It'll All Be Worth it at Week 18!

Boston Store Visitor Center on the Towpath.
Courtesy of NPS.GOV.

One word: WHEW! Did my 14-mile run this morning/afternoon... I decided it would be nice to sleep into 9:30 AM this morning, the most I've gotten to sleep in forever! Well, maybe that wasn't the greatest of ideas! HAHA I decided to take Blake out to the Towpath out by Boston Mills where I ran with the Grunt Girls last weekend. That was about a 20-minute drive or so, by the time we got out the door and to the towpath it was already close to 11 AM.... The first couple of miles felt good! We ran five miles one way and back and then another two miles out the other way for a total of 14 miles. I followed instructions from an Active.com article titled, "The Pre-Race Meal,"  I came across where it said to drink about eight ounces of a sports drink about 30 minutes before a long-distance run and to eat little something. So, I had half of a whole wheat bagel and about eight oz. of Gatorade G2. Now, my legs felt GREAT and I felt GREAT, however, my mouth was dry as heck! We filled up Blake's water backpack with Gatorade and sipped on that every 2-3 miles. I don't know if it was the sodium in the Gatorade, but no matter how much I drank I had the worse dry mouth ever! Another factor could be my medication, Celexa, which may cause dry mouth... Either way, it slowed me down because all I wanted to do was DRINK DRINK DRINK! Afterwards I felt a little queasy and could barely stand still... After about five minutes though I felt fine, just still thirsty since we drank all of the Gatorade.

All in all, it really wasn't that bad of a ran today. I wish we would have gone a lot earlier to beat some of the heat. But, there was LOTS of shade on the Towpath and a pretty nice breeze. The last four miles I stripped my top off, which isn't usual for me because I feel very self-conscious about my stomach... =-/ But, boy did it feel good to run in a sports bra! :) Minus the dry mouth, it was a good run! Towards mile 11, I was thinking, "Damn, I am barely half way to 26.2! How am I going to do this in a couple months?" But, I just tell myself that I need to gradually increase my mileage and 14 miles will be a breeze! Shoot, a couple years ago I thought I'd never even run a half marathon and that more than five miles was a lot! Sometimes I even ask myself, why the hell am I doing this? Well, because I LOVE it, the good and the bad. The pain and the victory. I may complain after a 14-mile run, may even be a little cranky (ask Blake haha), but to me it's the best thing I can do for my body and mind. :)

Mango, Pineapple and Banana Smoothie!!

OH! Blake and I made some pretty awesome smoothies last night! Maybe even the best ones we've made so far! We used some frozen pineapple and mangoes with bananas, honey and yogurt. AMAZING! Also, for dinner last night we loaded up on carbs with chicken, broccoli, carrots and cauliflower on top of pasta with cream of celery for the sauce. Not too bad.

After the run today I refueled on Diet Arizona Green Tea with a PB&J on whole wheat bread with low-fat Activia yogurt and a banana. :)

Now I'm just going to finish  up my laundry and RELAX. These past couple of days have been nothing but running and driving around. I'm just going to rest my legs and relax for the rest of the day. :)

Stay FIT my friends!

Vacation Doesn't Mean No Running :-)

Our hotel!

Blake and I just got back from four days in Atlantic City, New Jersey. We stayed in the Taj Mahal, which is right in a casino. Unfortunately, we did not gamble... I wanted to, but we just didn't get around to it, even though we walked right through both casinos multiple times. The hotel was nice, minus the smoking in one of the casinos... BLAH! Our hotel was right on the boardwalk on the beach. Super nice! Each morning we woke up semi-early to go for a run on the boardwalk. In the evening the boardwalk is swarming with people, but it's nicer in the morning because it's mainly fitness walkers, runners and bikers.

