North Texas Winters : A False Sense of Security

Things I consider safe to assume about winter in North Texas:

• It starts about mid-December and lasts until the first week in March.
• Temps will be lows in the low 30's and highs in the low 50's.
• I can sleep in a little on Saturday mornings and it won't affect my long run.

Things I should never assume about winter in North Texas:

• Anything I stated above.

Yeah....high's in the mid-70's all weekend with bright sunshine are not ideal running conditions when you start mid-morning.  Yikes!  Still managed to have an awesome run, though, after bumping my intervals to R15:W30.

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.  

I Have Seen the Error of my Way(finding)

If you saw the picture I posted on Facebook Saturday after my run, you already know I got a little ... well, lost ... and ended up running an extra 1.5 miles that morning for a total of 10.5 instead of 9.  Now, thanks to actually studying the map (better late than never?), I have seen the error of my wayfinding, and I'll know better next time I'm visiting my family and need to get in a long run.

I started on the far west end of the Mockingbird Trail (purple on the map) and ran until the Eldridge Pkwy bridge, at which point you have to switch to the north side of the bayou.  I continued along the north side on the Quail Trail (green) all the way past Kirkwood to go 4.5 miles before turning around (remember - the goal was a total of 9 miles).  On the way back, I mistakenly assumed that I could cross back over to the south side of the bayou via the bridge across the bayou at the Blue Jay trail (blue).

What I didn't realize is that in order to cross at that bridge, I'd have to take the northern spur up the Cardinal Trail (red) first.  I realized I'd definitely made the wrong choice when I saw the I-10 freeway.  Oops.  I finally checked the next "You Are Here" trail map I saw, and realized that I could get back to the bridge I needed to cross over, but only after a pretty significant detour.

I did, indeed, finally manage to make my way back to the car, with quite a bit of unplanned additional mileage.  On the upside, I'm feeling better about my training for the Donna half in a few weeks!

2016: The Year in Review

Photo credit: https://www.nraila.org/articles/20161223/2016-nra-ila-year-in-review

So, it's been almost a year since I posted here, talking about New Year's Goals.  I'd like to tell you I met that goal of 500 miles in 2016.  But I know I didn't - I don't even have my total mileage to tell you how close (or how far away) I came.  My year was that...interesting.

I ran two halfs in the spring, and skipped a couple races throughout the year (sometimes DNS is the best decision you can make).  I surprised myself and ran an "official" Disney time (sub-3:30) at the Star Wars Dark Side Half in April after committing to my training plan and taking off almost 20 lbs, so that was awesome.  

I had surgery in May (hello hysterectomy, goodbye uterus & all of your complications!) and despite my best intentions of not letting pounds pile on during recovery....they crept back on, and brought some of their friends with them.  Sigh.  And having to defer a summer race I'd been looking forward to was not awesome, but at least it's giving me something to look forward to next year!

The absolute highlight of my year was the birth of this little dude in early June!  My nephew is the cutest thing EVER, and I'm loving my new role as Aunt Jenny, and the ability to spoil him like crazy (and then give him back, lol)!!!!

The real downer of the year is that my family has been dealing with some pretty serious struggles throughout the fall, and all the stress and associated travel seriously impacted my training (basically non-existent) and all the stress eating packed on even more pounds than before!!!  Insert even bigger sigh here.

After watching/cheering on friends and family struggling through the Marine Corps Marathon in October, I found some new motivation and decided to turn around my own struggles and work towards my personal goals again - I wasn't waiting for New Year's to set them this time around.

I'm glad to say that I'm back down to what, at one point, had been my "all-time-highest-weight-ever" (before I started running and lost weight, then put it all back on), and I've had some really GREAT runs recently.  Which probably means I'm due for a stinker of a run soon, but it's amazing how good you feel when you've been struggling for several years and finally can feel yourself turning a corner.

2017's got some BIG plans coming up: I'm already registered for 5 halfs, and that will mean 4 new states, and lots of fun trips with my running peeps and my family.  So here's hoping I'll be able to maintain the momentum and motivation I've gained the past couple months and translate those into a really great year!

