#20 Run a Half Marathon: I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!! (Part Two)

There are a few very important things that I've learned about running and myself during this journey:

1) Pacing is EVERYTHING: 
While it seems so simple, it's actually one of the hardest challenges I faced while training because, as a new runner, it's all about experimentation and figuring out what works best for you. I knew from the start that I would take advantage of the Jeff Galloway run/walk/run training method (see my pic with Jeff below from when he came to DVC's Welcome Home Wednesday last week...what an honor to meet him!), but it took a lot of trial and error to figure out what ratio of running and walking would allow me to finish the race feeling strong and comfortable. Initially, I think I chose a ratio based on a need to "prove" to people that I was a "runner" but I quickly realized that it left me much too tired, too quickly. I also realized that running is NOT about proving anything to anyone -- sure, some people might judge you for not "running" the full race, or for taking it slowly, but at the end of the day, you come to realize this is a very personal journey and finishing the race is the most important thing, irregardless of how long it takes you. I personally settled on a 1/2 ration (1 minute running, 2 minutes walking) for the race and it was perfect for me. So perfect, that I actually ran/walked the entire race at an average minute per mile FASTER pace than I ever had in training (about a 13.5 minute mile).

2) Temperature can make or break a run:
We are totally at the mercy of the weather here in Florida, where even in the winter months things can be unseasonably warm at any moment. And yet, a cool, humidity-free temperature is exactly what a new runner needs to build endurance and train effectively. When I first started training in the summer, I remember feeling paralyzed by the intense heat and thick, moisture filled air, so much so that 30 minutes felt like torture and I couldn't wait for the workout to be over. But on those long run mornings where the cloudless blue sky mixed with crisp cool air, it felt as though I was flying across the ground. It's amazing how much stronger I felt and how much further I could go!

3) Anxiety can be good, if you don't let it get in your way!
I remember that every week of training, I had a sort of pit in my stomach the night before a long run. Sometimes I'd even have trouble sleeping because I was nervous about getting up so early in the morning and trying to run a distance I had never conquered before. It's funny how looking back, 4 miles seems like such an easy run, whereas before I never thought I could push myself to that distance. It's easy to do that, though -- look back on past runs and realize your anxiety wasn't necessary -- but in the moment, especially for a brand new runner, it's not as simple as just chasing the negativity away. With that in mind, I realize now how important it is to have a support system that can help temper your anxiety so you channel it into a sort of adrenaline-fueled energy that can aid your performance. I obviously owe a big thanks to everyone who has commented on my running entries along the way as you were those "people" for me! So a shout out to Marielle, Courtney, Breanna, Jenn, Brittany, Amanda, and all the others who have taken the time to share their advice on running. :) And for all of you out there who were just supporters along the way (Ayns, Mer, Melissa, Alyssa, Terry, etc.), THANK YOU to you too!

4) Running can be a great way to save on water heating bills:
This is NOTHING like a cold shower after a run. 'Nuff said.

5) Remember that energy out needs to be replaced with energy in:
There are several different trains of thought on this one, and I know not everyone agrees with me, but if your stomach can handle it, I HIGHLY recommend eating and drinking during long runs. By eating, I don't mean dragging along a meal in your pocket (and by drinking I certainly don't mean liquor, although that would be more fun), but rather finding an electrolyte and/or energy supplement that you can eat/drink along the way to refuel. For me, I perform better and feel better when I am replacing energy that I am expending during a long and/or hard training run.

My food of choice is CLIF Shot Bloks -- I forget who said this, but one of you mentioned that they are like gushers without the gooey insides and that is totally spot on! They come in all sorts of flavors -- I like the strawberry, black cherry and mountain berry -- and they are filled with the essential nutrients your body needs to keep your energy levels high. Some even have caffeine, which for a junkie like me, is a blessing!

My drink of choice is Gatorade -- not that 0 calorie crappola, but rather the real stuff that has lots of calories to fuel your exercise. There are SO many flavors these days -- try Rain Berry or Blueberry Pomegranate for something a little different -- and with a hydration belt, the fluids can be so easy to carry with you.

