Just Roll with It…..

If there is one thing I have learned, sometimes you just have to roll with things in life! Today, was no exception. First of all, my alarm went off this morning, and I kept hitting the snooze button. I don’t know if it is the weather or the excessive amount of pollen this time of year, but holy moly….. sinus congestion galore!!!!! Copious amounts actually causing my throat to be scratchy sore and my head to feel like it was going to explode! Ugh!!!!! I had plans!!! Long run…. errands…. walk 5k at 11am. But, I felt lousy! So, I finally rolled out of bed….. made a smoothie…. jumped in the shower…. Few hours later…. decision made to just go run!!!! I had 10 miles planned…. today is usually a bit of a harder run at moderate pace, and Sundays are easy steady pace. Told myself…. “just roll with it”…. if I get running, and all I can do is run steady…. just get miles in! Adapt! And, if I felt bad while running, I would simply throw in the towel and consider it an unscheduled rest day!

Anyway, late start in the morning….I arrived at the track where I walked and stretched to warm up. As I was walking, I receive a text from my friend stating 5k moved up start time by 30 minutes due to coming severe weather. I looked at my watch…. going to cut it close with my planned 10 mile run!!! Eeeek! Then, again…. I just “rolled with it”… decided I would shoot for 10, but if needed, would cut it down ……. I wasn’t feeling all that great anyway….. right?

so, I went to the bathroom, hooked watch up to satellite….. and started my run. Surprisingly, my legs and body felt good…. I just felt terrible from the neck up… lol! First 2 miles were my “test” miles….. far enough to know if I could make the run, but also a good distance if I needed to simply call it and head back to car. But, at 2 miles, I knew I could make run!!!!!! Therefore, I decided to dial it down to my tempo/moderate set pace……

I ran solo…. you know the saying… “the lonely life of a long distant runner”…. ha! ha! Well, that is only true some of the time. However, today was a solo run for me… and good thing since I was running freakin’ late! LoL! Plus, I truly believe solo runs build mental strength!!!! You only have your mind to push you!!!!! Plus, with my sinus congestion galore…. it was a good thing no one was running with me…. between the unlady like snot rockets and spitting, solo running was best today! Ha! Hahahahaha! Ha! :D

I did see a few walkers… other runners…. funny thing that happened… at the end of mile 3…. I came up on a man waiting for an office to open… his back was too me. He did not hear me come up until I was about to pass him. He turned around, grabbed his chest the way Fred Sanford would on “Sanford and Son” (only people my age may know what I am referencing… LoL) with one hand and said while laughing, “girl, you scared me”… I kept running, didn’t stop, but said good morning as I passed. Then, as I was running off, I heard him yell, “you need to wear bells so people know you are coming. Have a good day!”

ok, so run was knocked out. I will post run and splits. Only made 9 of the 10 miles due to time…. had to get to 5k and get checked in. I was planning to walk the 5k…. I always walk a mile or two after runs. Just helps my legs. Muscles tighten so during run, and walking seems to somewhat stretch them out easily. Or… so I believe. Nonetheless, seems to help me! Annddd, One more mile would be ok…. plus 5k was at a local beer company …. free beer at end… what other motivation does one need? Just kidding …. honestly, a good friend invited me, and the 5k was for a really great cause to support a children’s advocacy organization. Honestly, there were just too many good reasons to participate!! And, it was a fun run… no bibs, not timed…. just a chill/stress-free 5k!

So, 9 miles at average 7:45 which is right in the target of my moderate run pace.

I walked with a sweet lady I met….. she was a spark of pure joy and made the miles fly!!!! Found out she loves a good martini like me!!! LoL!!! We talked the entire time!! I just met her, but I adore her!

although my day did not go as planned….. it was ok. I just “rolled with it”…. and, you know what? It actually worked out great and was a good day!

How was your day? Run? Ever have days not go as planned? Does it work you up? Or, do you tell yourself to chill and roll with it?! I am learning the stay chilled and roll with it is best way to go! Let me know in comments! Also, I am opened to questions or topics you might like to see in blog! Have a great rest of the weekend! Xo

What keeps me lacing up?

What keeps you motivated? How do you stay disciplined? How do you build yourself up to run? These were questions I was specifically asked after posting my last blog post….. and, this got me thinking….. why do I lace up and head out door or jump on treadmill to run?

I believe everyone can find motivation somewhere…. One just has to find that specific source that will push him/her to run or workout.

#1 Stress release

For me, running and working out is an escape……. the hour or hour and half I run/workout, the world seems to stop. Literally, I am just running, breathing, mind is clear, and I am physically moving my body as the body is built to do. There are no phone calls, texts, etc…… I am unreachable! I actually feel untouchable. I am in “time out” from life! I work as a Nurse Practitioner. This last year with COVID-19 was unusually stressful. The medical field is stressful to begin with, but add a pandemic, and stress multiplies. . Then, I have a son in middle school ….. with school going virtual last year, that added additional stress. I had valued teachers before virtual schooling, but my respect for teachers went up a million percent after virtual schooling. And, there are other stressors which I will not go into at this time…. but, my point is… running is a huge stress release for me particularly…… which is my number one motivation for lacing up!

#2 target a goal

Targeting a goal can be a huge motivator to run or work out as well. Of course, with Covid-19 and races being cancelled…. I know motivation can potentially be lost. However, you can still have a targeted goal without having a specific race to train for. I have been following a training plan to run a half marathon that was to take place this weekend. Of course, that half marathon was cancelled about a month ago. I decided to simply stay on track with training. My thought process was, I will only get stronger. So, targeted goals could be to build stronger base, get faster, build endurance, etc….. sure these are not like having a set race date, but one must adapt and adjust goals in order to motivate his/herself to lace up!

#3 Find a running/workout group

If it is a struggle to get yourself motivated, plan to run/workout with a supportive group. For one thing, knowing others are depending on you, you become accountable to “show up.” Also, the support alone of having others run and work out with you makes the run/workout seem easier…. not to mention time seems to fly! Before you know it, the workout is done!!! Plus, you get to socialize and catch up with work out partners which is always fun!

#4 Listen to Music

Music is magical ….. the right kind of music, and you will be pumped up to get laced up and get moving!!!!! Something about music lifts spirits and puts a little pep in your step!! Music is a great distraction and doesn’t allow your mind to trick you into thinking your body is tired ….. so, make a playlist, lace up, and get moving!

#5 run/workout with an app

ok, this one particularly, I know very little about… I have never used an app. However, I have friends who use various apps like “Couch to 5k”, Nike app, etc and they seem to stay motivated. From what I know…. the apps are set up to motivate you through a workout. So, if you have tried everything else… why not check out an app of some sort.

Bottom line….. there is always a source of motivation. You just have to try different methods and find what works for you!!! And, above all else…. run/workout for you!!!!! For your health!!!! And, that includes your mental and physical health!!!!! Life is stressful…. exercise is the best coping mechanism ….. so, just lace up and go!!!!! As the saying goes, “you never regret a work out, only the one you didn’t do!”

Now, go lace up!!!!! What motivates you? Please share in comments below…. You too may offer motivation tips I haven’t thought about….. have a great weekend!!! And, thank you all who support this blog, my Instagram page, and Facebook page!!! I appreciate the support more than I can express in words! Xo

4 seconds…. makes a world of difference in running

First of all….. your girl is back!!!!!! After almost 3 years!!!!! Honestly, life happened…… I was doing all I could to keep my head above water. I am still treading water….. but, I am slowly getting closer to land…… anyway, I am baaacccckkkkk!!!!! May only start with weekly post, but hope to develop this blog into so much more……

Ok, so…. Although I had to adjust priorities in my life …. causing the blog to drop off … running stayed at the top of my priority list!!!! Seriously, if it weren’t for running, I would have drowned in life. I have stuck to training despite all races cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic. My thought process was… stay disciplined and consistent because sooner or later, races will be back!!!

Today, I raced my first 5k in over a year!!!!!! I have recently ran some 5ks, but not raced them. My stomach had butterflies galore….. I had no idea where my fitness was. I had no idea of how to approach the 5k…. in my head, I kept telling myself don’t start out too fast….. stay controlled…. but then, what pace would be a controlled pace? I had no idea…… then, I thought, just go out….. settled into a pushed, but comfortable pace. Literally, the first mile was my brain taking a check of my breathing and my legs……. I felt pretty good the first mile. The first mile is flat to downhill…… which lead me to run a 6:44:8 pace……. Then, there is a steady climb up the second mile….. consequently, my pace slowed a bit to 7:08:2… the third mile ends with a steady elevation….. all I could muster was a 7:18:3. I seriously tried to pick up the pace….. the more I swung my arms and tried to run faster, the more I felt like I was in slow motion running on soft sand at the beach!!!!! I ended up with a time of 22:02….. FOUR seconds off of my 5k PR!!!!! 4 seconds!!!!!! In running…. it is amazing how much a second means a world of difference ….. one second, and you can either PR or not PR! In my case….. it was 4 seconds!!! However, I will say, my time today is a PR for this course!!!! So, that is a plus!!!

Anyway…… I am pleased….. it felt good to attend an in person race….. and, it was good to “test” my fitness condition. Seeing familiar faces at the 5k made life seem almost back to normal. Life almost like it was before COVID 19!!! It was a great start of this Saturday!

This post is short, but more to come. More to come about running, training, nutrition, maybe I will even throw in some girly beauty stuff (fellas may be interested too), and more about what is going on in my little world… so good to be back!!!! As always, I appreciate each and everyone of you who subscribe to this blog, follow my Facebook page, or my Instagram page…. You help motivate me to continue. I hope to re-vamp this blog to be a little more than it had been….. but, I will have to learn as I go to apply the changes I would like to do… so, stay tuned! And, please….. please leave comments… good or bad… what topics you would like for me to cover…. I would appreciate any feedback…

Have a great day!!!!!! Xo

It Wasn't PMS after all .............

Ok, so yeah, I have been so slacking in this blog thing. Honestly, I really have no excuse. For the handful of those who email subscribe, follow on Facebook, follow on Twitter, and follow on Instagram....... thanks for hanging around! Much love to you guys! XOXO

***sigh*** lots of catching up to do!!!!! As many of you are aware or have figured out, I did not run the Albany marathon. Training seemed to go extremely well until the last 4 weeks! 

The beginning of my rapidly fraying rope....

Training was going so well!!!! I was checking off all my training runs and making paces! I was literally awaiting something to happen. I was walking around on egg shells. I hoped that I would not get sick..... in retro spect, maybe getting sick would have been a great thing.... I mean... one would be better after about  a week... then back to training. 

Then...... I started to have this tightness in my right hamstring. Something that I have had problems with in the past. I was able to keep running. Then, about 4 weeks out, I started with calf tightness! A tightness that I have never experience before. About a week later, the tightness turned to pain!!!!!! I was able to run one day, and then literally the next day, the pain stopped me in my tracks!!!!!! I would do the proper warm up by walking and stretching, but as soon as i started to run (actually jog), the pain in my calf would make me hobble. I would hobble for about a tenth of a mile, and then I could run. However, I would periodically feel a pressure sensation like someone taking their thumb and pressing on my calf. I could run through it. The following week, there would be running fine one day, only to have to skip the next 1-2 days because of the calf pain. This is when I ended up stretching more than I was running, foam rolling, going to chiropractor, getting massage, and finally a trip to ORTHO specialist. 

Not PMS after all.......

I really thought I was experiencing, what I like to call PMS (PRE-MARATHON SYNDROME). Yeah, I have always been told about about how right before running a marathon, and especially with tapering, that you experience all these pains you haven't ever noticed. It is like you become hypersensitive to every little thing!!!! Perhaps, one starts to over-analyze every little sensation. Like my coach has said, you even can tell "when a single hair is out of place."

Well, a trip to Ortho verified that I was not suffering from PMS at all! The doctor was concerned about a stress fracture. I did not feel I had a stress fracture.... as a Nurse Practitioner, I had already had my husband help me do the tests for that.... all NEGATIVE! Even when the Ortho Doc performed the tests..... NEGATIVE! But, the doctor pushed to have a MRI performed to rule out a tibial stress fracture. I saw the Ortho on a Thursday and actually refused the MRI that was recommended........ that was all until on the following Saturday, I awoke with pain to my shin area and a bruise!!!!!!!! First thing Monday, I called the ORTHO and said that I was now willing to have MRI performed! And, so I did.

