A Tale of Two Races in Two Cities

Time must have gotten away from me.  I failed to do a proper recap of the Run Like a Diva Half Marathon in December, and then "marathon mania" took hold in my world.  Go figure!  Anyway, it turns out it's a good thing I waited because now I can do a comparison of two very different races in two very different cities.

Why compare the two?  Thank you for asking!

Divas is a series of races that take place in cities across the country, offering two distances (5k and half marathon), and is geared to women.  With gimmicks such as volunteers handing out tiaras and feather boas before the finish line, a rose and glass of champagne after the finish line, and shirtless "hotties" handing out sparkly pink medals, there are a lot of really fun things to get you to sign up for a race.

Hot Chocolate is also a series of races taking place in cities across the country, offering two distances (5k and 15k), and has more female participants than male.  Hot Chocolate offers a jacket instead of a standard race shirt, various treat stations on the course, and a massive hot chocolate mug at the end.  Plus it has awesome medals for the 15k.  Much like Divas, there's lots of incentive to register!

Divas Mini-Recap
I "ran like a diva" in St. Augustine the weekend after the Space Coast Half.   The race organizers required packet pickup at their expo in advance, which wasn't possible for me.  Luckily, Jackie was willing to drive up to St. Augustine and pick up my "swag bag" with hers.  She also invited me to spend the night at her place so we would just have the 45 minute drive up the morning of the race.  (in exchange, I drove up and back) 

Upon arriving at the race site (which required parking remotely and riding a school bus), I was immediately amused by just how girly one race could be.  They had pink port-a-potties for goodness sake!

Going into this, my goal was pretty much just to NOT SUCK like I did at Space Coast.  Physically and mentally I was in a much better place.  It was really cold, but I thought that would speed me up.  That's usually how I roll...  And for the first few miles, we were actually on somewhat of a PR (for me) pace.  Unfortunately, the sky got darker and the wind picked up, and instead of motivating me to go faster, I had ZERO desire to run into a ridiculous head wind.  We ended up walking most of the last 3-4 miles, though even then we kept a sub-16 pace each mile.  Our final time was 3:13:41, which was technically worse than my 3:09:11 time at Space Coast, but I still consider it a moral victory because I felt so much better during this race and actually enjoyed myself.  (seriously, after Space Coast I was worried I'd totally lost my race mojo)

Performance aside, Jackie and I were pretty underwhelmed by the race itself.  Though I didn't attend the expo, I heard that it was sparse and disappointing.  The course itself was not great.  There wasn't much fun stuff to look at, aside from some semi-deflated inflatables.  The sum total of on-course entertainment were a handful of DJs.  In fact the the most memorable moments during the race had nothing to do with the race organizers:
1. A man in a tutu loudly singing "if you're happy and you know it" at multiple points on the course.  I have no idea whether he was a volunteer, was out cheering for a family member or friend, or was just a wacky local, but the last time we saw him I took his picture and high-fived him.
2. A man with a box of Dunkin' Munchkins.  I said he was the sexiest thing I'd ever seen, and Jackie asked if he was single.
3. Three little girls in the driveway of a house, performing their own cheerleading routine.  They were adorable and so much fun to watch.

The course itself was mostly through nondescript roads and neighborhoods.  It certainly wasn't picturesque.  I was also furious at one intersection pretty early on when I realized that the cops were stopping runners to allow traffic through.  The race wasn't cheap, and part of the cost of a road race is road closures.  Not actually closing the roads?  Kind of an unforgivable sin.

That said, give this girl a feather boa and a tiara, and she just might jump for joy! (special thanks to Jackie for catching the amazeballs photo on the left)  From the finish line on, I was quite impressed.  Medal? Pink and shiny!  Champagne?  Bubbly! Rose? Red...and it lasted a week!  Food?  Plentiful!  Seriously - you walked through this pavilion, and there were cases upon cases of all sorts of individual snack packs of pretzels, dried fruit, cookies... And Jackie is a pro at stocking up on enough for both of us when I stop thinking clearly!  I know I've said it before, but this girl is a rock star, and my favorite person to spend 13.1 miles with!

So although I got some great photos at the end of Divas, and although 2015 race registration also includes a tutu, I doubt I'll run it again.  The lackluster race itself just doesn't live up to the fun gimmicks.

Hot Chocolate 15K Mini-Recap
Sarah and Carlie and I decided to take a whirlwind trip up to Atlanta to run the Hot Chocolate 15k, in part because one of my co-workers ran the one in Phoenix and said lots of great things about it.    This was definitely an "all about the bling" race for me.  A medal shaped like a chocolate bar? Yes please! 

Atlanta is about 6.5 hours from home, so we left bright and early and made it up to the expo in plenty of time to pick up our swag bags and take some ridiculous selfies.  We also had to walk the entire length of the convention center, surrounded by thousands of cheerleaders (and cheer moms) participating in "cheersport" championships.  Oh the curlers...and eye glitter... 

The expo was small, but incredibly well-organized.  Unlike every other race I've ever run, bib numbers weren't pre-assigned.  You walked up to any volunteer table, handed them your photo ID, and they printed out a sticker to attach to the next bib on their pile.  The computer linked the bib number to your name, and voila!  Somehow this one tiny thing made a huge impression on me, and I wondered why all of the other mega-races (I'm looking at you, Disney and Space Coast!) don't adopt a similar strategy.

There were also chocolate samples.  After being in the car for so long, that was a wonderful touch!  After the expo, we got to our hotel 20 minutes south of downtown, checked in, and walked over to IHOP for dinner.  I think we were all asleep by 9pm - I know I was!

Race day was cold - like hovering around 40 degrees cold - which meant wearing 2 pairs of pants and 3 shirts for this Florida girl!  I paid for a parking spot at Turner Field, which turned out to be my best investment of the race.  We got there super-early (the pre-race emails all said to be there by 6, though the first wave didn't start until after 7) and sat in the car 10 spots from a row of port-a-potties, enjoying the heater and listening to the entire Book of Mormon soundtrack.  We went down to the starting area, realized our corral wouldn't even be lining up until long after the first wave set off, and went back to the car to enjoy some more heat and sing along to more showtunes.

I could say this a dozen more times, but I think the race start would be the best place to mention it: the people who run this race have it down to a science.  Volunteers manned the entrance to each corral checking letters on the bibs.  Waves started on time.  We weren't tripping over other runners in the first mile (a major rarity in a race this big).  Aid stations were well-staffed - err, well-volunteered - and well-stocked, with the exception of the missing Tootsie Rolls.

Missing Tootsie Rolls aside, I got such a kick out of the treats handed out during the race.  We had chocolate drops, strawberry marshmallows, and then chocolate marshmallows around mile 8. 

Sarah took the lack of Tootsie Rolls pretty hard, so when we passed the last marshmallow volunteers and rounded a corner to see an unattended table piles with bags of the treats, she sprinted toward it.  I thought for sure she was going to grab a bag and stuff it down her jacket, but instead she tore it open and started handing them out to other runners until Carlie and I caught up.  That look on her face... Oh man, it was one of the highlights of my race!  Plus, I ended up having had a total of 4 chocolate marshmallows.  Who needs GU when you can have pure sugar??