At the end of the day, I was able to use my food and drink as a motivational tool as well, so if you are ever so slightly motivated by the opportunity to eat, bringing some delicious snacks along with you can encourage you to keep going -- just another five minutes and you get to eat something that tastes like candy! :)

6) Finally, invest in a foam roller!
I discovered this one late in the game, but even having used it for a short period of time, I've realized how much of a game changer it can be. As many of you know, I've suffered from hip bursitis during my training runs, and the pain can be absolutely incapacitating once it kicks in (it feels like a stabbing pain with every stride!). I was really, really considered about it acting up on race day and causing me to not finish, so I invested in a foam roller and rolled it out leading up to the race. It hurts a lot since you're using a trigger point method to release muscle tension, but it's a miracle worker afterward! I had zero hip pain on race day!

These things may seem like common sense to those who have run for a while now, but for me they were all new trials and tribulations to get through. Now if only I can inspire one new person to start running, I will feel like a total success!

Until next time...

#20 Run a Half Marathon: I DID IT!!!!!!!!!!! (Part One)

I've been putting off writing this blog post for several hours because I can't seem to come up with the proper words to describe yesterday's half marathon experience. "Accomplished" feels too academic..."Proud" too close to bragging...yet somewhere in between lies the incredible feeling I came away with after pushing my body farther than I EVER dreamed it could go. Six months ago I was a total coach potato. Hardly exercised, cringed at the word "run," and was so out of breath after 30 minutes of exercise that I thought I'd about die. And while I still don't consider myself to be "in shape" or athletic by any means, I believe I am proof that anyone can run a half, or even a full, marathon if they put their mind to it and beat the mental demons that try to tear you down.

Here's a quick recap of race day:
- My friend Kyle, who was also running the race, spent the night at my apartment the evening before so we could go to the race together in the a.m. And thank goodness he did! Having another person there totally helped get my mind off of my nerves...at least for a little while!

- Wake up time was 2:15 a.m. -- hello morning! This gave us just enough time to get suited up (running clothes + warm items for the staging area), eat some breakfast (and drink some coffee) and head on out. Since this was our first race ever, we had no idea what to expect, but took heed to the warnings of crazy traffic and specific check in times.
- By 3:45am we were there, bags checked and ready to...sit on the ground for almost an hour. Thankfully, we were both dressed pretty warmly, I with my red sweatshirt and Christmas red sweatpants, plus gloves and a blanket; Kyle with his scarf, hat, and sweats. I think this is where our excitement began to build -- so many runners standing around, cool costumes to check out (the winners in my mind were a man dressed as Snow White, a gaggle of girls all dressed as Disney princesses, a man dressed as Tinker Bell and a couple wearing full-on medical scrubs!).

- We started our walk to the corrals around 4:40am -- I was assigned to Corral H, which is the very last corral for all the slow people! Kyle was assigned to Corral E, but was kind enough to move back and stay with me so I didn't have to be by myself.
- At 5:30, the race officially began -- at least for the fast people. Although there were fireworks at every corral's start to keep the excitement going, our corral didn't actually cross the start line for another 45 minutes!
- Then it was go time! Immediately, I stripped of all my extra clothing, and despite the cold, felt good! I started my walk/run ratio straight from the start, avoiding the much hyped about temptation to run fast and exhaust yourself quickly.
- The exhilaration of crossing the Mile 1 marker was amazing! It hit me that this was it, the moment I had been training for, and I better absorb every detail along the way and enjoy myself!
- Every so often, Disney had entertainment along the course -- stilt walkers, hot air balloons, local bands and cheerleaders on the sidelines, DJs, cartoon clips, characters and parade floats, and of course lots of CHEARSquad strangers cheering you on (my favorite sign was one where a woman wrote: Run like there are clowns chasing you!).
- Mile 5.3 started our journey through the Magic Kingdom. How wonderful it is to run through such a magical place! This is also where my boss Bryan came to cheer me on. It was AMAZING to see a friendly face in the crowd, so THANK YOU Bryan again!
- I think Kyle and I both started to feel some tiredness setting in around mile 7, but by the time you hit mile 9 and realize you're in the home stretch, a second burst of energy bursts through to push you along.
- By Mile 11, you're entering Epcot -- so crazy to realize you're almost done!
- Before you know it, the Finish line is within sight, along with bleachers filled with cheering fans. After the Mile 13 sign, we took off sprinting to the finish and gave each other a big high five after stepping foot across the finish line! Within minutes we had gorgeous, heavy, super shiny Donald Duck medals hanging from our necks, official signs that we were Half Marathoners!