If you area thinking "how can you go against a doctor's recommendation?" Let me give a little bit of some back ground information........ A few years back, I had to have a MRI of my C-spine (neck). I was scheduled for an Open MRI. At the time of the MRI, the tech moved me into the MRI machine, and I didn't last 30 seconds! I was like, what the heck?! I have never been claustrophobic in the past! Then, we tried again.... NOPE!!!! I immediately told him I needed to be brought out!!!! The tech was very patient. He offered a cloth for my eyes...... whoa, this was maybe good in theory, but holy crap...... I don't even think I was all the way in the MRI machine before stating that I needed to come out. The open MRI was much more closed than I thought! The cloth really freaked me out,  and I couldn't even bring my arms to remove it! There would be a couple more tries.....and, then the sweet tech recommended coming back medicated! HA! HA! And, I agreed. I was sooooooooooo incredibly embarrassed! I mean, for goodness sake, I am a health care provider that orders these kind of tests! Much respect for my patients that make it through an MRI. I did finally make it through the MRI.... medicated of course. And, not just medicated.... now, for the really embarrassing part.... my previous boss (who is actually a dear friend of mine..... maybe more like family) went with me..... okay, she drove me too! LOL! She literally stayed in the MRI room and talked to me the entire time! And, when I say she was in the MRI room..... she was not behind the partition glass... she was in the room!!!!!! Andddddddd, the tech would tell me when each section of the MRI was completed and when the next one would start---- even told me how many minutes to expect! Roll your eyes, laugh at me, think I am crazy.... but, I am only being transparent about this! The MRI showed a large herniated disc pressing on my spinal cord.... yeah... so, it was only surgery for me! No physical therapy was going to be of any help. I had to rock quite the neck brace after surgery (see below). I had been having pain to my right upper extremity from the nerve being compressed.... the weakness to my right arm and not being able to brush my hair made me pay attention. None-the-less, this is way I hesitated on the MRI recommendation. Come to find out, I didn't even have to go all the way into the MRI machine. Therefore, I made it through without being medicated! BOOM! 

Incidental Problem found.....

Yeah, so the MRI showed a marrow edema (swelling) which indicates medial tibial stress syndrome grade 2 (I will do a separate post on the different grades later- this post is already kind of lengthy)..... guess you could simply say a really bad shin splint. Ortho said that I was on my way to a possible stress fracture! So, no.... I don't think that the right hamstring and calf thing was directly related to MRI findings..... I do believe that everything works out for a reason. If I had not had the pain I was experiencing that prevented me from even trying to run, I would have probably never realized what was going on in my tibial area. So, maybe an incidental finding, but one that needed to be found! Very grateful for this!!!!!! 6 weeks of no running and I should be able to ease back.

It is all about Prespective.....

Injuries do suck! I won't pretend that they don't.... but honestly, you must have perspective. Yes, I trained hard! Yes, my running improved beyond what I would have expected. Yes, my marathon chance to PR (personal record) was ripped away..... but, come on! There are many people dealing with chronic medical conditions that don't allow them to be physically active. I am blessed to know that I will return to running or at least staying active. Anddddd, there area so many positives: 

*with 6 weeks on my hands, I can focus on my weak areas which happen to be my arms and core...... this will only be a big benefit when I return to running Also, more stretching time! Maybe I will be able to touch my toes again! LOL! 

*I can still maintain cardio work outs with biking and other low impact activities

*Yes, trying for my goal marathon time was taken away, but there are other races!! That is the beauty! There is always another race! Look at Shalane, she backed out of Boston only to go on and win the NYC marathon!!!!!!!!

*Lastly, I can get back to blogging. In fact, I will be able to outline things I would like to talk about and discuss........ 

So, there you go....... not the end of the world! Let me tell you, it was a big decision to back out. It was a really hard decision! However, above all else, I DID NOT want to gain an injury that would make my return to running even longer! I have had some question if I was having too much outside pressure.... I do want to say, this was not the case. Trust me, I don't give a crap about what people think about me and my running status! I am not seeking to qualify for the Olympics. My running is MY journey!!! I am the only one on this Journey and it will always be that way! That is why this blog is titled "My Time Runner".... I run at my time (pace) ..... I am in no competition with anyone! No one should be made to feel insecure of their running..... we made not all run the same pace, but we are all runners! 

I have said it before, the beauty of running is that you can feel like a ROCK star by just achieving a PR (personal record) or accomplishing a goal that you thought was too far out of reach! Running in many ways parallels life..... in life, there are set backs prior to big accomplishments.... there area people who are truly in your corner as well as those who want to secretly see you fail... there are days that running brings so much joy, but other days when running (as Kara Goucher said) "will break your heart." In the end though, it is faith and all heart that keeps you looking forward and not looking back!!!!!!! 

I will be honest that the break from running has been welcomed... I haven't missed it as much as I thought I would..... maybe that is because I know running will always be there.... I will have to ease back once cleared by Ortho. I plan to change up training a bit and really looking into heart rate training..... reading up on it now! Excited for the future!!!!! My birthday is Sunday and I have asked for a heart rate chest strap monitor......  so, until I return back to running.... I will be studying this heart rate thing..... :)

More soon....... Until Later........... XOXO

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Ever had an injury stripped you have trying for a specific goal?

MRI? Ever had one? Did you get claustrophobic? 

Heart rate training? On board with it? Or. not really interested? 

Trip on a Side Walk?! No runner has time for that! .... Side Walk 1, Polly 0

Today, during a long run, I fell. OUCH!!! FIRST..... let me say, I am OK. Andddddddd, thankfully, the good ole side walk was there to catch me! UGH!!!! I am scraped up, but ok. WARNING, if you are queasy at the sight of blood, you will not want to scroll to the bottom of this blog post. But, before I get into me attacking the side walk...... let's talk about more delightful things.....

Who is excited for Christmas? The New Year? Or, are you like me and wondering where did 2017 go? Seriously, I feel like I am flying by the seat of my pants and barely hanging on to a rapidly fraying rope....

The above picture was of my friend Rhonda and I after our long run! I had a tripod that holds a cell phone to try out, andddddddd...... Rhonda says, "Let's do a jumping picture!" At first, I was like, ummmmmm, not sure if my legs will be able to jump me into the air. I have to say, I have never laughed so hard..... several attempts were made in order to obtain a picture with both of us actually in the air and to get the finish product you see above......... Below, there were many pictures like this....... LOL! :D 

This is a picture of Rhonda and I on Wednesday evening...... I had 6 steady miles to run, and Rhonda was game to meet me. We decided to run down town to see the Christmas decorations. Of course, when seeing the lights pictured below, it was a must stop and pause the Garmin moment to get a picture. The lights are beautiful...... there is something about Christmas lights that is magical and calming..... 

There is always a Santa Sled down town which is always a photo op for everyone!!!!! And, with the mention from a friend a week or so ago questioning why he hadn't seen the "annual Santa sled pic"..... I was sure to get Rhonda to snap this photo!!!!

Yesterday, Saturday, Rhonda and I ran into our friend Sandy........ she looked so stinkin cute in this Christmas sweater dress! She is so full of life, and I love her spirit! 

Here is Rhonda and I on Saturday morning with "yeah, we just ROCKED our long run" expressions..... It was a bit warm, but not too bad. The miles actually flew by with us getting lost in conversation. She was leaving out of town for the holidays after running....... for me, I was glad to get #1 of 2 long runs for the weekend checked off the training plan. So glad she joined me! 

Now, on to Sunday....... In mile 11, I wiped out!!!!! Yep, I fell..... or maybe I should say, I attacked the side walk...... but, with the abrasions I sustained, perhaps the side walk won. Orrrrrr, the fact that I didn't miss a beat and jumped up to continue running without stopping means I won!!! I will let you decide........ but, here is how the Sunday run went.........

First of all, I was running solo..... I had planned my route and started out just before sunrise. About 2-3 miles in, I ran into my Coach who designs my training plans and his wife......... she ended up running a few miles with me which made those miles fly!!!! She is an amazing runner and always has words of wisdom to share! After a few miles, she turned back to run back home. I kept on a route that measures exactly 10 miles. As I was heading down town, I began to get a bit spooked. There were no cars or people..... kinda made me uneasy. I decided that I really didn't want to run alone to the downtown area and cut across to a busy street that I knew would have cars..... I was running on the side walk, and kept looking back..... just making sure I was't being followed. Paranoid? maybe.... just a CHICKEN? YEP! LOL!  Anyway, the looking back while running caused me to miss that the side walk was uneven ....... as I was looking over my shoulder, BAM! I tripped! It happen so fast that I did not have any chance to even try to attempt to break my fall. I tripped falling forward with my arms/hands stretch out in front of me like superman...... I landed on the ground and looked like a baseball player sliding head first into a base....... except, the slide was a lot rougher on concrete versus dirt or grass. I jumped up, got right back to running! No stopping, no pausing the Garmin..... just jumped up and started to run! As I was running, I did a systems check.... lol.... checked all areas that were burning from the abrasions I sustained. I was bleeding, but no need to stop.... I was 4 miles from my car...... so, no other choice but to run! I mean, my legs were ok!!! WHEW!!!!!!! I am very thankful that I did not get hurt worse than I did. And, from now on, if I feel the need to look behind, I will stop and turn..... won't try the run and look over the shoulder move.... too clumsy for that!!! HA! HA! 

Garmin proof above..... no stopping! Even with a fall!!! YEP! Total moving time= total elapsed time....... there was no pausing or stopping on this long run! Pretty stoked about that!!!! Probably shouldn't analyze numbers so much, but when your watch supplies this information, you can't help but getting hooked into looking at the numbers! LOL! 

So, this week training is as follows: 

MONDAY- 6 miles on Dreadmill at 10:00 pace

TUESDAY- Strength and Core with 2 mile walk

WEDNESDAY- (moved run to evening time instead of the early morning) 6 miles steady at average 9:45 pace.... running and enjoying Christmas lights with Rhonda

Thursday -Morning Tempo at around 8 am..... only about 14 hours from steady run Wednesday-- I mention this because my Tempo run felt harder than my Tempo runs in the past. Target pace was to stay 7:35-7:45 per plan..... I ended up with 3 miles at average 7:43 pace with mile splits: 7:33, 7:53, 7:44. I made pace goal, but man my legs felt tired and heavy....  Energy level was good, mind was good, but the legs? TIRED! But, I made pace and that helps me know I am getting stronger. 

FRIDAY- REST DAY!!!! YAY!!!! REST DAY IS IMPORTANT TO TRAINING- NEVER FORGET THAT!

Saturday: Legs felt great.... back to normal!  12 miles at an average 10:02 pace with mile splits: 10:15, 9:59, 9:56, 10:21, 10:29, 9:48, 9:46, 10:03, 9:52, 10:15, 10:02, 9:34

Sunday: Long run #2 of 2 for the weekend - 14 miles at average 9:48 pace with mile splits: 9:55, 9:51, 9:38, 9:56, 10:08, 9:49, 9:47, 9:47, 9:38, 9:38, 10;00 (fell during this mile, bounced up &kept going with bleeding wounds....lol... I was too far into long run to stop), 9:46, 9:41, 9:33

So far, training is on track! I am trying to stay focus on sub 4 full marathon goal in March! My running mantra use to be "You Got This"..... It has since changed to "How Bad DO You WANT THIS?!" (there is a book titled this... sure all you runners have heard of it).

Well, this has turned into a LONG BLOG POST...... Santa is on his way!!!! Hope you all have a MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! Thank you all who support my little running journey and this crazy little Blog that I have.....I wish I could thank you all....... 

UNTIL LATER .......

XO,

Polly

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Have you enjoy running and looking at Christmas lights? 

Fallen during a run? Get right back up and continue on? Luckily, besides bleeding, I was ok.... getting sore now though......

Get spooked while running? I carry pepper spray, but a friend today suggested carrying a whistle too.... I think that is a great idea...... What do you carry for extra safety? Luckily, I don't usually run outside alone........ but with the holiday.... it was solo running today

Where was Rudolph at the Red Nose Run? Runners needed him.....

