Tiny Thunder Running

What a crazy week it has been... who is ready for some inspiration to carry you in to the weekend with a smile on their face and a CAN DO attitude?? via via via via via What are your plans for the weekend? I am running 11 miles with a local organization I started to volunteer with.. more on that later!!

Once again, I should have blogged right away Saturday. Maybe by the end of this crazy marathon, I will face the facts of myself and do it then because otherwise.. well it's Wednesday night. This week (well really last week.. see why this writing on Wednesday thing is a bad idea?) was a fall back week so it was "just" 6 miles. Let me back up a minute. Thursday I decided to go back to my OLD shoes because the pain in my ankle/side of the my leg was just not going away. I wanted to do a little not-so-very-scientific experiment to see what would happen if I went back to them. Thursday I ran a very very slow 5 miles and it actually felt pretty good. Saturday I did the same. I ran a pretty darn slow 6, but it was 6 miles and that is all that mattered. Since I needed 6, I skipped the river route and ran into New Cumberland and actually ran into my half marathon partner in crime, Emily. We were on opposite sides of the road and both shouted that we got  a late start.. great...

So incredibly sorry for missing last week!! I took a week of rest and I guess the week got away from me- I really hate when that happens. I am back with some inspiration and hope that each of you find one little bit of inspiration out of this post. via via via via via via Enjoy the rest of the week!! Who is running long- training or race? What about other fitness competitions/events?

Seriously guys. Monday and Tuesday were super beyond crazy at work and I couldn't wait to leave the front door. I really meant to blog last night and after work, running 3 miles in the hot stinking sauna that is PA this week, getting my hair cut, eating dinner, and taking a shower... I just couldn't.make.myself.MOVE. No lie. A rough start to the week aside, I did have a nice run on Saturday. 9 miles were on the schedule.. and that's what I did. It was a little rough (ankle pain lives on) at the beginning until I got in gear and then the last mile since I had no more water, but overall I am happy with it. The only fuel I used was my beloved Energy Bits ! I started a little later than I hoped but got out the door and ran the easiest route to calculate 9 miles. I left my house and ran toward the market street bridge that leads into Harrisburg and ran along the river. I have lots of weird thoughts when I run down there- especially early in the morning. Sadly...

I don't know why, but I couldn't come up with anything more exciting than that for a title. Guess its Monday. Anyway, that'd what I did Saturday. 8 pretty fantastic miles. I really wasn't sure what to expect when I set out Saturday morning given the week I had. Tuesday I met a friend to run along the river. At mile 1, I had a stomach cramp SO intense I had to stop. I normally breath through these things and just deal.. not this time my friends. It hurt. It really really hurt. Then I started back up again and focused really hard on breathing.. and I was ok. Then at mile 3.6 I thought I was going to die. Ok. I am exaggerating.. but I was feeling dehydrated to so we walked back to our cars. Thursday I met another friend to run at Wildwood Park but my ankle/left leg did not want to be there as much as I did. It hurt so bad that I barely made it one lap around the park until I winced back to my car and drove home. Friday was rest day and I rested hardcore. Iced and e...

What a week of dodging storms to get runs and outdoor activities in. Between the heat and storms its easy to make excuses. If you can, buddy up so there is always someone to keep you accountable. If not, read on and try to self motivate as best you can!! via via via via via  (sorry for the language on this one... but seriously its not a lie) via Every single day work on your goals.. whatever they are. Make each step a step toward reaching your goals.  Have a great weekend everyone!! I hope to be back Saturday with a report on my long run for the week. 

Finally getting a chance to get on and write a quick little something on my race from last weekend. This is the second year I headed to Carlisle to run this 10k. You see, it works perfectly for my summer training needs for my fall aspirations. What's better than running with a bunch of people for your long run of the week? Yea, nothing. It was MUCH more pleasant this year than last. The weather was seriously over 15 degrees cooler (not exaggerating at all!) and gorgeous for a run. Plus, this year I had an accomplice who kept my pace steady and she and her little guy entertained us a little as well. I like doing this run since it goes through some nice neighborhoods of Carlisle, is pretty shady, and also somewhat flat. The official race results seem to be no where to be found just yet, but by my watch we finished 6 miles in 58:34 which is good enough for me. I got some water then headed out for 1 more mile to get my training miles completed. Emily is training for the  Bird ...

Evening plans shifted quite a bit so I ran out of time to get this posted earlier.. but here it is :) In the spirit of signing up for my first marathon this week, I thought I would post some things to help me through the first of many weeks of training. I know that there will be many challenges to beat, fears to overcome and emotions to muddle through as the weeks wear on. I also know that I have the support, love and encouragement from my friends and family both online and off. via via via via via So here we go!! I did get a nice 5.35 humid and somewhat rainy run in this evening.. saw lots of turtles and a frog plus an ugly old groundhog!! Wonderful day! What do you use to motivate/inspire yourself to reach a new goal?!?

Maybe that is a little dramatic? Either way what I did Monday night still feels a little crazy and definitely surreal. So what did I do? I signed up for my very first marathon. See?? Holy crap. I mean I have been saying for months I was signing up, but now its really real. I paid the moolah and its officially out there all over that this is my next big running goal. So weird. And in true nerdy runner obsessed style, I started a pinterest board and plan to make a real life inspiration board in the next week or so as well. I am so incredibly overwhelmed by all the support and advice I have recieved so far and hope you will all follow me through this journey that will be the next 4 months of my life.  What do you do to mentally prepare to train for a new distance?

This past weekend I decided to live life the fullest (apparently) and planned to do two 5ks. The Saturday 5k was one I signed up for about a week and a half ago, based on the SOLE fact that you got a flip flop medal for finishing. Yes, you read that right. Well I made an excellent choice because this turned out to be a great race. I arrived early to make sure I could pick up my packet. I probably could have gotten there a bit later but I didn't know at all what to expect. Right after picking up my packet, I headed to the bathroom and took the opportunity to capture this beautiful view and soak it all in. How can you not fall completely head over heals with a place like this? Along with deciding to do this run on short notice (for me), I got a co-worker to run with me as well. What makes this even more fun was that I only officially met her the same day I got the notice about the race. I had talked with her quite a few times in the break room at work but never kn...