Monday was the eight-hour drive to Atlantic City, so no running just driving and lots of walking once we got to the city since we got lost multiple times. Tuesday morning we ran four miles on the boardwalk at around 9:30 AM and BOY WAS IT HOT! Then we spent the rest of the day at the beach. :) Wednesday, another four miles and day at the beach. We were going to go to the Fitness Center early because if you go in before 8 AM you get in for free. There's a $20 fee for using the fitness center and pool after 8 AM, so I figured, "Man, this must be a nice fitness center!" Nope... It was shitty... Only two treadmills worked and they were very old. Only a couple bikes and elipticals. The machines were in pretty good shape, but there wasn't very many of them. So, we walked in and walked out! Off to the boardwalk we went! Thursday we only ran two miles since we had to check out of the hotel. So we ran to this nice little breakfast place. It was pretty nice running on the boardwalk, surprisingly. Except for, of course, those damn smokers! I would hold my breath as we ran post one and then take a big deep breath afterwards. I don't understand the appeal of smoking, to me it's the nastiest, most disgusting habit out there... I can go on a whole rant about smoking, so we won't go there.

Food-wise, not half bad! I'm always worried about vacations because that means I have to eat out everyday and I never know whether they'll have healthy options. Luckily, we used Blake's phone to check out what hotels were around and what was on their menus. One of my favorites was a place we ate Monday and Wednesday night for dinner, Pickles! Instead of biscuits or some kind of bread for an appetizer they give you a bowl of PICKLES!! NOM NOM NOM! I LOVE pickles!! I got the same thing both times too. Asian Chicken Salad (picture on the left)! It had grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, mandarin oranges, carrots and those skinny little white things (no it's not cheese) which I'm not too sure what they were but they were good!

Pickles at Pickles!!

Tuesday night for dinner we ate at a Ruby Tuesday and I got the white bean chicken chili and salad bar. For lunch we ate at this little deli where I got a turkey sandwich on wheat with PICKLES and cantaloupe. We also ate at the Rainforest Cafe where I had their Tuscan Chicken, red mashed potatoes and zucchini. Then on our home yesterday we ate at a stop on the turnpike where I got a side salad and some strawberries.

For Breakfast each day: Monday I ate at home - wheat bagel with peanut butter and banana; Tuesday - no breakfast, we ate lunch at 11 AM; Wednesday -  wheat bagel with peanut butter and banana; Thursday - we ate at a restaurant after our run where I got scrambled eggs with wheat toast and orange juice.

Not too bad considering we ate out every night! I didn't feel bloated or gross after I ate out. We also did A LOT of walking. It really helped having Blake's phone to check out the restaurants before going to them. Also, Atlantic City has a pretty good selection of restaurants with healthier options.

OH! Blake and I also got massages! We went to a little place on the boardwalk where we both got a massage for 45 minutes! It was pretty nice... I was kind of nervous because the two ladies didn't speak much English at all and I think they told us to strip down naked and then left the room, but I wasn't 100% sure that's what they said. So I stripped down to my underwear and bra and ran to the table to put the towel over myself. Once the ladies came in my lady unstrapped my bra... I think I was supposed to be nakie!! I guess that's what they do in the movies, right? Oh well! Anyways, it was slightly awkward, not only because they couldn't speak English and were talking and laughing to each other most of the time but also because she kept touching my behind! I kept my underwear on as I mentioned earlier, but she pushed my underwear up and into my cheeks like giving me a wedgie! YIKES! Then she massaged my whole backside. Don't get my wrong, it felt great, but I just felt strange having a stranger see and touch my butt and whole body... It felt great on my calves after running too! The ladies were super nice too! They both gave Blake and I a hug afterwards and said how nice we were and that he was handsome and I was beautiful. -lol-

I had a really good time overall. Eight hours of driving wasn't my favorite though.

Anyways, just got back from showering from a 5-mile run with Blake. We split up the seven-mile run I was supposed to run yesterday into two yesterday and five today. Fourteen miles on Sunday! WOOT!