- One of the first things we asked each other: "So, you think you want to do another one?" Unequivocally, hell yes! I had never felt better! Question two: "What about a full marathon?" Silence... ;) Can't say that I can see that one in my future!

Our Official Finish Time: 3 hours, 4 minutes -- 11 minutes ahead of my goal time!

A day after the race, I am sore as all get out, although nothing unusual compared to other long runs. The pain is totally worth it!

We still have to wait a week for our professional race pictures and customized runner Web sites to be active via the RunDisney platform, so I will certainly do a follow-up blog post to share that with you all. For now, all I can say is how happy I am to have embraced this experience and challenged myself in this way. Of all the items on my 30 Things list, I think I will walk away from this one with the strongest memories and pride. And hopefully I will be able to keep the rhythm going, making an active, running lifestyle a regular thing! Anyone out there want to join me at the Disney Wine & Dine Half Marathon in November? New runners welcome!

Countdown to Half Marathon Race Day

I can hardly believe that the moment I have been training for for MONTHS is less than 10 days away. About a week and a half ago I did my last long run of 11 miles, and although I started to feel hip pain around mile 8, I made it through alive and in good spirits. I've been pumping up my hip stretches since then in the hopes that I can avoid running into an issue during the actual race -- also crossing my fingers that my adrenaline will mask any pain that should creep up!

I also am officially prepared with all of my race day gear. Since this IS the Disney Half Marathon, it seems almost sacrilege to NOT go dressed as a Disney character, so I've created a psuedo-Minnie Mouse outfit that is both comfortable to run in and pretty cute for pictures. I'll be wearing black running pants and a black running top with a Minnie Mouse-ears headband and this adorable red tulle skirt that I got from the girls section at Target (yay for stretchy waists, but sad that there are actually kids that still shop in the girls section  that would fit into this skirt!). I also picked up a $3 "throwaway" sweatshirt from Goodwill (red of course, to match the theme) to wear during staging and this weekend I plan to buy a cheap throw blanket from Marshalls to keep me warm. I'm preparing for about an hour and a half of idle time sitting in the staging area and there's nothing worse than sitting on concrete AND being freezing!

At the end of the day, I'm both excited and nervous. I know I'm prepared and that I've never ever averaged a 16-minute mile or longer, but I still have that tiny devil sitting on my shoulder saying I'm going to be one of the unlucky few to get picked up by the Loser-mobile (i.e. the van for folks who run too slow and won't finish the race within the pacing requirements). That or the little devil starts taunting me about my hip pain or threatening to bring bad weather on race day. If you'd please, I would greatly appreciate some final encouraging comments from all my tiny angels out there (aka you if you are reading this right now!) so that I can smash this devil once and for all.

Naturally, I will be sure to recap every little detail in a little over a week, including posting pictures. Until then...

Adventures in Running

This morning's mayhem was just so comical that I simply had to put it down on e-paper.

Let me start by saying that I've realized I've become a bit of a complainer when it comes to running. Partially justified, given the sheer physical endurance required to run a half marathon, but partially it's just been easier to complain than recognize how far I've come. So this morning, I left my apartment around 9 am expecting to do a quick and easy 3 mile run. About 20 minutes in I even realized that I was averaging a 13 minute mile, which is faster than usual, and I was feeling good and strong! I even started typing my post-run blog in my head, thinking about how I'd write a paragraph similar to the one I'm currently writing about how I know I've been complaining a lot, but now I had a run to be proud of!