So, today I ran a Half Marathon that was close to my house. Had 16 miles on the training plan.... so, why not run 3 miles,  and then run the 13.1 miles on a different route than my usual long run route. It worked out PERFECT! Well, besides the fact that the Half was a bit longer than 13.1 miles.... let me explain...........

The course was an out and back. Easy enough, right?! WRONG!!!! Literally about a 0.25-0.5 miles from the start, there was a Y in the road, you could either go to the right or the left........ you say, "Follow the course signs?" Hmmmmmmm, yeah, if there were any!!!!!! Andddddd, a person that was at this Y- junction was sitting in his/her car!!!!!!!! I don't know how he/she thought he/she was going to keep runners on track. If there were others directing.... I sure didn't see them! Andddddd, the lead runners did not see them either!!!!!!!! Luckily, I only went off course about 0.25miles..... I heard that some of the lead runners went off course 0.5-0.8 miles off course!!!!! I know some of the leaders, so I knew when they came blowing by me that they had been off course too! UGH!!! I know they were frustrated! Well, more like they were P.O. (if you know what I mean). They probably still ended up with great finish times, but still! I really would feel bad for anyone who was running their first half. For me, it wasn't a big deal...... I mean, I was just cruising at my long run pace. I ended up with a total 16.3 miles at an average 9:17 pace. The weather was GREAT!!!! And, the fact that the run was close to my house..... just an added plus! 

Bottom line...... the runners really needed Rudolph to lead the Red Nose Run today!!!!!!!!!!! Santa never gets lost with Rudolph guiding the way!!!!!! :D

There were quite a few of the Valdosta runners there too..... 

Well, it was a good day......... I realize my last post to this blog was in Sept!! HOLY MOLY!! Time just got away from me!!!! I really enjoying writing.... always have..... hope to keep this blog a little more up to date ( I know, I have said that before)..... hope people enjoy it as well (sometimes I worry about annoying too much-- I mean, to have a blog, you have to take lots of pics/selfies (luckily, I think those that I know are tolerant... HA! HAHAHAHAHA! HA!) .... I should have  a great deal to discuss over the next 11 weeks.... after all, I am training for the full marathon in Albany, GA that takes place in March. Working hard, trying to stay on track...... I have a time goal in my head-- not ready to say out loud, but I will tell you that I want (really, really want) to sub 4 hours! I appreciate all of you that will come along with me on this journey with me.......... you guys are the best! 

Have a GREAT rest of the weekend!!!! More soon! XO

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Ever ran off course? I have in a 5K and had to DQ myself..... oops! LOL! 

Ever just run a half for a long run? Kinda fun! No stress too!!! 

Does time seem to be flying for you too? Or am I just a hot mess?! LOL! 

Time to get down to BUSINESS! And, fun run with friends........

HAPPY LABOR DAY!!!!!!! Today, I had a 3 mile tempo run 🏃on schedule 📋....... andddddd, I was happy to find out that the fabulous group above was planning to run an unofficial 5K in town! They were planning to run a course that is often used for the local 5ks.... andddddd, the course is right where I typically run my tempo runs......SCORE!!!!! I mean, what fun...... run 1- 1/2 mile warm up with these folks and then run 3 mile tempo!!! WIN!!!! WIN!!!!! What a great way to start the day.... mingle with friends..... andddddd check off a training run!!!! 

My friend Lisa took a before run selfie of the group........uh, I am not sure what is up with this first photo she sent me .... HA!HA! I mean, this picture looks like when you look into one of those mirrors in a fun house that stretches you!!! LOL!!!

I was relieve when this second picture came over my phone..... much better!!!! We were all smiles despite the humidity!!!! 

Below, I had just finished my tempo!!! The thumbs up is for, "YAY! I was able to pull that tempo run out today!" The run today was not as easy as it was the last time I ran a tempo run. Funny how some runs are just GREAT and you feel like a rock star, and then other runs, well they just suck the ever living life out of you!!! LOL!! Not that I was exhausted and felt like I could't run, but rather, I was not 100% mentally and physically wanting to run a tempo. I had to mentally push myself, as NIKE slogan says, "JUST DO IT!"  This picture also reminds me that I need to repaint my nails.... chipped nail polish..... ugh!!! One more thing to add to the "to do list today." 

TEMPO BREAKDOWN

Ok, the tempo run break down is as follows: 

1.3 miles warm up at 11:28 pace

3 miles tempo run 23:28 with average pace 7:48 (7:47, 7:56, 7:40)

0.6 mile cool down 8:51 pace (saw the group gathered by where cars parked and ran a bit faster than I should have because I wanted to say "good-bye" to everyone :)

Overall, I am please with the tempo.

GETTING DOWN TO BUSINESS

OK..... it is the first of September....... exactly 2 months before my half marathon in November!!!!! IT IS TIME TO GET TO BUSINESS!!!!!! Training is now in full effect! I must stick to plan and get all runs checked off! Time to make sure to take care of me!!!!!!! What does that mean? Well, it means that I need to make sure that my diet stays clean (as clean as possible), I get my runs and work outs in, STICK TO THE PLAN (not only to reach goal of PR, but to hopefully avoid any injury), try to get enough sleep (always hard during the week), and just stay positive! YEP! POSITIVE VIBES ONLY!!!! My set goal is to sub 1:48:59 which is my current PR! I am not sure how that is going to happen! Or that it will happen (really need not to think that way.... I know, I know). But really, I can not wrap my brain around being able to pull that kind of time out again! I have to remind myself......... "trust the training plan!" I can not over think anything or allow self doubt into my brain. I am competitive....... with my own self that is!!! I so very much want to beat my PR!!!!!! However, my PR is on a really hilly course.... I do so much better on hilly courses!!!! The down hill always helps my times! The NOV course is pretty much flat, and it has me worried!!! But, I just can do, what I can do........ and, that my friends, is to train and get runs in!!!! Time will tell if I meet my goal! 

Below is an awesome salad that I was able to pick up in Gainesville, FL when I went for my annual mammogram appt........ it was AMAZINGGGGGG!!!! I could seriously eat this several times a week! It was so yummy!!!! Think I may have to do my best at copying it since we do not have a Panera in Valdosta! 

And, below..... I am rockin' one of the fabulous gown capes that they provide you prior to getting mammogram performed. Maybe this is a bit of TMI (too much information) andddd, if you are a guy, you are like...... she is talking mammograms?!!!!! Say what?! Well, I am a Nurse Practitioner...... and, it is oh so very important to keep up with routine health maintenance and screening protocols!!!!!! So ladies, don't forget or put off mammograms!!!! Protect the "girls." Seriously, early detection is the key!!!!! And, yes, although a bit uncomfortable, the discomfort is for only a few minutes!!!!! Another thing to consider is having mammograms if possible performed at the same location where previous films can be compared. This will allow the radiologist to distinguish between new and old findings. 

I go to Dr. Arlene Weinshelbaum in Gainesville, FL. She is a board certified radiologist. She is specialized in breast screening and performs biopsies if needed. She has performed my mammograms ever since I started to have them performed. She has the perfect set up! You are checked in, given a locker to put your belongings, a key to the locker that has a wristlet to place on your wrist like a bracelet in order to keep up with the key during the visit, you put on one of these capes pictured below, and then you sit in a comfy room with other women. The room is quiet with soft music playing, comfortable furniture, a variety of magazines, there is water (and, I believe there was coffee), and there is a tray of pastries/cookies. I have always been worried about her retiring, but now, she has her daughter working with her!!!! GREAT news!!!! I really wouldn't want to go anywhere else for my mammograms since I am so familiar and comfortable with Dr. Weinshelbaum's set up. 

Boys!!!!!! Boy moms... can you relate?!!!!! 🙄8 years old and in 3rd grade.... looking through school folder and feeling proud of some good grades made on quizzes to feeling like 🙈... oh no, who else might have seen the comic strip that Ben created about a whole city turning into poop 💩and having a superhero save the day.... or as in Ben's comic, the superhero says, "I was covered with poop, but I saved the world.

I asked Ben, "why poop?! Of all things? Why poop?"
He replied, "because it is funny!" (And he giggled) 
Do all boys have this sense of humor? I don't get it..... **** sigh****

Well, gotta run...... dinner and nightly routine to get started!!!!!! Hope everyone had a great LABOR DAY weekend!!!!!! 

UNTIL LATER...........

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What did you do this Labor day weekend? Run? Race? Vacation? (I worked Saturday and Sunday, but had a great day off today!!!)

Favorite recipe? Any other fabulous salad combos you make? Pls share!!!

Boy moms......... can you relate to my photo of my son's comic? He loves the books "Captain Under pants".... he tells me of the fear the character has of a flushing toilette.... I think I need to read these books too!! LOL! 

Have any goals? in life? with running? Do tell......

5Ks- Mentally and Physically tough, thinking back to my beginning .....

Blazin' 5K

Today was a 5K to support the XC team of Valdosta State University. It was of course humid! I would't expect anything else here in South Georgia. Seriously, I am so OVER the humidity!!!! GAH! 

5Ks are mentally and physically tough....... I am going to go into that later in this post.... first, let's look at some pictures!!! :) I only have a couple pictures because I was off my photo game today.........

Above are some of my favorite running peeps........ friends that are runners are AWESOME!! Well, non-runner friends are too, but they do not like to talk running...... nor do they share the misery of running in 94% humidity!!!!! HA!HA!HA!HA! :D 

Above are two of the nicest people I know...... seriously, they are probably 2 most my most encouraging fans....... well, besides my husband and son. Well, and my running tribe.... ok, I have lots of people who inspire and motivate me.......butttttt, whenever, I am feeling like I have lost my mind about my future goals, these 2 show up at a 5K and offer the most encouraging words! They also make me start to believe that I can obtain my crazy set goals! Sometimes, a pep talk is all you need to stay on track..... and focused for that matter. 

When Excitement Takes Over

The picture below is me RIGHT after I killed..... I mean murdered (in a good way) my tempo run!!! This was Thursday morning after I dropped my son off at school. I actually texted this exact photo to my coach immediately....... I am pretty sure my number is now blocked on his phone!! HA! HA! HAHAHAHAHAHA!HA! :D

Anyway, my tempo runs per training plan are set for a 7:40-7:45 pace. This past Thursday, I ran the 3 miles at 7:39 average pace. Mile splits were as follows: 7:31 (as my garmin beeped, I told myself to slow down! Too fast!), 7:45 (target range, but upper limit), and 7:42 (perfect!). It was humid! I had nasal congestion garlore (sorry if TMI)....... Infact, I was not sure when I woke up that morning whether the tempo run was going to happen. I did not feel on my game! I used a box of tissues clearing out my sinuses (again, sorry for the TMI). BUttttttt, I decided to get dress.....thought to myself, I will drop my son off for school, warm up, start tempo..... andddd, if not feeling it or going well, I would bail! That plain and simple. 

My warm up run was 1 mile at a 11:21 pace. Thoughts of how I was going to pull off the tempo run ran through my head. After warming up, I performed some dynamic stretching..... got some strange looks from drivers passing by...... in my head... "Come on Polly, let's do this! Come on! Just get started! Run fast! Get it over! Come on!" Finallyyyyy, I took a deep breath, got my garmin hooked to a satellite, and with the push of the start button, I was off!!!!!! Amazingly, mile 1 went well...... honestly, I don't think I thought of much except putting one foot in front of the other..... when garmin beeped, and I saw the pace, I knew I had this tempo run in the bag! There was no turning back! When at mile 2 the garmin beeped, I looked down to see I was at target pace, and I became excited... told myself, contain excitement! Run not over! I passed a couple people walking about quarter mile apart, some how seeing people made me keep on pace and not slow. Little did they know, they were motivating spectators to me...... they probably weren't thinking the same.... andddddd, truth be known, I bet they were thinking, "runners like her are crazy! Running like that in this heat? Yep, crazy runner girl there!" I don't care what they were thinking, my perception was they were spectators cheering me on!!!! LOL! :D 

Below, is a picture from my VERY FIRST 5K!!!!!! I trained 3 months to conquer 3.1 miles! When I first started to run, I ran literally 0.8 miles and thought I was going to die!!!! 3.1 miles seemed like such a feat! I was 40 years old! I needed some physical activity to incorporate in my life....... I am not an aerobics person, I don't want to think about some crazy move and try to keep up with all the jumping around. With running, it is simple..... one foot in front of the other..... my mind is allowed during that time to escape stress..... literally, there is nothing I am think about except my form, breathing, and keeping pace...... it truly is the most relaxing part of my day! 