Buckling Down and Streaking

If I had a dollar for every time I've said "I need to do something to change this" over the last year, I'm pretty sure I'd have a good chunk of next month's mortgage.  I have gotten entirely too complacent with my training - barely following a plan and settling for "good enough to get me through" for months and months on end.

Somthing's GOT TO change.  SERIOUSLY.  Time to buckle down and RUN.

I'm not big on follow through.  I'm great with the grand ideas...that tend to fizzle out in execution.

So, when Runner's World posted their annual #RWRunStreak Challenge, I was tempted because it would be a great way to force myself to get back on some kind of plan - but, would I actually get past day 2 or 3?

Then a friend announced her commitment and she and I talked, and decided to be #StreakBuddies, so between the plan, the need to prove to myself that I can do it, the accountability of having a buddy, and the need to just do something, I think I've got my goal - and it's attainable.

The plan starts with a Turkey Trot today, Thanksgiving Day.  So I'm toeing the line, literally, in downtown Austin for their annual 5-miler.  Day one, check!

#RWRunStreak Training Plan

Taper Time!

Saturday's 12 miler was the last long run in my training plan before the Dumbo Challenge.  It was hot, humid, and uphill home, but we toughed it out and got it done.  Didn't break any speed records, but we covered the distance without any major issues, and that's about all I can ask for at this point.

Too Much and Not Much to Say...

I can't tell you how many times in the past six months I've sat in front of this screen and started to write something...anything...   It's not that I haven't had much to talk about (anybody who knows me in person, feel free to laugh at that thought), it's that sharing those thoughts didn't seem relevant.  I'd start a post about something on my mind, but then re-think and delete it because it's "not important" or "nobody wants to read that" or "this is just me whining about being slow" or "no one wants to hear about my lack of motivation AGAIN."

Source: http://certainlyher.com/

So instead of posting anything, I end up tweaking the page layouts, or updating my race schedule, or cleaning up the sidebars (looks better, no?  If you don't think so, don't tell me.).  I've been "on" the blog plenty...but still no new posts to be seen.

Here's my quick update just to prove I'm still alive and kicking, and still training.  Though training is...a loose term.  My Galloway group started up again at the end of May; I'm still a PGL and we've got a great group.   I'm slower than I'd like to be, but that's working out okay given our target training pace for our group members, but I still need to be pushing myself more mid-week, both in pace and mileage.  

Right now I'm doing good to get in 2-3 sessions during the week and the long run on the weekend.  The weekday sessions are at least one run, but sometimes it's one run and one fast-paced walk or one run and two fast-paced walks, the second run has been kinda infrequent.  I'm having trouble finding the motivation for a second weekday run later in the week, and it's either too hot in the evenings or my bed is much more comfortable than the treadmill in the morning...

Source: RunDisney

Next race up is the Dumbo Double Dare Challenge.  And challenge is precisely the right word.  The 10K and Half combination is exactly what I did at WDW in January with Minnie and Donald, but it wasn't part of a combo race, so the pressure wasn't on.  But they've released the medal designs, and they're awesome, so I'm going to do everything in my power to have that bling around my neck by the end of the weekend!  I'm also counting on some extra motivation from my excellent race partner, Nikki, who may have to drag me through parts of that half marathon course, but I think we'll get it done.

Source: RunDisney

I mean, those are worth dragging my ass through 19.3 miles of L.A. heat on Labor Day weekend, right?  Definitely.

I'm not going to make any promises about trying to be better about posting...I'm just going to go with the flow...posts will happen when they happen.  :-) 

Seeing Stars

As y'all know, I'm a planner.  I loooove to plan things - trips, travel, workload, training, anything and everything!  I have a wall calendar that I use for laying out my training & racing plans every year.  I color code it for short runs, long runs, races, cross-training, strength training, etc.  I have a couple different places to hang it throughout the house.  Sometimes it's on the wall next to the treadmill, sometimes it's on the bedroom door, sometimes it's on the fridge downstairs (although that doesn't happen much anymore - it tends to hang out upstairs these days).  The location of the calendar in the house depends on how much motivation I'm needing.  It's current spot, hanging on the bedroom door, means ***YOU MUST PASS ME AND LOOK AT ME BEFORE YOU DECIDE TO BE A TOTAL BUM AND CRASH IN BED WITHOUT DOING A WORKOUT***   Yes, it really does mean that!