The after party, though kind of deserted by the time we finished, was also really well-run.  Pick a line, wait in the line, hand them the ticket off of your bib, and get handed the most epic post-race food ever: a giant mug containing hot chocolate, chocolate fondue, a banana, and a bunch of other treats to dip in the chocolate.  We sat on the pavement enjoying the fruits of our labor, and then hobbled back to the car, drove to the hotel, showered, and left for the long drive back to Florida.

Umm... I seem to have forgotten to mention the actual race.  See?  Give me chocolate and everything else is immaterial!  Atlanta, as it turns out, is a helluva hilly city.  I became aware pretty quickly that the hills were going to be a challenge.  They didn't disappoint!  They didn't break my spirit, but I knew there wouldn't be a PR coming from this race.  The course went through some suburban neighborhoods, through part of downtown (past the CNN Center and we saw the aquarium from a distance), and there was plenty to look at.  Also, I have to give kudos to the Atlanta police doing traffic control.  They were at every single intersection, and were friendlier than most police you encounter during races.  In fact, Sarah asked one for a high-five and he said he gives hugs too.  So we both got a hug from a random cop...and I think I heard some people behind us getting in on that action too!

The only negative for me was the race photos.  They advertise free photos, but the only photographers were at or near the finish line.  Even that wouldn't have been so bad, but my photos were are partly obscured.  But, you know, I try to not complain about anything free...especially when the rest of the race swag (did I mention the jacket? it's awesome!) was so great.

I certainly wouldn't drive 13-14 hours in two days for another 15k.  That was a stupid amount of travel for a race.  I would, however, do this race again in a heartbeat - either in Atlanta or another city - if I could piggyback it into a short vacation.  You know, throw in a day at the aquarium in Atlanta, or family visit in Philly, or a full vacation somewhere I've never been like Phoenix or San Francisco...  It sure was an awful lot of fun, especially with friends!

Putting 2014 to Bed

Time for the year in non sequitor!  The following is a hodgepodge made of the first sentence from each month's first blog post:

Ever since I started training for my first race, I have been humbled by the support I continue to receive from friends, family, and even strangers.  Y'all know I have trouble accepting compliments, right?  After Princess was relatively unstressful for my body, I finally came to the conclusion that it was time to change my run-walk intervals. It's been two months since my last check-in (and four since the first).

I just uploaded my research paper -- the final assignment of my undergrad career.

It's been six months since I posted the first of my "during" photos. The official RunDisney training program for the WDW Marathon started at the beginning of this month. Well, it's been two months since my last check-in, and what a crazy two months it's been. I don’t think I can say enough positive things about this race. Happy October!  This past Saturday, Sarah and I went out to Ft. Wilderness to do our 17-mile marathon training run. I have to warn any non-regular readers right now that this isn't going to be a standard race recap.

So, you know, I guess I did some running.  Have you heard?  At the end of 2013, I posted the following about my hopes for 2014:

I wish for less drama and more fun in 2014.  I will graduate from college a mere 14 years behind schedule.  I think I can (at least) double the number of half marathons I ran this year.  I hope to get a new job, though the idea of leaving the one I have now makes my heart ache a little.  I need to handle my personal business (including the D-word and some financial stuff) and not hope that everything will straighten out if I ignore it long enough.  And I'm going to nurture my new and old friendships.  After all, no Jamie is an island.

Well, I did graduate.  I did (more than) double the number of half marathons, from 3 to 10.  I did get a new job, and it did break my heart to leave the old one.  We did file for divorce.  And I think I did nurture my friendships better.  At the very least, I got to see Bill for the first time in a decade (that can't POSSIBLY be right...can it??), and had the most wonderful two weeks with Jackie's family in NJ.  And I have a few new friends!  I love them all.  YOU all. 

Truthfully, the year was overwhelmingly positive, and truly surprising.  A year ago, I didn't know that I'd even be accepted to grad school, let alone have wrapped up my second semester with a 4.0.  I didn't know I'd take myself on a three-week solo road trip as far north as NY and west as State College.  I didn't know anything about the job I have now.  I hadn't seriously considered signing up for a marathon.

I also couldn't have predicted that 2014 would be the year of the cousins.  My northeast road trip helped that -- I spent time in NYC with Jenn and her family plus a bonus day with Alex and Megumi.  I also got to see Dawn.  I saw Suzanne for the first time in forever, and we talked the day away like a pair of old friends.  Joanne came up twice, and I had a blast with her and her crazy friends.

If the medals on my wall are to be believed, I raced 148.3 miles (131 miles of half marathons + 47.3 miles in other shorter distance races) in 2014, and I think I trained almost twice as many miles.  So you know, that was a significant amount of my time, energy, and focus this year.  It kicked ass.  You should feel my quads.  I HAVE QUADS!  I didn't lose much (any?) weight, but that's mostly because I seem to have developed an insatiable lust for Taco Bell, Chick Fil A's breakfast burritos, and other amazing deep-fried drive-through delicacies.  Somewhere along the line, I realized I was running for the love of running, and not for any related goal.  I like it better this way.

And just for the record, I'm actually doing some of my living off the record.  I'm still learning a lot about me, and one thing I've learned is that not every misstep needs to be documented for posterity and/or the judgment of others.  I like being able to sit down with friends and be able to answer "what's new?" with something other than "it's all on Facebook!"  I like having untold stories.  And I like having a little mystery.

So 2015?  Oh my GOD...I can't even imagine what's to come!  In January alone, I'm running a marathon, I'm doing a fun new thing at work (spending a weekend as a company rep during a conference), Scott and I have a court date, and I'm taking a weekend girls' trip to Atlanta for a 15K.  I'm taking spring semester off from school, and using that extra time to take an 8 week "dance & tone" class after work with my boss.  I'm also determined to clean the house and make it presentable.

It feels somehow selfish and ungrateful to ask for my 2015 to be better than 2014. This year has truly been an embarrassment of riches.  I feel guilty even asking for more of the same.  I think it's possible that I'll look back on 2014 as the biggest, boldest, craziest, busiest, newest, most eventful year of my life.  I hope that I continue to grow in 2015.  I hope I stay as happy as I am right now.  And more than anything, I hope that my friends and loved ones will be as happy as I am right now. 

Happy New Year!  I wish you nothing but the best in 2015.  May all your dreams come true!

Another Two-Month Check-In

Happy October! This is the month where s--t starts getting real with marathon training. The weather is FINALLY starting to break, and I've got my first longer-than-13-mile run this weekend. At the moment I'm dealing with some monster sinus issues, but haven't got a fever. Plus, I'm a mouth breather when I run anyway. No excuse to take time off!

Below are this month's check-in pictures. I'll be getting my vitals taken next weekend, and am very curious to see what my weight is. Sometimes I feel like I'm still hovering around the same old number, but other times I feel significantly smaller. I know my BMI (imperfect measurement that it is) is at least 5% lower than this time last year. And as long as the numbers keep dropping, I don't really mind how slowly that happens. 

