Every Damn Hot Mile

Today was a big day in training, we did 12 miles and it was my first double digit run because the day I was supposed to do 10, I only did 9 because my body wasn't feeling it. Today was a hot one! Since I don't think I could write coherent sentences right now, I thought it would be fun to share the random and not so random thoughts that were running through my head this morning.   Thank you if you get all the way to the end. There are lots of thoughts as we were out there for a long time . So here is goes.... 3:50 AM (my alarm clock going off) - Why am I up so early? "I don't think it's THAT hot out right now" (BTW, Eliana just kinda laughed) My calfs are sore That was a pretty good first 2 miles Finally at the golf course (they have water fountains and bathrooms there) So happy to be running with Eliana today- feels like old times Finally made it to Spanish River Park (haven't seen the entrance to the park in a few year) This isn...

We are officially in week 8 of training which shocked me when I looked at the calendar this morning...I feel like I just started running! Over the last weeks I have seen minor improvements here and there but this week, for the first week, I felt really strong and that real improvements were being made. I know I have said this in other posts but since this my first race in a few years so I am starting from scratch. Though mentally I know I can run 26.2 miles and I have to trust the training process, my body doesn't believe me yet. Every week, I have been huffing and puffing my way through runs (I mean, the 95% humidity may have something to do with that!!). On Tuesday of this week it rained and I mean RAINED the whole day. I was already thinking this was going to be a day I would have to skip because as much as I feel like a warrior running in the rain (and I do!), I wasn't going to START a run in the rain...not THAT CRAZY! Well, mother nature was on my side this week, b...

This morning I ran 6 miles and while I was running I thought it would be fun to describe a morning in the life of someone training for a marathon. My alarm went off at 4:45 AM to meet my running buddies at 5:30 AM (yes, I know that is really early but you have to keep in mind I am running in Florida in July and the more miles you can get in before the sun comes up the better!!!). 45 minutes sounds like it would be PLENTY of time to get ready for a run, right? All you have to do is get dressed, put on your sneakers and go, right?  WRONG! Stay with me here, my alarm goes off at 4:45 AM. I turn over and look at my clock for a few seconds and realize that I am actually up this early. Roll of out bed to splash some cold water on my face in an attempt to wake me up bit, brush my teeth and start to get dressed. Then I have to walk my dog. So I finish getting dressed and head downstairs to fill up my water bottles for my running belt. Did mentioned I wore a new pair of shoes this mor...

Although long weekend runs are what everyone envisions when thinking about training for a marathon, mid-week runs are something I have always struggled with. Waking up at 5:30 AM on a Saturday for a run by the ocean is a lot easier, at least for me than getting in 3 miles twice a week after working all day and doing your normal routine. That being said, the mid-weeks runs, especially in these early weeks are probably more important as this is where I will be building my cardio and just getting my body used to running again. Running is a use it or  lose it sport and since I haven't run consistently in a few years, I am back to square one with building my endurance. In addition to working on cardio, mid-week runs is a place to work on interval training to help with speed. As I mentioned, historically I have struggled with these mid-weeks but since I am, you know, running a marathon in a few months,  I needed to find a way to get these in. World of Beer has a ru...

With everything you do in life, you need a WHY! WHY do you get up everyday and go to work? WHY do you diet? WHY do you go to bed early or stay out a little to late? My WHY has a few layers to it... First and foremost, running gives me a stronger connection with my mom. My mom Barbara passed away 11 years ago from cancer. When I started running 6 years ago it was through an organization named Team in Training (TNT). TNT is the endurance training program through the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) and although my mom had a different form of cancer, LLS researches treatments that can help all cancers. 2 of my 3 previous marathons have been with TNT and that was usually all the motivation I needed. My first season with TNT our training shirts had a saying on the back, "if you think training for a marathon is tough, try chemotherapy". That always put things into perspective to me. No matter how hot, or tired, or achy I felt, I was still able to get up and run and that is...

NYC Marathon training has begun... So let me start from the beginning. I started running 6 years ago but haven't run much in the last 3 years. The past 12 months have been transformational for me. I was in a funk for about a year and have since started a new job, lost a bunch of weight and found my happiness again. And for some crazy reason when I get happy, I feel running. I know, that sounds crazy but being part of a running community, you realize how crazy we are sometimes and what we consider "normal" is not a "normal normal". A few months ago,  I entered the lottery for the NYC Marathon for the 4th year in a row and for the 4th year in a row I didn't get in.  Even though I was pretty disappointed, instead of years past where I said, "maybe next year", since I am in this new happy place, I said, "this is the year!". This is the year I am going to check my dream race off of my bucket list.  If I can't run through the lottery, m...