Colorful Wet Fun

 This last weekend, Matt and I did a Color Run with a group of friends. The Color run is an untimed, non-competitive run that is all about having fun and getting colored. At 4 different stations, volunteers throw colored corn starch on the runners/walkers. Usually, you can see the color stations from a distance because the corn starch makes a huge colorful cloud....

 However, this weekend, it rained. Yes, even Phoenix Arizona gets rain sometimes. Its never convenient when it happens, and this day was no exception. First of all, the race requires everyone wear a white shirt to the start line. So the race quickly turned into a wet tee shirt contest.......luckily I wore an undershirt just in case it was going to rain. There was only a 50% chance of rain, but of course it rained all night, and ALL DAY on race day. Luckily I was prepared. 

 We had organized a team of 8 and all the girls had tutus that we had made. By the time we even got to the check in point, one of our members could not handle it anymore. The water weighed it down and made it keep falling off. Mine on the other, just kept sticking to my legs which was super annoying...but at least my bottom was dry! This is a picture of 4 of the girls before the race. We never found 2 of our team members before the race...

 And this is us girls after the race! 

  For the race, we ended up splitting our group of 6 into three groups of two. The men ran the race together, the girls on the outside of the picture did a walk/run maneuver through the course, and the two dirtiest women in that picture walked the race. It was a lot of fun to walk the race and have a lot of girl chat. And of course, by going slow through the color stations, we got absolutely covered!

Matthew got pretty colorful throughout the run, but I think I got it worse. After crossing the finish line, we all got super colorful. When you check in to the race, they give you a packet of colored corn starch to throw on people at the end (or anytime really). Once everyone crossed the line, we let loose with the color. We all went from a nice multicolored person to a super dirty super blue pack of people. The rain didnt help because it made all the colors run together. By the time we walked the mile back to the car, we were soaked to the bone, blue to the bone, but all smiling.

It took a 30 minute shower and a full bar of soap to get the worst of it off...but 3 showers later I was still washing blue dye out of my hair. I think I found all the spots of skin that were colored, but just today someone at work found what looked like a bruise on the back of my next and asked if I needed to talk to the counselor about domestic issues. *sigh*. Once I explained the situation (and showed the pictures) everyone believed me. Note to self: scrub harder!

Next race: Half Marathon in Phoenix! 

A (Very) Unexpected Surprise

 The first race of the New Year was a local 10K on base. There were less than 100 people at the race, and the course was a tough course. The first 3 miles were uphill, with mile 3 being up a mile long steep hill called Heritage Hill. Matt and I would occasionally walk the hill at lunch and we would be huffing and puffing just walking the hill. So I was concerned about running it. We went into the race hoping for a PR. We each have two time goals on our goal board for a 10K. I was hoping to come in just under an hour, and Matt wanted to be faster than 55 minutes. I was relatively pessimistic going into the race because Thursday's training run was cut in half because we both were hurting.

 Matt agreed to run the first 3 miles with me, the uphill part, then to take off to try to beat his goal. My legs had started burning even before the first mile marker and my throat was dry. Self doubt and pessimism really started to take a toll on me. But my watch beeped, indicating we had gone a mile, and the time was only 9:30, so a small amount of hope crossed my mind.

 Before I knew it (and before I wanted to), we were looking up at the hill. A lot of runners were walking up the hill, and I spotted a water station half way up. It was a tough hill for sure. I know we have run up some crazy hills before, having raced the "A Mountain Half Marathon" and the Tombstone 10K with 2 hills designated as "The Hills Too Tough To Climb". I shouldnt have been scared of this hill at all, but I was. When we got to the water station I grabbed a cup and walked about 10 steps so I could drink and not make a fool out of myself. Then we started running again. At the top of the hill, I had dropped from being 20 seconds ahead of my time goal to almost 30 seconds behind. I knew I would have to book it the rest of the race if I had any chance of beating my time. And what made that thought worse is that I would be running it alone, because Matt was about to take off.