Yes, I did flip over to September for the pic - fresh & clean!

While the calendar is a great organizing and motivational tool, it's also a reward system.  When I do a planned workout I have a stash of glittery stars (yes, like teachers use on kindergarten papers) that I put on that day.  It's a silly little thing, but those stars really do give a little feeling of accomplishment!  I get a little warm fuzzy when I give myself a star after a workout (yeah, could also be feeling a little nauseated, but hey, we'll go with the positive on this one).  

It's also a simple way to get a feel for how well (or not) I'm sticking to training.  For instance, July had only five - yep, five - stars in the whole month.  That's just Saturday long runs and one mid-week walk.  Yikes!

So I'm pleased with how the second half of August is looking - yes, I already bailed on one mid-week workout last week, but 4 out of 5 in one week ain't bad - and certainly better than I'd been doing - and I loved the feeling of giving myself those stars almost every day!  I even gave myself an extra-special star on Saturday after I did both a run and a bike!

So, just for the heck of it, Last Week:

Monday - Rest

Tuesday - Short, slow run - 2miles 

Wednesday - 30 min bike (5 mi)

Thursday - Skip 

Friday - Rest

Saturday - 9 mile run, 30 min bike (5.2 mi) 

Sunday - 30 min bike (5.3 mi)

A Change of Scenery

I was in Ohio this past weekend for a friend's wedding.  We're both runners, and we're both training for races, so I knew he'd be up for a long run with me.  I needed to get in 8 or 9 miles and he needed 20.  Seeing as how he's literally twice as fast as I am, that would work out pretty well - we'd finish at roughly the same time. 

I had visited him in Columbus before, and we'd run "together" (i.e. on the same path) that trip, so I had a pretty good idea of where we'd be running this time around - the Olentangy Trail.  And yup, I was right - same trail!  But we were starting further north this time, so I'd get to see a different section of the trail.

Because the wedding was Saturday, and I was getting in mid-day on Friday, we moved the run to Friday afternoon.  I figured that wasn't too big of a deal, weather-wise, because hey, Ohio's cooler than Texas, right?  Well, yes, it was cooler, but not nearly as much as I'd've liked.  I guess that's what we get for running in the early afternoon.  And yeah, it says "cloudy" but it was actually mostly sunny with a few clouds - thank goodness there was some good shade from the tall trees surrounding the trail.

Well, between the heat and the travel, that wasn't the best combination of circumstances for me.  Plus, I went out entirely too fast for the first couple of miles.  I tried to slow myself down in the 3rd, but knew that I'd basically screwed myself.  I turned around at about 2.8 and headed back to the trailhead, forcing myself into a 30:60 interval pattern just to make sure I made it - I was really feeling the heat and the earlier speed.

M passed me (he'd decided to do 10 first and see how he felt) with about 0.5 mile to go, and we met back up at the end.  He headed back out for 5 more for a total of 15, and I stopped at 5.5, dreaming of a cold shower back at my hotel.

Not a great run, statistics-wise, but it's always fun to see a new place, and it's never a bad thing to get in a run while on vacation!

It's More Fun With Friends

Life has been busy the past couple of weeks.  I've been slammed at work, keeping up with my normal running training schedule, and adding in the swimming lessons.

Knowing that I tend to let things drop when I get busy, I talked to my friend S about the two of us becoming RPs (Running Partners) for our weekday runs in August.  She liked the idea and we now have a standing meeting at 5:15am on running days for the next few weeks.  That way we both get out early to get our run done and we're able to beat the heat.

Other than the obvious safety factor of not running alone in the dark (which I refuse to do), it's just more fun to run with a friend.  The conversation flows easily and the miles fly by.  It's nice to have a morning RP again!

Q4U: Do you complete your weekday runs with friends or do you go solo?

