Catching up

     I realized it's been a while since I've posted anything, and I have been quite busy this past month!  I've done several 5K events, including two 5K events in one day.  I did the Mobile Loaves and Fishes run the morning on June 23rd, and in the evening I did the Keep Austin Weird 5K.  Boy was it hot!  Running on the streets of Austin, on the blacktop, when it was 100 degrees...but I had a blast, I got to dress weird, and I had a good time.

My sister-in-law did this run with me, and my daughter came down to see me off and see me cross the finish line.  It was so special for me, for her to be there.

     I consider each one of these races that I do an accomplishment.  A few of my friends don't get why I keep signing up for these events, they don't understand why I find it necessary to sign up for yet another 5K every weekend.  I do it because I enjoy it, and for someone who never in a million years thought that this would be possible, I amaze myself every time I cross the finish line.  It's not that I thought I wouldn't be able to do it, because I honestly don't think that "I can't" is in my vocabulary.  I'm just amazed because I didn't think I would ever be a "runner".

     I still struggle with calling myself a "runner".  I don't look like a runner.  I can't run a long distance without stopping to walk.  Some races I walk alot more than others, but I run when I can, and I always, always finish.  I think about running much of the time, and if I see a runner on the road, I think "I should be running right now."  I don't have a runner's body, but I have a runner's heart, and that's the most important thing.

     Yesterday, I did my first 10K race.  It was awesome!  My friend Michelle was with me, and we started at 6:00 in the morning and finished at 7:30.  It was a nice out-and-back run, we were at the turn-around before we knew it!

At the end, as I crossed the finish line, I wanted to burst into tears, but I managed to hold myself in check.  Even when the people at the finish line congratulated me, handed me a goodie bag, clapped me on the back, and told me what a good job I had just done, and even acknowledged that this is an emotional time, I still managed to not shed tears.  And the tears would have been strictly happy tears, tears of pride and accomplishment.

But I did it!  Me and my fat, mushy thighs and big jiggly butt, who, a year ago never even thought it was possible.  And I also have another 10K scheduled in 2 weeks, an evening race that promises to be hotter than hell, but I'm so looking forward to it, and I can't wait!

     So, my training for the half marathon continues.  I've missed out on several on the Team in Training meetings so far, but the meetings have been short runs, such as 1 or 2 miles and the races have been 5Ks at least.  I figure I'll do the races I've signed up for, but not sign up for any more at this time so I can do the Saturday morning Team in Training runs.  I need to break out of the 5K rut and do longer runs, like my weekday morning runs where I've been trying to do 4 miles.  I need to do the longer runs and not worry so much about time as opposed to distance.  My standard is 13-15 miles, and I'm totally fine with that, because hey, at least I'm out there moving and not sitting on the sofa.

Speaking of which, I think a run sounds good right now.
Gotta run!

Oh yes, I am awesome, oh yes

     Yep.  Fat Girl did 4.5 miles in 1:03.  It's 98 degrees outside, humid as hell, but the running trail in Tobin Park is beautiful and I really enjoyed this run.  I'm starting to use mantras and tools to help get my ass moving.  One mantra is "Keep going, don't stop", and the other thing I do is count my steps.  I'll start counting, and will try to get to 100, or some other round number, or hit 40 and say "10 more steps", then 10 more, then 10 more, until I need to stop running and start walking.  I'm lovin' this.  I'm enjoying seeing my progress, knowing that I'm doing just a tiny bit better now, because for so long it seemed like I was stagnating, like my 5K runs were getting taking longer and I was not going anywhere.  I think that meeting a few new people has helped get me moving a  little more, and especially signing up for a half marathon.  The really crazy thing is that I don't usually talk to people out of the blue and tend to keep to myself.  I'm usually the biggest person in the room, and at the races I participate in, I feel like the fattest person there, like the real runners are looking at me wondering what the hell I'm doing there.

     Still, I don't care what they think.  I'm there to do the race, improve my health, and have fun while doing it.  I often wonder if people recognize me from the runs that I've done, since I know some of these people have probably been at the same races I have before.  I don't usually look at people too much when I'm at a race, just bury my head and try to get through the next 3 miles, but I often wonder if people look at me and think "Oh, it's that girl with the big ass again.  I see nothing's changed."

     One of the things I think I love most about a run, whether it be a scheduled race, or just a run in the park, is the scenery and the sounds of the outside.  I recently quit listening to music when I run, oddly enough, since I remember when I first started running, I didn't think I would be able to make it through a run WITHOUT music.  I read an article in one of the running magazines I now subscribe to (imagine that) that many runners have stopped listening to music.  I don't remember what made me try it, but one day I just went without, and I think I enjoyed it much better.  I'll keep music available it I need it, and it's still great for hooping, but for now I think I enjoy the music that Mother Nature provides.

That's all for now.  Tomorrow is National Running Day, and I have a run scheduled in the evening, so bed time must come soon.  Gotta run!