Backward Progress

Well, it's been two months since my last check-in, and what a crazy two months it's been.  Between vacation, starting my new job, and some assorted other excuses, I've really been off the exercise wagon.  It's hard to say for sure, since I seem to be completely incapable of holding the same pose two of these sessions in a row, but I think I slid backwards.  I see a thicker middle, but my ankles look smaller.  Or I'm imagining all of it...

I can't be too upset.  It's kind of a miracle the budge isn't more pronounced.  I blew off my long runs during the past few weekends, and I've been eating like a horse (healthy entrees and healthy-ish snacks...but lots and lots of snacks).  However, I had a touch of insomnia this morning and ended up running 5 miles - this the red face and bad hair in today's picture.

The next check-in should be October 1, after my next half-marathon and maybe once the weather has cooled a tiny bit.  Maybe by then I'll have settled into a better pattern and finally broken the size 14 mark.

Six Months of "During"

 

It's been six months since I posted the first of my "during" photos.  My weight hasn't really changed much in the past two months, and I have to say I don't see much of a difference at all anymore.  Honestly, at this point I'm just keeping it up because I think once marathon training picks up in the fall there will be big changes relatively quickly.  

I'm fine with that.  Everybody plateaus at some point.  I know I need to add a day or add distance if I want to keep improving, and I'm hoping that my later start time at the new job means I'll be able to consistently do 5k on my run mornings instead of 2 miles.  I also need to get back to eating healthy foods.  I've been so bad recently, and I feel it all over.  Frankly, I'm impressed that I haven't gained weight over the past few months since my race season ended.

Anyway, that's all for today.  Maybe I'll have some positive changes to report by August.

Submitted

I just uploaded my research paper -- the final assignment of my undergrad career.

It feels so momentous!

On one hand, I did the math last week and realized that even if I got a 0 on this paper, I'd still have a C in the class and would therefore be graduating regardless.  On the other hand, now I really feel done...and I most definitely didn't half-ass this last assignment.  I'm pretty proud of the way it turned out.

So I guess this means I have crossed the finish line...but it'll be another two months probably before I get the "medal" for this race.  I won't actually refer to myself as a college graduate until the 10th, but I am definitely looking forward to updating my resume and removing that "anticipated graduation..." caveat right away.

It only took me seven semesters to complete my degree, though it really feels like I've been at this much longer.  AND if I keep on my current trajectory, I should have my Master's completed in six semesters more.

Huzzah!

The Bees' Knees

I went shopping after work today with a single objective: to buy shorts.

Shorts: the kind that of pants that end above the knee.

...and I did get a pair of shorts.  I also got two dresses and a skirt.  All of them end above the knee.

I've been thinking about it since I left the store, and I literally can NOT remember the last time I bought shorts.  It feels like kind of a big deal.  Don't get me wrong - I didn't put on the shorts and think, "damn, I look GOOD!"  I did, however, put on the shorts, turn around in the mirror, note thankfully that I no longer have back-of-thigh fat sagging down near my knee pits and that my thighs are WAY less jiggly than I remember, and then did a little happy dance.

As for the dresses, here are some horribly blurry dressing room selfies to get the message across:

funny faces and "I'm a little teapot" pose: free with purchase

The dress on the left is actually kelly green with white polka dots (white balance?  WHAT white balance?).  And I think it's more flattering than it looks in the picture.  I love the fabric. It's light and flowy and makes me want to walk barefoot through a park and spin in circles...or maybe just toss a cardigan on top and wear it to work.

I did what I could with the contrast on the picture on the right to show where the dress ends and the door begins.  This dress is made of the nicest textured fabric, and just looks so darn professional!  (Disney look: now including sleeveless!)  I'm pretty sure sleeveless isn't interview-appropriate, but boy does it make me look like a moderately stylish grown-up!  The belt is just a sash, tied in the back.

Anyway, hooray for continued improvement... and for the triumphant return of my knees...  and for the extra miles I'm running weekday mornings so that I can keep buying new clothes.

During, Take Three

It's been two months since my last check-in (and four since the first).  Aside from the fact that I have obviously gotten better at standing on the edge of the bathtub and that the mirror desperately needs to be cleaned (eww...), there really hasn't been much change.  I like to believe my hips and thighs have gotten smaller and that's why my waist looks proportionally bigger, but it's likely I've actually just gotten softer in the middle recently due to my crap-tastic diet.

I am now down 41 pounds total from where I started when I first joined the gym in 2012 -- just about two years ago.  That's significant, but not dramatic considering the time frame.  I've lost 12 pounds since October, and have 10 to go before September in order to get the extra $150 in "wellness rewards" from work.  (since the money goes straight into my FSA account, if I hit that goal I'm going to buy myself a pair of prescription sunglasses with it -- that's the closest I could come to blowing the money on something pretty)  But honestly, as long as the number on the scale keeps going the right direction I'm not really concerned about the amount of time elapsing.

Honestly though, the numbers are just the non-subjective way to gauge my progress.  In the past few months, I've discovered visible ribs and collarbones, and can feel the front of my hip bones.  I also feel better, inside and out.  I've even stopped lamenting the shrinkage going on in my top half.

Cat commented a few weeks ago about me walking around in a sleeveless shirt when we met up at Downtown Disney after work.  I laughed and said it was too warm out for the cardigan I'd worn at work, and she pointed out that not too long ago I would've just suffered in the heat rather than walk around that way.  She's right!

So, I guess the last two months might not have been all about earth-shattering physical progress.  They seem to be all about confidence.  I don't think I would've even posted this picture on the left to the blog two months ago.  But hey, I guess it's time to embrace my "perfect imperfections" and love myself at every stage, not just when I hit a major goal.

During, Again

It's been two months since my "M" adventure at Old Navy and my decision to post a picture of myself in spandex pants and no bra on the internet.  (hello, creepy Googlers!)  Since then, the grocery store scale tells me I've lost a whopping 4 pounds, but my body tells another story.  Since that photo was taken, I've bought smaller pants for work and taken a smaller race shirt.  I also have a bad feeling I'm about to need to get some smaller bras...again.

Anyway, I thought now would be a fun time to revisit "during" and document my progress.  So here's two months' difference.  I don't know how noticeable the changes are to people who don't see me like this every day (which is, of course, everyone but me!), but I'm actually pretty pleased with the side-by-side comparison.

Here's to continued progress (and the future purchase of a full-length mirror so I can stop standing monkey-toed on the edge of the bathtub)!

Adventures in Grocery Shopping

Just a few quick random updates from today's trip to Publix:

• According to the fancy new blood pressure station, I've lost 4 pounds since November 29.  I have a feeling I was down more than that but creeped up due to WAY too much fast food recently.  Still, less is less.
• The Publix bakery doesn't sell not-frosted brownies.  Apparently I'm the only person who prefers her brownies naked.
• A man approached me just past the card aisle. He was carrying two cards and was looking for a woman's opinion on which would be better to give his wife for their 53rd wedding anniversary tomorrow.  I would have felt bad laughing in his face and telling him he picked the WAY wrong girl (you know, due to my blatant disregard for the institution of marriage, the fact that I'm heartless - or so I've been told, and the fact that I've never really had much of a tolerance for cards with sappy sentimental poems), so I read both cards.  I paid attention to the words.  In the end, I recommended the one that made me almost tear up, even though it was three pages long and mentioned God.  And I told him congratulations.  Maybe I'm not heartless after all...
• I also bought brownie mix, vanilla frozen yogurt, and bananas.  I think there's an epic sundae (with peanut butter) in my future.