I ran this first 5K at 32:58!!!!!!! I was so proud of that time! I worked so hard for that time!!! Also, my expected time to come in was 36-38 minutes, and I had ran much better than intended! I felt like a rock star crossing that finish line...... and the cheers from the spectators had me hooked!!!! Yes, there were bound to be many races in the future for me!!!! Today, I ran 22:44! Goes to show you that with consistency.... the body can be conditioned to do many things! If I can do it at the age of 40..... ANYONE can! 

5K - Mentally/Physically tough

If the truth be known, 5Ks are my least favorite runs! Seriously, it is the only time that I become overwhelmed with nervousness! I get this weird numb/tingling sensation as all the runners line up to toe the start line. It is the mental and physical toughness of a 5k that gets me....... mentally speaking: 1- you have to have a strong mental game to push fast throughout the race, 2- you have to have mental control to know that you can not go out fast the first mile or YOU WILL slow against your will, 3- you have to mentally be on your OWN game and not let the other runners from the start influence how you go out the gate!!!!!! 4- Mentally, you have to stay in the mile you are in, and take one mile at a time, andddd 5- mentally, you can not give up or think you are tired..... you must mentally push yourself to the very end!!!!!!! Physically speaking: 1- you really need to get warmed up, 2- physically focus on form, keeping head up (coach always says, "look up and take another"), slight lean forward, pump arms, focus on breathing, and think about fast leg turnover (well, at least this is what I do-- maybe a more elite might have other advice.... remember, I am not an elite or advanced runner for that matter.... I am still learning and figuring this running thing out). 

Runner problems

Below, is what my hair looks like after running!!!! No more pony tails in the humidity for this girl! I have finally came up with a hair do that does not cause my hair to get all matted....... simple put in braid and then wrap into a bun!!!! Sheesh...... why is South Georgia so freakin' humid!!!!! Fall weather can NOT get here fast enough! 

Gotta run! More soon!!!! Hope everyone is having a GREAT weekend!!! Please keep the Texas folks in your thoughts and prayers!!! 

until later......................

****what mental and physical things do you find with 5Ks? Like 5Ks? or, do they stress you out?!

*** Do you remember when you first started running?

***What got you hooked on running? 

*** Any goals that you think are crazy, but going after? I want to hear...

Some runs are good, some not so much..... but keep looking forward

SUNDAYYYYYYYYYYYY........ means LONG RUN day!!! 

For today's long run, training plan called for 12 miles at pace to be between 9:40-10:05. My friend Rhonda joined me at the early hour of 6am!!! We ended up with 12:01 miles at 9:59 average pace! BOOM👊!! Breakdown of run mile splits: 10:35, 10:21, 10:35, 10:06, 9:59, 9:41, 10:03, 9:39, 9:47, 9:48, 9:41, 9:18 (little fast at the end, perhaps we were both super excited to be running the last mile). Seriously, the HEAT and HUMIDITY here in South Georgia is just ridiculous! Anyway,  Sunday's run is checked ✅ off!!! YAY!!! I actually felt good. I ran a 4 mile race the day before, but honestly, my legs felt amazingly good. 

4 MILER RACE

The 4 mile race Saturday is the 3rd of 4 races total..... the medal is a puzzle that is complete once all 4 races are completed! Pretty cool. For me, Saturday was not a PR (personal record)... per my garmin I ran 31:25 (average pace 7:55) with splits: 7:30 (really tried to stay controlled at beginning and not go out too fast like I usually do), 8:10, 8:02, 7:41 (actually felt like I was finally in a grove and it was the last mile -ugh) .... not what I had hoped for considering last time I ran in worse conditions 30:43 (average 7:45) with splits: 7:19, 8:01, 7:49, 7:32. In February, my Time was 31:06 (7:48 average pace) with splits: 7:33, 7:59, 7:57, and 7:36. So, out of the 3 times running the course, Saturday was my worse performance. Why? No excuses.... just stunk. Goes to show you that taking a little time off from training plan can affect you. But, I ran the best I could on that particular day..... it is, what it is! Hopefully, sticking to training now and getting head into game, I will see improvement in future and not set back. Looking forward.... 

How cute is this dog pictured above? He ran the 4 miles!!!! He even got a medal!!!! He was too cute not to get a picture. Plus, he was deaf...... the owner communicated through sign language!!! He was truly the sweetest! 

The weather called for rain...... I was lucky enough to finish prior to the down pour..... but man, all of a sudden the bottom dropped out of the sky!!!!!!! 

Well, This is short...... I had plans to talk about different times of runs on training plan..... will need to save for future post. The house chores have taken up most of my day..... andddddd, I still have a ton to do. So, until later.........

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Long run today? How did it go? Hot and humid where you are? 

Ever compare previous runs on same course? Ever have runs just not go as planned-- I am sure the answer is yes, not every time can all the starts align.... right? 

Trying not to be defeated by the heat.... making decision... not sure if wise decision

Saturday...... Max run vs Speed work 

By Friday, I was wiped out!!! I felt so tired! I wasn't sure what I was going to do Saturday morning as far as running was concerned.........

After hitting the snooze button at least a dozen times, I finally rolled out of bed! I fixed my usual morning protein smoothie..... andddddd, as I drank the smoothie, I contemplated what I was going to do..... would I attempt to run as fast as I could on the treadmill for 2 miles? Or, should I go to the track where I knew that I could really try to reach the speed that I was set to run on the training plan. Finally, I was dressed and laced up.....  and, I decided to go to the track. Then, I contemplated something else....... perform the Max run of 2 miles at around a 7:05 pace (which was on the actual plan) orrrrrrrrrr attempt speed work by running 8X400. It was HOT & HUMID!!!!!!!!! Seriously, I thought will I really run 2 miles at 7:05? And, my marathon isn't until March. At least with the 8x400, I would get a 60sec rest between. Wellllllllllll, I decided on the 8X400. I do understand that the VO Max runs overall increase running efficiency, and I should have performed the VO Max run....... but, I simply was't feeling it. I really felt that I would be able to put more into the speed work. I am not sure I did the right thing by substituting 8X400s for my VO Max run...... I have an email out to my coach and we will see what he says........ 😬 

Seriously, I was all out of sorts...... as pictured above, I didn't have my Garmin watch or my wireless ear phones charged!!!!! I never listen to music unless on treadmill or when running track. Luckily, I have charge ports in my car and a 40 minute drive to the track...... so, I had time to charge them both on the way. 

so, I ran a one mile warm up ➡️then on to the 400s (0.25 mile) which were as follows: 1:42 (6:50 pace), 1:36 (6:28), 1:38 (6:34), 1:41 (6:46), 1:39 (6:57), 1:43 (6:54), 1:42 (7:06), and 1:39 (6:39). I followed with a one mile cool down of one mile. 

Sunday (today), my friend Rhonda (pictured above) met me for our long run. On tap were 11 miles! I asked her, want a little challenge? We decided to throw in some hills (local people- yes, we are talking about Old wood valley)....... a local neighborhood allows us to throw in 1.5miles of rolling hills...... Rhonda is always a go getter and was up for it!!!!! And, we hit Old Wood Valley at around 6.5miles into our run. Anyway, the breakdown of the run is as follows: 

11 miles at an average 10:08 pace

Mile 1 - 10:37

Mile 2- 10:19

Mile 3- 10:20

Mile 4- 9:56

Mile 5 - 10:26

Mile 6- 10:06

Mile 7 - 10:02

Mile 8- 9:55

Mile 9- 10:16

Mile 10- 10:03

Mile 11- 9:33

As far as running goes, I had a pretty good week. :)

This week was my son's 8 year old well check.....on of the things that needed to be checked off the "before school to do list"....... here, school starts Thursday!!!!! UGH!!! I am so not ready! LOL!!! I mean, the school routine is always so rush, rush, rush......... oh well, summer break has to end like all good things. Anyway, I got cracked up when my son was;t to thrilled about being placed in the Princess room at the pediatrician's office. LOL! :D 

He waited patiently for the Nurse Practitioner........ made himself at home.... LOL!!! :D

We have been going to the pond each day to check on the gator that I posted about in the previous post...... I couldn't get a good pic of the gator, but here is a turtle on a island ..... wish I could have gotten a clearer picture. 

Well, time to get the nightly Sunday routine going....... where does the weekend go? Hope everyone had a great weekend. More soon! 

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Ever feel mentally wiped out? How do you motivate to go run?

Speed Work vs VO MAX run? Which do you prefer?

Do you have the same long run routine? Or do you switch it up a bit?

School starting in your neck of the woods?

Getting my buns MOVIN', unusual pet (not really a pet), & school shopping tip

HOLY HILLS!!!!! Today, was a local 5k known as the Break Bread Bun Run that is put on by a local church. The T-shirts have a burger bun on the front and says, "Don't Be A Loaf".... HA! HAHAHAHA! HA! :D 

The course is ran through a local neighborhood that is SUPER hilly!!! Literally, hill after hill... after hill,,, after hill.... after hill....ok, you get the idea. It is probably my most favorite course even though it kicks my BOO-TAY every single time!!! My time is always slower! But, I think it makes one feel a sense of accomplishment by tackling on the hills! 

This was a run that almost didn't happen......see, sadly, I have been a MAJOR SLACKER as far as training goes. Within the last 5 weeks, I have taken 2 weeks off from running.... went on vacation to the beach, and I didn't run on one single day...... then, I ran for 2 weeks....but, then I attended a medical conference that mixed business with pleasure...  I was able to bring my son so that we could enjoy bike riding and the beach after I got out of conference (DIDN'T RUN ONE SINGLE DAY= 2nd week of no running)......... then, there has been a couple of weeks of cutting runs by 1-2 miles each........eeek..... and NO TEMPO RUNS IN 4 weeks!! YIKES!!! Just shame.... that is all I have..... so, I have been running, but not sticking to training like I should.  I was concerned about attempting to run fast..... especially with the course being hilly. But, I was sooooooo glad I got out of bed....... I mean, I was to see my running friends pictured above!!!!!! That was the HIGHLIGHT of the day. Anddddddd, I shocked the crap out of myself and actually got a PR for this particular course.....by 2 min!!!!!!!! Woooohoooooo!!! Who would have thought?!?!?! Unofficial time, 25:11!! Last year I ran 27 something. So, I might have slacked lately, but today reassured me that I haven't deconditioned (is that even a word) too much. So, plan is look forward..... DON'T LOOK BACK.... regretting and mulling over the lack of discipline to stick with my training plan will do absolutely NOTHING for future goals........ so, moving forward only!! 

Above, is a picture from last week's long run..... my friend Rhonda (pictured below) and I took on the 5K course I ran today to start the long run off...... I am not sure that the pictures really reflect the actual steepness of the hills......... Why I waited until the week before the 5k race to run the hills of the course really does;t make sense ...... NOTE TO SELF: RUN THIS AREA MORE.... IT WILL HELP IN THE FUTURE!

I was able to snag the Female Master's Category..... how cute is this shoe trophy?!!!

Lately, I have been wearing my hair in a bun or braid..... today, for whatever reason, I sported a ponytail......and, as always, I ended up with a RAT'S Nest!!!! The humidity does this.... crazy.... if anyone has simple running hairdos, I would appreciate a comment in the comment section.... LOL!...... Actually, I have a technique of getting this brushed out in a few seconds flat..... will share in future post......

When I returned home, my son came up to me so excited saying, "We have a pet alligator in our pond!!!!! Just like the ones we saw at Kiawah Island"...... Never know what you might see in South Georgia. 

