A Little Something New? A Little Bit of Motivation? Let's Hope So.

As can probably be seen in my lack of blogging the last 4 months or so, my motivation has been non-existent lately.  Nothing, not even starting group training again has gotten my excitement for running out of the pits of despair (okay, perhaps it's not quite THAT bad, but I do believe it's at an all-time low)...

So I'm trying something a little new.  I bought a bike last year to add in some cross training on my non-run days.  Some weeks I use it, some weeks I don't.  However, just having the thing started me thinking about maybe, maybe, maybe doing a duathlon at some point in the future - some far-off, remote, indefinite point in the future.

Then a friend signed up for a local woman's Du, billed as "beginner friendly," that includes a free training plan and group rides/runs.  And the gears started turning...

Before I knew it, and before I could talk myself out of it, I was registered.  Holy Moly!

http://www.espritdeshe.com/page/show/721267-du-dallas#.U_OEmflHB-V

I'm certainly not giving up on running altogether - I completed a half marathon at the beginning of August and I have another one scheduled for mid-September - but I'm hoping that adding in this new aspect of training will kick-start some additional motivation and excitement.

The short course is 2-9-2.  A two mile run, 9 mile bike, and a two mile run, will be held in a nearby town, and is supposed to have a "fast & flat" course.   I contacted the race director and asked about a cutoff time - I'm pretty sure I'll be one of the slowest (if not THE slowest) participant out there.  Turns out the short course has the same time cutoff as the long course, so I have no worries about getting swept.  Whew.

So, I'll just be out there to meet the challenge of adding in a new sport/component, have fun, and get some bling!

This week is the kickoff of the training plan for me.  It's only an 8-week plan, but I'm repeating two weeks due to some scheduling conflicts of a race and out-of-town travel that will impede my weekend training bricks.  Bricks!  I'm going to be doing brick workouts!  That's so foreign to me!  These are things that my triathlon friends talk about and here I will be doing some of my own...craziness!

Looking forward to sharing the journey and hopefully the accomplishment of this new challenge with y'all, and hope I can do a better job of keeping up with the blog this fall.   ;-)

#12 in the Books!

At some point I hope to get a race report up, but I'm so far behind on recaps it's not even funny.  So for now a picture will have to be worth a thousand words!  This one was a little harder than even I anticipated - hilly and it warmed up quickly (surprising in Seattle!).  But I had a fun time running with a friend, and I always love new bling - especially bling that depicts the city I visited!

Don't Worry, They Took Out the Big Hill

The R'n'R Seattle Half is just around the corner - literally - it's this weekend!  Emails are flying around with last-minute race instructions from the race director, and frantic group planning of dinners/meet-ups/etc is going on.

So...maybe it's finally time to really study the course, right?  Now, I will freely admit that I'm not "racing" this one - I'm just there to have fun, enjoy the scenery, and bask in the cooler temperatures of the pacific northwest.  And I'd had a few friends tell me "don't worry - they changed the course and took out the big hill," so that seemed encouraging.  And then I saw this:

And then the math nerd in me took over and needed to crunch some numbers... According to the elevation profile above, that hill just before mile 9 looks like this:

8.69mi = 57ft el.

8.82mi = 270ft el.

213ft el. gain in 0.13mi  = 31% grade

Wowsah!!!

Well, good thing I didn't have any big plans for the course, LOL!  And while that hill may be a bugger, I'm still really looking forward to this race.

As most of you know from reading previous posts, I've purposefully taken a more relaxed approach to racing this spring in order to "find the fun" again.  And I think it's working!

Assignment America

As we wake up this morning to news of the manhunt for the remaining Boston Marathon suspect, our thoughts are on the safety of the responding officers and the residents in the surrounding areas.  Hoping that there are no further injuries or deaths as a result of these two madmen.  There has been enough suffering.

Here is the originally scheduled post for today:


CNNiReport - Assignment: Run For Boston 2014

credit: Lila King

Pledge to run in solidarity with Boston

CNN challenges you to run or walk in a marathon or another race by April 2014 in honor of the victims of the Boston Marathon bombing. Take a photo of your running shoes and upload it to sign up!

Run for Boston 2014

Three people were killed and more than 100 were injured on April 15 when two explosions went off at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. Hours later, runners were tweeting and posting on Instagram that they weren't going to let this tragedy stop them from pursuing their hobby and passion.

They went out to #runforboston.