Now, I'm not sure if it was the distraction of writing the blog post in my head, the faster pace or something completely out of my control, but the next thing I know, I'm tumbling into the grass and there are 3 people standing over me asking if I'm ok. It must have looked like a bad fall, because as I got up, I realized I had sufficiently removed the skin from my right knee, right elbow and left palm as I cruised the hard pavement before hitting the grass (the first thought that ran through my head was "thank G-d there was no dog doo in that portion of grass!"). Physically, I felt ok, but emotionally, my previously inflated ego was now about as small as it could get. Then some obese woman had the nerve to walk past me, give me a dirty look and say, "You shouldn't be running so fast!" I could think of about a thousand retorts now that would have put that woman in her place, but I held my tongue, which was probably smart.

One of the nice men who stopped offered to walk me home, but I told him I was fine and he could continue his run. I really did feel ok, but I was also awful bloody, so the worst part was having to turn around and walk the mile home with red grossness dripping down my arms and legs. It must have looked like I was attacked by an animal or something...and I may actually want to change my story to that in order to appear more brave and less clumsy.

Alas, I am now bandaged up and ready to start the rest of my day. I'll chalk the experience up to a battle scar, and be thankful that I took a spill now and not on actual race day!

Updates! Marathon, Europe and Learning French!

Since it has been a good seven-ish weeks since I've updated this blog, I'm sure many of you thought I'd either a) become a total slacker or b) just given up on my quest to complete these 30 Things. Rest assured that the case is neither, and in fact, I've spent the last few weeks diligently chipping away at no less than FIVE items on my list. Updates commence:

1) Running a Half Marathon:
After a slow start (translate: running once a week, feeling exhausted by it and needing a full 6 days to both mentally and physically recover), I have kicked my butt into full gear. It finally hit me that the time to race day wasn't getting any longer, and frankly my couch potato "training" routine wasn't getting me any fitter. With inspiration in check, I purchased a Jeff Galloway run/walk/run timer off the Internet (which came with a signed Galloway Training Programs book) and about 4 weeks ago I officially began my training. Last Saturday my long run was 5 miles (I completed 5.2 miles if you count my cool down), and I must say I impressed myself. Never did I think this body could actually exercise for a full hour and 15 minutes without stopping/passing out/collapsing. Granted, if you calculate my pace based on that time of an hour and 15 minutes, you could argue that I was hardly "running" at all. And in truth, I'll admit that a very small portion of that time was actually spent running (I walked the first and fourth mile, and did a run/walk ratio of 1:1 for the other three). However, note that Mr. Galloway himself has said that it's NOT about the speed, but about the distance and endurance, and that us first timers should never set a time goal, but just a goal of forcing our bodies to continue moving forward for the full 13.1 miles. This weekend, I'm set to do a long run of 6 miles, which I think will feel particularly accomplishing as it's roughly half way there!

With all that said, I still have a long way to go (according to the training program, I still have 15 weeks left), but I am hopeful that my recent progress is an indication that I CAN actually do this. Of course, I still have a million questions running through my brain. For example, when does this shit get easier? Regardless of run/walking 5 miles last Saturday, my 30 minute, 2.7-mile "run" yesterday was painful with me reaching almost near exhaustion with a good 10 minutes left. Also, I still don't really understand how comfortable I'm supposed to expect my shoes to be. They definitely hurt, but I'm also doing an exercise that requires a consistent pounding on said feet, so I'm not sure how much I can expect my shoes to alleviate things. All things considered, I am enjoying the journey and hope to someday be able to feel comfortable self-identifying as a true runner.

2) Learning a Second Language:
Bonjour mes amis! Je parle francais un peu! (translation: Hello my friends! I speak French a very little bit! haha). For the last four months I have dutifully been studying the beautiful language of the Parisians thanks to the folks at Rosetta Stone. If you have heard of Rosetta Stone, I'm sure the first thing that jumps to mind is "Damn, that's expensive stuff!" and indeed, you would be correct. However, I figured that given my failing past performance in language learning environments (3 years of high school Spanish, failed college attempts at learning Spanish, French and Hebrew, AND a semester of Berlitz French at HBS that did nothing for me), this route was likely less expensive than hiring a professional tutor, which is about what I think I'd need if I were to take the structured class route. Instead (don't get scared) for $500, I have a program that I can use at my own speed with the ability to repeat lessons as needed...and I have it for life in case I forget things or need to take extended breaks! (Plus, I got a 5-month payment plan at 0% interest, so that helped soften the blow. Yes, I realize I am going bankrupt thanks to my 30 Things ambitions).