Haven't Lost Anyone Yet!

This past Saturday was Week 10 of our Galloway Group training.  I can't believe it - seems like just last week I was writing this post, worrying about all the responsibilities of being a PGL, and most specifically worrying about losing someone while we were out on a run.

Of course, my fears were unfounded and we haven't lost anyone yet!  I am astounded by the size of our pace group - we are 14 members strong!  And though we are 14 very different people, we've bonded well.  There's always something interesting to talk about because of our diversity, and we're all very supportive of each other.  I couldn't be more pleased with our progress as an overall group.

So, while our group name may be "Lost In Pace," I'm very relieved we haven't lived up to that moniker!  ;-)

Jeff Galloway's Coming to Dallas!

Last year Jeff Galloway visited Dallas for a free quick one hour meet-and-greet, which was awesome. This year, on June 30th, he's doing the same, but adding in a three hour Running School session.  The Running School does require a registration fee, but it also guarantees individual attention and personalized instruction.

I'm lucky that as a Galloway training group member we get a discount, so I'll be taking advantage of that when I sign up.

If you're interested in registering for the Dallas school, or would like more information about other sessions around the country, check out Jeff's website here.

Excuses...and Planning!

credit: http://lifelivedfully.com

Wow.  Life has been crazy lately!  Sorry about the lack of posts - too much to do!  Also, there's a distinct lack of wanting to do anything at all when I do find myself with an odd moment of free time...oops.  Work is busy, group training's in full swing, and I'm in the middle of a big project for a friend's wedding gift.  As a result, my house looks like I've had squatters living in it for weeks (no joke - it's embarrassing - no one's allowed over to visit right now).

But, it's an exciting time!  Looking past my mile-long "to-do" list and fuller-than-usual calendar, there's a light at the end of this tunnel!  Rock'n'Roll Seattle is fewer than two weeks away at this point.  Woot!

Saturday was my last long run for this race, so now I'm in full taper mode.  My co-PGL (pace group leader) has been awesomely accommodating by helping me get in some extra mileage the last few weeks, so I've been able to stay on track with my long runs.  Even though I only got up to 10 miles this time around, I had a very strong progression up, so I'm feeling good about my training overall (especially since this one's a "go and have fun" race as opposed to a "goal" race).

Adding to the chaos, BFF and I are in full planning mode for the trip, too.  Emails, texts, and FB messages are flying fast and furiously between cities!  We have quite a few running friends from around the country converging on Seattle with us, as well as an old college friend who lives there that we're meeting up with, so planning's a bit wonky, but it's going to be a great weekend!

So I'm offering all of this up as an excuse for why I'll probably still be skimping on posts for the next few weeks...except the "Thoughtful Thursday" posts - those will continue - I hope y'all are enjoying them as much as I am!  

Good news, however - I can report that although posting on the blog has suffered the past few weeks, I've not let myself drop my weekday runs like I typically have in the past when life got crazy, so I'm super proud of that - and I know it's one of the big reasons why my weekend long runs have been going so well.  So yay for that!

Q4U:  When life gets crazy busy, what do you let drop?  Are runs sometimes one of those things, or is running a "must-do" for you?

National Running Day 2013

National Running Day, held annually on the first Wednesday in June, is a day when runners everywhere declare their passion for running. Wherever we are and whomever we’re with, we run—fast or slow, alone or with others, all over town or just around the block. It is a coast-to-coast celebration of a sport and activity that’s simple, inexpensive, and fun. It’s the perfect way for longtime runners to reaffirm their love of running and for beginners to kick off a lifetime and life-changing commitment.

Learn more about National Running Day here, and claim your social media badge (like the one above) here.