Sweet Sixteen

I took this picture a little over a week ago, with a mixture of pleasure and exasperation.  The pants I'm wearing here are ones that I bought some time in the fall.

I love them - they are pretty much wrinkle-proof, comfortable, dressy, and they fit my waist and thighs more proportionately than most pants.  Plus, they were a size smaller than my other pants when I bought them.  Every time I put them on and saw the number on the tag, I smiled.

As you can see though, the waistband is starting to get to the "needs to be 'altered' with a safety pin" stage.  They slip down to my hips, which wouldn't be bad except the hems hit the ground if the waistband is at my hips...  

More and more of my original pants are getting to the humorously large point, and this pair of pants tells me something important that I need to remember: don't buy a bunch of clothes at once!  I stopped on my way home today to do some impromptu clothes shopping, and did something I haven't done in many many moons: walked straight to the "normal" side of the store.  As it turns out, the normal side has sizes all the way up to 18, so it wasn't the moral victory I'd hoped for, but I did grab three pairs of pants and three shirts and headed to the dressing room.  One pair was the exact style pictured above, except one size smaller.

Time for a flashback!

During the fall of my sophomore year at Penn State, my mom came to visit and took me clothes shopping.  None of the pants I tried on were fitting right, and I pitched a fit when she grabbed a pair that were size 16.  I think I cried when I realized that they fit.  Considering it was over fifteen years ago and I still remember that particular shopping trip, you can rest assured that it made a major impression.

...and back to the present!

All of the pants I tried on today were 16's.  One pair - sadly, the much-needed khakis - was comically "sausage casing" tight.  Another pair of Dockers were tight, but not ridiculously so.  I have a few sweaters and other hip-length tops that'll work with them.  And the third pair were the dress pants I was thrilled to find.  Putting on a pair of 16's that fit gave me flashbacks to the college shopping trip, and turned me into every cliché woman in a diet food commercial who zips up a pair of pants triumphantly and dances in front of the mirror.

It.  Was.  Awesome!

Sixteen is way smaller than the 20's and 22's I started with, but also nowhere near my goal.  Of course, I never did make a solid number goal, either by size or weight.  When I said I wanted to shop in the normal section of the store, I didn't realize that the normal section has expanded to such large sizes.  I think I'd look awesome in a 12.  That's average and normal these days, right?  Maybe that's a good 2014 goal.

Anyway, that's the latest on my progress.  It's wonderful to see results, even though getting to this point has been long and slow.  And as long as progress continues in the same direction, I'll be patient getting there.

...and I won't buy more than two pairs of pants at the same time!

Guess What Day It Is...

It's the day of the traditional Year in Non Sequitur!  If you've been with the blog for any length of time, you'll know that the following is a hodgepodge made of the first sentence from each month's first blog post.

I think this screenshot says a lot about my running progress: 19 miles one week, then only 2 the next.  Take a look at my summer work schedule.  Six Classes...I have six classes to go until I finally have my Bachelor of Arts degree.  Last night I tried out a new recipe that I copied out of a magazine at work.  I don't think I've mentioned the Zimmerman case here before, and I probably won't mention it again, but I was sort of shocked to wake up this morning to a "not guilty" verdict and to find so many of my out-of-state friends on Facebook proclaiming once again how effed up Florida is.  They switched up the process for Candlelight choir this year.  I don't think I've mentioned on the blog (though Facebook knows alllll about it!) that my work building has a... considerable challenge with German cockroaches.  Oh hi, guess what!  I had a really good idea a few months back: heading out to do my longer training runs out at Disney resorts. Thirty-eight hours ago, I was waking up for the Space Coast Half Marathon.

Honestly, of all the years I've been putting these posts together (they really are some of my favorites!), I don't recall a post that less represented the peaks and valleys.  And boy howdy, there have been some peaks and valleys.  Among others:

• School!  Though I had hoped to graduate in December, I think things worked out for the best.  Two semesters on the Dean's List, all A's and A-'s, and just one class this spring before graduation.  Plus, my Master's application is filled out, resume and cover letter uploaded, and references secured.  All that's left is to pay the application fee and order my transcripts.
• Running!  There were some significant roadblocks - physical, emotional, and other - during the first 3/4 of this year, but I ended up completing THREE half-marathons and a bunch of other races.  I dragged friends into running 5k's, encouraged (and sometimes inspired) others to run longer distances, made runner friends, and can't seem to stop signing up for more races!  Running has become my outlet, my therapy, and on multiple occasions the one thing I could point to and say "I'm proud of this."  I wonder when I'll stop gazing at my medal display and getting a little choked up...
• Separation! (note: the exclamation point was just there for style continuity -- this falls into the "valleys" category for sure)  It was hard then, and continues to be hard in so many ways.  I know I handled a lot of things terribly - things that never hit the blog - and that this shit hurts, but I still believe I'm on the path I'm destined to be on.  
• Other assorted drama! (again, a valley)  There are a lot of people in the world who are selfish, mean-spirited, broken in any number of ways, or who bring negativity into your life in ways you can't possibly anticipate and don't understand.  I've had quite a few of those people meander along my path this year.  I'm not playing the victim card, because sometimes you invite the wolf in because if you squint and tilt your head to the left maybe he looks a little like a sheep... But I've definitely learned that when my health, heart, and happiness are on the line I am quite capable of standing up for myself.  (hmm...maybe not completely a valley after all...)
• New Friends! I've made more new friends this year than I can count.  Most of them exist in only one facet of my life - work friends being a prime example - but having people to rant at, laugh with, cry to, and even run with has made this year much more positive than I feel I deserved.
• Old Friends (and of course family)!  Some are in my life now more than they have been in a decade or more.  Seriously, who'd have ever expected me to be planning running vacations with high school friends?  Some have been around for forever.  They are my biggest cheerleaders, my secret keepers, and my ultimate supporters.  Thinking about the outpouring of love and understanding I've gotten when I needed it the most continues to humble me.

I've learned more about myself this year than possibly any single year of my life.  I brag about the things that I love, and continue to examine the things that aren't so great.  I've grown in ways I can barely fathom, and also done some incredibly stupid, careless, and irresponsible things. Like I said, peaks and valleys! 

Looking ahead, I wish for less drama and more fun in 2014.  I will graduate from college a mere 14 years behind schedule.  I think I can (at least) double the number of half marathons I ran this year.  I hope to get a new job, though the idea of leaving the one I have now makes my heart ache a little.  I need to handle my personal business (including the D-word and some financial stuff) and not hope that everything will straighten out if I ignore it long enough.  And I'm going to nurture my new and old friendships.  After all, no Jamie is an island.