And, this is totally random, but I did something a little different this year as far as school shopping is concerned.... I ordered my son's ENTIRE school supply list on-line!!!!!!!! YEP! EVERY SINGLE ITEM!!!! This was AWESOME on so many levels!!!! First of all, I didn't have my son asking for extra stuff other than what was on the list........ second, I was able to order from Target and Walmart without ending up walking out of the store with things in my shopping cart that I DID NOT NEED (I swear, I never come out of target or walk mart with just what I went in for)..... Third, EVERYTHING was delivered straight to my door step.........Fourth, I was able to shop in my PJs!!!! Ok, I know people actually go out in public and shop in their PJs (No judging from me), but I don't do that..... so, shopping in my PJs at home was awesome!....... Fifth, it only took me about 20 min to shop!!!!!! If there is only one down fall, I have been receiving a million boxes each day..... for some reason, items are only shipped a few together..... literally one box had one single clip board in it...... but, at least boxes are recyclable. 

Gotta RUN!!! NIGHTLY ROUTINE CALLS!!!! UNTIL LATER........

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HILLS? Do you incorporate routinely?

Hair suggestions? Do tell.........

On-line school shopping? Tried it?

RECHARGED, REFOCUSED, & READY

Ok, first of all... I wrote this blog post about 2 weeks ago and debating whether to post it.... actually have several others that I just simply did not post. ..... but after a vacation at the beach with my little family of 3, and then a medical conference that allowed me to mix business with pleasure which I brought my mom and son with......I have a little bit clarity and focus on my running......Ahhhhh, vacation....... an escape from reality and allows for time to focus! But, before I share more pics, let me talk about something else......

Ok, those of you who have been gracious enough to support this little part time blogging adventure of mine, know that I took an extended amount of time off...... actually, my last post was the day of my 45th birthday.....MARCH 25th!!! Yikes.... definitely a long hiatus!!!! (this was true 2 weeks ago when I actually wrote this post, but those that follow now that I posted about a recent 5K June 24th... so, officially now, June 24th was actually my last post. 

None-the-less, I am back! I may only be able to blog once a week, but will try for a couple times a week...... I am not sure exactly why I became so unmotivated to blog. Perhaps, it was the end of the school year hustle, and trying to keep up with everyday life like work & family. I actually could not even set any goals as far as my running was concerned. I mean, I REALLY want to run a fun marathon and sub 4 hours! But, I started to have doubts, and question why I want to attempt such a goal.  One part of my brain says, "You are 45 years of age... why do you feel the need to run a full marathon under 4 hours? You are not an elite runner. You are not trying to BQ. You are not a paid professional runner. So, why the commitment to training and toll on the body?" Anddddddd, then there is the other side of the brain saying, "Why not?!!!!! So what! You are 45! No, you are not a professional or very experienced runner, but, this is YOUR running journey! Your goals! Your desires! You work hard in all parts of your life, that you deserve to train and attempt to accomplish this goal you have set! GO FOR IT! YOU ONLY LIVE ONCE!" I seriously have battled this for several months! Trying to figure out my path with running and what I desired. I kept working with my coach. Kept to my training plans. But, there was doubt even if I would keep on the path to running a full marathon in Dec 2017 or March 2017. But, until my mind was made up, I was going to stick to my training plan. I had my husband pointing out the fact that I had improved so much in the 5 years that I have been running. He even expressed how impressed he was of how I have stuck to running. He reminded me of the total gym purchase that I was so excited to use with the goal of getting in shape after my son was born. However, after a month or so, I was hanging clothes on it! Then, he pointed out my YMCA membership and the classes I was planning to attend to get in Shape, but then I only actually seemed to be donating my money to the YMCA than actually going to it! And, he stated there were all the other work out plans I had......... but, then there was the treadmill purchase. He pointed out that since stepping foot on it 5 years ago, I have continued to do so at the mere early hours of the morning just to get my run in! He pointed out that he has never seen me more excited about an activity like running. He pointed out that my mood stays better when I run. He reviewed my race accomplishments with me: Sub 2 hour half marathon, completing a full marathon at 4:30:39, and getting my 5k times into the 22 min range in the winter (this summer with the humidity, I am happy to be in the 23-24 range). Even with his support, I just didn't know the direction I wanted. 

Then, I went on vacation. A solid week off from work and away from reality! A solid week with my little family of 3! I dang sure took a SOLID week off from RUNNING too!!! Yep! A personal choice not to lace up! Now, I did take my running stuff with me..... you know, just in case. But, not once did I get the desire to lace up! Nope, I stayed up late, slept in late, and indulged in food that normally I would eat in moderation. It was just what I needed. I came back with a fresh, recharge look on life and running! My attitude was adjusted in many ways. I think I was more exhausted and tired (mentally, physically, and emotionally). I am trying to improve things in life and look to the positive! 

So, here it is!!!! I will remain with my training! Plan is to sub 4 a full marathon...... I am beginning to think December will be axed all together, and I will focus on March......Seriously, here in the south during the month of Dec, it can be in the 40s one weekend and then the high 70s (with killer humidity) the next weekend.  Plus, the Albany Snickers Marathon in March was my first (and only) full marathon.... would be nice to have the course comparison as far as time goes. Plus, Albany occurs during a great time of the year and the race is so convenient with the start/finish right outside the hotel!!!! 

Then, there was this blog, I questioned why even write it.....but, I decided, I will have fun with it... focus on running, food, and life. Maybe it will motivate some to get moving and set goals of their own no matter age, size, etc.... it may not be another's forte.... and, that is ok. I do hope people comment and make suggestions on blog post... then, I can perhaps cater to what people want to hear about. Also, maybe tips in comments will help me reach my goals!!! Again, no expert here, but comments motivate and help me!!! We all need the support of each other! 

Now, on a lighter side of things........ pics from vacation......

Body board surfing.... quite a work out actually....fun too!

Told my husband he needed more sunscreen to prevent burning..... he elected just to wear his beach shirt and panama jack hat...... and, Ben learning to snorkel 

I am not much a fan of birds, but there is something about the birds that hang out at the beach... not many know, but I actually have a fear of birds.... unpredictable creatures...like spiders!!

one of my favorite photos of my son and I....

of course every kid brings a tractor to the beach, right?!!! Or, is it a dead give away that we are from Georgia...... LOL! :D

Fun at dinner........ 

This little crab was enjoying our pool area......

So, there you have it.... the subject of this blog.... sometimes you need a little get away from reality to regain focus and clarity!!!!!! 

UNTIL Later.......... and, thank you to those that support and encourage my running, blogging, and life adventures! XOXO

Pollyanna :)

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** do you sometimes lose direction, how do you regain focus?

** any running topics you would like me to discuss? Questions?

** Any running goals that you have set for yourself? 

5K with perks, Not an overall PR....but PR for course

GMC Valdosta 5K

It is was a HOT & SIZZLING 5K today here in South Georgia, however, this 5K came with so many perks that it made it a fun run!!!!!! Seriously, it was like 80 something degrees with 98% humidity!!! WOWZERS!!!!!! 

Pictured above are some cool running peeps that I always look forward to seeing at the local 5Ks...... we were all sweaty and stinky.....but, when someone yelled "GROUP PIC," not one of us cared!!! :D

Let's Talk Perks

Ok, everyone who participates in a 5Ks, knows that one receives a race packet that usually includes a t-shirt, maybe some advertising pens, hand sanitizer, etc..........BUT, TODAY'S 5K had added perks!!!!!!

First of all, what about a misting tent at the half way mark?!!!!!!! Yes, a MISTING tent!!!!!! We were given a head's up about the misting tent being on course prior to the race..... we were informed that we could, indeed, run into the yard to run through the mist!!!!! 

At first glance, the misting tent does not appear to be giving off that much mist, but..... let me tell you..... it was ABSOLUTELY delightful!!!! You didn't get soaked, but your body was instantly cooled!!!!! It felt wonderful......... and, it was oh so appreciated!!! Only, negative thing that I could probably say, the misting tent made you want to just stop running, and stand in the middle of all the mist!! It felt soooooooooooo GOOD on this hot humid day......but, when you are in the middle of a 5K, you don't have time to just stand there.....you have to keep moving! LOL!!! :D

Ok, moving on..... I think you got the drift of the beauty of a misting tent...... seriously, the misting tent was BRILLIANT!!!!!!!!

Now, at larger races like half marathons and full marathons, there are usually massage therapists to help with running cramps to the legs and such..... this is usually something that you don't expect to see at a 5K (3.1 miles for those wondering). Ohhhhhhhhhh, but at the GMC 5K, there was indeed a massage therapist!!!!!!! 

Yes, today, Allyse Hargrove of MyoLife Massage Therapy was at the GMC 5K..... check out the website at www.myolifemassage.com 

Any more perks you ask? Why YES!!!! There was also a photographer present!!!! In fact, this is a photographer in the local area named Erik Revills of Erik Revills Photography... check out his website at www.erikrevillsphotography.com

Erik takes wonderful photos..... we were warned at the beginning of the race that he would be at the finish line, and to make sure that we were smiling.... that, in fact, if you are not smiling, then you would be automatically disqualified!! LOL!!!! I have a feeling, even with knowing about the photographer at the finish, my finish photo will be like all my others..... I will probably look like I am dying, or I will have some crazy weird expression on my face!!! LOL!!!!! But, we will see.... maybe Erik can work some magic and perform some fancy photo shopping of my photos!!! HA! HA! :D

And, the best race director title goes to....

Below, is my friend, Lisa...... also, the race co-ordinator/director of this FABULOUS 5K!!!!! I have to give a HUGE shout out to her!!!! She really knows how to put on a 5K!!! Don't you agree?!!! She really put a lot of hard work into organizing this successful 5K!!! THANK YOU LISA! YOU SERIOUSLY ROCK!!!!! I do hope she is now relaxing in a lounge chair that is under the misting tent, and sipping on a margarita ..... or maybe she is getting a massage now? However she decides to spend the rest of the day, she deserves it!!!!!  

PR for Course 

Ok, today was not an over all PR for a 5K........buttttttttt, it was a PR (personal record) for this particular 5K!!! Unofficially, as per my garmin, my time was 24:14. In 2015, I ran this course in 28:35 and in 2016, I ran it in 26:52..... so, my time of 24:14 knocked 2+ min off my PR for this course!!!!! Happy runner here!!!!! Seriously, that is the thing about running..... sooooooooo many factors have to be consider when reviewing race times..... weather, whether you are rested, trained up, sick, injured, etc....... sometimes, instead of focusing on a time, you have to look back at the course/conditions for comparison .... that is the only way to evaluate any personal improvement. You can't get all hung up on numbers like us runners tend to do.

Anddddd, don't start giving me credit for this way of thinking..... these are words from the coach that designs my training plans when I started to get discouraged last summer.... so, the credit for this wisdom goes to Todd Smoot of A Course Line. He is the best!! I started at age 40 running .... so wish I had started sooner, but within the last 5 years, I have made improvement thanks to the coach! He trains all level of runners! Locally and from afar! If you are interested, check him out: 

*Email coachsmoot@earthlink.net and let him know - you will be sent more information.
* send friend request to Todd Smoot on Facebook (he will friend you back--he communicates about local running events through his Facebook page or follow @Smoot_Todd on Twitter

**My time today was good enough to snag Female Master's category... 

 

SPONSORS

THANK YOU SPONSORS!!!!!! Sponsors are a HUGE part for a race to be a success!!!!! I would like to recognize the sponsors for the GMC 5K (pictured below).... support of community activities like this help keep events occurring year after year!!! And, any event promoting people to stay active is much needed in any community!!! 

RUNNING FRIENDS

Below, is my friends Rhonda and Frank.... if you follow me on Instagram, you often see them in my Sunday Long run posts........ the long run is a HUGE part of training, and I am thankful for these two always showing up at the early morning hours to get me through......

Here is my friend Charlie.... he is awesome!!!! He is such an inspiration, and he is always so encouraging!!! He just received great news that he has been accepted to complete in the Wheelchair division of the AJC Peachtree Road Race this year!!!!!! How cool is that?!!!!

Below, are some fabulous ladies!!! They make 5Ks fun!!! Don't let their cuteness fool you, some of these ladies are hardcore.... like Spartan race hardcore......I give kudos to them! I would never be able to complete a Spartan race!!!

More running friend photos...... usually, I am not good at getting around a race to collect photos, but today, I was determine!!!! Seriously, these are some awesome running peeps!!!! :)

Below, is my friend Arlene!! If you have followed my blog in the past, you probably are already familiar with her..... she is awesome!!!! I drive her crazy at times with my packing for our yearly Tallahassee half marathon trip in February (I just might tend to over pack a little)..... and, she still gets in a car with me, although she is not a fan of my driving.... lol!!!