 Luckily, I made a friend mid-run. Right when Matt left me, I started talking to the lady above in pink. She was running about the same pace I thought I wanted to go, and was just there. So we started talking, and didnt shut up for along time! We talked about everything from where she was about to get stationed to my upcoming wedding. It definitely helped having someone to talk to! Time went by super fast, as did the miles. At one point of the race, I looked at my watch and it said we were going at an 8:10 mile pace! I have not every run that fast for more than a mile...let alone 3 miles. In the final quarter mile, she pulled ahead of me and ended up finishing 6 seconds ahead of me.

 I found Matt after the finish line and asked him how he did. He came in at 54:04. He met his goal and was waiting to see if I met my goal.


I crossed the line pretty exhausted. I hadnt ran that fast...ever...and especially not for that long. I crossed the line at 57:08. Far faster than I thought I could. In fact, my overall YEAR goal is a 55 minute 10K. So to be that close my first try of the new year is super encouraging. We ate a banana and drank some water, then sat to stretch and wait for the awards. Neither of us have ever won a age group award, and we didnt expect today would be the day, but we wanted to stick around to see some friends anyways.

 Well, long story short, they called my name for 3rd Place in the women's 20-29 year old age division! I was absolutely shocked. Of course, there were only 8 people in my age group, but I never thought I could even place, regardless of how many people there were. I was super excited. This may be the only time Ill be able to say I placed (and got a medal), but Ill take it!!! Matt wasnt so lucky. He has the toughest age group out there. But he was proud of me anyways.

Later that morning, I had to take my wedding dress in for a fitting. And....it still fits! I somehow survived the holidays without gaining weight (or already lost it). I was so stressed about this fitting, and am so relieved that it fits. Now if my boots would just arrive!

Save the Date(s)!

It takes a lot of work to put together a year's worth of races. Finally, this week, the race directors for some key races announced the dates, so I have completed this year's race schedule! Its going to be a busy one, and there is still plenty of room for small, cheap, local races as well.

January:
19: Ft Huachuca Ice Breaker 10K
26: Phoenix Color Run 5K

February:
2: Arizona Desert Classic Half Marathon (Phoenix)


April:
20: Spring Cross Country Classic 5K (Tucson)

May:
5: Cinco De Mayo 10K (Tucson)
12: Tucson 5000

June:
2: Meet Me Downtown 5K (Tucson)

July:

August:

September:
2: Saguaro National Park Labor Day 8 Miler (Tucson)

October:
20: A Mountain Half Marathon (Tucson

November:

December:
8: Tucson Marathon!!!!!!!

So there are a few months without anything truly planned, although I have some potential races written down. Full on marathon training will start over the summer. Until then, we will be maintaining our half marathon fitness, working on improving race times, and slowly inching up the mileage. This year should be a great year! Between the wedding, honeymoon, and the running, we will be staying busy. But at least we will be doing it all together. 

A Brand New Year

 It has been 14 days or so since I last posted. A long time, I know, but I havent been in the spirit, had the time, or the energy to write. Visitors for the holidays, the holidays, freezing cold weather (unusually cold for Arizona!), and nagging injuries have kept me from running the miles I would have liked to, but now life is getting back to normal. All the visitors are gone, I am back at work, the brother is back to college, and the Christmas decorations are going to be put away this weekend, cuz Im too lazy to do it tonight.

Running has been slow the past two weeks. But I did get some stress relieving (and stress causing) runs in over the holidays. I learned how much of a stress relief  running is for me, and how not running makes me sad and grumpy. Sometimes I feel bad for Matthew, usually when I am injured and cant run. But not having the time to run and the stress of the holidays, really did a number on me. I told Matt the only thing harder than being an injured runner is living with an injured runner...and I believe that is totally true.