Happy New Year to you and yours.  May your 2014 be filled with love, happiness, and wonderful memories.  From the bottom of my heart, thank you for coming along on this voyage with me.

Medium Well

As I think I mentioned recently, my compression running pants have started to become much less compression-y.  I decided it was time to bite the bullet and buy a new pair, so I stopped at Old Navy yesterday on my way home.  Their compression capri-length pants were on sale, and the display looked like a bomb hit it.  There was no organization of sizes, lengths, or colors.  I finally found an XL hanger with a black pair that were the right length and grabbed them, along with an interesting gray-ish silver-ish pair, and headed to the dressing room.

I tried on the gray ones first, and aside from the color not being as cool as I thought, the calves were loose.  Of all the weird fits I've encountered, I have to say boot-cut capris were pretty much the weirdest thing ever!  So then I grabbed the black pair and started tugging them up.  They were TIGHT, even going up over my (ever-so-muscular runner's) calves, but I kept going.  It was sort of like the control-top pantyhose dance getting them on, but I did it.

You know you have a problem when your black pants are stretched so far that they're almost sheer like black tights.  And I stood there staring at my reflection in the mirror contemplating whether I had really lost thigh size like I thought.  Maybe the old running pants had just given up after over a year of trying to squeeze me into them!  The tag on the hip was stabbing me, so I reached around to move it.  That's when I saw the most ridiculous thing ever: the letter M!

Ego Boost!

I managed to squeeze all of my biggest problem areas into a pair of MEDIUM pants!

Move over, [insert skinny runway model here]!

Granted, this was most definitely a case of "just because you can squeeze into it, that doesn't mean it fits."  I admit to having a moment where I thought maybe I should try on the Large, just in case...but then I came to my senses.  When I left the dressing room, I told the attendant that the pants were on the wrong hanger, "which is sort of a cruel joke," and laughed.  I went back to the racks until I found an XL pair in the correct length and left without trying them on.

I did try them on last night before pulling the tags.  You know, because I'm not completely stupid.  I have to say I wasn't completely displeased with my reflection....

Right about now, I wish that I had sucked up my pride and taken some 'before' pictures in the Spring of 2012.  This girl pictured to the left is still heavy.  Hell, she's still technically obese.  But I can't begin to tell you how proud I am of her for how far she has come!

I don't love my hips or my thighs, but I do love my curves.

I don't love my belly fat, but you can't see much of it from this angle.  It's a trade-off, because I do love the way my butt looks in these pants, but you can't see that either!

I also think that black tight pants really are more flattering than my naked reality, but since none of you are likely to see that EVER, we can all just pretend that this is how I look all the time!

So for future reference, this is my 'during' picture, taken 12-4-2013.

Medium?  Well, no... but definitely headed that general direction!

Space Coast Half Marathon Recap

If your birthday happens to be 3-3-79,
then this is almost the most perfect race bib ever !

Thirty-eight hours ago, I was waking up for the Space Coast Half Marathon.  Of course, like most pre-race nights, I had been up just about every half hour all night looking at the clock.  Around 1 am I woke up with a headache at the base of my skull that hurt so bad my first thought was "I've cancelled training runs for headaches that hurt less."  I didn't have any ibuprofen with me - they say not to take anything but Tylenol within 24 hours - and Tylenol doesn't really do much for me, so I went back to sleep rather than get up and take pills.

When I woke up for real, it still hurt, but not half as bad as it was at 1.  And my face felt hot.  And I stumbled when I got out of bed and started walking.  I thought maybe there was something wrong with me.  I also figured there was NO WAY I was going to bail on the race, so I got up and dressed and out the door.

Mom and I were staying at the Hampton Inn Cocoa Beach.  You know I'm not one to name-drop random hotels, but I cannot say enough about the hotel.  The room was spacious and clean (though it smelled vaguely of feet), and the staff was wonderful.  The morning of the race, they had to-go bags with bottled water, an apple, and a cereal bar.  I had my own pre-race food, but appreciated the extra boost.  We took the 4:15 shuttle to the race site, and then played the hurry up and wait game until "blast off" at 6:00.  I was trying to keep my spirits up, but my headache was weighing my spirits down and I was worried about a weird twinge I kept getting on my right shin.

Side note: they were having audio problems, and the microphone kept cutting in and out.  During the singing of the National Anthem, the crowd just started singing along whenever the audio stopped.  It was kind of awesome.

Before this race, my goal for the whole race season was to finish a half marathon in under 3:15:00, which is a 15 minute/mile pace.  Since this course was flat, and the weather was cool and overcast, I thought it might be a remote possibility if my body aches and pains quit.  I pointed out the lady holding the sign for the 3:15 Galloway pace team and told Mom that I'd probably finish a little after her.  I also lined up in the corral slightly ahead of her, but well behind the 3:00 pacer.  When the race started, I figured I would just run at whatever pace was comfortable until it wasn't comfortable, and then I'd slow down.

At the 5k point, I was running directly behind a lady with a bib on her back indicating that she was a 3:00 pacer.  I made the conscious decision to stay behind her, because I knew I couldn't keep that pace for the whole race.  At the 5 mile mark, I was still keeping pace right behind the same woman, but staying behind her was slowing me down.  And so, I passed her some time before the 6-mile mark and waited for her to pass me.  I never saw her again.

I had a total mind-screw right after I passed the 10K timing mats.  For some reason, I was convinced that 6.2 miles was the halfway point, and I couldn't understand why we were still going straight.  Where was the U-turn?  The distance from 6.2 to the actual turnaround was (I'm guessing) less than half a mile, but I struggled the whole time because I was mentally already half done and resented having to keep going.

After the turnaround, my mood picked up and I started looking at RunKeeper in disbelief.  At mile 7, my average pace was still 13:34 (I think - I didn't take a screen shot). I knew my 5 mile run the weekend before had good numbers, but that was only 5.  Here I was 7 miles in, feeling strong, and running FASTER?!?

...and then disaster struck.  I grabbed a handful of Craisins and popped them in my mouth during a walk break.  I'm not sure what happened, but all of a sudden I took a sharp breath and was pretty sure I inhaled one.  I had a pretty wicked coughing fit, but when my interval timer beeped I started running again.  The coughing made my throat feel raw, and I had that "you might puke if this keeps up" feeling.  The persistent scratching in my throat wasn't getting any better...and then *cough* there was a cranberry in my mouth that wasn't there before.  Oh lord...it was stuck in my throat!  Problem solved?  Not really.  Another few minutes of running and walking, feeling like crap and I did that sinus-clearing snort thing and HEY! Another cranberry!  It turns out the second cranberry, which I hocked into the grass as if it were a loogie, was the source of my discomfort.  Instead of inhaling it down into my lung, I somehow snorted it from my mouth up toward my nose.  Once it was out, the pain was gone.

That's a first!