Until then, stay FIT my friends! :)

Six Weeks of Training Down, New Friends and Cycling

IT'S SUNDAY!! WEEEEEE!! This morning I FINALLY ran with the Grunt Girls! I met up with a few of them at the Boston Mills Store on the Towpath, which was supposed to be at 8:00 AM, but I didn't get there until a quarter after because as usual I got lost... If you know me, you know that I am directional challenged... But, I made it and ran nine miles with some awesome ladies!! The trails were beautiful and it was nice to run with some females for once. We talked and got to know each other. That's one of the best parts of running with new people - learning about them and finding common interests. It makes the time go by soooooooooooooooo much faster!

The last mile I was struggling though... No matter how far I'm running, the last mile always gets me! But thanks to Christa I was able to keep pushing! I wanted to say "Hey, can we walk?" but with Christa's cheerful personality and optimism I didn't make one complaint. :) I really enjoyed it, minus the humidity... I was sweating profusely and was a dumb butt by wearing a heavy cotton t-shirt... Once we were done with the run though I stripped off my sweat-drenched shirt and threw it in the back seat for the drive home. I think I'm going to actually join the Grunt Girls! It'll be fun to have a group of girls to run and race with. :)

Yesterday Blake and I went on a 20-mile bike ride through Hudson and up through Seasons Road and 43. So, my booty was a little sore today, but what a great feeling that is! haha Then after our bike ride we went to PULP! NOM NOM! I got the usual, Asian Chicken Wrap on whole wheat and a small Anna Banana. For those of you who don't know or haven't been to Pulp (shame on you lol) an Anna Banana is a smoothie with pineapple juice, guava juice, low-fat yogurt, honey and of course BANANAS! SOOOO good! For dinner last night Blake and I had salmon burgers, corn-on-the-cob and fresh green beans (picture provided)! So good!

Well, while I'm writing this blog I'm also in the middle of getting ready to go to my dad's in PA so I better wrap things up. Tomorrow Blake and I are heading out to Atlantic City for four days! YAY!! Can't wait to run on the boardwalk and the beach! I will try to blog some on vacation, but we'll see how that goes. Until then, stay fit my friends! :)

Possible Reasons I Didn't Run the Full Last Year :-(

So I'm in the middle of the sixth week of training (WOO). I'm a little anxious about the next three weeks, because last year I gave up my marathon training at week nine! I ran 15 miles the week before and the day I was supposed to run 16, I just couldn't do it anymore. So, I called the Cleveland Marathon and told them I'd be downgrading to the half... Whomp whomp whomp......... That WILL NOT happen this year! Here are the factors that I believe played into me not completing my full marathon training...

1. I started training in the winter months and was in Bowling Green... Let's just say BG isn't the funnest place to run over 10 miles in.

2. I didn't have much motivation/support. Blake wasn't planning on running the full marathon in Cleveland and wasn't too thrilled about running that much. It really helps to have someone training with you. Now, Blake IS training for the marathon with me, plus I'll be joining the Grunt Girls, so I'll have TONS of support. Not to mention this blog. This is the main reason I started this blog - to vent about my training, get support and track my feelings and thoughts during the 18-month long process.

3. My body was just too exhausted. Maybe it was stress from school, poor nutrition or training, but I was so tired and sore ALL THE TIME. Hopefully more regular yoga and my early strength training will help my muscles from all the strain of road running. Plus, even though I already eat healthy, I'm trying to eat more carbohydrates and protein so my body can recover from those long runs.

Deena Kastor

4. TOO MUCH REPETITIVENESS! I only ran on roads and sidewalks, occasionally a treadmill. But, this time around I've been doing some trail running and plan to do more with the Grunt Girls. Trail running emphasizes different running skills, muscles and joints from your shoulders down. The ankles and knees really gain strength, but it also provides comfort from the hard pounding on the pavement, which can cause shin splints. Also, because of the unpredictability of the route, trail running improves your proprioception (the sense of balance and where the body is in space). According to Life Time Fitness, that's how American runner Deena Kastor won the bronze medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics Marathon. Therefore, MORE TRAIL RUNS!

