Reindeer Run 12k

I ran the Reindeer Run 12k on Saturday. I signed up just to get my butt out in the cold and it was a chilly morning. It was in the high 20s when the race started. We ran in Tower Grove Park and although it doesn't appear to be hilly, there are a few long inclines that were pretty tiring. I really ran my heart out. My time was 1:10:05 and I finished at 150/251. I thought I'd place better, but I can't keep comparing myself to these other runners. I ran a really good race for me. We were also running with the 5k group (494 people), so the first lap around the park was rather crowded. I passed the finish line 2 times before crossing for the third time to finish the race.

I'm signed up to run the Christmas Lights night run this evening, but I don't think I'm going to make it. It starts at 6 p.m., and I don't even get home from work until 5.30 p.m. By the time I drive there and find parking, I'll be too late. Also, they are not closing off the roads, so 700-ish people will be running on the SIDEWALKS. Unless they are letting people go in waves, this just sounds like hell to me. Oh, and rain is in the forecast.

Confused

So, this post might be sort of confusing, lol.

My goal after my last half-marathon was to start running faster. I knew I was running at a pretty slow pace (I mean, I was in corral 16 at the Rock 'n' Roll 1/2). But then again, I knew what my body could handle and running faster just wasn't an option at the time, I just needed to finish the race...successfully.

I ran 8 miles yesterday and it wasn't easy. It always starts out nice, but I eventually get a mean stomach pinch. And it sucks. I know I wasn't hydrated enough, but even when I do hydrate correctly (at least what I think is correct), I still get that stomach pinch. This one yesterday came at 3 miles, a little early as I usually get them around 6 miles. What am I doing wrong??? I took a GU at 3 miles, way too early I know, but it did seem to make my side feel better. Running just plain sucks when your side hurts.

But the good news: I completed my 8-ish mile run (RunKeeper w/ GPS says 8, Daily Mile says 8.30) in 01:18:54. The 8 mile run I did just after the rNr 1/2 in October I completed in 01:22:03 and my first ever 8 miler in September I completed in 01:26:00. So, I am getting faster and that I am happy for.

But after the 8 mile run, I thought to myself...can I really keep going for 18.2 more miles?? And is it really necessary to keep improving my pace when I really just want to complete the April Marathon? My only goal is to finish, not to beat a set time.

Here is where I really wish I signed up for the April 1/2, just so I could beat my time of 02:19:22. I really would like to finish at around 2 hours. But it has always been a goal of mine to finish a full marathon...and how perfect to do it at age 30.

I know the best thing to do is just sign up for another 1/2, preferably before the April Marathon, but running in the cold is another thing I hate. ...and I just don't have the money to travel for a race at the moment.

I am, however, signed up for a couple of the winter races to get my sissy butt out in the cold.

December 17: Reindeer Run
December 19: Christmas Lights Night Run
January 14: Frozen Buns Run
...and hopefully I'll do one of the Frostbite Series in Forest Park or a Snowball Series. These races start to get expensive!

Another thing I'm doing differently: I haven't been running w/ my fuel belt. I've been training without it because it really chafes my sides pretty good.

I really had no idea about my route when I took off running. I knew I wanted to stay close to home and away from the hills in the beginning, and this is what I ended up with. The end of the route got pretty hilly and I wasn't too winded! Only thing really bugging me, other than stomach pinches, is my right knee, but I feel it more when I'm running on the treadmill.

December Training

Training continues for the April Marathon. Mileage will really start to pick up next week. I'm not as strict on my training schedule as I was for the 1/2 Marathon. I was so afraid that if I didn't run on my scheduled day, I'd totally miss it. This time, if I can't run a certain day, eh, I'll make it up at some point. This makes me feel good!

So good, I even ran yesterday...on my 30th birthday. Usually on birthdays, I feel exempt from everything and eat just about anything. I ran for 30 minutes to celebrate 30 years of life. I feel much stronger at 30 than I did at age 20 (when I first started to run to lose the Freshman 15).

