Glitter Stars Galore

You might remember this old post where I wrote about how I like to give myself stars when I finish a planned workout as a motivational tool / reward system.

Monday night as I was putting a star on my calendar after finishing my strength training, I realized that as long as I did Tuesday's planned run, then I would have completed every single workout I had scheduled in January.  Every. Single. One.

Well, there was no way I was going to blow the opportunity to accomplish that, so of course I gladly hopped on the treadmill on Tuesday, and after my 3 miles I gleefully placed my last star of the month on the calendar.  Check out all those stars!

This never happens - I'm great at planning out a training schedule, but some (most) times I'm not so great at following through on the schedule... so it's a HUGE achievement, especially considering I had both work and personal travel throughout the month!!!

I'm so proud of myself that I still haven't flipped the page over to February yet, just so I can glance over and see all those glittery stars.  

V.I.B. - Very Inspiring Blogger!

Imagine my shock when my friend Kim named me as one of her nominees for the award of being a Very Inspiring Blogger!  Thanks Kim!  Make sure you go check out her awesome blog about running/tri's/life in general: TriAndTrue.

The award has three simple rules:

1. Thank and link back to the person who nominated you.  (see above)
2. Share 7 things about yourself. (see below)
3. Nominate 15 other bloggers and comment on their blogs to let them know. (see below)

Seven things about myself:  I wasn't sure what to share, so I did a quick Google search for "random questions to ask people" and came up with these - I hope they're interesting enough!:

1. What is your favorite time of day/day of the week/month of the year?  I. Love. Christmas.  So December is obviously my favorite month of the year - I love the nip in the air and the (seemingly elusive) chance of snow.  Cookies and cider and treats are shared by all.  Christmas decorations are up, carols are playing, there's a general feeling of goodwill and cheer in the air.  I just love the whole season!
2. What’s your least favorite mode of transportation?  Driving. I hate it. Especially if I'm the one doing the actual driving, and most especially if the trip is over 3 hours.  I don't mind bus trips because I can move around more than in a car, I'm fascinated by train travel, and I LOVE flying!
3. Which celebrity do you get mistaken for?  Ummm...I'm not usually mistaken for any celebrities, but there was a time in the late 90's when people thought I looked like Monica Lewinski (gee, great... :-/  )  In fact, I was almost her for Halloween that year - I even had the blue dress, just needed a beret.  LOL.
4. Have you ever had something happen to you that you thought was bad but it turned out to be for the best?  When I was laid off from my job 5 years ago I thought it was the end of the world.  It turned out to be the best thing that ever happened to me because even though that job paid really well I worked insane hours and had absolutely no life!  My "new" job that I got a couple months later is a great fit for me - I'm not paid as much, but I have a much more regular schedule and actually have a life!  I realized not long after starting my current job that there's no way I would have be able to work at the old place and complete my training for that very first half marathon I signed up for - it just never would have happened.  It's amazing where life leads you and the bumpy road it  sometimes takes to get there.
5. What do you miss most about being a kid?  The lack of responsibility.  Don't get me wrong, being an adult has more than it's fair share of perks, but also those pesky things like a job/mortgage/responsibilities.  I'd like to go back to the days  where you'd have a fun day at school, maybe do a little multiplication table homework, play with friends and family and not have to worry about life.  I miss that simplicity and naivete.
6. What songs are included on the soundtrack to your life?  There's no way to name them all.  Have you ever seen the musical/movie Brigadoon?  There's a scene near the end where every phrase someone says to the main character reminds him of a song from earlier in the show and he has a little flashback to the song.  My brain is pretty much like that with music.  One word/phrase/line, and all of a sudden I have a song chorusing through my head - and it can be something I heard yesterday or the most random song I haven't heard in years!  Crazy.
7. What chore do you absolutely hate doing?  The dishes.  If I could pay someone to just come do my dishes every day I'd be in heaven.

Nominations.  15 is a lot!  Anyone mind if I just do 10?:

1. Aunt on the Run - My BFF Carrie blogs about her life as a runner and aunt to two of the cutest little Texas boys around!
2. Elbowglitter - My friend Megan blogs about racing and tri training with wisdom and humor! 
3. Running While Chunky - A fellow Galloway-er, "Chunky Girl" gets real about running while trying to lose weight and being a back-of-the-pack-er.
4. Running Around the World - Rebecca's husband is stationed in Germany, so she's using the opportunity to take on the challenge of international racing.  I love reading about her adventures!
5. Diary of a Recovering Clydesdale - This is David's blog (remember him from the Rome marathon video?).  His vision is couch-to-Boston in twelve years or less.
6. Our Love on the Run - Bethany and Ryan are the cutest couple ever, and they're both amazing runners!
7. ...Just Me & My Running Shoes... - Karen is a fellow Disney fan, nurse, and runner whose posts are both interesting and insightful.
8. Eat. Sleep. Run. Disney - Jen posts about Disney, running, and crossfit - I tell you - the woman is a machine!
9. Running through the Castle - Jennifer blogs about running and tri training, as well as dealing with and recovering from injury.
10. RunJulesRun - Jules just recently started blogging, but I'm loving what I've seen from her so far.  A great mix of reality and inspiration.  Can't wait to read what she's got next.