This week's schedule looks like this: Monday I did upper body to give my legs a rest from the weekend's cardio workouts which included a 12-mile run on Saturday and a 10-mile bike on Sunday (my legs were KILLING me!). Tuesday was an easy three miles with some core work. Today was also an easy three miles, but Blake ran with me this morning. :) Tomorrow is going to be a six-mile pace workout. It's supposed to be 97 degrees tomorrow! YIKES! I'll have to get my run in early in the morning to beat the heat. Then I'll take a rest day Friday, Saturday hopefully a nice bike ride and then nine miles in the Peninsula with the Grunt Girls. :)

What Doesn't Kill You, Only Makes You Stronger!

Today was a tough long run... Blake and I ran 12 miles through the Metro Parks. We started off at the Route 8 entrance to change it up. We went out a little over four miles one way, went on the road a little and then headed back and ran the other way for a little less than two miles so I had to run back the way we started off a little further. I don't know if it was from running a lot in the sun or because I was hungry, but those 12 miles were hard, real hard! The first seven miles or so weren't too bad, but the last 3-4 miles really killed me. I had to slow down, stop to drink a lot, but I didn't give up. I just had to keep telling my self that there wasn't too much further to go and how good it'll feel afterwards to have ran the whole 12 miles instead of giving up. That's to me is more painful than any sore muscles - giving up and not trying my best. The pain in my legs will eventually go away, but the defeat and failure to finish will always be on my mind. Besides, 12 miles isn't even half of what I'll be running in October! I kept thinking, wow, can I really do 26.2 miles? I can barely finish this 12! Well, I'm still building on to my mileage and I know it'll get easier as I build up. I WILL NOT quit this time! I won't be making that phone call to the Columbus Marathon saying I'm switching to the HALF marathon like I did last year for the Cleveland...  I MUST complete 26.2 miles, even if it is only that one time on October 16.

Anyways, it was mainly my quadriceps that were killing me. I was breathing fine and everything else felt great, expect for my quads...  The last mile and a half Blake said he couldn't feel his legs anymore and didn't want to run in the sun so he stopped to go back to the car for a little bit as I kept going. When I ran back he ran the last quarter mile with me. Afterwards I felt sick to my stomach and thought I was going to keel over and/or throw up. I felt like I was going to throw up last weekend too when I ran the 11 miles, but not like today...

I do feel better now that I ate though. I had a PB&J on whole wheat bread with carrot sticks and a banana and green tea. I'm wondering if I should have had more than a half of a banana before I ran this morning? We didn't run until around 9:30 AM so I'm usually starving by then. Next weekend is nine miles, so I think I'll try eating something like a Luna Bar or something to see if I have more energy. That's what I'm thinking was wrong with me today - not enough energy. I felt very sluggish the last few miles and we ran out of water. =-/

Tomorrow I think Blake and I are going to go on a bike ride. I'm also just waiting on Blake now and we're going to go SWIMMING! I haven't gone swimming since last summer... It'll be good to get some sun (yes, I will be wearing sunscreen, my fellow wellness buddies :) ) and I'm sure my legs will love it too!

Sorry, no pictures today in this post... Lame, I know! Until next time, stay fit my friends! :)

Running on a Team?