*****OH, ANOTHER PERK TODAY..... see the towels around our necks? They were water/ice towels that were handed to us straight out of a cooler at the end of the finish shoot!!!!! Seriously, it was like you just ran through the gates of heaven and an angel handed them to you!!!! BEST PERK EVER..... well, or at least close to the misting tent!! :D

Below, my friend Susan.... she was awesome today!!!!! She arrived late to the race..... anddddd, she did not let the deter her..... nope, she jumped out of her car, jumped on the course, and had someone just prior to the finish line hand her bib to her so she could hold it up coming through the finish shoot.... also, to the right is my friend Angel..... she rocks!!!!!! She competes in mud runs!! She is hardcore!!!! 

And, pictured below are my friends Kelly and Kevin.... these two are amazing!!!!! They always smoke me in races!!!! But, while I look to be dying, they are making the run look effortless and chat the entire time!!!! They are amazing runners...... I will forever be chasing them!!!!!! 

Well, that about sums up the day..... going to try to get back to blogging...... I needed a break.... will talk about that in a future post that I am writing..... can't promise that I will blog everyday, but I will shoot for once a week.... or maybe a couple times a week..... 

Is there something you would like me to blog about? Questions? Please comment in comment section or shoot me an email! I am open to any criticism to make this blog something of interest and entertaining! I am not an expert by any means, but I do hope to show that at any age and any fitness level, ANYONE can have fun staying active! I appreciate those that have "liked" and support my Facebook page or follow me on instagram. I hope to be a bit more active with this blog.... trying to gain direction of what I want to deliver to others excited about running, food, and just life in general! Together, we can support one another...........

UNTIL LATER!!!!! Have a great rest of the weekend!!!!!! XOXO

Pollyanna :)

Partying like a ROCK STAR!!..... Garmin goes crazy... and strange finds of a runner

Today was my 45th BIRTHDAY!!!! 🎂🎉

So, early this morning, I rolled out of bed for my long run...... 13 miles were on schedule.....but, with turning 45, which is basically the half way point of my life, I decided to make that 13.1... running a half marathon distance.... logical, right?!!! LOL! 

I had a GREAT run!!!!! First, I met up with a fellow runner at 5:30 a.m.... yes, bright and early! There was to be 3 of us, but one runner woke up with a severe sore throat and sinus congestion causing her to need to bail....... yes, sometimes, no matter how much we want to run, we must listen to our bodies. So, then there were 2 runners....... we ran for about 7 miles, and then I ran solo for a mile until I saw another group of runners that let me hang with them for the rest of my run. 

Managed 13.1 miles at an average 9:20 pace...... BUT, something REALLY strange occurred to during my run.... my GARMIN went haywire!!!! I CAN NOT explain what happen..... During mile 9, my Garmin vibrates and beeps showing that I am in mile 9 (which I was) but flashed up a Lap 10 at the 0.36 mile mark into mile 9 and stating the pace.................  at each mile until the end of the run, the Garmin would beep and vibrate at the 0.36 mile mark of each mile and flash up some numbered lap...... what the heck?!!!!!!!! BIZARRO!!!!!!! 

See..... Mile 13 had a Lap 14 of 0.74 which when added to the 0.36 from mile 9 accounts for a mile distance...... and the pace times added together calculate to me pace time........ WEIRD!!! SERIOUSLY WEIRD!!!! I have NO IDEA had to explain or make sense of this!!! The only thing I even remember during mile 9 was trying to push the button to check the actual time of the morning...... now, I wonder did I push something that starts counting laps? Like maybe a feature to do track work or something? I have no idea..... I admit, I probably do not utilize my Garmin to it's full potential...... which means, when stuff like this happens, I have no idea what is going on..... hmmmmm 🤔

At 5:30 a.m., it was still dark...... very dark!!! Took a quick selfie prior to warming up......

I took the new Hokas for a long run....... I have ran a couple shorter runs with them to break them in..... but, today was my first day running long in these new kicks!!!! I have to say, I am sold on Hokas!!!! Crazy, no plantar fasciitis feeling post run.... and no left achilles tightness!!!! Happy feet are the most important thing to a runner....... Also, these Zensah compression socks keep the legs feeling good too!!!!!! Love them!!! 

Below, are the fabulous ladies who I ran into on the second part of my run....... these ladies helped me get through the last few miles of my run!!!!!! The sun was coming up by this time.... but, I still don't like running solo......so, I was very happy that they let me hang with them!!!!! :)

So, yeah....... today was my 45th birthday!!! It is so weird saying that I am 45!!! Seriously, it really seems like I was 29 just the other day!!!!!!! I just don't feel like a 45 year old...... not that there is a certain way to feel........ but, reality hits me when I have to pull out my reading glasses (pictured below) to read texts, Facebook posts, emails, etc on my phone...... LOL! :D

How do you like my fashionable reading glasses?...... these are the finest at Target.....LOL!!!! Trust me, I have  a pair in my purse, on bedside table, in the car, pretty much every where I would sit down........ these things are like hair ties..... have several, but can't seem to find them when I need them..... therefore, logical solution is to have some everywhere!!!! HA! HA! :D

Due to great friends and family, I had a great birthday celebration!!! The celebration started the day prior at work when I arrive and saw small cake cupcakes on my desk!!!! :) Pure happiness! 

Lemon is probably my favorite.... well, carrot cake too (actually had a home made piece of carrot cake at work.... the wife of my boss made it.... it was amazing!). Oh, and I love the chocolate cupcakes too! And, the red velvet!!!! Ok, yeah, guess you can say that they are all my favorite..... well, except those covered in coconut.... not a fan of those!!! 

Had this cake pop delivered too along with starbucks!!!! 

Sinus congestion and allergies are a daily battle here in South Georgia!!!! My friend bought me this diffuser..... she swears by it!! Even said that it helps her husband from snoring...... SOLD!!! Gonna definitely try it out and see if it helps my hubby....... (don't tell him I said that)...he! he!

Then, another of friend gave me wine, chocolate, and a gift certificate to eat out..... all around great gift.... I mean, come on...... the next BEST thing to running is FOOD!!! Yep, this was an A+ present to receive!!! :) 

So, what did I do for my 45th birthday? Well, I went for a long run as noted above. Came home... ate breakfast with the hubster and kiddo, took a shower, stretched and foam rolled, and then took a nap....... yep, I took a LONGGGKGGG and much needed nap!!!! Then, pittled around the house, and my fellas took me to the Texas Roadhouse to eat........ oh yes, salmon + sweet potato + broccoli = BEST MEAL ON PLANET!!!! YUM!! 

Yep! I spent my birthday partying like a ROCK STAR!!!!! HA! HAHAHAHAHA! HA! :D

So, I am trying to clean up diet further and looking for a variety of foods to snack on.... trying these RXBARs out!!! So far, I have tried two different ones..... blueberry my favorite...... still have others to try. These are a great option for stashing in purse for a healthy snack option when on the run!!!! Of course, I haven't tried but 2 so far. Chocolate is not a favorite.... I know, shocking, right? But, blueberry is very yummy! Best part....... these are real food!!!! Each bar has a list of the ingredients and last thing noted "No B.S."...... lol.... gotta love it! 

Okay, I honestly find the most interesting things .......you know, like "things that make you go hmmmmmmmm"........ when I am running....... just like these jeans hanging on the track fence.... nope, can't even come up for an explanation of this........

Remember the soap suds in the University fountain...... yes, another find that I had a couple weeks ago........

Or...... how about that time, when I found the hair weave in the road?!!!! Yes, interesting finds for sure!!!! 

Ok, well, this birthday girl needs to get to bed...... short run in morning..... and off to work by noon!!!!! It has been a great day! 

UNTIL LATER!!!!!! XOXO

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What kind of cake/cupcakes is your favorite? 

Strange finds on runs? Do share!! Would love to hear!!!!! 

Age...... just a number? or, do you feel your age? 

"Don't Run with Scissors 5K".... Long run, Sunday relaxation, & delicious recipe.. bunch of randomness

This past Saturday was the 8th annual "Don't Run with Scissors Race"..... it includes a 1 mile fun run & a 5K run that benefits the Visual Arts Program at Sallas Mahone Elementary School. 

The weather was perfect!!!! I had really wanted to be under 23 minutes, but I feared the hill at the end..... see, the last 0.3 miles of the run is all up hill!!!! Literally!!! Andddddd, I am not a great hill climber!! Major weakness! Anyway, I was, overall, happy with my run. I tried to keep a consistent pace, and my mile splits were as follows: 7:19, 7:24, 7:31.... I ended up with an official posted time of 23:05. My garmin said 23:06. Although I didn't get my goal time for the day, I did PR the course! So, win! I will take the PR. I also managed to snag 1st in age group!! Andddddd, the awards were awesome!!! The awards were framed art work of 4th graders at the school!!! How cool is that!!! One mom placed in her age group and was able to select her own child's art work!!! How awesome is that?!!!!! 

Part of the running tribe :)

Of course, the best part of any 5K, or any run for that matter, is seeing running friends!!!!

Above, my friend Lisa is back!!! Finally recovered from a running injury!!! Was so good to have her back!!!!! 

Above, Valdosta Family Medicine was representing at the 5K!!!! Go VFM!!!!! 

Yeah, when the Chick-Fil-A cow is at the 5k, you must get a photo, right?!! LOL! :D

Top Sponsors were knowledge on these AWESOME painted boards!!! Pretty neat!!! Can't imagine the time it took to make these!!!! 

Sunday -LONG RUN

Today's long run went by SUPER fast.... I ran with my friend Brandy. We chatted and the time flew!!! Break down of the run is as follows: 

Goal target pace was to be between 9:30-9:55

12.01 miles at an average pace of 9:41

Mile 1- 11:02 (warm up mile)

Mile 2- 9:31

Mile 3- 9:12

Mile 4- 9:25

Mile 5- 9:12

Mile 6- 9:06 (yeah, I know-- too fast, but honestly, you get to talking and not paying attention to garmin... oops!)

Mile 7- 10:00 (made up for being too fast in previous miles...LOL)

Mile 8- 9:38

Mile 9- 9:44

Mile 10- 9:58

Mile 11- 9:46

Mile 12- 9:31

**Then, it was time for grocery shopping and to tackle the never ending laundry!!!!  Not so fun ! Waaaaaaaaa! 

Relaxing Sunday Afternoon

My son and hubster went fishing in the pond...... well, they tried to fish in the pond.... the fish were not biting today. My hubby kicked back as my son worked hard on paddling the boat!!! LOL! Can't be unfair child labor if the child loves it, right?!!! HA! HA! :D

Beavers are amazing

I think beavers are the most amazing creatures!!! They build can build a dam like this one pictured in no time!!!!! And, just how do they even build against running water? It truly baffles me! We have to constantly knock these out, otherwise, it floods the surrounding land. Crazy, right? 

Anddddd, the branches are so neatly and placed in an exact manner.... seriously, isn't this mind boggling? 

Let's Talk Food

I found this SUPER EASY and ABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS recipe for chicken salad on Pinterest!!! Doesn't it look amazing? You can too make this "Light Chicken Salad" by clicking on link (HERE) It is a recipe from joyfulhealthyeats.com

Ok, gotta run.... the nightly "get ready for work and school" routine is in full gear now..... hope everyone had a great weekend!!!!! 

UNTIL LATER........................

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Ever receive an unusual, but super cool race award? 

How was running this weekend? Training runs? Racing? Do share! Love to hear.......

Recipes? Tried any great ones lately.... please share.......

A Rare first and Color Fun...........