10 Ways to Celebrate National Running Day

1. Declare your passion - People run for millions of reasons, and we want to know yours! Head to www.runningday.org and let the nation know why you run, be it raising money for charity, keeping your waistline in check, or getting to that bagel at the 5K finish line. 
2. Bring a runway to work - Swap your loafers and heels for sneakers and you'll be dressed to the nines for National Running Day. Your feet will thank you for it, and it will be that much easier to step out for a short jog during lunch or on your way home from work.
3. Morph your friends into running fiends- Friends don't let friends just walk on National Running Day! Invite a pal or two—the more the merrier—to hit the road with you. They'll be hooked in no time!
4. Change Happy Hour to Running Hour - Shake things up by adding a run to your postwork plans. Head out at 5:00 p.m. with some co-workers and relax over miles instead of cocktails.S
5. Strike new ground - Seize the day and take the road you've never traveled. Who knows? You might find a new favorite running path to spice up your summer.
6. Give the gift of happy feet – Donate to organizations that support youth running, like Shoes That Fit. They’ve assisted in getting 800,000 pairs of sneakers on little feet– just think of all the miles you’ll help them run!
7. Make running run in the family - They have your eyes, but what about your endurance? Leave the bikes and baseball bats in the garage and run around the neighborhood with the kids. Keep things interesting with a short race to see who is the fastest.
8. Choose a running resolution - Kick off a new fitness goal on National Running Day. It can be anything, including adding five minutes to your next run, running a new distance, or signing up for a road race. 
9. Take advantage of the great outdoors –Running outside beats spending all your time on the treadmill. Step out the front door and away from the gym to take in a bit of nature during your afternoon run.
10. Treat yourself like a champion – Set yourself up for success by indulging in your favorite post-run snack, sporting your lucky t-shirt, or helping your feet to a new pair of sneakers.

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.

26.2 For Boston

Late Monday night the following message appeared in my inbox.  At that point I had already run what I have started to term my "healing run" and written my blog post about it.  I'd seen many friends post about their runs and plans to run 4.09 miles the following day.  And then I read this from our Galloway Program Director (it's a little long, but I think it's worth the read):

Dear Jenny, My first goal when I became a runner was to finish a marathon. Receiving that finisher's medal was an indescribable honor, and sharing the experience with my family was the highest high I could imagine. Like almost every marathoner, I soon set my sights on getting faster, with a goal of someday qualifying for Boston. Galloway Training is well known for helping non-runners become runners and helping runners become marathoners and half-marathoners, and I am proud of us for being the world leaders in bringing people safely into the sport.. What non-Galloway folks may not realize is that Jeff Galloway's Run/Walk/Run method is also AMAZING at helping people get fast. My wife actually qualified for Boston with a massive Personal Record the very first time she tried walk breaks. Eventually I qualified too, and we have enjoyed two Patriots' Days together running the historic course with 20,000+ of our friends. We joke about running with thousands of friends, but it really is true. In a large part, the running community is made up of thousands upon thousands of friends who don't know each other yet, but as soon as we recognize a race shirt or backpack in the airport or grocery store, we strike up a conversation and we know how kindred our spirits really are. This is why today hurts so much. Whether we have qualified or not, whether we have run Boston or not, whether we have even run a marathon or not, we are all runners, and a part of us soars whenever we see our brothers and sisters fly down Boylston Street. Always that flight should be in joy, but today it was so much different. All of us in the running community mourn this attack on our peaceful sport, and our thoughts and prayers are with those who suffer. Please join me in dedicating the next 26.2 miles you run, whether they be all at once or one 4-mile training run at a time, to the people of Boston. Run in peace, Chris So there you go.  The idea has been planted.  The next 26.2 miles (which for me will happen one training run at a time) are dedicated to Boston and the marathon.  I hope you'll join me in doing the same.  There's even a Facebook event for it: Run 26.2 for Boston. I've got 2.1 miles down, 24.1 left to go. ETA: Someone has put together a Google Doc where you can log and share your #RunForBoston miles.  Check it out here.

Back to Training

credit: www.beautyredefined.net

I ended up being a bit of a bum and taking the week after I got home from Princess off - we flew home on Tuesday and I did absolutely no form of official exercise Wednesday-Sunday.  I used the excuse that my feet were still recovering from some race-day blisters and that I needed to catch up on some much-needed rest after 4 incredibly hectic days at Disney, so sleeping in won out over early morning workouts, and of course, throw in a nice dash of some long days at work and...yup...no running or strength training.  But I think it was a needed break, and certainly 5 days off wasn't going to ruin my fitness level, though it did result in a little guilt build-up by Sunday evening.