So, I'm thinking about joining Grunt Girls, which is Northeast Ohio's only all-women-multisport team. Grunt Girl Racing provides training and support for a whole bunch of different races from 5K's to trail running, marathons, duathlons, triathlons, etc. My neighbor down the street is in the group and loves it! I've been thinking about joining for a couple months now, just haven't got the guts to meet the girls and start running... I've e-mailed back and forth a couple of the members already. They were very encouraging and friendly. I think it would be awesome to be part of something so positive and to be around a bunch of like-minded girls. Plus, I'd like to better myself in racing and explore some of the other races I haven't done yet. Not that I'm getting bored with what I'm currently doing, but it'll be nice to change things up a bit and get a little more competitive. As I mentioned before, my next goal is to do a Half IronMan, but I think before that I'd like to PR in a 5K and hopefully place in the top three females OVERALL, not just in my age group. I've been doing so much long-distance training that I don't really focus on speed work. Especially in my marathon training, there's no speed work at all! Training with the Grunt Girls can help me with that. Plus a lot of these girls have more experience than me, so I can learn from them.

Courtesy of Grunt Girls Racing.

I know one thing for sure, I'll be running in the Grunt Girls' annual Shatter the Silence Trail Run on August 18! It is seven miles through the trails of the Peninsula. A few of the girls in GGR were sexually assaulted and organized this race. Survivors of sexual assault are asked to wear purple the day of the race. How empowering! That takes a lot of courage to do that and I respect each and every one of them for it. The next time they have a trail run I plan on meeting them and running. I'll let ya'll know how it goes of course! :)

Speaking of training, this morning was an easy three-miler and Wednesday was six miles. I ran up a lot of hills over the past two days, so I'm a little sore... Tomorrow is a rest day and I think I'll take advantage of it! I may do some arms and core work, but nothing too much. Saturday is a 12-mile run and it's supposed to be pretty toasty out, so it'll be another early morning Saturday!

Until then, stay fit my friends! :)

Talking to HS Girls About Running and My Own Regrets

So, today I spoke to the Streetsboro High School Cross Country Girls about running and nutrition. Man, was if weird going down the halls of my old high school... So many good and bad memories. I didn't recognize one face in that classroom I've sat in so many times, except one - my old high school teacher/coach, Mr. Kidd. Kidd is the track/cross country girls coach at SHS and he asked me last week to come speak to his girls. I felt so honored! He is the one that really got me into running. I only ran one year of track with Kidd my senior year, which I wish would have been four! But, I'll get into more of that later.

The girls were great! Some of them looked like they were nodding off or were giggling to their friends, but that's what I expected after they had a long day of running. I was pretty nervous going into it. I mainly talked about running and nutrition; what they should be eating, tips on how to pick out the right foods for their bodies, my experiences as a runner outside of high school and I ended with a talk about eating disorders. I brought up my story and how important it is to talk to their friends, parents, coaches, doctors and teachers if they ever develop/have or know someone with an eating disorder. I was kind of winging it, so I really didn't have a speech prepared or anything. So, afterwards I felt like there were a few things I should have mentioned - like signs of an eating disorder and the side effects. Luckily, Kidd said he'd like to have me come back to talk to the kids about nutrition. Of course I said YES! This is what I LOVE to do, educate and raise awareness to others on health and wellness. I'm just so passionate about all wellness topics that I get so excited! =-D

Another thing I brought up to the girls and even told Kidd on the side was that I really wish I would have ran cross country and track throughout my four years of high school... Soccer was fun and all, but let's face it, WE SUCKED! When I played, we only tied like TWO games... I met some awesome girls and was still running, but not to my potential. Softball on the other hand, I could have done without that! We really didn't do much running or physical conditioning at all, expect for the beginning of the season. Plus, I really wasn't the greatest at it - probably because it really didn't interest me all that much. I really only did it because it was something to do and my parents got me into it when I was younger so I felt as though I had to... Plus, I felt embarrassed to go out for the cross or track team when I was younger. I didn't want people watching me run! I didn't even like running all that much when I was younger and couldn't imagine running more than three miles! Oh, silly young Colleen... :)

Me running the 2-mile senior year. I'm the second one from the front.