I have a nice 8 mile run planned on Sunday. It's supposed to be a tad bit warmer (a high of 43°F). I'm a huge sissy when it comes to running outside in the cold. I've been doing a lot of my shorter runs on the treadmill. I hope it's good enough.

Totally unrelated, but here is my first attempt at HDR photography. This is a little antique shop near my house, they always have the neatest store fronts.

"Off-Season"

I went to the gym last night to run a short 3 miles on the treadmill. Wow, the gym was packed!! It had been rainy all day and it was dark outside. I sucked it up and drove to the park to run outside. Running on the treadmill is boring anyways.

I haven't officially started to train for the Marathon, but I've been running a little here and there. Really, I'm just trying to improve my pace. I'll officially start training in December. I'm a bit scared about the race, but I'll continue to train on hills (and in the cold, brr). The Marathon route is pretty hilly. Here she is in all of her glory:

This is the 2011 route, but I'm told it will be pretty similar.

I think I'll do a lot of my training runs at Carondelet. It's the perfect amount of hills and it's actually lit at night!

Celebrating St. Louis

On Sunday I set out for a run. I've been pretty bored with my running routes, so I decided to run where the rainbow takes me. I had no idea how long I wanted to run, I just knew I needed to mix it up a bit. I first headed over to Lafayette Square and originally thought I could turn back home after running around the park, which would be about 4 miles. Instead of turning back home, I decided to run farther and picked my next destination...Busch Stadium. The St. Louis Cardinals had just won the World Series Championship so I figured I'd go pay homage to my home team...well, err, their stadium at least.

Source: St. Louis Cardinals
Way to go Cards!!

My next destination was crossing over the Ead's Bridge into Illinois and back. I used to run this bridge all the time when I lived in downtown St. Louis. There is a glorious view of downtown on your way back into Missouri. I love this view!! It's also pretty spectacular at night...obviously.

I then ran the Arch grounds and figured I could call Josh to come pick me up...or I can just run all the way home. That I did. I finished by running up Sidney Street (aka the Bitch Hill) and 8 miles later, I was home!

Distance: 8.38 miles
Time: 1:20:03
Pace: 9:33

It's Official

...I just signed up for my first Marathon.

When: April 15, 2012
Where: Saint Louis
Why: B/c I'm crazy.

Rock -n- Roll 1/2 Marathon - St. Louis

I had absolutely no expectations for this race. I started feeling sick on the Wednesday before so I took Thursday and Friday off from work to rest up for a very busy weekend. My friend asked me to take pictures at their rehearsal dinner on Friday and then we celebrated their wedding on Saturday. I didn't even get to bed until 1 am Sunday morning. It was a beautiful wedding.

I woke up Sunday morning very tired and still feeling pretty sick, but also excited and ready to get the race over with (and get my medal). Josh dropped me off downtown and I had a short walk to the starting line. It was still dark outside.

I was in corral 16. It was a beautiful morning.

I had been standing in my corral since 7 am and we didn't even start until 7:56ish. Each corral started about 1-2 minutes after each other. I was kind of annoyed...until we actually started running. What a BLESSING to be running with people at my pace. No one was tripping me trying to get ahead, I didn't feel pressured to run faster, I just felt really good and I think I was actually smiling.

I saw a lady trip right in front of me about a 1/2 mile in. After that, I was more cautious about my footing. The last thing I wanted to do is trip. I saw a man juggling *and running* at mile 1...I wonder how long he kept that up?

It started to get hilly around the third mile, but call me crazy, I love hills. I didn't feel winded at all, which is surprising since I was sick. I was passing a lot of people walking the hills and felt pretty proud of myself! I remember the days when I couldn't run hills so I spent a lot of my summer training on the Soulard hills. Practice makes perfect! Also, when you climb a big hill, you know you're going to have a nice downhill at some point.

I passed Josh around mile 6. I was feeling very strong and just happy.

Yup, feeling good!

I hadn't stopped for one single water break, so I made sure to grab some water before mile 8. I kept telling myself...you're almost there. I then saw a man with a sign that said, "You think you're almost there, but you're really not." Seriously?!??!