By the time I hit miles 8 and 9, I actually pulled up the calculator app on my phone to see what time I'd finish if I maintained a 14 minute average pace.  I also realized that I was most likely going to finish well ahead of my original 3:15 goal.  AND I realized that Disney was requiring proof of time if you thought you were going to finish the Princess Half in less than 3:15.  I sent a text to Scott that said "holy [redacted]. Gonna have a sub 3:15 to submit for Princess."  (I love that my phone knows that Princess a proper noun in my world) I also sent one to Mom right at mile 8: "5 mi to go. Pretty sure fkonosh b4 3:15." I don't know if she understood what I was saying, but it wasn't really important.

At mile 11, I sent another text to Mom saying "mile 11. c u in half hour."  That's right, even though my legs were starting to scream during the last 5k I knew there was no chance I was going to slow down to a 15 minute pace.

After mile 12, the lead runner for the full marathon passed me.  I took a picture as he went by, and tried to run along with him during my 20 second run interval.  Boy was he speedy...but when else would I ever have the chance to say I ran with a marathon champion 25 miles into his race?  Plus, all of the other marathoners running the opposite direction were cheering and it was easy to pretend they were cheering for me.

The last stretch of the race was on brick, and full of people cheering.  As much as I wanted to run and smile with them, the best I could manage was to maintain my intervals. As I passed a race photographer, I did my patented fake run pose.  A volunteer mimicked me and asked what I was doing and I laughed and said "fake running for the camera!"  He laughed, told me that was awesome, and gave me a high-five. One turn before the end, I saw Mom videotaping, and I figured I had to run for that.  I smiled and waved, turned the corner, and there was the finish.  So I ran straight on to the end.  I even managed to get my arms mostly up for the finish line photographers.

check out those post-race sausage fingers!

The "RaceJoy" app posted to Facebook that my finish time was 3:16, and I was heartbroken.  I couldn't figure out how I could've lost so much momentum in the last two miles.  And I was disappointed that I didn't have a proof of time for Princess 2014 after all.  And I was mad at myself for not being over-the-moon thrilled at coming in 15 minutes faster than my time from Princess 2013.

After I reunited with Mom, got my big cup of beer, a banana, and a bottle of the most delicious ice cold orange juice in the history of mankind, we took a few pictures of the "sweaty delirious girl with new bling" variety and then shuffled to the hotel shuttle, full of oh-so-stinky runners.

On the bus, I took a look at my RunKeeper, and realized that the time/pace posted to Facebook must have been the clock time and not my chip time.  I realized that for sure when I saw it had my 5k time as 49:50. My mood definitely improved, though I wasn't sure when I would find out my actual time...and the anticipation was killing me!

Eventually, while enjoying my post-race bubble bath, I logged back into RaceJoy and found my unofficial chip results, which turned out to also be my actual results:

What? You can't read this GIANT text?  See below!

Clock Time: 3:16:42
Chip Time: 3:10:26
Pace: 14:33
Overall Place: 2261/2937
Division Place: 195/259
(not pictured: Previous PR: 3:31 -- that's a 21 MINUTE improvement!!!!!!)

I have almost nothing negative to say about this race, but here are the only critiques I've got:
* The expo was CrazyTown.  You had to go through 4 different lines to get your bib, race bag, check your tag, and then go to the back corner of the expo for your shirt.  The first 3 lines were in the small circular entryway of the expo hall, and my inner crowd-phobe freaked the heck out during the 15ish minutes we were inside.
* The shirt is white and fairly sheer.  I'll wear it for early runs around the neighborhood when it's more important for me to be visible than for my bra to be invisible.  But I love the logo on it, and would wear it out if not for the modesty factor.
* The RaceJoy app was a massive disappointment.  Supposedly there was a way to have race updates texted to people, but I could only figure out how to post updates to Facebook.  And as I already said, those updates were based on clock time and not chip time.
* Supposedly there was Gu available around mile 8, but I never saw it.  I can't imagine how I missed it, but I guess I'll chalk it up to my own flakiness.  I'm glad I had my Craisins and wasn't relying on it though!
* Twice in the last 5k, I encountered residents leaving their driveways and driving onto the race course.  The first was right next to a cross-street, and was only on the road for a few seconds basically long enough to make the turn. The second was driving behind me, and I was so pissed off I refused to move to the side of the road.  I also trudged nearly a mile behind two girls in jeans and sweaters who had apparently been cheering for someone and were moving toward the finish line.  They were walking faster than I was able to run, so they weren't actually in my way, but other runners did have to run around them.  It would've been nice if a volunteer had told them to GET OUT OF THE WAY.
* I was disappointed by the weather.  I had hoped to snap some spectacular sunrise-over-water pictures, but it was gray and overcast...

...which is an excellent point to carry into the list of awesome things about this race:
* The weather!  Though the sky was depressing to look at, I was so happy to be running in cool temperatures with a pleasant breeze...even when that breeze turned into a headwind around mile 7 or 8.
* The course is beautiful.  It's an out and back, with lovely houses on one side and water on the other side.  The road curves a lot, is pretty flat, and the field of under 3,000 half marathoners was spread out enough that I never really felt like I was part of a herd.
* The volunteers at the water stations were great.  There were a lot of kids/teens, lots of costumes, and I never had to stop to wait for a full cup to be put in my hand.
* The residents of the neighborhood we ran through were good sports about being trapped at home.  Lots were out sitting in lawn chairs watching the spectacle.  Some had signs and were cheering.  Some even had their own water stops set up.  I took a cup of water from a little girl who couldn't have been 4 or 5 and told her that her family was the awesomest on the street.  I also saw a family pouring beer into little paper cups and another with a hot plate cooking something that smelled awesome and something that looked remarkably like bloody mary mix and a stack of paper cups!
* The post-race amenities, including pizza, beer, pancakes, juice, and fruit - plus plenty of space to spread out and enjoy them - were fabulous.  Now I know why people get so annoyed with Disney for charging extra for similar stuff after their races!
* And last but not least, the finisher medal is spectacular!  It's huge - even bigger than my Princess medal - and more importantly, absolutely stunning.  Pictures don't do it justice.  The shuttle is silver-tone, and all of the white and colored areas are sparkly.

I'm almost certain I'll be back to run another Space Coast Half.  I had an amazing run, and can't imagine another race comparing!

FACTS & FIGURES

Injuries:
* one large blister (the size of a lima bean) on the outside of my right big toe, and several smaller ones that aren't really worth mentioning
* immediately after the race, both of my big toes hurt under the nails.  thanks to the dark nail polish (which you can see at the bottom of the picture above), I don't know if there's any visible bruising.  but they hurt WAY less today.
* I'm having difficulty lifting my left leg in front of me.  I can do stairs just fine, but the range of motion of lifting my leg straight out is only about 1/3 of what my right leg can do.  While I don't generally do kick lines, this motion is apparently used getting my pants on and off, and is therefore an issue.
* General stiffness in my hips and thighs.
...in other words, wow - I'm practically fine!!

