Last week I felt so worn out.  I fell asleep at 8:30PM each night and I could not figure of why.  My eyes would just start closing...I could not control it.  I thought I was maybe not feeling well.

The day's leading up to the race I found myself a little nervous - well, ok, a lot nervous.  Even the night before I went outside to look at the full moon and just BE.  It was nice.

The morning of the alarm went off at my usual time.  I ate of couple of crackers with peanut butter on them and a banana.  I rode with the a friend who played jazz music in the car and that made me feel really peaceful.  Had a short wait at the porta-potty line.  And we head to the starting line.  Saw so many friends!

 

We start.  I didn't want music.  That's ok.  The sunrise is amazing.  And thousands of bright colored shirts and jackets going up only one of two hills in the race.  I love seeing the sun rise on runs but sharing this with thousands more was something special.

Here were my thoughts, mile by mile.

Mile one.  This is just a regular run with my running partner.  I think I'm getting a little excited. Wow. The first mile went really fast.

Mile two.  Wow! Nuun is a sponsor - look at all of the Nuun cups on the ground.  So happy I'm not picking up that mess!

Mile three.  Not bad...ugh the sun is so bright, these sunglasses are not helping me one bit. That was fast.

Miles four - six.  Ok, I'm getting tired.  I want to pace a little better.  Too fast?  Not sure.  You can do this. There is a lady I've been along side the entire time.  She says hello.  Awwww that's sweet.  We chat about we think we might cross the finish line together.

Mile seven.  I feel really good - I just want to go, but afraid of using all my energy.  I see a sign, I want to read it because it has Donald Trump's face on the front, but I can't because the best sign is right behind it - THIS IS EASIER THAN BURPIES!  This is so true!!! Keep on pace, great job.

Mile eight.  Wow!  Beef team.  They are loud.  Love seeing them on this course.  Whaaaaat?!?!?  I see my bootcamp instructor and other other running friends.  Huge hugs...so comforting.  I wanted to stay there with them.  ok, let's walk a little.  Wait, what, did I feel something in my leg?  NO way, right??

Mile nine.   There goes my runner partner, she's much faster than I am.  It's now just me and my music. We are on our own.  But it's ok, I still have the lady I've never met.  She is still with me.

Mile ten.  Take a picture.  Do not leave this spot until you get this picture. Ok, got it.  I wanted to kick that sign right in the face. Keep going.  Wait - I do feel something in my leg.  Just keep going. You've come this far, can't stop now.  This time last year I cried two times by this point, so far no tears. That's good.  {Last year I started to cramp at mile 10 and had to walk the rest of the race, so I have a love hate relationship with mile 10.}


Mile eleven.  I'm going to push.  Don't think about how your legs feel.  It's fine, just keep going.  It's fine, just keep going.  I should make this into a song...

Mile twelve.  Really!  Mile 12.  Ok, each time I stop to walk I feel the cramp in my leg.  Running helps, keep running.  Last mile.  You got this.  Turn on music...really loud.  Thanks Bruno, love this song.

Mile thirteen.  MILE 13...whooohooo!  Yes, I can see the finish line. There is my husband.  So glad to see him and he can take my water bottle. I'm almost there...few more steps and DONE.  Arms up...head down. I'm tired.  Yay, there's my running partner.  She's so supportive. There goes those cramps.

In the last weeks since I've last posted I've run two races - a half marathon and 10K!  I have race recaps scheduled on the blog this week.  Can't wait to share.  I'm thinking of signing up for more races - I will keep you posted. I do, however need to work on getting a little faster.  My bootcamp instructor and running partner are sharing a few tips and we are working to help me reach to my goals.  By the way, they are both amazing marathoners.

Here are the updates:

Since I've started to recored my steps, I can completely tell when I work from home.  My steps for the day are a lot lower.  I sit the entire time when working from home. When I'm in the office, I'm running around most of the day, I also park at the back of the parking lot...it's about 200 steps to my desk from the car each way.  On days when I run, my steps are amazing.  Do any of you have other clever ways to get in more steps each day?

I want to start sharing my weekly workouts with you.  I think it will help me stay better on track. When the summer months arrive I tend not workout as much because it's too hot.  I think this will help.

I had a great week.  Feeling really good and I ran lots of miles.  I had a long run Sunday and then again Saturday...I don't plan on doing that again anytime soon.  Total miles this week:  37


Highlight of the week:  I ran my last long run before my race with negative splits.  yay!

My half marathon is coming up in 3 weeks and I plan to sign up for another one next month - I will share more details as the time draws closer.  I'm also looking at another race in April...I'm feeling really good so I want to plan all my races.

I need to give the creator of this template credit.  I love her work.  MissTiina's work is amazing.  I use several of her calendars, to do lists and other templates to organize my daily life.  You can find her shop here.

I love selecting a word for the year.  I try to embrace my word and make it part of my world each day. When things get tough I try to bring myself back to my word of the year.  Last year my word was SHINE. This year I selected another word and it's going to be a little more difficult for me to embrace it.  That word is BALANCE.

Most times I get so caught up in work or caught up in daily life and I start to feel completely out of balance.  This year I will try my best to be a more balanced person.



These are the things I would like to work on this year:
Before I act, I will try to listen.
Before I react, I will try to think.
Before I criticize, I will try to wait.
Before I quit, I will try.
I will try to forgive more.
I will celebrate myself more.
Give myself more quiet time.

I will keep a monthly journal and will share my journey with you.  I hope you come back and visit.

This is a non sponsored post.  The photo was taken from the Ali Edwards:  One Little Word site. You can purchase your custom word by clicking here.