I knew there was a massive hill coming up just after mile 8, so I was preparing myself for it. I kept reminding myself, slow and steady. I actually never even seen the hill, but I had been warned. I saw the monster in the distance, but kept on. I weaved through the walkers and ran every bit of it.

I think my favorite part of the race was around mile 10, running down Russell Avenue. Beautiful homes, tree-lined street, people dressed up as pirates. I stopped again for more water. I knew I was going to have to pick up my pace if I wanted to beat 2 hours 20 minutes.

We made our way to the Lafayette Square area and then I got passed by the first marathoner. I stopped to take his picture and cheer him on.

I was running a lot faster now and really started to feel the pain. Josh was at mile 13 and snapped some pictures before I crossed the finish line. I just kept telling myself to smile because I looked absolutely miserable in the pictures from the Mo' Cowbell 1/2.

I crossed the finish line and it was so packed! I saw this girl spew like crazy. I felt for her because I did the same at the Mo' Cowbell, but I did it in the privacy of my own car, lol. I stayed away from the finishers beer afterwards and stayed puke free! Yay! I finally found Josh and he snapped some more pictures of me with my medal.

I absolutely loved this race. I felt good and managed to have a fun time while running. The support from the crowd was amazing. I loved reading all of the signs, I wish I could remember what some of the signs said, but I don't. There are a few I remember, like "Worst Parade Ever", but that's only because it's a pretty common race sign.

Results
_____________
Start: 7:56:47 AM
5k: 33:22 (Pace: 10:45)
10k: 01:06:43 (Pace: 10:45)
10m: 01:47:35 (Pace: 10:48) -- I stopped for a few water breaks, which slowed down my pace.
Finish: 02:19:22 (Pace: 10:14) -- I just had to beat my 2 hour 20 minute goal...and I did! I can't even believe I had the power to run faster in the end.

Average Pace: 10:38

My GPS went crazy for the first few miles... My speed and elevation are both way off. The only walking I did was the water breaks (about 4 times).

I'm not sure what is next for me. I really do want to do a marathon someday, but I'm not 100% dedicated at the moment. Do I sign up for another 1/2 marathon and try to improve my time?

_____________

My memory is back...."Run like you have to poop." That was my favorite sign :o).

Also, Pain is Temporary - Pride is Forever...

Sick

This Sunday is the Rock -n- Roll 1/2 Marathon. I have no idea how it will turn out. I'm sick, my ears are clogged, my nose won't stop running, my head and throat hurts. Why do I have to be sick this weekend?!?! To top it all off, I'm going to a rehearsal dinner tonight and wedding all day tomorrow, so I'll have very little time to rest. I'm hoping for the best, but not in any way trying to beat my previous time.

Slow and steady.

Halloween 10k

The Go! St. Louis Halloween 10k is my favorite race to date.

I woke up not wanting to run...at all. I did the Warrior Dash the day before and my butt was incredibly sore because I slid down this mudslide and must have hit a rock.

The race started downtown, weaved through Soulard and back to downtown. I loved every minute of it!!! My hill training really paid off because I thought the hills were not too challenging. I got to see Josh and my puppies at mile 2.

We ran through AB (I'm always running around it) and that had to be my favorite part - - besides the fun costumes.

I finished the race really strong and I think I even had a smile on my face. I really wanted to come in under an hour, but I'm still very pleased with my finish time: 1:01:28.

GPS messed up around mile 3. Went under a bridge and threw it out of whack.

Warrior Dash

The Warrior Dash was much more challenging than the previous one I did in Chicago 2010. Although the obstacles were a lot easier at Chicago WD, I just had trouble running. This time, the obstacles were TOUGH, but I ran the entire way. I finished WD Chicago in about 37 minutes. My only goal through this WD was to beat that time.

When we checked-in, I got some random bib. Somehow, the St. Louis WD bibs were sent to another location, and we received some other location's bibs.

Here we all are pre-race, nice and clean.