Split Paces: 
(according to RunKeeper...which also thinks I ran 13.55 miles at a 14:06 pace, so take these with a grain of salt)
mile 1: 13:05 min/mi
mile 2: 13:39 min/mi
mile 3: 13:39 min/mi (even split!  woo!)
mile 4: 13:42 min/mi
mile 5: 13:55 min/mi
mile 6: 13:43 min/mi
mile 7: 14:11 min/mi
mile 8: 14:07 min/mi
mile 9: 14:16 min/mi
mile 10: 14:24 min/mi
mile 11: 14:41 min/mi
mile 12: 14:35 min/mi
mile 13: 14:54 min/mi

Of course, I'm going to have to do a delicate balancing act of babying and pushing myself this week, because the Orlando Half is coming up this Saturday.  I plan on doing short slow runs tomorrow and Thursday mornings, as well as plenty of walking on Wednesday.  I feel really good and strong, which boggles my mind, and am really confident that I'll do fine on Saturday.  My plan for that race is to take it easy, listen to my body, and hopefully finish in about 3:15.  I do not expect to PR again without adequate recovery time, and it's also going to be warmer which will probably slow me down.

It may slow me down, but it won't stop me.  I'm feeling pretty unstoppable today!

3...2...1...

Today is Thanksgiving, but aside from the fact that it was quiet in the office and I had turkey and assorted pot luck sides for lunch, it's just another Thursday.  Actually, that's not true.  It's VACATION Thursday.  As of 2:30 this afternoon, I'm on vacation for ten days.

Ten!  Days!

And of course, I won't be sitting on my butt a whole lot during that time.  I'm in the "final countdown" for the Space Coast Half Marathon this Sunday.  Two weeks ago, I did my final long training run, wrapping up at a distance of 10 miles.  Of course, the race is 3 (point one) miles longer, but I'm pretty confident that race day adrenaline will carry me that last 5K.

Though I haven't managed to beat my 12:49/mile PR, I also haven't tried.  I've been trying to be injury-free going into the next weeks.  It hasn't been an easy road though.  Last week I went to the doctor when pain in my left foot got so bad I started to worry that I might have a broken bone.  (I don't.  I put the insoles from my old shoes into my new shoes, and my feet are happier than they have ever been.)  And even though I haven't been pushing, it still feels like I'm improving.  On my 5-mile run last Saturday, each of my my miles took less than 15 minutes.  And on my 3-mile run yesterday, my overall pace was 13:41/mile.

That last milestone is especially significant because I've been eyeing a handful of future races that have a pacing requirement of 14 minutes/mile (hello, Hershey!) (does anyone else find it ironic that the race through the CHOCOLATE town isn't just a slow fun run??) (excessive parentheses live here).

But I digress.  I wanted to take a minute to write out all of the things I've got planned between now and next Monday when I go back to work...partly because I'm sure I won't end up doing everything I have on the list.

Tomorrow - morning run and breakfast (corned beef hash is carb-loading, right?) with Scott, mini grocery trip (mostly for race day Craisins and pizza fixin's), possible trip to the pharmacy for prescription refills, Mom arrives, home-made pizza for dinner, pack for the trip

Saturday - drive to the coast, race packet pick-up at the expo, hotel check-in, dinner someplace carb-tastic, shower, blow-dry, chalk pink & purple streaks in my hair (if I can find the chalk), and early sleep

Sunday - RACE DAY!  no solid plans after that, but I'm hoping for a dip in the hot tub and a hobble on the beach

Monday - back home, lunch with Mom before she heads home, group project due tonight

Tuesday - laundry, cleaning, homework, short conditioning run

Wednesday - pot luck at work (yep, during vacation!), Candlelight show

Thursday - more homework, more cleaning, another short run

Friday - race packet pick up

Saturday - Orlando Half Marathon

Sunday - more laundry, Candlelight show

Wow...I shouldn't have written it all out.  All of a sudden it looks awfully overwhelming!

Anyway, wish me luck on Sunday.  Hopefully I'll have a race recap up by Tuesday.

12:49

Presented without commentary:

...ok, just a little commentary: OMG this is 14 seconds faster than my previous PR, which I set about 13 hours before! All of my social media friends, most coworkers, and even my chiropractor have heard about this today. 

Woot woot!

New PR?

I ran two miles after work today.  I figured I should really start pushing myself on my short runs, so I increased my running interval from 30 seconds to 33 (still walking 40).  That one little adjustment kicked my ASS.  But with a first mile of 13:05, I think I PR'ed.  The second mile was more my normal speed at 14:29. I walked a few of those intervals, and had to slow down to stop deep-breathing because there was some sewage work going on near the front of the development.

Thank God for cooler weather.  It's so much easier to get out when it's pleasant... and I'll gladly trade in sweat stains for watering eyes any day!

I'm back out tomorrow morning before work (yep - 4am run - yet another thing I once said "never" about doing!) and hoping that after a good night's sleep maybe I can really push and knock that down below 13.

Everyone needs a goal, right?

Retirement

another in a series of "all about me" posts

It is with great pride and happiness, and also a little bit of wistful sadness, that I announce the impending retirement of my favorite pair of pants. 

Truthfully, they haven't fit me properly for over a year.  When I originally started losing weight, the first place I lost was in my waist.  The pants started slipping to my hips, and then off my hips, so I just put in a half-assed dart at the waistband using a safety pin.  And that's pretty much the way it's been ever since.  (for the sake of the photo, I pulled off the safety pin)

I noticed today though that they are getting saggy-baggy basically through the butt and thighs, to an extent they look pretty ridiculous.  So as soon as I can find a comparable pair on sale, these will be going to the donation pile.

Did you catch that?  BAGGY IN THE THIGHS!  I sort of noticed recently straight out of the shower that maybe at just the right angle my thighs might look a little smaller than they used to.  And when I ran this weekend, my compression pants were no longer compressing (though that could just as easily be because they are old and the Lycra is giving out...).  But these pants?  I know these pants.  They were never this loose before.

And so, it looks like I'm actually making progress again.  For anyone who just stumbled here and is currently thinking "what are you talking about??" I'd like to acknowledge that yes, I'm still fat.  I'm still just about 25-30 pounds lighter than when I started almost two years ago, but I feel like I might be at a turning point right now.  I've decided to tweak my work schedule a little bit (which I still need to clear with my boss) so that I can run in the morning two weekdays and still do my long runs on the weekends.  I'm doing much better with eating decent food at home - broccoli has become my staple veggie, and I eat 2-3 bags of it a week. And though I've been slipping and eating more fast food than I should, when I get my butt in gear and cook enough food for the week in one day, I cut that out completely too.

...and I acknowledge that I've been ending far too many posts this way, but I just added another race for March and I like to keep my running tally (pun unintended).  Here's what I have coming up:

- This week: Running for Lemons Virtual 5k

- Dec 1: Space Coast Half Marathon

- Dec 7: Orlando Half Marathon* (I'm considering buying a new pair of shoes just so I can use the VIP potty hahaha)

- Dec 14: Tap n Run 4k Beer Run

- February 22: Disney's Enchanted 10k (day 1 of the Glass Slipper Challenge)

- February 23: Disney's Princess Half Marathon (day 2 of the Glass Slipper Challenge)

- *new* March 16: Sarasota Half Marathon

So now that I've got four half-marathons scheduled in four months, I figure I might as well add one in January to make it five in five...and maybe shoot for one in April or May...just to round it off to a half dozen.  Woah...I might have an addiction!  Oh well, at least this one is unlikely to kill me! 