Small strides

     Last weekend, I got to work out with my Team in Training group for the first time and had a great run.  We only ran 2.2 miles, and I'm noticing that I'm running a little further each time.  My B2B team leader was there and is now my TnT mentor.  It's nice having her there to push me along a little, good to have someone I trust who knows me to say "Come on, you can do it, just a little further."  I don't know what my time came in at, but I think I'm doing just a little better each day.
     The next day was the American Hero 5K at Brackenridge Park.  My friend Michelle was there, and we ran together.  I like having someone to do these events with.  It's nice having someone else around who is not a fast runner and will help push me along a little too.  It's inspiring that her first actual event was a half marathon.  Not even a 5K event first, just couch to half marathon.  Wow.
     In addition to running Saturday and Sunday, I was on call Sunday night and was out late doing an admission, then I was on call Sunday night and had to be out until after 2:00 a.m. with a patient, then had to work the holiday, and was out late again.  By Tuesday morning I was wiped out, and then was on call Tuesday night.  No calls, but still had to be alert.  I was in bed by 10:00.  The rest of the week sucked for working out, but I had a great run on Saturday morning at the Women's Lavender 5K.
     The Women's Lavender 5K was a beautiful run in the hill country, Johnson City.  2 of my friends did this run, too, and we decided we need to do this again next year.  Of course, next year I want to do the 10K.  I would have considered signing up for the 10K this year but was concerned about the course, don't want a repeat of the Sunset Wine Tour where we went uphill for most of the run!  The run was mostly on a country road, not very hilly, but very beautiful.  My time is getting a little better, 44:18 instead of the 46 and 47 minutes I have been pulling lately.  I like that feeling, the fact that my body seems to be able to push myself a little more, to run a little bit further, and even though my legs felt weak from the lack of working out, I pushed myself and ran the last 1/10th of a mile.  I'm looking forward tho the next run, which will take place on June 16th, the Watermelon Crawl in Stockdale.  In between then, I will be running as much as I possibly can, and also think I need to work on doing some muscle strengthening in my legs and arms.  Every little bit helps, and I will need the strength for the half marathon, now 5 months away.
     My plan is to run tomorrow before Tai Chi, and I will run again Wednesday night for National Running Day.  With any luck, I'll get a run in on Tuesday, or at least get in a good weight training workout.  But whatever I do, I will kick butt.  Because I am, after all, a Determined Runner.

That's it for now.  Gotta run!

Beach to Bay Relay Marathon

   This weekend I completed my very first relay race.  The race is 26.2 miles long, requires a team of 6 runners and takes place in Corpus Christi, Texas.  I had heard about this race before I became a runner, and after I started running a friend mentioned the race to me, and it was all I could think about.  I wanted to do this race, I knew it would be a test of my endurance and strength, and would test my will.  I managed to get myself and a friend onto a team, and kept running and working toward this day.  The day finally arrived.  I was excited and nervous, stomach tied in knots, knowing that this was something I had been so looking forward to and had a team counting on me, as well as counting on myself to do well.

    The day was hot, 90 degrees hot, and humid as the race took place on the coast.  My leg was 4.69 miles long and would go through the Naval base in Corpus.  This was the leg I had wanted to do because I wanted to honer my dad and my nephew.  I stood at the hand-off spot, waiting for Johnson to arrive with the baton, watching and listening and waiting, and finally heard our team number announced as Johnson had been spotted and was approaching.  I got up to the line, looking out for her and saw her purple singlet, matching mine, approaching down the road.  I ran out to meet her, took the baton from her and handed her a bottle of water I had for her, turned around and headed down the road on the first part of my leg.  I ran as far as I could, walked when I needed to, and decided I would do my absolute best in the heat with a distance I haven't done very often and wanted to do as quickly as I could.

     The Naval base was flat, unshaded, and hot as blazes, but I was filled with the knowledge that I was finally here and achieving a dream I didn't know I would have a year ago.  The servicemen lining the route and the volunteers at the water stops and the families who sat on the side of the road and the people who squirted us with water hoses to help us cool down went a long way in encouraging us along, giving us even more support as we traipsed down the road toward our goal, and eventually to our fellow team member who would take our baton and keep up the race.  I actually passed people up, people not as big as me, people who looked like they had more business being there than I did, and at one point a woman came up behind me, saying she couldn't do it, she couldn't finish, and we were only about halfway through.  I don't know what happened to her, but I hoped she recovered and finished her leg.