The last obstacle was the mud crawl and let me tell you, it was freezing!!!

You could check your results after the race and I'm not 100% sure about this, but it looks like I did it in 42ish minutes. Uggg, I so didn't beat my goal. But to be fair, I did have some issues with the obstacles and the mud crawl was just plain miserable. I'm still waiting for the official results - - they are all messed up because of the misplaced bib incident.

I will definitely be signing up for the Warrior Dash again.

_____________
Update: My official time was 42:36 with a 14:04/min pace. Ok, so I didn't beat my previous WD time, but the courses can't be compared. I did, however, beat my husband by a good 6 minutes so I call it a win. (He beat me at the Chicago Warrior Dash).

On to Better Things

Lots of fun things are about to happen!

This Saturday we are running in the Warrior Dash. I did it last year and it was so much fun... and a bit tiring. Although the course will be different, I really hope to (well, I better) beat my previous time. I think I finished a little over 37 minutes.

On Sunday I'll be running in the Halloween 10k. The course starts downtown, carries on around Soulard and back downtown. We'll be running pretty close to my house! My Soulard hill training better pay off!! They are handing out running gloves, but I don't think we'll be using them as it's supposed to be in the low 80s.

The Rock-n-Roll 1/2 Marathon is 11 days away. I'm not going to let myself get nervous about this race and just have fun with it. On Saturday, I decided I was going to go for a 10 mile run. I was scheduled to run 12 miles, but since I ran a 1/2 the weekend before, I pretty much thought I was exempt from running that far. I decided to do a new trail: Grant's Trail. What a pleasant experience!! It stretches about 8 miles in South County. I parked at one end and planned to turn around after running 5 miles. When I got to 5 miles, I just kept on going. Everything was feeling really good, my pace was steady and I just really enjoyed the scenery. I eventually turned around at 6.5 miles and ran the whole way back. When I finished the 13.1 miles, I felt WAY better than I did the weekend before. Sure, I was a little sore, but I wasn't nauseous and puking :o). My time was slightly faster, but I really don't intend on getting a better time at the R-n-R race. I know if I push it, I'll just kill myself and wear myself out.

Mo' Cowbell Half Marathon

So I ran my first half-marathon yesterday.

Here I am pre-race ringing my cowbell. I was pretty excited!

Mile 1: Big smile on my face, but man, some of those racers are just plain rude. Cutting off us slower people, nearly tripping me, pushing me. So I figure I need to pick up my pace a bit. Already saw 1 girl walking, glad that wasn't me.

Mile 2: Oh, this is a breeze. I was feeling good, nice downtown St. Charles scenery.

Mile 3: Out running in the middle of nowhere.

Mile 4: Shit gets bad here. I swear I thought I was a lot farther in the race, like maybe 6 miles or so. I wasn't checking my time at all, as I didn't want that to scare me so early on in the race. I did see Josh around mile 4, so that put another smile on my face.

Mile 5: Still out in the middle of nowhere. Knowing we are going through New Town at some point, I just kept waiting and waiting for that little village to appear. ...did pass this one pumpkin and mum farm that looked all country and cute. Told myself I should go there at some point.

Mile 6: Officially in New Town. The bridges had some horrible drainage grates, I didn't want to run on them because I feared tripping. Finally a water station...drank some water while walking. (I skipped the 1 mile water break). I was carrying my own water, but was salvaging that, lol.

Mile 7: Wow, New Town is a lot bigger than I thought. I did enjoy the architecture and all the people on their front porches.

Mile 8: Dammit, still running in New Town?! How big is this place?? Also, lots of people in vehicles pissed that the roads are cut off. At some points, I was getting cut off by cars or running along side moving cars. I felt strange.

Mile 9: Thinking to myself...oh Josh, where are you? I wish I could just hop in the car and we can go home RIGHT NOW. Pardon the french, but I kept saying to myself...Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, why am I doing this? Fuck, fuck, fuck. I really started to feel the pain.