I probably doubled up on some people who've already been nominated for this award, but this is a list I like and some of these bloggers may be new to you - I hope you'll go check out their blogs!

Run Halfway Challenge COMPLETE!

WE DID IT!!!  Way to go everyone - I'm so proud of each and every one of you that traveled this journey with me and completed your own personal 1-Mile-A-Day Challenge in December 2012.

As we ring in 2013 today, take a minute to reflect on all your accomplishments of the past year.

This Accomplishment Badge is yours, and it will be available to share on both FB and Twitter!

• Get your Facebook Accomplishment Badge HERE.
• Tweet this badge and your accomplishment using #RunHalfwayChallenge!

Don't forget that TriandTrue and Running Halfway Around The World are co-hosting a new January Challenge!  Get a jump start on the New Year! Pledge to log at least one running or walking mile every day in January - yes, every day!

Join the Facebook Group:https://www.facebook.com/groups/JanuaryJumpStartChallenge/

Mind Over Matter

Yesterday's run was more of a test of my mental strength than my physical strength, as some long runs can be.  The group was only doing 7 miles (only 7 - you like that?), but I really needed to get in one last long run before San Francisco.  So I set my goal for 12 miles - 7 with the group and 5 on my own.

I met the group at 5am and we headed out, but somehow we got distracted and turned around too early - as we were coming back into the parking lot we realized our mileage was short!  So a small group of us decided to continue on and get in the planned distance.  As we were out on that short catch-up run, one of our PGL's remarked that it took a lot of determination and commitment for us to keep running and pass the parking lot where others were stopping.  Oh, how right he was!

After we finished the group run, I quickly hopped over to White Rock Lake where I had decided to get my final miles in - because if I was going to do it alone then at least I'd have a pretty run.  The only problem with the White Rock Trail is that there's not a lot of shade along the waterfront, and since it was 7am when I was starting, the sun was already out in full force.  There were also a ton of runners, walkers, and bikers out, so the trail was very crowded.  Since the loop around the lake is 9.3 miles, I decided to do a 2.6 mile out-and-back.

It was so hot and the sun was just draining my energy with every minute - I don't think I passed a single mileage marker on the trail (every tenth is marked) without calculating how far the run would be if I turned around right then.  But I pushed on, wanting to get my total planned miles, so I just kept reminding myself that it was as much mental as physical, and I could do it.

Then I got a much-needed boost when I was about a mile away from getting back to my car - a runner passed me and said "Good morning - looking good!"  I was stunned for a second, because I'm pretty sure that I looked awful at this point, but I really appreciated his comment.  So I told him "Thanks - you too" as he pulled away from me.  It's amazing how a few simple words can really give you that last edge to get it done - and I did - finishing strong!

So my last long half marathon training run is done, and the race is two weeks away!  Next week is a taper, and then we're there!  Yay!!!

Saturdays Runs:

• Group Run:
• 6.78 mi; 1:34:19; 13:55 min/mi avg. pace
• Single Run:
• 5.23 mi; 1:12:17; 13:49 min/mi avg. pace

Jenny's Jitters & Thanks for Seeing Me Through!

Thank you to anyone who has been subjected to an endless tirade of nervous nonsense from me recently.  I'll admit it, it's true - I fall to pieces the week before a race.  I start doubting myself and my abilities.  I have at least one mini-breakdown and plenty of rants and raves ensue.  These phrases, and many others like them, leave my mouth at regular intervals in any given day:
 

• What was I thinking even signing up for this?
• I haven't trained enough!
• I'm not going to finish!
• I've got to be crazy believing I can do this...

Well, the big moment is finally here - we leave for Orlando at 6:30 tomorrow morning.  So the blog will be silent for a few days...  Don't worry, it may be quiet for a while, but I'll do a race report as soon as I can after we get back.

So the point of this post is really to give a huge big THANK YOU to everyone who's been here for me, in any capacity, the last 4 months.  And an even bigger thank you to anyone who's put up with me recently, offering your support and encouragement.  I really love you guys, and couldn't have done it without you!

Pretty Speedy There!

Okay, so it was said by a man who was part of an older couple slooooowly walking their small poofball of a dog - but it was said!  As I jogged past them on the trail this evening, the little old man yelled out "Pretty speedy there!"  With a surge of pride practically bursting in my chest, I kicked it up a little and yelled a jaunty "Thanks!" over my shoulder.  Then as soon as I rounded the next bend, I switched into my walk interval.  As silly as it sounds, it's awfully nice to know that at least somebody thinks I'm fast!

Today's stats:

• 0.54mi warm-up walk
• 3.0mi run; 0:39:18min; 13:06min/mi