     I finished my leg in under an hour and fifteen minutes.  I saw the hand-off location ahead of me, saw my runner, and gauged how far I could run to make it to her.  I took off, ran to her and handed off the baton, then headed to the shuttle.  I was talking and laughing with the people in the seats around me, all of us happy to be done and heading to cars, a/c and the finish.  Part of me wanted to burst into tears with relief, joy, happiness, pride, whatever you want to call it because I was just so thrilled I accomplished this goal, but I don't think I had enough fluid in my body at that time!  I was also thrilled that we were not the last team.  I made it to the parking lot, and hubby drove us to the finish line to meet up with the team.  Hubby went back to the hotel while I joined up the rest of the team, and we waited for our last runner to arrive.  A couple of us went up the sidewalk to look for her, and we eventually saw her running toward us.  Johnson, one of the runners, took off to find something with electrolytes, and I joined Lali, the last runner, in bring home the baton.  I ran in behind her, just because I wanted to show her my support.  We came across the finish, got our finishers medals, took pictures, celebrated, and went to our respective hotels to nap, shower, cool down, etc.

     The next day, I was in the elevator with a woman who asked me if I had done Beach to Bay, and it really made me feel good that someone could look at me and NOT think that I could possibly be a runner.  And someone referred to me as an "athlete", something I never thought I would ever be called.

     This was an amazing experience, and I am already making plans for next year.  I so appreciate my husband for helping out with transportation, and his never ending support, and believing in me.  I also appreciate the team, and especially my friend Shanon who at first wasn't sure if she could do the race due to an injury, but managed to pull through and did great!

I will be training for the half marathon now, which will take place in November.  I know I can do the distance, because I am, after all, a determined runner.

That's all for now, gotta run!

  

Lesson learned

So, I did a run yesterday, and I didn't carb up the night before, and boy did I feel it.  I didn't have much energy, was only able to run so far, then I had to stop and walk it.  I walked more of that run than I had in recent months, I just couldn't get moving.  There was a tube chute right in the middle of the race, which was nice because it broke things up a little bit, but I felt like I moved slower on the way back because now I was wet and my clothes were carrying water.  I had fun doing that race, but I really need to take my carbing-up into consideration.  I won't make that mistake again! 

My friend was with me for this run, and she has been running with an injured ankle.  She started off ahead of me, I managed to get caught up, but in the end she stayed ahead of me and came in a few minutes before I did.  I'm very proud of her, and happy that she's doing so well, but just could not get my ass moving.  I have a couple of days this week to get my running in before Beach to Bay on Sunday, so I'll do the best I can and keep on running.  Soon after Beach to Bay, I start training for the Rock and Roll half marathon, and then I'll be doing longer runs and hopefully will get better at this.  On May 27th, I may do the American Hero's 5K, June 2nd I have the Women's Lavender Run, and not much scheduled after that, so it's time to search around and look for stuff to do.  I have to keep running, keep moving and not slow down.  I am determined to do this, and not stop!

That's all for now.  Until next time....gotta run!

I should be running...

It's so weird...I know I need a rest day, so today I did weight training instead of going for a run.  Granted, I could have gone for a run this evening, but I needed to come home and work on a baking project for work.  Sometimes I enjoy a quiet evening at home, but I still get that urge...I should be running.  I get the urge to run in the middle of the day.  I can go for a run, then see people running and think "Damn...I should be running."

I went for a run last night with a friend.  I truly need to work on my speed and distance...need to work on being able to run for longer distances.  I know this will come with practice, but I try not to get discouraged when I think about how long I've been doing this yet I don't seem to be improving.  Still, I keep on trying, keep signing up for events, and keep practicing.  I'm looking at a half marathon in 6 months...will I be ready?  I know I can do the distance, it's a matter of being able to run part of it.  13.1 miles, on my feet.  More than I've ever done before.  Can I do it?  Of course I am.  I am, after all, a determined runner.

Until next time...gotta run!

Intro

Yep.  The title says it all.  I'm a "fat" girl, and I'm a runner.  I've done runs amid cheers and jeers of the crowd, people I've never met cheering just because a bunch of crazy people decide they want to go out and run, and I am amongst them.  Then there are the jerks who sit in the crowd and yell "Run fat girl run".  Ok, so I'm out here running, and you're doing what?  Oh, sitting?  Ok...I'll just keep on running then.

What makes me a "fat girl" you ask?  Well, I have a big, wobbly ass.  My stats are as follows:  41 years old.  5'8" tall.  Roughly 225 pounds give or take any given day.  I have big boobs, small waist, and big ass.  What else do I have?  I have a runner's heart, and determination, and lots of spirit.  I know I can do anything I put my mind to.  I throw on my running shoes and go for a run almost every day, and I own every single run I do.  It's all me, no one can do this for me.  I totally lose myself in my runs, and it is wonderful.

To date, I have done over 20 5K races, 1 5 mile run, 1 5K Obstacle course run, and am gearing up to do the Beach to Bay Relay in Corpus Christi in 2 weeks, and will soon start training for a half marathon.  I have other races scheduled in May and June, and a Zombie obstacle course run in December.  I will continue to sign up for races and run and run and run.

TO be clear, when I say I  "run", I don't run the entire time.  I run when I can, walk when I need to, but I always finish.  Oh yes, and I have gained so much self confidence since I started this new found passion, and I am loving life.

Until next time...gotta run!