Luckily, I decided my senior year of high school to say, "Screw softball! I'm running track!" And I did, and fell in love with it! I mean, don't get me wrong, it was TOUGH! But, I was in the best shape of my life and actually was a pretty good runner! Coach Kidd really got me into it! He'd asked me for a couple years to join cross, but I was too in love with soccer... I could have done both, but that would have been tough! I know everything happens for a reason, but I can only imagine all the opportunities and how much fitter I would have been then and now if I would have ran...

Me, Coach Kidd and my BFF Courtney track senior year.

If I could go back in time and change one thing, it would definitely be to have done cross and track in high school... That was one thing Kidd wanted me to touch on, my regrets for not running all four years. Not because he wanted the girls to stick with the sport for his own personal benefit, but for the girls' benefit. He wants to help them with their own fitness and set them up for a lifetime of fitness, not just in high school. And I think that's great! We need more teachers and coaches like Robb Kidd! More teachers and coaches who educate their students on nutrition and fitness, even if they are a history teacher. To want their players and students to benefit from the sport for themselves and incorporate what they learned through sports into their everyday lives as adults too. Too many coaches just want to WIN WIN WIN. That's not what you want to instill in our future, you want to instill confidence and educate them on what will be beneficial for them, not just the team.

So, even though I do indeed wish I would have ran in high school, I try to take an optimistic approach. Instead of "regretting" those three and a half years without running as a sport, I'm thankful for that season of track that changed my life and for the coach who changed my perspective on running and built my love for what I do or think of just about everyday. :)

All that matters is that I am running NOW. I know so many people who back in high school were great athletes and runners, yet they don't do much of anything now. That's what matters. To be an athlete for LIFE, not just high school... Of course, it's important for kids to be active, it helps aid them in their healthand future fitness. But, if you don't continue with that activity level throughout your 20's, 30's, 40's and beyond, you're really not doing anything for yourself. I don't see running as a chore. It's a sport, activity, competition for most - but to me, I see it as a lifestyle. I can't imagine my life without running in it. It's what I look forward to! The early morning runs, the races, the medals and trophies, the amazing sore feeling after a good workout and of course that runner's high. I love every minute of it, the pain to the victory. It's all the same to me - it's all part of my lifestyle.

Chicken tacos!!

Well, getting ready now to eat some chicken tacos I made! Nom nom!


Stay fit my friends! :)

I Love Sundays!

Hello! Today is my favorite day of the week - SUNDAY! It may seem like an odd day to be one's favorite, but to me it's the most relaxing one of them all. Sundays are usually my long-run days, which also makes it my favorite. Some people probably don't look forward to Sundays because it's the day before the work week starts again and they feel as though they HAVE to go to church. Well, my church includes a pair of running shoes, iPod and the road. I feel as though God would want you to be doing something good for your body and mind, not just sitting around for an hour or so. But, that's just me. :)

So far today is a great Sunday. Got up around 6:30 AM to go on an 11-mile run with Blake at Silver Springs. The sun was out, it was in the 70's and there was a slight breeze. There were plenty of other runners, bikers and walkers out on the trail this morning too. I felt great the first 8-9 miles, then my hamstrings started to get sore. I haven't ran more than eight miles since May, so it was definitely a little bit of a challenge today. We ran between a 9:30-10 minute mile pace. It's not the fastest, but hey, we weren't racing. Just trying to get that 11 miles in. I also took some Creatine afterwords to see if it will help me with recovery since my legs are usually sore for a while after a long run.

After our run this morning I met up with a good friend, Dani, at Panera. I'm so glad we met at BGSU last year. She's such a great person and friend, and not to mention a fellow-runner. I really hope we become life-long friends. :)

In a little bit Blake and I are taking Noah and Max up to the Dog Park in Stow. Then grocery shopping later and probably relaxing and taking a nap. See, what a great Sunday! I got a lot of my favorite things in one day! Running, spending time with Blake, friends, dogs, NAPS, and food! YAY! Grocery shopping really isn't a chore to me - I kind of enjoy it in a strange way. Tonight I need to prepare more for tomorrow as well. My teacher/coach from high school asked me to come speak to his cross country girls tomorrow at 4:00. I'm really excited! I mean it's pretty much my future career - health promotion - and not to mention with my favorite subject: RUNNING! :) I'll let ya'll know how it goes.

