241 Days: Back Slide

A combination of things have put me on a bit of a back slide regarding my running regimen.  Two of my daughters have had bad colds for the past week, meaning lots of interrupted sleep and clingy girls who don't take naps. On top of that, I seem to have done something to my ankle. At the advise of a friend/physical therapist, I am icing and resting for a few days. I hate to admit I have only run 4 times in the last 8 days. I did do a kettlebell workout last Wednesday that made it difficult for me to sit or walk down stairs for two days after.  Wow, Bob Harper can really kill you in 30 minutes.  He's sneaky, because it doesn't start to hurt until at least 4 hours after you complete your workout.
I think I need some cheerleading.  I have a feeling it is going to be tough to get back on the horse (treadmill)!

Change of Venue

One of the biggest factors in running a marathon has been to show my daughters that I can do it.  I am not naturally athletic and we all know I haven't been the best role model regarding health and wellness (no exercise, lack of veggies in my diet, etc.) but I think this initiative I have taken on has turned things around.  So, when I started looking at accommodations and spectator routes for the Chicago Marathon, I realized expecting my husband and my mom to take my daughters to the marathon and keep track of them for 5 hours was not logical.  And, in reality, my daughters probably wouldn't even be able to spot me amongst the 45,000+ runners in downtown Chicago.  So, I am changing the venue.  I have decided to run the Des Moines marathon.  It is the week after the Chicago and has only 1,700 runners for the full marathon.  In all, 4,500 runners jog the offered races (5K, 1/2 marathon, and full).  I did feel a bit guilty about changing locations, because my friend and running motivator is from the Chicago area and I kind of felt like I was ditching her! She assured me otherwise.
So, you will notice a new countdown in my header.  I have bought myself an extra week, or I have added a week of torturous training, depending on how you look at it!

249 days--wardrobe malfunctions, colds, and registration

Of course, the day registration opens for the Chicago marathon, I wake up with a raging cold that comes with earaches and a sore throat.  But, I got out of bed anyway, at 5:45 am, to run.  I only ran for 8 minutes.  I walked for 23 minutes.  Now, I am feeling a bit skeptical about registering today.  On one hand, if I register, I have to pay $150 and I am not one to pay for something and not use it.  I hate letting food go to waste and I use coupons regularly.  On the other hand, I will be really mad at myself if I don't make it or if I can't physically run 26.2 miles.  I am hoping others feel like this when they sign up for a marathon. 

In other news, the past two days have been littered with wardrobe malfunctions.  Yesterday, I wore a new sports bra, one very similar to my current favorite sports bra.  Somehow, it does not provide enough support, even though it is the same model, brand, and size as my favorite.  Maybe it is the color of the bra. The same thing happened today, but with a different bra I just bought and decided to try out. And then there is my pants.  I love this pair of yoga pants I have that has pockets.  The pockets make a great place for me to stow my mp3 player and my insulin pump.  However, I got on the treadmill yesterday and started my jog, only to realize that my favorite pants were too big.  They slipped down pretty quickly, necessitating me to yank them up every 30 seconds.  Now, this can be looked at two different ways: 1) Yah! My pants are too big! 2) Crap, I have to buy new pants, not just one pair but several because they all fit the same way.

Can you tell I am grumpy?

255 days--Quiet Drive

Two miles down, only 24.2 left.  And the words Quiet Drive run through my head for most of the time I am running.  It's not a motivational mantra, believe me.  It is the sticker boasting the specs of my treadmill.  But it reminds me to call up the drive I need to keep going.  So far, I have given into my Screaming Pain Tolerance and stopped when my body starts to give up.  I am getting better, running for 20 minutes at a time, but I am very aware that I will need to run for a lot longer than 20 minutes to finish a marathon.

I do believe my MP3 player is helping the cause. I have gathered a few songs that seem to help me take my mind off the fact that my knees are killing me and there is sweat dripping down my back.  The Black Eyed Peas seem to be my biggest motivator (Let's Get It Started and I Got a Feeling), but I do like I Just Wanna Run by Downtown Fiction, too. And, to throw a little something different in, Gnarls Barkley's Crazy and Run (I'm a Natural Disaster) make me laugh when I hit the point that I think I am going to faint and die (obviously, I am exaggerating). I have found Train's Hey Soul Sister and OneRepublic's Secrets are great for my cool down. I use Survivor's Eye of the Tiger as a warm up.  I know, a little cliche but it does the trick at 6 am. 

258 days--The Kettle Bells Are Kicking My Butt

I love doing a kettle bell workout. But the kettle bells are kicking my butt. I lift children all day long. I lift bags of horse feed almost everyday. I even lift my KitchenAid mixer up on a high shelf regularly. But a kettle bell workout is giving me the aches and pains I haven't had since lifting weights in high school.
Things are going pretty well. I am getting on the treadmill 5 days a week and throwing in some strength training and core work too.
Tomorrow morning I am going to try out my new playlist and see if the distraction of good music makes it easier to jog longer.

265 days-Moving...on

Two miles, two miles run without walking! Is it sad that I am REALLY excited about that?

I am not sure if I still have kneecaps and I can't stoop down to pick up anything on the floor, but I feel a huge sense of accomplishment!

Today I bought a kettlebell to work on some strength training, too. I have been doing planks and some core work also.

Now, my dear audience, what suggestions do you have for songs to run to? I have been using Sirius Radio's PUMP station, but it is actually too slow for me. I need some upbeat, motivational songs to put on my MP3 player.

268 Days--The Slump

The past few days have been a bit rough. I am really struggling with time management and pushing myself to go harder and get to the next mile. It is quite the feat to get myself on the treadmill everyday. I can always find something else that needs to be done first.
Tonight I ran into a guy who has run a few marathons and has been a runner all his life. He was very encouraging when we talked about my goal. He reminded me that every "athlete" has up and down weeks and that it was just important to keep going. Climb on that treadmill everyday and run for at least 30 minutes.
I also started reading a book written by a first time marathoner. It has been a good way of making sure the fears and doubts I am having are normal.
I have been trying to push myself forward, mostly in the manner of running without walking. I am proud to say I can make it 1 mile without stopping to walk. Keep in mind, I haven't run for 6 years, unless you count chasing after children or dogs.
I am trying my hardest, but I will admit I am a bit skeptical that I am capable.