  But its a new year now! I cant believe its already 2013...I still write 2011 on some papers because I cant believe it was even 2012 last year. Matt and I have now been engaged for a full year! And have just a few days over 3 months to go. I really need to get back into my running and workout routine to fit into the dress!!! The next three months Im sure will go by incredibly fast, and I am just starting to feel the stresses of getting everything done before the wedding. But running is something I just cannot leave out of my life for the next three months, no matter how busy I am.

  On a side note, we didnt get a white Christmas like everyone always hopes for...but we did get a white new years eve! Sierra Vista itself got about 3 inches of snow, and the mountains got 6-16 depending on elevation. I got a wonderful treat on New Year's Day of going to the mountains with Matthew and his Mom to play in the snow! It was supposed to be a hike, but the road was closed and there was too much snow. So we got to play. Its been 5 years since I have played in that much snow, so I was really excited!

Still need to get the pushups in!

So everyone has a new years resolution, but I have goals. In 2013, I have more goals than normal. A big goal is running a marathon. The next one is to get married (and hopefully be as stress free as possible). But I want to run 1000 miles, walk an additional 500, and ride my bike another additional 500. Crazy, I know. But I think I can do it. Matthew was a wonderful future husband and got me a garmin 410 for Christmas, so keeping track of the miles should be easy. I have already even gone in a set the goals on the website. Once it is written down, I have no choice but to achieve it!

  Matt liked playing in the snow as well, but he is more used to it. He tried to keep up and get some pushups in, but the snow was just too deep! Playing in the snow was a lot of fun and quite a treat to an Arizona native, however, Im ready to get back to normal Arizona weather! I really do not like running in the cold!!!

I dont know what it is about going back to work after a long break, but I have had a foggy brain and a slow body the past few days. My work has suffered, my mood has suffered, and my running certainly has suffered. I sure hope next week things start getting back to normal! I am certainly going to try my hardest. 

Winter Is Here (For Now)

Its been a chilly few days. Starting Friday and continuing through the weekend, we were lucky to break 50 degrees...in SOUTHERN ARIZONA. Im not sure if its just me, but when its cold and wet out, I need a lot of motivation to get and run. Sometimes I feel like this:

This especially applies when it is cold! Im from Arizona, I can deal with heat. But I am NOT used to the cold at all.

However, I do have clothes that are temperature appropriate to be wearing in this wintery weather. Of course it is all black, and when it is raining/snowing and the sun just wont come out, someone has to wear something bright. So I end up looking funny (again):

This weekend, Matt and I decided we had to try to run. We set out on our three mile loop and decided if it was too cold or miserable, we would only do three and not keep going on our 6 loop. Around the 10th step out the door, it started snowing. What luck we have!

At mile 2 the excitement had worn off and the cold started to set in. Also, my leg injury started to feel like if I pushed too hard, or too far, it would pull again. So we decided to stick to 3 miles, and thoroughly enjoyed hot chocolate and apple cider when we got home. 

Sunday was also cold, but at least it was sunny. We were super busy because we picked up my brother from college, then made gingerbread cookies with him. After the cookies were made I had an itch to go running. Matthew wanted to spend time with my brother and play some video games, so I took the dogs for a run. I took Zolten for a 3 mile run alone, then I took Storm and Dakota together for 3 miles. For never having run more than a mile on a leash before, they did excellent. And, due to lots of pulling from the Storm and Dakota, I also got an arm and core workout! Talk about multitasking!

Monday warmed up nicely, and we ran on the track at lunch. But it was an evening to rest, so we couldnt take advantage of the nicer temperatures for a long run. Then another storm blew in! This is crazy. We hardly ever get more than one or two winter storms a year, and now we have 2 in a row. This storm was to arrive, and depart, Tuesday night. We were supposed to get a lot of wind, some rain, and possibly even snow. Waking up Wednesday to rain, I knew we wouldnt get much running in at lunch. The temperatures only rebounded to the mid 30s by lunch time.