CNN is asking you to pledge to run or walk a race — whether it's 1 mile or a marathon — by April 2014, the one-year anniversary. The network plans to make a video about our group journey to that finish line. It's a story of endurance and hope in the face of disaster. It's one we'll create together.

How do you join in? Click the “Add your story” button, upload a photo of your running shoes, and tell us why you’re running for Boston.

You can also upload your photo to Instagram or Twitter. Tag it #runforboston and #cnnireport so we know you're in. Then get out there and get moving! We'll post more instructions soon.

You can log your training miles on this Run for Boston site, which was created by iReporter Becca Obergefell, from Columbus, Ohio. She inspired this assignment and suggests you use the Charity Miles app earn money for a charity of you're choice while you train for the big race.

From Me:  I already have a full race schedule for 2013 and early 2014.  This is going to send me in search of a race in March or April that I can run solely for Boston.

Something Borrowed - And Something New!

Did you notice the newest addition to the page?  Check out the right sidebar for the "Places I've Raced" Interactive Google Map - I think it's pretty cool!  Here's a screen-shot of what the map looks like when you click on the link:

I "borrowed" the idea for the map from a friend who has a travel blog with her road trips mapped out.  I love the idea of visually seeing where I've raced, so I of course had to do one myself!

2013 Mini Goals: January : Plan Your Race Year

The Runner's World article "A Month-by-Month Guide to a Fitter, Faster You" lays out monthly mini goals for the year and January's is to Plan Your Race Year.

Putting a race on your calendar now is one of the best ways to get and stay motivated. You commit to a goal. But staring down a year of race options, you may feel excited or daunted—or both—especially if you've never raced before. Should you tackle a first 5-K? A mud run? The annual mega-10-K all your coworkers sign up for? Aim for a PR in a half-marathon? Here are some guidelines to help you figure out what event—or even better, events—to sign up for in 2013. ... (read the rest of the article here).

Since my main goal for the coming year is to find the fun in running again, I'm trying to cut back on my race schedule a bit, and the longest distance I'm registering for is half marathons - no fulls for a while!

Of course, the temptation of new and exciting races means that my spring racing schedule is perhaps a little fuller than it should be, but I'm really excited about it!  Each race will be with friends and family and in fun and exciting locations, so I couldn't pass them up!

So here's what 2013 has in store for me:

• January 13: Walt Disney World Marathon - Orlando, FL
• February 9: Hot Chocolate 15K - Dallas, TX
• February 24: Disney's Princess Half Marathon - Orlando, FL
• March 23: Firefly 5K - Plano, TX
• April 28: Big Sur 10.6 - Carmel, CA
• June 22: Rock'n'Roll Seattle Half Marathon - Seattle, WA
• July 20: Moo Cow Mini Marathon  - Dallas, TX
• October 12: Baltimore Running Festival Half Marathon - Baltimore, MD
• November 28: Turkey Trot - Austin, TX
• December 8: Dallas Relay - Dallas, TX

Q4U: Have you planned out this year's race calendar yet?  Is it full of races or does it only have a select few?

Believe!

I am so excited that my grandma is coming to visit us over Thanksgiving weekend!  It's been over four years since she's visited here (it's easier for me to go to her than for her to come to me), and I can't wait to show off the "new" house and to have her meet the "new" cat.

She is 89 years old, but still very physically fit and surprisingly spry for her age.  So, of course, while she's here we are registered to do a 1 Mile Fun Walk together to ring in the Christmas season!  The Believe! races are in a nearby town and offer a distance for everyone.  From a Family 1 Mile to a 5K run/walk and a 10K run. 

My grandma has heard all about my racing, but has never had a chance to be there when I do, so this gives us an opportunity to participate in one together, which will be totally awesome!  And...I *might've* gotten us matching stand-up christmas tree headbands to wear during the walk that morning.  This should be a VERY interesting look which hopefully will result in a great time had by all.  LOL!


Q4U (Question For You): Do you participate in running/walking events with "non-runners" in your life?  Whether it's family or friends, do you drag others into your running world on occasion?  

What To Do When You're NOT Running a Race That All Your Friends Are?

Many of my friends are running the runDisney Twilight Zone Tower of Terror 10 Miler (ToT) this weekend.  And I'm not.  Big BOO.  It just didn't fit well into my training schedule for MCM, or fit with this year's travel/budget constraints (too many races and trips, not enough time and money).