Mile 10: Oh joy... a huge freaking hill. I can see people at the top walking, this isn't good. The name of the road is Little Hills Expressway. Little my ass.

Mile 11: Ahhh, downhill. I can do this. But then I see the 11 mile marker and it says: Humpty Dumpty also hit a wall. Grrr, thanks for the encouragement guys. Near the end of mile 11, there was this very painful steep downhill part. It killed my knees.

Mile 12: I got the real encouragement I needed - - knowing that the race was almost over and lots of people yelling at us, saying we can do this, not much further...no more big hills or steep downhills.

Finish: Approaching the end of the race, I took off my headphones so I could hear the crowd. Nice that they announced the names while crossing the finish line. The guy did a pretty good job pronouncing my last name, but still messed it up slightly. I tried to keep a smile on my face, but I was in so much pain. I've never felt pain like that before. I crossed the finish line with a man whose bib number was #1234.

My thoughts on the Mo' Cowbell:
I thought the scenery, although pretty, was just very boring. I'm used to running on city streets or through the woods where the sight distance is minimal. Here, you could see miles in front of you. Also, there was hardly any shade!! Although the temperature was cool, the sun beating down on you is just exhausting. Running with all those people made me feel intimidated. I had to keep reminding myself that this was my first 1/2, I had no idea what to expect, keep it slow... don't let those other runners see how tired I am.

When I crossed the finish line, I was in so much pain. My knees were sore, my hips felt all out of whack, my head hurt, but on the plus side my lungs felt pretty great. I sat down and just wanted to cry. Not because I accomplished something grand, but because I was so mad at myself for running such a shitty race. I chugged some water, then grabbed a beer. I had a sip but it tasted horrible so I gave it to Josh. I was ready for home, I didn't care about the music or the awards ceremony.

In the car, I started to get really nauseous. I have no idea what I did wrong, but about 3 miles from home I started to puke. Luckily, I was able to grab a plastic bag so I didn't spew all over the car, lol. But I did get some on my iPhone and it died. Ahhhh, I swear, I do not deserve iPhones. I've already killed 4 of them. I have no idea why I puked. I don't know if I didn't hydrate correctly, drank too much during the race, drank too much after the race, did that sip of beer just not settle right? Was it the nerves?

Anyways, I hate running. I'm running the Rock-n-Roll 1/2 in TWENTY days. I'm afraid I'm going to put myself through another day of hell. Is it worth it? Kinda, I want to prove to myself I'm better than my Mo' Cowbell experience.

Official Time: 2:25:24
Official Pace: 11:06


See that at mile 6? That's called hitting the wall.

More Cowbell

I think I might be getting a little bit cocky... I've been all nervous about the Rock -n- Roll 1/2 Marathon, but what do I do? Yup, sign up for a different 1/2 Marathon, the Mo Cowbell, which is THIS SUNDAY. I was already scheduled to run 12 miles this weekend, so I figured I could do the 13.1 miles and at least get a medal for my effort - and pay $65. I'm really pumped up for the race. The course is relatively flat until you hit mile 11 or so.

I've been doing the majority of my long runs at Creve Coeur Lake and although it's nice and flat, it's still challenging. There is no relief... no hills to run down, but it is scenic and refreshing and feels like my little urban oasis.

My playlist is all set, I'm so ready for Sunday. :o)