Well, off to the Dog Park I go! Have a great Sunday and stay fit my friends!

Poop Talk for Runners

DISCLAIMER: This post may be a little inappropriate for some readers. If poop-talk makes you queasy, then you might want to stop after the first couple paragraphs. This shit is about to get real! :)

It's been a few days since I last posted! I've kinda had Blogger's Block. :(

This morning was a six-mile run. I saw lots of things this morning on my run around my neighborhood: a doe chilling in one of my neighbor's yards, a BLACK squirrel with a BROWN tail, and my chiropractor on his morning run (he actually lives right around the corner from me). Also, my Nike iPod tracks my progress as I run and I reached another 250 miles today! I'm at a total of 1,005.73 miles now. YAY! Unfortunately, Nike had Tiger Woods voice as the athlete who congratulated me on my milestone... (whomp, whomp...) =-/ 

I was supposed to wake up at 6:00 AM, but I laid in bed for a while and drifted off again so I didn't get out the door to run until around 6:30 AM by the time I got dressed and made my pre-run trip to the bathroom (you runners out there know what I'm talking about). This leads me to the theme of my post today, pre-run poops! :) 

Now, this blog post is probably not the most pleasant, but HEY, this isn't a cutie tootie, here's-how-my-day-went kind of blog. It's monitoring ALL my feelings and obstacles in preparing for this race. If you know me you know that I am VERY open and may share a little too much about my bowels and such. But, to me, it's really not that big of deal. I fart, poop, pee and so do you. So what's the big deal? Now begins the real poop talk... 

Why is it that before a run or even if I think about running I get that anxious feeling in my stomach and automatically have to go number two? Runner's anxiety! No matter how much I try to trick myself into believing that the race is no big deal or that I'm really not going on a run, it never fails... Not only do I make one bathroom trip, but two, three, four, five, MULTIPLE times! It doesn't matter what I eat the night before, I'm going to have to go and A LOT! However, I do notice that dairy the night before makes it even worse... Now, if I'm just getting up to go on a run by myself, no race, then once maybe twice before I head out the door, sometimes not at all until after my run if it's early enough.

But, before a race... My stomach feels like it has a million butterflies in it and they're tearing up my tummy! It's terrible... I'm not the only one either! I actually Googled "Why do runners poop so much before a run?" I got a lot of different blogs and Runner's World forums. Here's a good one: Poop Question.You should really check this out if you have the same issues I do. I was already aware of the fact that I am not alone with this issue. That's why there are always so many porter potties at the start line of races and lines for them each and every time. The Akron Marathon has blocks and blocks dedicated just to porter potties, yet you still have to wait in line for like a half hour! My first half marathon there was maybe 50 people, so it was a small one. We didn't start until like 10-15 minutes later than we were supposed to because so many people were still in line for the bathroom.

Some people hate porter potties and refuse to use them. Well, if you're a runner, you sometimes have no choice. Some races are near high schools or on universities, so you get to use their nice facilities. But, I'll take a porter potties over running when I have to go!

Sorry for the unpleasant talk... :)

This Saturday is 11 miles - the most I've ran since May 15 at the Cleveland Marathon. Should be interesting... So, until then... Stay fit my friends!

Fourth of July Run!