TALK ABOUT A RARE FIRST..... I was actually the first runner in a nearby small town 4-mile race!!!! NEVER HAS THAT HAPPENED, anddddd NEVER WILL THAT HAPPEN AGAIN!!!!! Also, talk about ANOTHER FIRST... I actually had a police escort the entire run!!!! AGAIN..... NEVER HAS THAT HAPPENED, anddddddd NEVER WILL THAT HAPPEN IN THE FUTURE!!!!!  In the above picture,  is the nice policeman that drove the police escort SUV........ I must say, having a police escort took the pressure off of needing to follow the signs to know when to turn on the course!!!! WHEW!!! But, in another way, I felt pressured to continuously run at the pace I was so that the policeman wouldn't have to stop the vehicle and wait on me..... HA! HA! HA! :D

Now, when I say "small town race," ........ yes, the race took place in a small town close to my house..... but, let me tell you, this was a smallllllllllll race..... actually, there were only 5 of uS!!! Yep, you read that right!!! Only 5 of us!!!!

Above, are 4 of us that were laughing and joking about the race including only us.......... yes, there were only 4!!! Oh, but WAIT!!! At the last minute, another car drove up, and we had another runner!!!! Wooohooooooooooo....... and, there were 5 as pictured below!!! HA! HAHAHAHAHAHAH! HA! :D 

I can't make this stuff up...... not "staged" for a great blog post.... honest! LOL! :D 

I was pleased with my run..... it was a bit humid.... down here in South Georgia, Winter has went on strike and has NEVER showed up!!!! UGH!!! We have a million mosquitos to prove it!!!!! Seriously, winter lasted about 3 days and was GONE!! Gone, I say! GONE!!!!! 

Anyway, back to the run: I ran the 4 mile (unofficially) at an average 7:48 pace..... very pleased with my time. Yes, I did say "unofficial"... with 5 runners, you'd think our official times would be posted by now.... LOL!!!! Just picking.... not serious... I know that the people who put on the race Saturday were "fill-ins" because the main people were in Orlando running the Disney Princess race....... go figure, the main people bolt out of town on the scheduled day of the race.... that might should have been a determining factor in the date of the race!!! See, there was a HUGE local race also taking place and Disney princess which is only a few hours away.... I really think that this is why the race was so little Saturday! 

Anyway, with all the normally First place runners that I am usually chasing not present, I snagged First Runner place. But, honestly, want to get a little more of a giggle...... WE ALL PLACED!!!! Yes, In some form of fashion..... all 5 of us medaled!!! HA! HA! My friend Lisa said, "I am going to call this the Oprah race..... medals, medals, for everyone!" Well, it goes something like that...... we all laughed. We had such a fun time!!!! And, I might say, the course really is a great course!!!!!! Most of all, it is 10 min from my house and I LOVE that!!!! Most races are at least 40min from my house. 

OK, after the race, I have to BOLT home in a FLASH..... wipe the necessary stinky areas (if you know what I mean), spray some deodorant,  and switch into my Color run clothes........ grabbed my son and we were on our way........ literally, spent about 15 min at home and had to leave immediately. 

My son was over the moon about the color run..... he has participated in one other and LOVED it. He is 7, and he usually doesn't run 5ks with me........ without the color being thrown, he loses interest in the 5k courses........ Secretly, I so hope he develops a love for running..... that is my selfish mom wish....... I mean, look below, he is flying!!!! LOL! :D

I kept telling him to close his mouth when he ran through the color stations, but he said to me, "I can't stop smiling! This is fun!" Oh, those words warmed my heart!!!! So glad we made it to the run! 

Below, is my attempt at a running selfie early on.... I honestly couldn't see what exactly I was taking a picture of because of the sun.... I was just hoping some of the pictures were coming out.....

WE WERE COVERED!!!! COLOR EVERYWHERE!!!!! We had some stylish wigs.... all to protect my bleach blonde hair!!! The purple they throw at these runs takes FOREVER to get out of my hair!!!!! My son thought the wig thing was cool and had to have one too!!!! And, if you are thinking..... man, she is prepared for everything like a girl scout...... think again..... guess who didn't  think to bring towels for the car ride home....... yours truly!!!! LOL! :D 

IF you follow me on instagram, you saw this color run block of pictures already......

Below, is my friend Brandy and her daughter after the color run  :)

Below, my friend Amy had to get a pic.....she didn't recognize me at first.... LOL!!! So funny, I was talking normally because I really hadn't forgotten the whole wig thing.... HA! HA! 

However, I think Amy was diggin' Ben's wig more.... his was white.... he couldn't wait to see how much color he could get on it!!! :D

Running with his hands in the air like he just doesn't care..... LOL

The color stations meant serious business when it came to covering the runners with color!!!!!! I mean serious business!!! 

There was a GREAT turn out!!! How awesome is the crowd in the pic below?!!! There had to be over 200 runners....... the event is called the Hospice Half & Dewey Color Dash with all proceeds benefiting patient care at Hospice of South Georgia and it's Lansdale Hospice House. Great fun for a GREAT cause!!!!

Well, that about wraps up the weekend........ Great weekend of "Firsts" and having a blast at the color run!!!!!! Gotta run..........

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What did you do this weekend...... do tell.... leave a comment in the comment section!!!

Color run.... Love them? Hate them? or silly question.... who wouldn't love a color run?!!!

Any FIRSTS for you ever? Please share! Would love to hear!!!!!!!! 

Donna Half Marathon Recap: All Pinked out for a GREAT cause......

 

PINK EVERYWHERE!

So, exactly one year ago, my friend Wendy that is pictured below in the middle, decided that she wanted to run a half marathon........ she decided on Donna Half Marathon that takes place in Jacksonville each year.

At the EXPO, there was a station that was set up with all kinds of dress up items from hats, to wigs, to boas, to wings, and much more! And, best thing?!!! It was FREEeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!! So, of course, my friends and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to dress up and take a pic!!! (Pictured below: Myself, Wendy, and Brandy) 

Below are pictures of the Expo..... I placed in a gallery that should switch between pictures every few seconds...... you might be thinking..... man, the expo doesn't look crowded..... was it a small race? Well, let me explain...... My friends and I probably didn't prepare ahead for the weekend..... NONE of us, and I mean, Not one of us read any of the emails that preceded race weekend.........anddddd, consequently, we all assumed that the expo was at the conference area at the host hotel. WRONG!!!!!! The expo was literally 30 minutes from the hotel!!!! ANDddddd, we didn't head for the expo until 3pm.... so, we had to jump in the car in a hurry because the expo ended at 5pm. 

I felt like a "get away driver"..... see, as we were waiting for an elevator in the hotel, we were informed where the expo was being held. My friends Wendy and Brandy decided to go up in the elevator to inquire about directions to the Expo while I ran back to room to get my car. Then, the plan was for me to drive to the front of the hotel and pick them up. However, they had started to walk toward to street.... so, I stopped the car and let them in..... and, I was on a mission to get us to the expo..... so much so that my friend brandy still had one leg hanging out of the car with the door opened when I took off..... oops!!! This let me know that I should never get in trouble while with Brandy because there would be no fast get a-way..... I mean, really? The girl can smoke a 5K but can't jump into a car fast?!!!!! Gonna have to work on that with her!!!! LOL! :D

EXPO

The expo had many different type of vendors present........ from merchandise, to cosmetic surgeons, to physical therapist, to sunscreen, etc. It was pretty neat. Only wish we would have had more time to spend there..... the expo went until 5pm, and we arrived at 4pm.....an hour would have been fine, but most of the vendors started to pack up at 4:30pm. Oh well. I did get business cards so I could look up the different vendors on-line. 

CELEBRITY SPOTTING

At the Expo, we spotted Jeff Galloway!!!!!!! And, he was kind enough to take a picture with us!!!!

Then, who would have thought, when we boarded our bus at 6am on Sunday morning, that Jeff Galloway would be boarding on our bus too!!! YEP!!!!! He was right there sitting amongst us women!!!! Wendy wanted me to snap a pic of her with Galloway in the back ground on the bus, but, I just couldn't. I really felt like it would creep him out.... HA! HA! But, when we got of the bus, Wendy and I ran him down and requested for him to take a picture..... so, yeah, not sure that was much better...... just call us stalkers! LOL! :D

THE RACE

When we lined up in the corrals, I was not expecting the emotions that I began to feel. See, let me explain...... this was Wendy's first half marathon. It was really ALL about Wendy...... Brandy and I were going to hang with Wendy and be her personal pacers!!!!! There was no stress like I usually have prior to a half where I am trying to PR. Literally, the run ahead was going to be like a Sunday long run! But... then, as we were lining up at the start into our corrals, I started to see thousands of people decked out in PINK! There were men as well as women. The men were rockin' PINK and even some with tutus!!! It was great!!!! And, then there were many that had bibs attached to there backs or had words written on the back of their shirts that explained who they were running for...... a family member, friend, mother, aunt, grandmother, etc that had been diagnosed or passed away from breast cancer. I could feel my eyes watering up and the emotion overwhelming me..... the run, at that point, became much more than just helping a friend achieve a personal goal. Yes, I was running for those that couldn't!!!! 

Below, you can tell how excited Wendy was..... this was around mile 5 and she was giving the thumbs up on how she was feeling!!!

In one of the neighborhoods that we ran through, someone had this sign that they were letting people stop and take pictures...... there was a small line for this! 

Not sure what mile the picture below was taken at, but I know is was in the first half of the half marathon...... I have been known to take selfies during races..... not all the time, but hey... I write a blog... I need pics!!!!! Maybe, if my blog ever takes off, then I can pay someone to be along the course to take pics.... until then, I have to depend on my selfies!! LOL! :D

Motivating Signs

Along the course, there were several motivating signs!!!! Below, I believe, was the best sign on the course..... however, there were many signs that I didn't get a chance to read because there were so many!!! It was awesome!!!! There were spectators all along the course!!!! The community was AWESOME!!!!!

Another sign.........

Andddddddd, this little guy held a sign that if you touched it, it gave you power...... and, let me tell you, it really worked!!!!! I felt like super woman after touching it!!! LOL!!!!! But seriously, there was no way to pass up this cutie without touching the sign.... and, there were many other children along the way giving High-fives!!! IT WAS TOTALLY COOL! 

You never knew what you might see along the course........ never a dull moment.....

Elvis was even on the course!!!! This guy had a belt holding a radio that was playing Elvis music.... he was doing the Galloway method of the walk/run technique and belting out Elvis songs!! It was GREAT! Oh, and of course, she was decked out in PINK too!!!! I wondered.... when he made it to the end of the course, when the runners cross the mat that allows the announcers know who is crossing.... did the announcer say, "ELVIS HAS LEFT THE COURSE!!!" ........ just wondering. 

Below, was a guy that I saw.... wanted to snap a pic, but then again, I didn't want to seem creepy..... well, I was able to get a pic anyway when I saw this picture on Instagram!!!! :)

Below are pictures from he course..... these are only a few.... literally, all the neighborhoods decorated for the half marathon!!! I am telling you.... this event had crazy community support!!! It was truly AWESOME!!!!! Cars in driveways were decorated.... streamers hanging..... balloons everywhere..... 

To read the recap on the event's web page, follow the LINK HERE!!!

Well, I need to run..... I have a 7 year old wanting to go outside before it gets too dark....... sorry for any typos or grammar errors..... no proof reading on this post......... UNTIL LATER!!!!!!

P.S. THIS HAS TO BE ONE OF MY MOST FUN HALF MARATHONS!!!! WILL DEFINITELY CONSIDER IN THE FUTURE!!!! 

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Ever have a race cause emotions you weren't expecting?

Were you at the Donna Marathon weekend? Do tell? Share pics if you like...... you can email them to me

Best race sign you have ever read?

More about Tallahassee Half marathon

Race Prediction

So, predicting my race times prior to a race has started to be a family tradition........Below, are the predicted time from my son, husband, and myself. Andddddddd, the winner is my son!!!!! He guessed 1:48:00 which was the closest without going over....... my official race time turned out to be 1:48:59!!!!!

I was only exactly one minute off from my final time!!! My husband CLEARLY has a WHOLE lot of faith in me....... I am not sure that I will ever be able to see 1:46 on the clock!! LOL! :D 

The Expo

Of course, I had to take advantage of the photo op against the race back drop at the expo............

Below is my friend Arlene........ she was brave enough to tackle the hills of Tallahassee with me again this year!!! :)

One cool thing was the "Kid Marathon" that took place the day of the expo...... Arlene and I (without even knowing) ended up with front row seats to watch the Kid marathon from the deck of an Italian restaurant that we ate lunch at.....

