It wasn't Al Bundy

As we were running last week, I started to feel a sharp pain in my foot (near the big toe). It lasted for the last two miles of the run, indicating that I definitely had to get a new pair of running shoes. Seeing as our miles are increasing, I knew I couldn't do what I did last time and just walk into Kohls and buy a pair of running shoes based on price. So, I ventured into Gary Gribbles for my first official shoe fitting. Since I grew up watching so much television, I always envisioned having a man like Al Bundy fit me for a pair of shoes. The man who helped me was definitely the exact opposite of Al Bundy. His legs were pure muscle! Literally, like balls of muscle (and he was sitting down).

He had me walk from one end of the store and back (the closest to walking a runway I've ever had), then he measured my foot. He told me that I was actually a 7.5, but because my foot was "wide," I'd need to go for an 8.5 (granted, I don't have another word he could have used, but really did he need to say "wide"). I tried on two pairs of shoes and went outside and ran in front of the store (although, I felt quite foolish, I completely embraced the experience). Since I didn't feel any difference between the two, I went with the cheaper pair (and still at $95). He told me that these shoes will last 300-500 running miles. Uh, I do not plan on running that much so these shoes should last the rest of my life (that's what I said to Adam to make him feel better about spending $95 on shoes).

I'll be donating my previous pair of running shoes to The Shoe Bank. The shoes will be distributed to people in need all over the world. There are so many organizations that need our shoes, I highly recommend donating them. Why just have them sit in your closet when there is someone that needs them?

I just need to clear up a few things

While talking to my best friend a couple of weeks ago, she mentioned that she couldn't wait to see me (I am beyond excited to see her) and that I must look amazing with all of the running I've been doing. Oh boy, I was afraid people might think that.

I'm positive that, for people who don't get to see me on a daily basis, they expect that I've slimmed down. Uh, not so much. Actually, not at all. Although I haven't gained any weight (okay, I had a week where I did put on 2 pounds, but I'm back to my regular weight), I most definitely have not lost any weight.

Matter of fact, I'm going to be the first runner to gain 25 pounds. Mainly because I LOVE to eat. I love to eat candy. I love to eat chocolate. I love to eat cake. I love to eat cupcakes. I love to eat ice-cream. I love to eat pie. I love to eat pizza. Okay, so you get the idea. I love to eat. Granted, I'm not eating a ton of that everyday, but I am eating more junk than the average person. Sure, I throw in some salads, a lot of vegetables, and a ton of fruit, but my addiction to junk food has increased since I started running. With this type of addiction (I'm trying to overcome it), the weight is definitely not going to come off.

So, please, for the sake of my addiction, do not expect to me to be slim and trim when you see me. Expect that I'm going to be excited to see you, then I'm going to ask when we're going to eat.

One Hill Of a Run

When we started running in January, it was cold and wet. I was so motivated thinking that, by May, we would have warm weather and beautiful skies. Not so much and definitely not today.

This morning, Adam and I completed our 2nd 5K (Merriam Turkey Creek 5K run) right in our very own town.

To sum up the race:
1) We went into race without running once this week due to social gatherings and because it rained nearly everyday (regardless, there is never a good enough excuse to not get in your runs. We will not do that again).
2)It was cold (pretty sure I'll have pneumonia this week).
3) It was misting the entire time (so much so that my hair became curly, which, for the record, is not a good look for me).


4) It wasn't one hill like the race information stated. The run consisted of three hills (I'd describe the first hill as "grueling." Do not be fooled by the above picture of "flat land").
5) I never stopped running. I was determined to win the battle against those hills (dramatic, yes, I know).
6) I rolled out of bed 50 minutes before the race started (the race was just three blocks away).
7) At mile marker 1, they told us we were running 9:18, which is faster than we run while we're training. To hear that time felt absolutely amazing!
8)We finished at 31:09 (considering the hills we ran, we were happy with our time - still two minutes faster than our first 5K, which was all flat).

Regardless, as with every race we've done, I absolutely loved it. Crossing the finish line is never going to get old.

At this point, we've run 2 5Ks, 1 8K, 1 10K, and I walked in a 5K. That definitely classifies us as runners.




Our next scheduled race is in three weeks. We're registered to run the Hospital Hill 5K, but after today's race, we're going to change it to the 10K. Might as well run an even harder race. After all, you only improve when you challenge yourself. Really, how bad can a race be that has the word "hill" in the actual title?

To The River and Back - Our First 10K

What a weekend Adam and I had! One I definitely will not forget!