In order to cope with the FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) from not running this race, I've come up with a list of coping strategies.  Actually, I've come up with two lists - feel free to choose whichever works best for you - adapting as needed for your own personal circumstances.

OPTION 1: Pretend like there's NOT a race going on this weekend to make yourself feel better about your "normal" plans, indulging in a little jealousy and general snarkiness along the way:

• Prior to race day:
• Avoid all mentions of "that race" others are running;
• Remind yourself you ran ToT three years ago (you're not missing out on anything, been there - done that);
• On Race Day:
• Run your last long training run for MCM (twice as long as ToT - and way more hardcore);
• Recuperate in an ice bath (not needed after ToT);
• Curl up on the couch and nap (no time for naps at WDW);
• Avoid ALL forms of social media;
• Watch the Texas Longhorns play their first conference football game of the season (kickoff just about when the racers should be headed for the runner's village - they'll miss the game); and, finally,
• Go to bed at a decent hour (after-parties are over-rated).

OPTION 2: Be the best "virtual spectator" you can be:

• Prior to race day:
• Listen to your friends bubbling over with excitement about the race, trying not to beat yourself up about not finding SOME way to make the race happen;
• Offer advice about what the race was like the year you ran it;
• Torture yourself by reading all the message boards, tweets, blogs, and FB posts about weather forecasts, cute costume ideas, and who's staying at what resorts on WDW property;
• Make a list of who's racing, with their bib #s,  so you know who to virtually track; and
• Pour over all the race materials, including the race guide, and the final race instructions.
• On Race Day:
• Post a general "Good luck to everyone racing today" as your FB status before heading out the door at o'dark-thirty on previously mentioned training run;
• Spend the afternoon trolling social media sites for status updates, tweets, photos, etc. from friends spread all over WDW property.
• Set up "Texas Tracking Central" with smartphone & laptop in front of the big TV downstairs so you can track friends while you finish watching the Texas Longhorns play their first conference football game of the season;
• Using, FB, Twitter, and runDisney's runner tracking app, track your runners - sending virtual hugs and cheers along the way; also send a funny or motivational text message to anyone who may seem to be struggling;
• Express congratulations and pride to all your friends who finsh the race and post pics of their awesome new elevator bling;
• Stay up as late as you possibly can, poring over more social media posts and pics about how much fun everyone is having at the post-race bash.

I'm going with Option 2.  Whichever option you choose, the Post-Race Plan is the same: find some way to make next year's race fit into your schedule and register!  Missing out on all the fun your friends are having running at Disney is no fun at all for you, and causes serious FOMO!

Good luck to everyone running ToT this weekend!  Can't wait to hear about how much fun everyone had. Are you one of them?  If not, do you have any additional FOMO coping strategies to add (to either list)?

Where to Begin?

I have so many things I'm excited about right now, I don't even know where to begin!

First, RunDisney revealed the new 20th Anniversary WDW Marathon medal today!  It's in color, it spins, and it has two great Walt Disney quotes etched into it.  I CANNOT wait to get my hands on this thing!  I'm already anticipating bawling like a baby when I cross the finish line and receive the medal.  So many of my ROTE friends are running Mickey this year, too, so we're basically planning one big rolling party at the "back of the pack."  It's going to be epic.  Only 152 days to go!

 As an additional bonus, they also updated the RunDisney website - go check it out!  The new pages are much better organized and intuitive, with all the info you could want/need within a few easy clicks!

Second, Marine Corps is now only 75 days away.  10 weeks from this Sunday.  I have to admit that my excitement over this one is definitely heightened by fear.  The time requirement is still scaring the bejeezus out of me...  But when I start freaking out about it, I try to calm myself down by repeating the mantra of the marines "Earned Never Given."  And I know that if I can stand in front of a marine at that finish line then that will be a defining moment in my life.  That knowledge makes me excited for a weekend that also terrifies me - oxymoronic, I know, but hey - that's pretty typical me.

Third, my online running group, Running of the Ears, just made a "gear" order, and I bought a new tech shirt, a tech tank, and a logo Tshirt.  They look so great!  I took the new tech shirt on a 9 mile test run on Saturday and it felt comfortable and wicked wonderfully!  Looking forward to being part of the "sea of red" that ROTE promises to be at all the Disney races this year! 