Happy Independence Day, everyone! Blake, Gary and I celebrated America's birthday with a 5K in Aurora this morning. The weather was perfect! I believe my time was about 24:20-something. I know I beat my time of 24:33 on Saturday. :) This morning's race was quite exciting/social. I saw my Chiropractor at the race, so we ran together while Blake sped ahead. I ran with him for the first mile and a half and then I picked it up. I ran across (literally) a girl who also just graduated from BGSU in May from Solon! We both recognized each other because we both lived in the same apartment complex as well. It was nice to have someone to talk to and stay at my pace. It's crazy how you run into people. She also ran in the Cleveland Half Marathon this year too. We were both saying we wish we would have talked when we were in school so we would have had a running buddy. No one ever wanted to run with me, especially at 6:00 AM... =-(

I didn't place this morning, but that's OK! Blake got third in his age group though! YAY! The shirts this year were so much nicer than the cotton ones they normally have. It's made out of that wicking material. I should have gotten a child's large or something though... The adult small is too big on me! Oh well, still a good looking shirt. :)







Now I'm just waiting for my dad to come pick my sister Lindsey and I up to go to the Aurora festival, maybe go to the movies and then watch fireworks tonight. :)

Tomorrow is going to be a six-mile pace run. Hopefully I won't be too sore.

Have a safe and HAPPY Fourth of July!

July 4th 5Ks and My Future Running Buddy

Just got back from the Tree City 5K Run for United Way of Portage County in Kent with Blake and his Dad, Gary. Boy, was it a hot one! The race started at 7:00 PM and we had to get there by 5:30 PM for a bus to take us from the finish line to the starting line at Dix Stadium at Kent State. I was supposed to run six miles today, according to my training plan. But, according to my body, five miles was good enough. I ran two miles about an hour before the race around the stadium, it may or may not have been a good idea. All I know is that I felt like shit during the race!

I'm not a night runner, I'm an early morning runner. I would have much rather had the race at 7 AM than PM...Adjusting my meal schedule was kind of hectic and I don't think I planned it out too well... I woke up this morning around 8ish and decided not to eat until around 11 am so I wouldn't be starving before the race and have like a snack or something later. That didn't work out too well. Blake and I went to Pulp for a wrap and smoothies around 11:30 this morning (I got an Anna Banana smoothie and an Asian Chicken wrap on wheat - NOM NOM), went to the Post Office (I'll explain why later) and then went home. At around 4:30 this evening we had PB&J's and I had some yogurt and a banana... I think the yogurt wasn't the smartest idea, or maybe just the meal itself... I kept getting cramps during the race and towards the last mile, I felt sick to my stomach. I mean, it was also around 80 degrees and humid so that may have played a role in it as well. I did, however, run a 24:32. Which isn't too bad considering all the hills through Kent's campus, the heat and my stomach. That's around an eight-minute mile pace. I also placed second in my age group. The awards weren't the greatest, a glass that says Age Group Winner on the back... What ever happened to giving out trophies or medals? At my last Duathlon in Twinsburg they gave me a picture frame for placing first... I just want a trophy, damn it! :)

My 2nd Place "trophy"

Anyways... Back to why I went to the post office today. If you've been keeping up with my recent Facebook posts you'd know that I'm getting my vizsla! I found a breeder in Hillboro, Ohio (about three hours from Streetsboro) who just had a litter about two weeks ago. I already contacted the breeder by phone and e-mail. She asks for a $100 deposit, so that's what I went to the Post Office for. I'm so excited! The pups aren't champion-line because the breeder doesn't have time to do shows and raises them more as family dogs, so they're cheaper than most breeder sell them for. I'll hopefully be getting a male puppy and name him Miles. For obvious reasons. :) If not, I'll get a female and name her Autumn. Either way, I'll have my vizsla and be so happy. The puppies won't be available until August 12, so it gives me some time to prepare for the little guy (or girl). I'm a little nervous, especially since I'll be starting graduate school here on August 29 at KSU and I may become overwhelmed with everything, but it'll all be worth it. :)

One of these lil' guys will be mine! 

Monday is the Fourth of July! That means the Aurora Fourth of July 5K Fun Run in the AM. :) Speaking of the fourth... Blake's neighbors are setting off fireworks and I haven't even showered yet! Better ready before I miss the whole show!

Have a SAFE and HAPPY Fourth of July Weekend!