Louisville Half Marathon

Completed my 12th Half-Marathon this morning on a beautiful, cool, sunny day! Both my best friend/training partner Alicia and I were not feeling it as we started the race this morning. She has been sick off and on this week, and I've been in my own funk lately. Barely training (surprise, surprise) for the race didn't help either.

It took me about 2 1/2 to 3 miles to get into a groove, and after that it was an easy pace to the end. About 4 1/2 miles in I could tell that my pinky-toenail was scraping against my fourth toe and knew I was gonna have a bleeder on my hands (or feet) soon. It wasn't long before I felt the sticky substance surround half of my foot and had to muddle through for the tail end of the race.

The route is an out-and-back course, and as we rounded the turn around point I was surprised to see that no mats had been laid out to keep track of runners' time and exclaimed, "We totally could have cheated!" Not that I would have. Even if the powers that be knew nothing of my dishonesty, I couldn't accept the medal, or even claim that I had "finished" the race in good conscious. So, we did an about face and headed back for another 6 miles.

It wasn't long before our lack of training and the prior weeks stressors got the best of us and we began walking for just as long and just as often as we ran. This was quite alright with both of us however, as we were now on the downswing of the race and only wished to finish. Conversations of where to eat after the race and our gastrointestinal problems soon filled the air. By mile 10 we were running from landmark to landmark, and only wished that the race would soon be over - heinies and hamstrings were getting a little tight.

On our last turn, with only .1 mile left to go, Alicia got her second wind and pulled out ahead of me. I tried to ram it into high gear so we could finish together but that didn't quite work and I ended up crossing the finish line probably 5 - 7 seconds behind her. I also like to think that I didn't want to steal her glory, as I've finished first in my fair share of the races we've competed in together and it's only right that I give her her moments....... oh, who am I kidding?! She kicked my ass fair and square! Either way we both finished another race, and both got a pretty sweet medal to hang around our necks. I finished in an unofficial time of 2:43:56 - not a PR by any means, but probably right on par with some others that I've run.

Our next race is the Waverly Hills 6.66 mile trail run on Halloween night. I'm concerned about this race for two reasons: 1 - it doesn't start 'til 8:00 p.m. and we'll be running the course in the dark with only headlamps to guide our way, and 2 - trail runs are a whole other beast! Needless to say, I've asked for a personal day the following morning since I know we won't be pulling into home until close to midnight, and if my 7 mile hiking trip this past weekend is any indication as to how my calves are going to feel, I will be needing all the recovery time I can get!

Feelin' like a fraud

I've come to the realization recently that I am a physical fitness fraud. I've been "running" since 2005, and "competing" in triathlons for a year now, yet my exercise and eating habits outside of these events is more couch potato than iron(wo)man. I came home from a vacation in Disney World this past week weighing the most I've ever weighed in my entire life - 141 pounds. Now, some of you may be saying to yourself, "Are you kidding me? She's 141 pounds and she's complaining about this???" But for someone who is a self proclaimed "athlete," and comes from a family of obesity, this is a big deal.

I would say 99.9 percent of people who know me know that I have completed multiple half marathons, marathons and triathlons. I went through the lunch line at work the other day and I took two desserts. A patient told me "You don't look like you eat that much." My reply? "I work out a lot!" The truth is - I don't. Not even close. I barely trained at all for my first marathon, and for the second - I did a once-a-week long run on Saturday mornings and that was it. I trained hard for my first Olympic Triathlon, but the others I looked at as a way to maintain and have something to do that weekend. People come up to me and say, "You've done how many of these events? I could NEVER do that, that is awesome." When I hear this though, I almost feel fake - like I'm getting all the glory for barely any work. Now, that is not to say that the races and triathlons themselves aren't grueling (see my previous posts for the Chicago Marathon and the Shelbyville Back to Health Olympic Triathlon), but I just feel that my lack of training and my lack of eating the way I should mock the other athletes that are out there really working hard and making positive changes in their lives.

Because of this, I've decided to make changes all the way around. No longer will I be taking the easy way out, and "getting by" in these races. No longer will my work outs (lol - or lack there of) end with a trip to McDonalds. I recently went to the grocery and made healthy choices rather than unhealthy ones. The problem in this area is that I am such a picky eater that I am limited on what I will eat. I WISH that I liked a larger variety of foods, including vegetables, but I just don't.

I've also decided that I'm not happy just being a "thin" person anymore - although the thinness is fastly fading away as I pack on the pounds, accumulating more muffintop and cellulite than should be legal. I want to be fit and even toned. At 34 years old, I'm not getting any younger and it's going to be even harder to lose as time goes on.

So today I jumped on the treadmill for a three mile run, did some strength training with my home weights and stability ball, and am planning on eating in moderation this evening (and every evening from here on out) when I go out with a girlfriend later on. From now on, I will be a bona fide "athlete" instead of just playing one in the public eye. I will make good life choices that result in more than just a medal around my neck. And, when someone asked how I've lost so much weight (15-20 pounds is my goal), and how I stay so thin, I will honestly be able to tell them that it took a lot of hard work, dedication, good choices, and a realistic look at what I needed to do on the inside, in order to see results on the outside.