On Friday, May 7, Adam graduated with his second Bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering from University of Missouri - Kansas City. Adam has worked so incredibly hard (he graduated Summa Cum Laude) and to watch him walk across the stage, with his parents sitting next to me, was truly a phenomenal moment. Adam started working on his degree just six months after we met, so to have this chapter of our lives closed is unimaginable.

On Saturday, we woke up and ran our first 10K (6.2 miles). I never once imagined it was possible. Now, after doing it, I can't imagine not running another one. As a girl who had zero running experience prior to January 1st, I'm absolutely astonished at what these feet can do. I do not care for running during the training phase, but I absolutely love running the races.

We ran to the river and back in Lawrence, Kansas to benefit the Little Red School House http://www.lcnsweb.com/.

Here are 10 lessons learned during our first 10K (in no particular order).
1. Train on every possible surface. We ran on a paved street, a brick street, a dirt path in a wooded area, and on gravel. Running changes depending on the surface. I loved the variety because I never knew what was coming. That's a true adventure!
2. Hearing the pidder-padder of 200 feet running on a neighborhood street is energizing. When you focus on the sound, it's all you can hear and, in that moment, you realize all of the possibilities that a body in motion is capable of.
3. You can make friends nearly everywhere. The races are enhanced by the people you meet. We met a woman who had lost 150 pounds and was running her first 10K. I met her at the start of the race and encouraged her at the half-way point. She was the last person to cross the finish line, and nothing compares to watching a person do something for the first time. Her facial expression said it all. As she gave me a hug and thanked me for encouraging her, I realized that, at every stage of life, we are all doing something for the first time.
4. If your nose begins to run while you are running, you will wipe it on a $50 Under Armour shirt. Oh yes, that shirt will become the best feeling kleenex your nose has ever encountered.
5. The $50 Under Armour shirt was completely and utterly worth every penny. I borrowed Adam's shirt to run in, and, for the first time, I didn't want to rip off my clothing.
6. Running against the wind makes you feel like you are running in a stationary position. I think I look like a hamster running on a wheel. Am I really going anywhere?
7. Running with a stranger isn't as creepy as I imagined it would be. We met Constantine at the half-way point. He ran behind/next to/and in front of us all of the way back. Although we didn't talk much (running is the time that I become my quietest), we learned he was running his first 10K too. Granted, I'm not 100% positive that I'd be comfortable running with a stranger without Adam there, especially considering that I was scared when it was just the three of us running through a tunnel.
8. For the first time, I was able to enjoy every moment of the race. Typically, when we are training, there are parts of the run where I struggle (mainly running up a hill). During those times, I'm running for it to be over. This race/run was completely different. I made it a priority to take in every element. I heard the wind blowing in the trees, I saw the current ripple in the lake, I enjoyed the historic nature of Lawrence, and I appreciated the little children standing with their parents to encourage the runnners. It's become human nature to live for the next thing to come. So, we often miss what is happening at that precise moment. When I take the time to really appreciate what is happening to me at that exact time, I realize just how fortunate I am.
9. Running on a primarily flat course allowed me to run my fastest yet. We completed the race in 63 minutes (met the goal of running the 10K without once stopping). If we haven't been running so many hills lately, I wouldn't have truly appreciated such a flat course.

10. Everyone deserves to cross the finish line with a group of people cheering them on. People were standing and sitting along the grass. As Adam and I approached the finish line, their cheers increased and the claps became louder. We all deserve that level of encouragement, even when we are not running a 10K.

Life In Training

There are times I honestly feel so foolish when I tell someone that I'm training for a marathon. Let's be honest ... I do not look like your "average" runner. Not to mention, the look on my face when I say, "I'm running a marathon in October" doesn't exactly convey seriousness. This foolishness is only exacerbated when I'm talking to people who have been runners for a majority of their lives. It could have something to do with my answer to their question of, "How long have you been running?" My answer, "Since January 1." That response usually gets me a nice, puzzled look.

The truth is that I'm a runner. I'm proud of what I've been able to accomplish and I'm more than excited for the challenges ahead. Running has provided me with life experiences that I did not anticipate. I'm learning that I'm living a life in training. There is always going to be something to learn. An experience will happen to teach you a lesson to carry-over to another part of your life.

Currently, I'm using "running" to teach me quite a few new lessons ... hard, hard lessons, but nonetheless, lessons that I'm sure will help me as I continue on the fun adventure called life.