So Matt and I played racquetball. We used to play once a week or so, but I am a perfectionist and can get a little competitive, so he didnt want to play with me anymore. But this game went well. I didnt keep score, I didnt go for the fancy shots, and I just had fun. It was a good way to spend lunch time. We still got in a little workout, but also had fun together.

Wednesday after work I felt like we had to run. I really need to avoid the holiday weight gain, and I keep feeling like Im gaining weight. Matt thinks Im crazy. I have maintained my weight relatively well, only gaining about 1 pound since Thanksgiving, and I tried the dress on December 2nd and it was loose. So I should really just relax a little bit.

Anyways, back to the run: We (I) decided I wanted to do 9 miles. I also have been feeling bad for the dogs. We leave them crated all day while we are at work. Then we usually crate them again when we go running. When its cool, or cold out, I feel comfortable taking them. In the summer, Im too scared they will overheat. So for tonight, I decided to take each dog individually for 3 miles. Zolten did well again, and it was nice having Matthew to switch off holding the leash! Storm did pretty well too, although she started to get tired about half a mile from home. While we were running with Storm, the sun set, and it immediately got COLD. So poor Dakota only got to go on a one mile run with us. We just couldnt take it. Even dressed appropriately, wearing ear warmers and gloves and long socks to cover the 3 inches that my tights dont cover, we froze! But Dakota probably doesnt know the difference.

Im ready for the weather to be good again! The temps are supposed to rebound for the weekend before another (yes, ANOTHER) storm moves in on Christmas Day. I see running in our weekend plans!!!

Reasons The World Isnt Ending Friday

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about the end of the Mayan calendar coming up on December 21st. My first question is "what time of the day". If the world really does end, I would love to know what time that will be happening, so I can be out running with Matthew and my dogs. Then we can "run through the end of the world". We are awesome like that. But............the world cant be ending next week. First, and most importantly of all, its completely against what the Bible says. But besides for that fact, here are my top 7 reasons why the world cant be ending.

1. I am a Costco shopper, so I have a surplus of some items of food. I was looking at some of those items and noticed they have an expiration date for sometime in 2013. Now, if the world was ending, why would my food last longer than the world? I think it would have been a pretty good trick if the food companies put Dec 21 12 as the expiration date on all the food though..........

2. There are presents under the tree and in the stockings. Christmas is 4 days after the "end of the world". Why would anyone have done any Christmas shopping, let alone all the wrapping, if no one was ever going to get to open them?

3.I have already registered and PAID for a race in January. Enough said.

4. I have not yet ran a marathon. I am certainly not going to run one in the next week. I probably wont even run one until December of NEXT year. Running a full marathon is something that we are (probably myself more than Matt) very motivated to do. So, the world cant end before that happens.

5. I am getting married to my best friend next year! The wedding is planned, the dress fits, everything is paid for. Therefore, the world cant be ending.

6. We booked and paid for our honeymoon Monday night. Im looking forward to going to Hawaii with Matthew and doing things that I am afraid of (para-sailing) and things that he is afraid of (snorkling, swimming in the ocean) and just spending time with him in general.

7.I already have the first 4 months of next year's workouts planned out. Creating a training plan takes a lot of work. I certainly would not have bothered with it if I thought I would never see the time to put it into action. Matthew has learned this about me: once I write something down that I am want to do, I am going to do it. Rarely are there exceptions, and usually due to injury or illness related. 

All over facebook right now there are funny posts and pictures explaining either why or why not the world will be ending. While I think most rational people do not truly believe the end is near, people wouldnt be making such a big deal of it if there wasnt a hint of fear or belief. But, just as when our calendar ends we go to a near year, I believe when the Mayan calendar ends, we will start a new cycle. All I know for sure, next year is going to be a wonderful year for Matthew and I. A wedding, honeymoon, and hopefully even a marathon.

Winter is Coming for a Visit!