AFI – Miss Murder
AFI – Silver And Cold
B.o.B – Airplanes - Feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore
The Black Eyed Peas – Meet Me Halfway
The Black Eyed Peas – I Gotta Feeling
Chevelle – Letter From A Thief
Client – Price Of Love
Coldplay – Fix You
The Downtown Fiction – I Just Wanna Run
Editors – Munich
Edward Maya Feat. Vika Jigulina – Stereo Love - Extended Version
Ellie Goulding – Lights - Single Version
Florence + The Machine – Cosmic Love
Foo Fighters – Everlong
Foo Fighters – Best Of You
The Format – The First Single
Fort Minor [Featuring Holly Brook And Jonah Matranga] – Where'd You Go - Single Version
Frou Frou – Let Go
Gabriel & Dresden – Tracking Treasure Down - Original Mix
Good Charlotte – Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous - Live Acoustic Version
Jack's Mannequin – Dark Blue
JAY-Z – Empire State Of Mind [Jay-Z + Alicia Keys] - Explicit Album Version
Jay-Z/ Linkin Park – Dirt Off Your Shoulder/Lying From You - Amended Version
Jay-Z/ Linkin Park – Izzo/In The End - Amended Version
Jay-Z/ Linkin Park – Points Of Authority/99 Problems/One Step Closer - Amended Version
Jay-Z/ Linkin Park – Numb/Encore - Explicit Version
Kanye West – Stronger
Kate Havnevik – New Day
Ke$ha – TiK ToK
Ke$ha – Animal - Billboard Remix
Keane – Spiralling
Kelly Clarkson – Mr. Know It All
Kings Of Leon – Use Somebody
La Roux – Bulletproof
LCD Soundsystem – North American Scum
The Lonely Island – Jack Sparrow
M.I.A. – Paper Planes
Martin Solveig & Dragonette – Hello - Single Edit
Matt & Kim – Daylight
Matt & Kim – Don't Slow Down
MGMT – Kids
MGMT – Time To Pretend
Motorcycle – As The Rush Comes - Gabriel & Dresden Sweeping Strings Remix
Neon Trees – Animal
Neon Trees – 1983
New Found Glory – My Friends Over You
Nicki Minaj – Super Bass
The Outfield – Your Love
Paramore – That's What You Get
Phoenix – Lisztomania
Phoenix – 1901 Bo Flex'd (Passion Pit Remix) - REMIX VERSION
Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer – Give Me Everything
Robin S – Show Me Love
Seether – Fake It - Explicit Version
Shakira – Ciega, Sordomuda
Vampire Weekend – A-Punk
We Are Augustines – Headlong Into The Abyss
Yellowcard – Ocean Avenue

PS, I am LOVING Spotify. It's the best thing ever.

Where'd my mojo go?

My last two runs have been pretty much crap which has got me thinking...can I really do this? It is after all only a half-marathon. I was reading another girl's running blog and she does a full marathon every month or so and she hardly trains (that bitch). Maybe my body just isn't built to be a runner?

I am running more than I ever have before in my life, yet I keep gaining weight and that's a bit discomforting. I read this interesting article about training for these long runs and 'compensating' our food intake. Yes, I've definitely been compensating - - eating way too much food, which is probably not the healthiest kind.

I want to be a runner, but I just feel so burnt out. I feel mentally exhausted and my knee has been bugging me. I really hope I find my mojo...and soon. I WANT to do this race to prove to myself that I can run 13.1 miles and not feel like complete death afterwards.

6 miler is complete

I was pretty nervous for my run yesterday because my 5 mile run last week didn't go over all that well. I made sure to start out nice and slow so I didn't wear myself out in the end. The run was awesome! I felt strong and wasn't that tired in the end. There was an overcast, but it was still a bit balmy.

I really enjoy Creve Coeur Lake Park. The walking/biking path is flat and you are often shaded by trees. I do have a bone to pick with the bikers though, as I almost got ran over by one. That irritates me.

We took the pups there a week ago for a nice long walk.

Our little urban jungle - -

Simon and Gus were pretty tuckered out in the end.

I'm planning on going back to Creve Coeur Lake for my 7 mile run. I'm starting to get pretty excited for the half-marathon!!

I Love Travel

Warning - - Lots of pictures of Josh and I.

I can get a really bad travel bug. I'm always wanting to experience something I've never felt or seen before. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our travels.

September 2008: Traveled to Seattle, Portland and Vancouver.

February 2009: Colorado Trip

September 2009: Hawaii

March 2010: Montana/Yellowstone

May 2010: New York City

July 2010: Costa Rica

* Yup, we flipped. It was scaaaaary. Josh and I are on the top left.

October 2010: Texas

December 2010: Upper Michigan

June 2011: Estes Park, Colorado