*after the Orlando Half, I'm eligible to join the "Half Fanatics."  Whether I'd actually spend $40 for a membership to a club just for the sake of belonging isn't the point.  

Running at the Port

I had a really good idea a few months back: heading out to do my longer training runs out at Disney resorts.  I've run at Pop Century before, and found that running loops around unfamiliar vistas broke up the monotony of doing the same 1.5 mile loop around the neighborhood.  Of course, life got in the way, and my long training runs have sort of been ideas more than actions.  So last night I decided I was actually going to leave the neighborhood before the sun came up.

Things worked out even better than I expected, because I woke up at 4:45 and my alarm wasn't even set to go off until 6:15.  I was actually pulling into my destination when the alarm on the phone went off!  And so, I set out along the banks of the "Sassagoula River" to do some laps around Port Orleans Riverside and French Quarter resorts.

It was lovely.


There were also a surprising number of runners out doing what I did, considering there was a 5k (the Jingle Jungle - guess that makes today a race-iversary for me!) this morning and the Wine & Dine Half Marathon this evening.

I had a totally unrealistic pie-in-the-sky goal of 11 miles (the plan was then to do 12 next Saturday and taper for the next two weeks, doing no more than 5 miles until the the Space Coast Half), but I figured 9 wouldn't be too painful and I'd just sort of shoot for something inbetween the two.

I actually averaged a 15 minute mile pace for the first 6 miles, which was impressive to me, and then kind of pooped out.  I went into the gift shop at Riverside to see if I could get a single-serve pack of Tylenol and bottle of water, but they only had aspirin in small packages and I wasn't about to pay Disney prices for a full bottle.  So I went out and did one more full resort lap, but my toes were aching, I hadn't had enough to drink, and I was getting a little light-headed.

I wanted to keep going, but since I plan to do another long run next weekend (considering that prep for my two half-marathons six days apart) I decided to give myself a break.  I ended up doing 8.39 miles in 2 hours, 10 minutes.  I know I could've gone another 5 miles, with cheering fans, water breaks, and Gatorade available.  It's kind of a good feeling to actually feel good and confident three weeks in advance.

I also need to talk to my boss this week to see if I can start my days on Tuesdays and Thursdays an hour later.  I need to get back into the habit of doing shorter runs (with more aggressive intervals) during the week and have just given up on ever forcing myself to do it after work!

So...my next races are 3 and 4 weeks away.  I'm really excited to tackle these new races, spend two nights at the beach with my mom, and enjoy the week off from work between the two.  It should be a pretty exciting few weeks!

Tower of Terror 10-Miler, Times Two

Oh hi, guess what! I ran ten miles last night.  You're probably wondering why I didn't tell any of you in advance that I would be running.  Truth is, I didn't find out for sure I'd be running until Thursday.  I was given the opportunity, and despite my hip muscle issues I said, "well, I'm scheduled to do an 8 mile training run this weekend anyway...what's another two?"  Literally, those words. 

Who IS this crazy girl?

It turns out my hip (which was still bugging me on Friday) was just fine when I woke up Saturday.  And unlike the miserable weather last year, it was under 80 degrees (barely) and less than 90% humidity (by about 5%).  There was even a breeze...once or twice.

I'm not going do recount the whole course - lots was unchanged from last year - but I did manage to get the two pictures I wished I had gotten last year: the skeleton wearing a race bib and the lady whose sign made me cry last year.  I actually stopped and told her I remembered her and thanked her for being there. 

Despite my lack of training, I felt strong for nearly the whole race.  For the first two miles, my pace was actually below a 14 minute mile, and I knew I needed to slow down.  Unlike last year, when the first two miles were my hardest, I was pretty miserable from miles 3-5 this time.  I was actually getting chills, so I shortened some of my run intervals until I cooled down a little bit.

My stats from last night:
5K split: 45:51
10K split: 1:36:30
Finish: 2:39:27

I'd like to pause here to point out that my net finish translates to a 15:57 minute/mile pace.  This is the first long race where I finished faster than a 16 minute/mile!  I also beat last year's time by nearly 4 minutes...even though I stopped to talk to the lady with the sign and stopped 2 miles later to hug Matthew at the medical tent where he was working.

Overall place: 8189 of 9478 finishers
Division place: 838 of 1003 finishers

Some day I'll be fast enough to run one of these races and stop for pictures.  There were a few characters last night I regretted not being able to stop and pose with - the evil queen from Snow White (in wicked witch form!!!), Jack and Sally from Nightmare Before Christmas, and Hades from Hercules come to mind.

I was on my own this year, mostly due to my last-minute registration, and I made some decent decisions I want to note for future reference.  Rather that wear a belt pack, I stuck with shorts with pockets (and a tight drawstring).  In one pocket, I kept my little boxes of Craisins - my race fuel of choice - and in the other pocket, I had a snack-size zip-top bag with my ID, credit card, and spare car key (my purse was in the trunk of the car with all my other stuff).  I safety pinned the bag inside the pocket, and then "locked" it in by pinning the pocket closed.  I also pocketed a folded Disney merchandise bag, mostly because they fold flat quite nicely.  That bag stayed in my pocket until after I crossed the finish line, and then I pulled it out and put the bottles of water and Power Ade, snack box, and other assorted stuff in it.  It's tough to juggle 18 things at once, especially with post-hot-race sausage fingers, and the bag made it so much easier to navigate post-race.

...and of course, no race post would be complete without a tally of assorted injuries.  I have some random spots of friction burn in weird places - the underside of one arm and a few patches around the bottom of the bra I was wearing.  I have one blister: a nickel-size one near the hot spot from my old shoes.  And of course, most of my leg and foot muscles are stiff and achy.  My ankles are also cracking a lot.  My worst injury actually took place on Friday and was aggravated yesterday.  At some point I got a piece of dirt or gravel in my shoe and did a lot of walking.  A blister formed under my second toe, right where it meets my foot, and popped.  It's not a place where a bandage would ever stick, so the best I could do was slather it with Neosporin.  Judging by the damage there now, I'd say the original blister rubbed itself even bigger, and another blister might have formed underneath.  It's angry red, and hurts like a mo-fo when I wiggle my toes, but I think a few days of Neosporin and socks will cure me.

At the end of the day though, nothing can stop me from smiling with pride at what I have accomplished.  Last year, I trained for six months for this race.  This year, I was in shape (well...more in shape) enough to do it at the last minute.  AND I got a PR!  And now, my first ever race medal has a little brother.  Pretty sweet, right?

Next Races:

December 1: Space Coast Half Marathon

December 7: Orlando Half Marathon

December 14: Tap 'n Run 4k

February 22: Disney's Enchanted 10k (day 1 of the Glass Slipper Challenge)

February 23: Disney's Princess Half Marathon (day 2 of the Glass Slipper Challenge)

March 2: (tentative) Excalibur 10-Miler