Run Around

So this week I official switched up my schedule. I ran 3 miles on Monday, then did Tae Kwondo on Tuesday and then 2 miles today. I feel like this was the best decision I could have made. Monday's run was really nice because I rested on Sunday and by Monday morning I was ready to run again and get loose. It was beyond muggy outside. But the run went fairly smoothly and I was happy that I wasn't having trouble getting started.

Tae Kwondo yesterday was sooo much better than it had been when I was doing it on the same days as my running. I was able to work so much harder and put more effort and concentration into what I was doing. I feel like I got a better training. On top of Tae Kwondo, last night I also took a pole dancing class with my girlfriends. It was so much fun! I have lots of bruises now, but it was totally worth it. While it does take a lot of upper body strength, it is a lot about how you hold the pole and position yourself. For anyone that has ever been even slightly interested, I highly encourage you try it. I'm now tempted to get regular lessons, and I wasn't sure I even wanted to take the class in the first place.

Today's run was fun because it rained last night so the air wasn't suffocating me and.... wait for it.... ATREYU came with me!!! It was a short 2 mile run so I figured I would get him some exercise even though he usually hates going more than a mile. Although, today, he slowed down after the first mile and ran behind me for the second, but he didn't just sit down and quit. Then once we walked into the condo he took off in a dead sprint around the whole place and had 10 minutes of run around time. He is such a little faker. Slowing down for the second mile when he obviously had tons of energy to spare. Anyway, we had a really great time together this morning.

10 miles is on Saturday with TNT. I know I can conquer it after the 12 last Saturday. Thanks for keeping up with me! Tell everyone you know to follow me and help fight to cure blood cancers!!!

I said... BRRRR, It's cold in here!

Saturday was my first 12 mile run. The milage is starting to get bigger/longer. It was a really good run though. Sarah and I ran almost all of it together, and Donny ran the first half of it with us too. My pace and breathing was really regular. Towards the end my legs felt really heavy and I had to try really hard to keep myself going, but I think that was more mental than anything else. While most people get a rush toward the end (like Sarah) and go faster, I struggle towards the end because my body realizes it is almost time to stop and starts trying to stop.

Sarah took off about 2 miles from the finish and I fell behind, so I was super surprised to find her walking about half a mile from the finish. When I realized that she was helping a fellow teammate who was having trouble I stopped and helped too. Our mentor ran ahead to get her car and drive our teammate the rest of the way back. While I kept wanting to keep running and finish, I realized that this moment was what team in training was really about. It is about being there for each other and working together as a team. After we got our teammate into our mentor's car, Sarah and I took off at a fast pace for the last quarter of a mile. It felt good at the end to just race like that.

On the way home I swung by Walmart to pick up a bag of ice for my first ice bath. That's right, you read me right, I said ice bath. I got out my laundry basket, filled it with cold water and then poured in the bag of ice and then myself. I called my sister first to have someone take my mind off how cold I was, but she didn't answer. After a few other calls I get a hold of my mother who is with my sister. Instead of getting support and a nice conversation through the serious cold, I got screamed at. I had called to get talked through it and instead they spent the whole time trying to talk me out of it. I was very frustrated. But in the end, the ice bath really helped because normally I am really sore the next morning, but I wasn't really sore at all this morning.

I am really proud of yesterday's run and I know I can conquer this marathon. I am starting to get super excited. We will see what I am saying after the 20 mile run. Keep following along and telling others! Please continue helping me raise money to fight blood cancers.