Lastly, I still have a little bit of a "happy hangover" from San Francisco.  Rather than hanging up my two half medals and the "Half It All Challenge" medal on my medal rack, they are still sitting out on my kitchen counter, where I can see them and smile every day.  I'll even pick up the challenge medal and spin it a bit and it gives me the warm fuzzies.  Can't believe it's been two and a half weeks already!  And yes, I know I still need to do a race report - I'm using waiting on pics from my mom as an excuse.

And, oh yeah!  Training's still going well.  Nine miles last Saturday morning (should've been 8.5 per the map, but we missed a turn and had to backtrack a bit...ooops).  Last week I got in 3 bootcamp strength training sessions, my two short runs, and my long run.  This week I seem to be on track for another successful completion of my weekday training plan.  And...Saturday has a 19-20 miler on tap.  Whew.  That'll be a big hurdle to get over!

Double Digits, Princesses, & Bonus Bling!

So much for being better about posting, huh?  Last week was another one without weekday runs.  Geesh.  Although I did manage to get in a session of "Yoga for Runners" on Monday evening.  And actually, I think that helped some with my sore calf issues during Saturday's long run.  Also, friend S and I went on a 5 mile recreational bike ride Sunday evening.

Yeah - about that long run...the big group had 9 miles on tap, so my MCM group needed an additional 2  for a total of 11.  In light of the hot and humid temps, we decided to again meet beforehand and knock out the extra mileage early at 5:45am.  Thank goodness we did!  By the time we'd all finished that last mile of the big group run, we were worn out.  Depleted.  That was one brutal run - I'm really not looking forward to a whole summer of more like that.  But hey, it was the first double-digit long run of the training season and 11 miles done under gross conditions is a great feeling!

In more exciting news (please say that in a Peter Jennings newscaster voice - please?), my new friend L and I have committed to running the Disney Princess Half Marathon together next February!  I wanted to run it for the race's 5th anniversary and needed a roomie, and she's wanted to run a Disney race for quite a while but wanted someone to go with her, so we fit each other's needs perfectly!  We are going to have such a great time!!!

Patriot's Challenge Medal (middle)

Also, my Patriot's Challenge medal finally arrived yesterday evening!  And as a small "We're sorry this took so long" gift, they surprised all of us with a cool aluminum water bottle with the Run for the Dream logo on it!  Very neat!  And now my trio of medals from that weekend is complete - yay!  I really do wish I could do this race again next year.  The RD and the team are really a class act.

Last Week in Review:

• Monday: Yoga for Runners
• Saturday: 
• 2.2 mi; 0:31:52; 14:29 min/mi
• 8.8 mi; 2:26:32; 16:43 min/mi (includes 2 water stops)
• Sunday: 5 mi bike ride

Officially Registered!

Life has been NUTS! So crazy, in fact, that I haven't had a chance to post about something VERY exciting! I am officially registered for the 2013 Walt Disneyworld Marathon!!!  My BFF is also registered for the marathon, and my dad is registered for Goofy (again)!  We've also made our hotel reservations for that weekend - so that makes it doubly real!

I am SO excited about this race.  It's the 20th anniversary of the WDW Marathon, so Disney is making a big deal about it - a new anniversary medal, a special surprise at Mile 20, and who knows what fun things they may have in store for us?

A bunch of my running friends are also signed up for this race, because of the significance of the anniversary year and new bling, including quite a few first-time marathoners!  As I will hopefully have completed MCM a few months before Disney, I don't really have a goal for the race right now, other than to have fun!  As a good friend of mine says: a marathon is like a mullet - business in the front and party in the back!  So I'm looking forward to having a good group of friends to "party in the back of the pack" with!

How To Surprise A ...

How do you surprise a race booth person at an expo?  Show up with pre-filled race registration sheets for two out-of-staters.  LOL.  Apparently my friend Jen "blew away" the lady working the Run For The Dream booth at the Shamrock Expo this weekend when she handed over the registration sheets for me and another friend of ours - and then quintupled the surprise by telling her that five of us are doing the Patriot's Challenge!  :-)

Anticipating Destination Racing

While I'm waiting for my motivation to return (yes, it's still MIA), I've had plenty of time to think about my upcoming races - especially those that I'm really looking forward to.  Sure, I've got a half here in Dallas next weekend, and a half in San Antonio this fall, but what's got me positively giddy with excitement?  It's my destination racing schedule for 2012:

• Run For the Dream Patriot's Challenge - Williamsburg, VA
• San Francisco 2nd Half Marathon  - San Francisco, CA
• Marine Corps Marathon - Washington D.C.
  