Below are two videos of the kid marathon...... I so need to bring my son next year!!! He will have a blast..... the kid marathon is just over a mile.......... Love the one video where you can hear "Eye of the Tiger" playing in the background...... the fraternity house right next to the restaurant was playing music and cheering on the runners!!!

Definitely a "kid friendly" event...... there were bounce houses at the expo.......

Tents at the expo.......

Hills EVERYWHERE

I had to take the picture below..... seriously, Tallahassee is hilly course..... actually, I really think the hills could be classified as MOUNTAINS!!!! I mean, check out this photo.... the hill is so steep that it appears to be a cliff!!!!! :()

This past weekend was AWESOME!!!!! I am still blown away from my PR (personal record)!! I can not believe that I pulled out 1:48:59!!  I don't know where the legs that showed up to the starting line came from, but I am sure happy they did!!!!! I have been taking my training really seriously..... trying to adhere to the training plan and not doing what I think is best............ 

Well, gotta help my son with homework.... UNTIL LATER!!!!!! 

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What do you look forward to at expos? Merchandise? Massages? Food? Do tell........

Do you have kids that participate in kid events?

What is your favorite half marathon or full marathon? 

Tallahassee Half Marathon recap: Hill, after hill, after hill, after hill.....

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, Tallahassee!!!!!!!!!! You never disappoint!!!!

The Tallahassee half marathon is one of my all time FAVORITES... see, ever since I started running the Tallahassee half, I have PR'D every single time!!!!! (for non-runners "pr" means "personal record")

Above...... my race bib, medal, and t-shirt (love the color).

Half Marathon Breakdown

Okayyyyyyy, let's get to business..... the run breakdown!!! 

To begin with.... I needed to warm up, therefore, I performed a one mile warm up prior to the race (pace 12:14 pace). I hit the roads of downtown Tallahassee at around 6:30. It was a stop and go kind of warm up with needing to stop almost every block for traffic.... was kinda neat to scope out the starting line and see people gathering already.

*****Half marathon break down: Again, per garmin and not official time.... 13.11 miles at 1:49:02 with average pace 8:19

Mile 1- 8:08

Mile 2- 8:01

Mile 3- 7:55

Mile 4- 8:01

Mile 5- 8:09

Mile 6- 8:17

Mile 7- 7:53

Mile 8- 8:26

Mile 9- 8:20

Mile 10- 8:37 ( there is a hill that is so steep that I actually walked a bit.... A steep hill!!! I had heard that part of the course had been re-routed..... was REALLY, REALLY, REALLY hoping that the re-route went around this hill!!!! This is a hill that stayed in my memory from last year!)

Mile 11- 9:24 ( mile 11 with elevation/hill-- legs were spent from mile 10 hill. I did check with other runners and Mile 11 was their slowest)

Mile 12- 8:06

Mile 13 8:55 (mostly an up hill finish!!! I swung my arms and pushed, but amazing felt pretty good. Last 0.15  was steep down hill- thank goodness)

ALL SMILES and RELIEVED to be D-O-N-E

Here I am after completing the half marathon..... NOTHING like stopping some random stranger to take a picture!!! HA! HA! But, I NEEDED a picture prior to getting a shower!!! LOL!!! Had to document this half for sure! :D

Tattooing to stay on track

At the Expo, the event organizers were giving out these goal time tattoos.... I snatched up one. Just the day prior, a friend of mine sent me a text picture of a timing tattoo that she found in one of her old race bags...... so, when I saw these at the expo, I decided to pick one up! The fact that they were free was even better!!!!! I wasn't 100% sure that I was going to use one, but the morning of race, I said.... "What the heck?!" I mean, at least I would have it available in case I wanted to check. I actually really liked this!!! I think I might have looked at it about 4 different times "to see" how I was doing........ See, my half goal for some time has been to sub 1:50:00; however, today, I was really focusing on getting a pr for course only..........but, when first 4 miles went well, I knew I had to "seize the day." 

Always good to have friends there

Below, my friends Arlene and Angel...and Angel's boyfriend too!!! Always so fun to have familiar faces at an event!!!! Something about sharing with people you know! Arlene (on left) PR'd the heck out of this race by like 16-20 minutes!!!! This was Angel's first half and she did AMAZING!!!! And, with it being her first, she PR'D too!!! :)

Below...... Arlene and I...... I had to make a quick change to get sweaty wet clothes off!!! It was some what chilly, and getting out of those clothes as soon as possible was a must!!

Secret to a GREAT RACE DAY

Below is a ring that my 7-year-old son gave me a couple days ago.... he actually found it on the ground....LOL.... he told me that if I wore it during my race that I would do "GREAT!" It looked to be one of those rings that are handed out at a birthday party as a party saver gift.... lol.... nothing fancy... the back of the ring wasn't even solid. But, as I was packing, my son reminded me to make sure I wore the ring!!! LOL!!! And, when your son does such a sweet gesture, you must wear! I honestly didn't know if I'd be able to wear it the entire time.... heck, I didn't even think that the ring would even stay on!!! LOL!! But, you know what?!!! The ring stayed on like a champ, and I hardly was aware that it was there!!!!! And, I think it brought me enough luck and magic to achieve a pr!!!! No, of course it isn't magical, but each time I looked at it during the race, thoughts of my son motivated me!!! 

Well, I have had a long day...... still need to unpack and get ready for the week. Tomorrow is my long day with walk in clinic until 7pm; therefore, I need to sign off.... will try hard to get another post up this week talking more about the Tallahassee Marathon weekend. I have videos that I want to share too! So, more soon!!!!! BUT, BEFORE I GO, THANK YOU TO ALL THOSE WHO SUPPORT ME ON MY JOURNEY!!! Whether you follow my instagram, Facebook page, email subscribe to my blog, text me positive vibes, email me encouraging words, or message me on Facebook......... I CAN NOT THANK YOU ENOUGH!!!! Seriously, throughout the entire 13 miles today, I thought of you all!!! You guys ROCK!!!!

Ok, so UNTIL LATER.......... 

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Were you at the Tallahassee half/marathon this weekend? Or race else where?

Any new PRs? 

Ever had something special given to you that gave you that extra little motivation that you needed to "push" toward goals? I adore this ring... no, it isn't expensive or great quality, but I will always keep it! And, most likely wear it from now on!!!! :)

Back to Blogging, and Let's Talk Tapering..... gaining focus

A LONG BREAK

Hellooooooooooooooooo............ OH MY GOODNESS, has it really been since December 4th since my last blog post?!!!!!!! I took some time off from blogging mainly to see if I really wanted to even continue blogging. I mean, I enjoy it..... I actually LOVE writing, but then I was wondering if the time it takes to write posts was justifiable. I mean, I already have a busy, hectic life with working full time, being a wife/mother, keeping up with training and getting runs in, etc. A blog post takes about 1 hour from start to finish ....... obtaining pics to download is probably the hardest part! Seriously, you have to make sure to capture things in the day or during a run/race that you will later want to write about. If this blog were just words, without pics to kinda back up the words, how dull would that be?!!!!!!! So, yes, although it may seem like I am a selfie queen or a craze picture person, I have justifiable reason---HA!HA!HA! Well, at least that is what I am claiming!!..... 

Seriously, it is hard sometimes to take a selfie if you don't have a runner friend or anyone to snap a shot..... see below!!! I am telling you, the struggle is REAL! 

Why to keep blogging????...... the emails that I receive from people who have said that my blog has either motivated them to start running, get back to running, or keep running gives good reason to keep on blogging........ the amazing thing is that these emails are usually not from people I know...... NO!!! I am no expert or a real seasoned runner.... heck, I started just 4 years ago at the age of 40!!!!! But, if there is one thing for certain............ If I can do this, ANYONE surely can!!!!!! Ok, let's move on!!!! :D

No Blogging, but have been running

My current training plan has been focusing on a half marathon in March....... focus was on running a sub 1:50:00 half marathon. However, as with best made plans, things can change. I am registered to run the Tallahassee Half Marathon this next Sunday!!!! I have ran this race for the last 2 years. It is one of my favorite races even with the fact that the course was changed last year to a hill after hill course. Each year, this course has set a half marathon PR for me with last year's time 1:56:42. I have since pr'd in October for a half at the Zooma half in Florida at 1:54:24. About a week ago, I decided that I DID NOT want to use Tallahassee for just a regular long run. I expressed this to the coach and decision was made to start taper mode. YES, perhaps this is NOT a course that I will be able to pull out a sub 1:50:00, but if I could simply PR from my last year's time, I'd be good with that!!!! And, YES, perhaps I am sacrificing a great race at Albany in March........but, if the stars align this next Sunday, as they did last year....... I AM GOING FOR IT!!!!! I have decided that I will know within the first 3-5 miles whether I will have a good chance at a PR........ if things don't feel or look good, I will back off and slow.....then cruise to the finish. Then, focus will be on to Albany in March. If things do go well, and I do race the entire half marathon....... then, the following week after the half marathon, I will be in recovery mode and will consult with the coach that designs my plan on how to get back to training for Albany which may simply be a training type run. I plan to be smart about things.... no time for injury!!! I NEEEEEEEEEED running in my life. I do not want to compromise being able to run! Seriously, I run about 35-36 miles a week for good reason...... reduce stress and to stay sane!!!! Otherwise, I'd be more uptight than I already am...... Ha! hahahahahaha! HA! :D

BELOW, are pics from me coming in last year at the Tallahassee Half Marathon.... I could NOT believe that I had sub 2:00:00 a half marathon..... that had been my goal that day.... a goal that was set at the beginning of the race.... one that probably should have been made weeks prior.... I was in the middle of full marathon training, and I was suppose to run this half that day at around 2:15:00...... oops... oh well......  

Taper Mode

Ahhhhhhhhhh, taper mode! Should be an exciting and relaxing time, right? I mean, mileage is decreased by 20%...........less running should bring feelings of relief, right? First of all, TAPER mode, as every runner knows, is extremely important!!! Last year, I DID NOT DO THIS!!! I was in the middle of training for a full marathon that I was to run the following month. Tallahassee was to be "just a regular long run." I was NOT to race it!!!! Wellllllll, that was until the morning of the race and I felt great, the weather was perfect, my legs showed up race day, there were fellow runners from my home town there......... yes, it was a "seize the day" kind of day!!!!! NOT SMART! I DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS!!!!!!! This year I was avoiding this by starting taper for "just in case." 

Taper is kinda big deal!! A must!!!!! This is when tissue damage is repaired and glycogen stores are restored. Mileage in training basically causes a continued fatigue state....... a state not to be raced in!!! Therefore, you taper to rest and get ready to race! If you have trained properly, you have DONE ALL THE WORK you needed to do........ your deposit to the bank (so to speak) has been made! There is nothing in the 2 weeks preceding the race that you can do to make any difference!! Your mileage decreases by about 20% and your training should now be focused on resting up!!! That includes running easy, eating well, getting enough sleep, and getting your mind right for race day!!!!!!!! 

Taper can bring doubt!!! You must fight doubt off!!!! Your mind will play tricks on you by second guessing your training: Did i make the most of my training runs, did I do enough, should I have performed more strength training, should I have performed more speed work/tempo runs, is it realistic that I can meet my goal time, will my legs show up race day............... YOU MUST KEEP THE MIND STRONG!!!! IGNORE these thoughts! (As I write this, I am reminding my own self about this)........ the mind is a powerful thing, and it is the main reason either one succeeds or fails! If you must, distract yourself from these thoughts by doing other things...... for instance, I cleaned today!! LOL!!! My house suffers due to my running.... but, bring on taper, and the house gets cleaned!!! HA! HA! Well, and the fact that I am back to blogging!! The blog suffered too! LOL!!! But, seriously, you can read, make a craft, etc........ Just know, the work has been done!!!! 

Well, I will try to update blog at least 3 times a week..... that is my goal, if not, I will catch up on weekend. But, I will try to do better...... that is unless life gets too crazy!!! I appreciate you all!!! Have a great rest of the weekend! 

UNTIL LATER!!! XOXOXO

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Are you training for a race coming up? Do tell!!!!

Fellow bloggers, tips on getting the perfect photos? How do you do it? The selfie stick was a fail for me! Broke 2 and I hardly remember to bring it anywhere! 

Taper mode...... how do you cope?