her team The Elemonators. She posts a blog about her battle with breast cancer and she's a very strong chica for everything she has to go through. We were definitely proud to rock those shirts.
Check it out

http://www.darngoodlemonade.com/

We are on our way to San Francisco this week so I will be sure to update you on that race when we get back

Week 4: Salt Lake Running Co. 5k

I fully admit that week 4 was a slacker week for me. Because he can't speak and therefore can't stick up for himself, I'm going to blame a dog for my laziness.
I was dog sitting a super adorable basset hound named Bailey. Since I was staying at his house and had to be home right after work to feed him and supply with him with more prescription medications than an 80 year-old man, I didn't have time to stop by my gym and get on the elliptical. Damn you, Bailey! How dare you distract me with all your floppy cuteness!

Needless to say, I got very few runs in but I did manage to complete a 5k on Saturday that was hosted by the Salt Lake Running Company.
My ultimate goal was to complete a 5k in less than 40 minutes since the last one I did (South Jordan Valentine's Day 5k) was 42 minutes. I felt good because not only did I beat my time by achieving a 36 minute race, we also ran in the cold! Utah weather acts a little like a paranoid schizophrenic so at the slightest sign of reasonable Spring temperatures, Mother Nature threw out a batch of snow that reached 10 inches in some places in the valley. The freeway was covered in slush and we saw 3 accidents on our way to the race.
Now image this...its a FREE 5k so it's not like we would be out any money. We already have our shirts so we could totally lie and say that we did it and have proof to back it up. We can run 3.1 miles anywhere, at any time. What's our motivation for going to this thing at 6:30am? in the snow? More free stuff, of course! Salt Lake Running Co. was also holding a raffle with tons of free crap. I mean, I might not ever use that multicolored head band or autographed picture of some runner I've never heard of. But its FREE! I have to have it.
And after all of that, we didn't even win anything. I think it was rigged.

                                             Evidence: we were totally there...honest. The shirt doesn't lie.

I did get a present last week, anyway.
A few weeks ago, Jim and I were watching TV and a commercial for gel insoles for high heels came on. Instead of saying to him that I wanted some new high heels, I turned to him and told him I wanted a pair of hot pink running shoes. Holy crap....my life has changed A LOT in the last few months.
Jim was so happy about what I said, he went online and bought me said shoes as a surprise.

              
                                                                         Hot, right?

                          Coach Jim is lucky he's faster than me. And what the hell are my hands doing??


What's even better than having hot pink running shoes?
Having a coach / boyfriend that has bright orange ones.

                                                                 Ah, aren't we precious?


Next week I have another 5k. The week after that will be a run in sunny San Francisco. You don't want to miss that one because that run might have naked people. Stay tuned...

Week 3: The Gomers, The Stick and The Bra

Week 3 of my training has come to an end. To be totally honest, it wasn't too bad of a week. Definitely easier than I thought it would be but I still had to push myself. 12 miles total divided into a 3, 4 and 5 mile run. The latter of which was done in Liberty Park and I really liked running there. I will be doing that a lot when the weather is nice.

Coach Jim introduced me to a new podcast called "Two Gomers Run a Marathon". It's not only a great podcast to listen to but it's great when I'm running because it's distracting me from thinking too much about how absolutely exhausted I am or wondering what my ass looks like in my running pants. The podcast is just two average guys who have never done anything extraordinary and they are training to run a marathon. They are open and honest about all of their ups and downs including times they want to vomit and when they think they might "Code Brown" on someone's front lawn. I'm happy to report that I have never been to that point in my running but I can assure you that as soon as I do, you guys will be the first to know. 

Because I know part of you is curious. 

Let me also tell you about "The Stick". Every athlete or wanna-be, such as your's truly, should invest in this slightly overpriced piece of fantastic plastic. (ha! bonus...I made a rhyme) 

"The Stick" is considered 'a toothbrush for your muscles'. Despite its marketing flaw (toothbrush?...?) it really is a handy little thing to own. It's just a long plastic rod with several little plastic rings that you can roll along your muscles before or after a work out to help get the lactic acid out of there. I've used it after my runs on my calves in particular and it is sooooooo nice. My legs still hurt but certainly not as bad as they would if I hadn't used it. 

My calves hurt today because I decided to be an idiot and run 5 miles yesterday, then wear high heels all day today. So by the time I got home, my calves hurt so bad that all I wanted was The Stick. I was such a pansy about rolling it down my leg since they hurt so I made Coach Jim take over and give them a good rub down (keep it PG people). Let me tell you, it hurts so good. 

Anyway...invest. I promise you will love it. 

To the ladies out there: have you ever finished a work out only to find that somehow Lake Eerie is now residing in your bra between the mountains? I mean, really! How nasty is that?? I've never really been a sweaty person. A light perspiration?....maybe. Certainly never to this extent. But if you combine more exercise than my ass is used to and a gym with fans that are also on spring break, you get one nasty boob sweat. Hey, I promise to keep it real, folks. Good and bad. Unfortunately, sweat is a necessary evil. 

But on a much less disgusting note, I found a bra that you ladies really need to try if you're looking for one to keep those girls under control and not bouncing in your face during a work out. 

The Under Armour Duplicity Sports Bra not only secures the boobs during the entire duration of the ride, it's ridiculously comfortable. I don't even think about it when I'm running. Which might be partly because I'm busy thinking about how I would handle a "Code Brown"  situation should I ever need to. But I'm mostly sure it's because I'm comfortable. Oh! And..its reversible! So no one would ever know if you were to switch sides and wear it again the next day without washing it! Which is gross. I mean, Lake Eerie was in there. Wash that bra! 

But you have the option if you want it, Nasty.

Week 4 will include a 5k. I will keep you posted. Don't worry!

Introduction

First of all, let me say this...I am not a runner.

I'm just a girl who runs. You might ask yourself, "What's the difference?" And I honestly can't tell you my exact reasoning. I have this image in my head of what a real runner looks like and I'm definitely not that. But I want to be. It's what all the cool kids are doing these days. So I'm going to try.
With the help of my boyfriend - who I consider to be a real life runner - I will train to run a marathon. (which marathon has yet to be determined but I have a few in mind and I'll come back to that in another post). I will document all the ups and downs that come with training for a marathon and put it on this blog for my utter humiliation and your entertainment.

Now, I'm already 3 weeks into my structured training schedule as laid out by Coach Jim. The first two weeks are far too much to write about right now but believe me when I say...it was ugly, folks. It was more than ugly. It was an absolute disaster. It was full of pain, sweat, hissy fits, getting lost in Murray suburban hell, a battle with a heart rate monitor and enough swearing to make a construction worker pray for my salvation.
Something tells me my entire training process will always be like that. (I must be insane)

So on that note....
Join me, boys and girls, as I log my progress to becoming a super awesome runner!
It's sure to be interesting.