  

Very cool, no?  And the best part is that I have friends and/or family running each race, so not only do I get the excitement of traveling to a fun location, but I can hang out and run with people I have fun with!  Sure, I'm worried about time limits on San Francisco (just like last year) and MCM, but I know that with some serious training and help from friends along the way I can get there.

The Patriot's Challenge race combo is just going to be a fun "girl's weekend" with some awesome ladies from one of my running groups - no pressure, just a good time and a special medal for running both races.  San Francisco is the 2nd half of the course that I started last year, and I get to run with a friend and get a special medal for completing the Half It All Challenge (noticing a trend?).  Lastly, MCM is a race I've wanted to do from the minute I first heard about it - it's known as "the people's marathon" and is supposed to be incredible - I can't wait to run with yet another friend and experience it together!

I appreciate the help y'all have given me with the motivation issue - I'm hoping it'll show back up fairly soon.  But for now, I am keeping the dream alive by eagerly anticipating and planning for these great races that I have on the schedule!

Psst - I actually got a 3 mile run in on the treadmill this evening!  A mid-week run!  That's practically a miracle these days...  Of course, it helps that I ordered a new SparkleSkirt and HAD to try it out.  If that's what it takes to get my rear going, then I might just have to sacrifice and get myself some cute new skirts as motivation...hehehehe.

Race Report: My First Marathon - Mickey 2012: Part 1

Part One: Pre-Race

Want to skip to Part Two: The Race?  Check it out here.

View from our rooms

Before I knew it, and long before I felt ready for it, Christmas and New Years were over, and race week was here.  My BFF and I flew to Orlando on Thursday night, and made it to the hotel with no problem.  We love staying at Disney's Port Orleans Riverside Resort - and we were even upgraded to a water view room with a view of one of the quiet pools!  After a quick dinner, we went to bed early, because the next day was going to be a busy one.

What's On Tap?

Two posts in two days!  I'm on fire!  Which, actually, I'm not!  We're experiencing a freak "cold front" this week that has reduced daily high temps to the mid 80's - I'm pretty sure I'm in heaven!  I got in a outdoor run after work last night, which I haven't done it literally months because it's just been too dang hot!  It was still warm at 85 degrees, and sunny, so I didn't have a great pace, but it felt amazing just to be out there pounding the pavement.

Yesterday's stats:

• 10 minute warm-up walk
• 3 mi; 0:39:54; 13:18 min/mi avg pace

I'm just gonna apologize in advance for the craziness of the next few weeks.  I will do my best to keep the blog updated after each long run, but there is so much going on, I'm not promising anything...  'Cause, yup, it's going to be a full rest of the month!

So what's on tap for the next few weeks?

• 18 mile training run (WOW!) & football game
• 9 mile training run & trip to L.A.
• 9 mile training run
• Wine & Dine Half Marathon

Crazy, right?  It may be busy/full, but I'm really looking forward to it.  Well, maybe not-so-much looking forward to the 18 miler, but it'll be another big milestone for me, so that's something to look forward to!  And in the middle and the end of the month - a Disney trip on each coast - what's not great about that???

California, Here I Come!

Cue the music...We're headed back to the Golden State at the end of July!  But instead of sunny Los Angeles, foggy San Francisco is our destination this trip.  Why, you ask?  Because it's one of the only places you'd feel comfortable running a half marathon on July 31st, even if there are hills involved!!!

That's right, my San Francisco 1st Half Marathon training begins this week.  The course time limit for the 1st Half is 3 hours - that's a 13:45 pace - something I should be able to handle pretty easily, and wouldn't normally be worried about.  However, I'm slightly concerned about the hills, and I'm definitely going to want to be able to enjoy the incredible scenery, so I'm trying a different training plan this time around.  I'm going with a Time Goal Training Schedule, hoping to pick up a little speed so I'll have a decent cushion in July.  This will be my first ever experience with speed work, so any advice you all can offer will be greatly appreciated!

I've added my training schedule (which will probably be modified due to starting Galloway Group Training at the end of Week 5), the Course Map, and a quick Course Video of the First Half route at the bottom of the page.  If you're interested in seeing what I've gotten myself into - or perhaps in joining us for what promises to be a great race - check them out!

Today's stats:

• 10 minute warm-up walk
• 2.24 mi run; 0:30:00 min; 13:24 min/mi avg
• I accidentally selected the old 1:1 intervals on my Garmin and didn't realize it until after I'd warmed up and was a minute into running and I didn't feel like starting over, so I just went with it.