So far, I am enjoying the Rosetta Stone course, and definitely see that I am making progress. The vocabulary piece comes pretty easily, but the pronunciation and actual creation of sentences that make sense is naturally more difficult. I'm nearly finished with Level 1 of the software (to give you perspective, there are 5 Levels...within each level there are 4 units and within each unit there are 4 lessons), and my goal is to complete Level 2 and be somewhere within Level 3 by the time I visit France for real next April (more updates on this in the next section). My only complaint is that the program does not give you any options for the asking of questions. The system relies on this "immersion" technique where they translate nothing, but rather show you pictures of things for you to build associations with. This works really well for basic vocabulary, but less well for grammar, as I mentioned. For example, I had to wind up Googling the difference between the French pronouns ce, ces, cette and cet, because I was utterly confused about when to use which. All else considered, so far I am a satisfied customer.

3) Visiting the Mona Lisa, Throwing a coin in the Trevi Fountain and taking a picture at Buckingham Palace.
You may be wondering how I can be "in progress" on things like this, seeing as they are events that happen during a moment in time versus something you have to practice for like my first two updates. Nevertheless, I felt the need to share the news that my trip to Europe is booked for next April, so checking these three items off my list is a guaranteed reality versus some of the other things I hope to do!!

I'll be traveling with my friend Melissa, and aside from a flight and a few Starbucks-fueled planning sessions, we don't have much under our belt at this point. Of course, if you have recommendations on places to stay, things to see, gourmand restaurants to try and the like, we will happily take every piece of your advice into consideration. Just leave your comments below! :)

The basic plan is to hit Rome, London and Paris, with side trips to Versailles, Florence, Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor thrown in. Yes, I know this is a lot to squeeze into 15 days, but we are not rich and do not foresee a return trip anytime soon, hence the pressure to do as much as we can mentally and physically handle. I can guarantee that I'll need a vacation from my vacation, but then again, what's the fun in taking a trip across the Atlantic to sit around and relax for two weeks?


So that's it for now, folks. I still need to get one of my "quickie" items on the calendar (I'm leaning toward my acupuncture treatment next, but need to find a good Asian doctor to go to), so hopefully I will have some additional updates, fun pictures and wacky stories to share soon. For now, au revoir!

In Progress "Things": #20: Run a Half Marathon and #21: Learn a Second Language

While many of the items on my list are discrete things that can be accomplished in a single day, there are also several items that actually require a bit of preparation, be it mental, physical or both, to see through. These include #20: Run a Half Marathon and #21: Learn a Second Language, as well as a few more, like learning to ballroom dance or play golf. For now, I've set myself up on a course to tackle the former two, and wanted to write an introductory post as I plan to update the blog every now and again with my progress on these items. Let's start with the first one:

#20: Run a Half Marathon
I'm not sure when the running phenomenon started, but I must have been living under a rock somewhere, because all of a sudden I move back to Florida and everyone I know runs. Friends at work are constantly posting Facebook pics from races of all lengths and obstacles (something called the Warrior Dash looks particularly interesting) and every time I look out of my apartment window I see someone running down the street. Old, young, fit, fat -- it seems that no matter their story or physique, everyone in the world is out there pounding the pavement except me.

Now, I'm not usually much of a follower in life (if anything, I have a tendency to rebel from things that are too trendy), but I figured that if everyone was running, there must be something pretty fantastic about it. Not to mention, I've been carrying around an extra spare tire for the last who-knows-how-many years, and I very conveniently read that the first place one loses body fat from when beginning a running regimen is none other than the gut! So I said, what the heck, this stuff can't be all that hard! I'm going to join the group of running people so that I too can post fun Facebook pictures of me panting like a dog, sweating like a banshee and running at full speed when I'm neither being chased by a serial killer nor a scary dog. Sounds like a party, right?!