Which meant that Monday was a new day that led to a new week!  I got in both mid-week runs and all three strength training sessions! Then the real test - "long run" Saturday was on the horizon...Saturday morning dawned overcast and windy, with a forecast of thunderstorms later in the day and overnight, so I knew I needed to get in my scheduled six miles (which I'd talked down to 5 miles in the course of getting out of bed) as early as I could that morning.

So I finally rolled out of bed, collected all my running gear (some was still in my suitcase from the race (no judgement!), some was in my running corner, and lots of my clean running clothes were still sitting on the kitchen table post-laundry, not having made it back upstairs yet) and I headed outside just before 10am.  Wow, I definitely should've tested the temps before I left the house - back inside to switch out longsleeves for short (it just looked cool and windy - it was warm and humid).  This time I made it halfway down the block before it started sprinkling - oh he!! no - I was not in the mood to deal with a rainy run...so I turned around and headed back inside intending to put in the miles on the treadmill instead.

And, well...the best laid plans and all that...  I was distracted by an email on my phone and ended up lying on the bed, entirely too comfortable, until about 12:45 when I finally convinced myself that I HAD to get on the treadmill.  And by that point, 5 miles in front of the TV just sounded...long and boring.  Sure enough, 5 miles turned into 3, and at that point I was done.

Oh well, 3 miles is better than nothing, right?  And I'm officially back to training with my first post-Princess not-so-long run.  I am LOVING the feeling of knowing that the next races on my schedule are "just" a 10-miler and "just" a half after that.  I still can't get over how much marathon training skewed my perspective on distance.  It makes me positively giddy to know that there aren't any loooooooooooooong training runs anywhere in my future!!!

Q4U: Do you take time off after a race?  What do you do on weeks where you just aren't feeling it?  Do you push yourself to do something or let your laziness win?  I've had times where I've done both...how about you?

Tell Me About Your 2012

Fellow blogger H Love over at Keep on Keeping On had a great post earlier this week about recapping her year of running with a short survey: Tell Me About 2012.  I liked the idea so much I asked if I could do the same.

So here's my 2012:   

Best race experience? There were SO many good ones this year.  But I think I'll have to go with the obvious, which was my FIRST MARATHON!  The Disneyworld Marathon in January validated me as a runner.  A marathon runner.  It was hard, there were tears, there were friends, there was family, and there was Mickey bling.

Dad, BFF, & me after Mickey 2012

Best run?  Again, so many good ones to choose from. Too many, really.  So, I'm going to go with a really general "run" - training runs with my Galloway Girls.  My pace group helped keep me motivated and on-track, helped keep me moving on the hard runs, and kept my mind occupied on the boring ones.

"Lost in Pace" after our 21 Miler

Best new piece of gear?  Well, this one honestly couldn't be more obvious, lol.  It's gotta be my SparkleSkirts.  LOVE. THEM.  2012 was the year I started running in SparkleSkirts, and I've said it before and I'll say it again - there's nothing better for a long run!  They're fun, functional, and stylish!

Berry Smoothie SparkleSkirt

Best piece of running advice you received? "Start out slow and back off."  This is a joke from my friend Megan (remember her blog?), but still it strikes a chord with me.  She said it prior to what we knew was going to be a tough race, and it takes me back to that moment when running was about the company and not the miles or the pace.

Megan & Me at The Patriot's Challenge

Most inspirational runner? My friend Allison.  She was new to our running group this year and fit right in.  Allison was diagnosed with breast cancer just before her big goal race this fall, which she didn't run, and immediately started treatment.  Her positive outlook and determination during this fight, which she partially attributes to her running journey, are a true inspiration to us all.  And she's already planning her running comeback once she's in remission! 

Celebrating Allison's Bday with the Galloway Girls

If you could sum up your year in a couple of words, what would they be?  Friends & bling.  That's truly what this past year of running has been about for me.  My running friends - both in "real life" and online - have kept me going and have helped me do more than I dreamed this year.  And 2012 was the "Year of Bonus Bling."  LOTS of bling this year - and I love it all!!!