Notice Anything Different?

***Note: This is the post I originally planned for Tuesday, March 15th, before life happened.***

Take a glance around the page today - notice anything different from the last time you were here?  Check out the title block.  See it?  That's right.  I have made a decision - I registered for the 2012 Walt Disney World Marathon!  No, you didn't misread that.  Not the Half, the Marathon.  Wow...and...oh geez!

After this year's Half, I had some serious envy of my Dad's new Mickey Medal.  And, after two months of much soul-searching, and many, many, MANY discussions with loved ones and friends, I decided to go for it.  I still can't quite believe I'm saying this, let alone announcing it publicly, but here goes...I've made the commitment to register and train for the Marathon next year.  Mickey medal, here I come!

So, on Sunday, January 8, 2012, at 5:30am, I will be lined up with my Dad and best friend on a back road outside Epcot, ready to start on a 26.2 mile journey.  And I'm so excited, I'm about to burst!

I'm looking forward to pushing myself further and further in my training (someone please remind me to come back and read this post later this fall when I'm having second thoughts and doubts).  And I really, really, want to stand in front of Cinderella's Castle with that Mickey Medal around my neck - I have felt so good after finishing the two WDW Halves that I can't imagine the sense of accomplishment that's going to come from completing the Marathon!

But, in order to get there, I have to finish training for and run the Dallas RnR Half Relay, the San Francisco Half, and the Wine&Dine Half.  Here's to hoping that the next 10 months are (relatively) injury-free, productive, and fun!!!

Today's stats:

• 10 min warm-up walk
• 3 mi run; 0:38:11 min; 12:44min/mi avg pace

Racing Through Time...

March is going to be a month packed with races.  Three out of four weekends this month I'm running in something, starting this weekend:

• Trinity River Levee Run 10K - 3/5
• Leaping Leprechaun 5K - 3/12
• Dallas Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon Relay - 3/27

I'm really looking forward to participating in each one since I'll be running with family and friends (although if I'm being honest, I'm only doing the TRL run so that I can fill an empty page in my running scrapbook before RnR [insert sheepish smile here]...)!

I had a good run tonight since it was the first chance I've had to run outside in quite a while!  Even with a lack of "speedy" running the last couple of weeks because of being sick and traveling, I still managed to pull out a pretty darn fast 3 miles - first time EVER that I've had an under 12 min/mi avg - woot, woot!!!  Granted it was just barely under 12, but hey, it's still under!

Today's stats:

• 10 min warm-up walk
• 3 mi; 35:57 min; 11:59 min/mi avg

Thrills, Trends, and Twinges

Well, it's been quite a day!  Three big running-related things happened:

1.  I registered for the San Francisco 1st Half Marathon this morning!  And this officially throws my earlier assertion that "Disney is the only place where I will run a 'long' race" out the window...  As the child of a native Californian, I just can't resist the draw of running across the Golden Gate Bridge!!!

2.  I ran in my first ever RunningSkirt tonight - the "Athletic Skirt" style.  It was just a 2 mile treadmill run, but I liked how it looked, and I liked how it felt!  I think other people are so cute in them, so I finally couldn't resist jumping on the bandwagon!  I'm hoping to wear it for the Dallas RnR in March, so I can't wait to road-test it on some longer runs!

3.  During my first mile tonight, my left shin started...well, not hurting, but I was feeling it.  Not sure if it's a sign that it might be close to time for new shoes, or a result of a lot of treadmill running lately, or...a dreaded shin splint - nooooooooo!  It didn't get worse, but it didn't go away either.  With better weather coming, I'll be running outside and in different shoes in the coming week.  I'm hoping that's all it will take to remedy the issue.

Today's stats:

• 10 minute warm-up walk
• 2 mi run; 0:25:58 min; 12:59 min/mi pace

Playing Hooky...or Should I Say "Hood-y?"

I'm skipping my normal Thursday run to go see a movie tonight.  Before you boo, hiss, and nay-say skipping a training run for a movie, let me explain.  It's not just any movie.  It's the one-night-only, encore presentation of the Hood to Coast Movie!!!  I have heard so many great things about this race and the movie, that I can't wait to see it!  If it's coming to your City tonight, go see it!

So I'll bump my Thursday run to Friday, and since they're both only 2 miles this week, I'll keep my normal Saturday run so the schedule's not screwed up too badly.