Its been hard to get in the holiday spirit this year. I dont know if its because it has been in the mid 70s daily, or because Matthew and I have both had recent travels for work, but its just been difficult. I usually put up the Christmas tree, hang stockings, and even put up lights around the house all around Thanksgiving. But this year has been slow. And also unlike most years, this year Matt and I get the honor of having Christmas dinner at our house! Partly because we are having relatives coming to town, and partly because my parents are leaving town shortly after...but the reason doesnt truly matter. I am very excited to have Christmas dinner at our house this year. Long story short, I had to get the decorations up!

 Luckily, the weather has decided to put a little winter spirit into Southern Arizona. Its going to be cold for the next few days, and it might even snow! So it seemed like the perfect time to make my house look like its ready for the holiday season. We got the tree up last weekend, but neglected to fluff and decorate it until yesterday after work.

But, alas, it is complete!  We even finished wrapping all of the present and put them under the tree. With the amount of stuff under there, you would think we have a bunch of kids...but no. Most of it is clothes that we have bought and wrapped just to feel like we are opening presents. Of course, there's a few special secret things under the tree, and stuff for family members and the dogs too.

 So now that we are in the Christmas spirit, and the weather has gotten cold and cloudy, it was time to go for a run. Earlier this fall I had bought some running capris and even a pair of tights. I have been wearing the capris for my lunch time workouts, mainly because I dont want to walk out of my office wearing running shorts; I get enough funny looks for "working out", I dont need more for wearing short shorts. But I have never worn these articles of clothes for long runs, so I am excited about the weather being cold for a few days!

Today, I wore a warm long sleep shirt (also new), a tee shirt, a pair of funny colored capris (not so new), and shorts. Why the shorts over the capris...because they hide the inevitable wedgie that running tights give you. And even though I LOVE these capris, they are quite funny looking without shorts over them. I dont think color fade clothes will regain popularity...if they ever had it. Sadly, the picture Matthew took does not show the funny colored pants, but maybe thats a good thing!

Matt dressed much more like a normal person. Except the head lamp. Good one Matt! I guess it is my fault, I told him it would probably get dark on our 7-10 mile run. It didnt get completely dark, but another mile and it would have been. Better safe than sorry. (I stored mine in the nifty backpack).

The run went OK, I guess. I got in a 3 mile run at lunch today, and had some strange aches and pains, but nothing too bad. My foot is better, most of the time. Instead of hurting on these runs, it just goes numb. So I wont complain about that now! From the first half mile of this evening's run, I knew it was going to hurt. My old injury flared up, and just kept getting worse and worse. But I am stubborn, and I needed to run!

Running with Matthew by my side is so much better than running alone! We were talking throughout the run, even singing at one point of the run. It almost didnt matter that my leg felt like a brick every time it hit the pavement, I was just so happy to have my running partner back by my side. I finished 7 miles, slightly slower than I would have liked, but considering how much it hurt, Im just happy to have finished it. Matthew went on to do an extra mile (to burn off the donut he ate at work).

Im starting to believe that running is almost as much of a mental game as it is physical. And a large part of that is about pain management. There are times when running is amazing. When there is no pain, no boredom, no frustration. But lately its been the opposite for me. Ive been hurting since the first half marathon, and especially since the second one. Ive been battling a few injuries, running alone, and getting more and more frustrated with every run that doesnt end well. But I need to manage my expectations about running, just like I need to manage pain during the run. I have gotten pretty good at running through aches and pains. It hurts, but my mind is far more stubborn than my body. We have only been running for 8 months now. We are still beginners. I should not expect for every run to be easy. If running was easy, I dont think I would like it nearly as much. It has taught me a lot about how strong I am, how much I can do if I put my mind to it, and has brought me a lot closer to Matthew. Since I dont want running to be easy, I should accept that there will be hard days. There will be days where running is the last thing I want to do, but I need to get out and do it anyways. And someday, there will be a day when I can no longer run, so I need to be thankful for the incredible gift that running has given both Matt and I, and just go along for the ride.