So that was my 2012 in a nutshell.  I'm looking forward to what 2013 brings - stay tuned for more on that!

Want to do a "Tell Me About Your 2012" of your own?  Post a link to your blog post about it in the comments below - I'd love to read about your year!

21...and Done!

Saturday morning was my last truly long run before MCM.  21 Miles.  Wowsah.  While I was not exactly looking forward to a run that long, I knew I could do it, with 20 and 16 milers under my belt in the last 6 weeks.

So, in the 5am darkness on a muggy, rainy, morning, my group and I took off.  Although the humidity was brutal, the first loop around the lake was no big deal.  Then we turned off the lake and went up into the neighborhoods and hit the hills.  (And this particular area has a set of hills known as "The Dolly's" in reference to Dolly Parton's rather generous...curves...ahem.  LOL.)  Still, we persevered and made it back down to the lake at mile 12.  We took a quick bathroom and re-fueling break, then headed back out for one more loop of the lake...and yes, it was still raining.

I hit a really rough spot mentally around mile 18, and I found myself fighting back tears.  I was tired, soaking wet, cranky, and seriously doubting my ability to run the first 20 miles of MCM at the needed "beat the bridge" pace.  However, my awesome group got me through it and we continued on, finally getting back to our cars and post-run golden oreos (yum!).

3 of my group members & me post-run...and dripping wet (even though it doesn't look like it in the pic)!

Photo proof!  21 done!

I got home, examined my new blisters (even with tons of lube, with all that rain, blisters were inevitable), took an ice bath, and put on my recovery/compression gear.  We opened the doors to the now rain-cooled temperatures and let the cats explore the backyard a bit while I relaxed on the couch.  I spent the rest of the afternoon watching a couple movies and the Longhorn football game, virtually "cheering" on a bunch of my friends running the Disney Tower of Terror 10 Miler, and finally I crashed hard around 11pm and got some sleep.

So, now those super-long runs are done for this particular training cycle!  It's taper, taper, taper from here on out!  The next 3 weekends call for 12, 10, and 8 milers, respectively.  Thank goodness - those are going to be some very full weekends anyway, even without trying to squeeze long runs in!

• Do y'all ever have trouble mentally pushing through a run when you know your body can do it?
• How do you deal with race-related fears?
• Any helpful ideas for coping with the stress I'm feeling worrying about pace for MCM?

Watch Out!

I love my Garmin 305 and it takes some pretty out-of-the-ordinary circumstances for me to run without it.  Saturday morning was one of those circumstances.  My friend L's watch was dead, she was turning back early on her own from our group run, and asked to borrow one of ours.  So I offered mine up, and we headed out - me with "naked" wrists.

Here's where I should say it was a liberating experience to run without it - after all, that's what most watch-free posts are about, right?  Well, I don't know about liberating, but it was a good run.  Of course, I wasn't running completely "naked," since quite a few of our group members have watches that beep on intervals, so I simply listened for theirs and stopped/started with the group.  And I did have a few distance cues since I knew we'd be hitting the lake at 3.5 miles, leaving the lake at 5, have a water stop at 7, and finishing at 9.5.  I found myself consistently looking at my watch, but only felt the need to ask what our mileage was a couple of times.  I can't say I loved running watch-less, but it was by no means the end of the world.  However, I did have to have C email me the "stats" later in the day so I could track the run.

Overall it was a great run, and a worthy redemption for last week's fail.

Do you run with a watch or without?  Is it something you "must have" or something you can take or leave?  A necessary training tool or slave-driving gadget?

Week in Review:

• Monday: 30 minute strength training boot camp, 7 mile bike ride;
• Tuesday: Yoga for Runners DVD, 2.5 mile TM walk (to test out my calves/left ankle);
• Wednesday: worked late, skipped;
• Thursday: worked late, skipped;
• Friday: 30 minute strength training boot camp;
• Saturday: Long group run: 9.49 mi, 2:28 (approx.); 15:36 min/mi avg pace;
• Sunday: rest