Needless to say, in a moment of insanity, I registered myself for the Disney Half Marathon in January 2012 (to the tune of $100), because of course, it's go big or go home! I figured that if I was going to start running, I needed some sort of goal to keep me from quitting day two because it's either too hot in Florida or I'm just too darn out of shape. Plus, 13.1 miles seemed a little more reasonable than the full 26.2, which I still can't fathom. It's less than 26 miles from my home to the Orlando International Airport, and I can't imagine getting on the 417 and running to catch my flight. That's a looooooong run.

In my fervor, I rushed to the mall and immediately purchased an expensive pair of running shoes from a cute salesman named Travis -- now that I am a "runner," my regular old sneakers just would not do! $200 in cute running clothes from Target later (if I'm going to be out there looking like a piece of lard trying to exercise in full view of cars driving down the street, I better at least be dressed fashionably!) and I was ready to begin my training.

It's funny because there's a whole lot that actually needs to happen between being "ready" to start training and "actually" starting training. You see, I did all this massive research about half marathon training programs and running for beginners, and EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM says that you have to be able to run for 30 minutes consecutively PRIOR to starting your marathon training. Hey folks, what happened to the BEGINNER part of the phrase "beginning runner." I haven't gotten a true session of exercise in for, eh, three and a half months, and you expect me to put on my running shoes and be able to just go for a full half an hour? I'm lucky if I can run continuously for 30 seconds without passing out. I think this was the point when I realized this was going to be a lot more challenging than I thought.

The good news is that I can actually make it through a 2 mile exercise session relatively easily. The bad news is that I spend very little of that 2 miles running. Most of it is more equivalent to a fast walk with short periods of jogging thrown in until I feel like my chest is going to explode along with my burning, tight calves, and then I walk some more until the pain subsides. The worst news is that I've still been making excuses as to why I can't get out for a run as often as I should, and thus my progress hasn't really progressed any since I started this path a couple of months ago.

I think part of my problem is that in the back of my head, I know I have 6 months to train for this half marathon, and most of the programs I've seen involve about 12-17 weeks of training, meaning I've got more than enough time to get my butt in shape. Of course, when I signed up for the half, I had 8 months to train, and we've seen how far I've gotten in the first two months, so this mentality obviously doesn't bode too well!

Regardless of the obstacles, I'm not giving up, and I've gotten some great advice from fellow runners as to how to tackle the "getting started" hurdle, which is apparently the hardest one to get over. I've been told that there is something called a "runner's high" where you get to a certain level of physical fitness and all of a sudden you are able to zone out in a sort of meditative state and just run, feeling this cathartic calming sensation washing over you. It is my goal to find out what this feels like!

In the meantime, I could use some advice from those who run in the following areas (please leave your answers below, if you would, or send me some other form of communication if you'd prefer not to share your thoughts with any and all that read this blog):

• What kind of arm band do you use to hold your iPhone/iPod while running so that you can listen to your motivating/pump-you-up music? I bought one for $3 off eBay and it is the itchiest thing EVER, plus it slides down your arm, making it more of a nuisance than anything.
• If you are a glasses-wearer, how do you run while wearing your regular glasses? Once I start to sweat, these babies slide right off my nose leaving me blind. Not good.
• What are the best stretches to do before and/or after a run?
• How do you run at a pace that allows you to carry on a conversation? Anything faster than a power walk and I'm winded. Is this something that comes with time? All of the training books tell me to run slowly, but I'm not sure I actually know how to run "slow" unless I'm copying the gait of a prancing unicorn, which isn't what I imagine they mean.
• How do you really know if the running shoes you've purchased are good for you/your feet? Should your feet feel completely 100% comfortable in them the entire time you run? Or are tingly feet and aching arches par for the course no matter the distance or speed?

Naturally, any and all other advice is always welcome! And since this turned into a longer post than I originally expected, I will leave thee for today and save my progress report on learning a second language for another day. However, I will say that I am getting "somewhere" a lot faster on the language front than I am on the running front. Ta ta for now!