New Years "Resolutions"

Figured a good post to start with would be my New Years Resolutions though I hate to call them that.  Hmmm... New Years Goals? Yea, goals!  Ok.. Here are my 2014 Fitness/Health Goals. Hopefully I can get my knee back in order ASAP to get started on these!

1) Blog more! I know that isn't what one would normally think of when considering health and fitness goals, but it is for me.  It helps keep me accountable and opens up a whole new fitness world for me to get tips, tricks, and connect with other people where locally the fitness community isn't large. I also have some race reviews to catch up on!

2) PR a 5K, 10K, and Half at least once for each distance. I am looking to PR my official times.  At this point I have beat my times unofficially but getting that official "check" makes me happy.  My times have improved quite a bit (at least in my mind) since my last race so I am excited to see what I can do.

  Current OFFICIAL Prs:
5k: 28:43   
10k: 1:10:44
Half: 2:29:52

Current UNOFFICAL Prs that I would like to see become official.. LOL

5k: 26:14
10k: 54:16


3) Run a Full Marathon and possibly an Ultra.  I am definitely planning to run my full this year though I had to postpone it.  I was following a half program to get me through to full training and the week I hit my 8 mile run I had HUGE issues with my IT band.  I am working on my hip strength and I am cleared to run until I hit pain.  Right now that is around 2 miles and climbing.  Because of this I decided to run the half at the Flying Pig in May and then I am planning to run the Full in September at the Air Force Marathon.  Fitting as it takes place on the last base the Husband was stationed at before he got out of the Air Force.

4) Continue to make healthy food choices and hit my water goals each day.

5) Lose the last 10lbs to get to my goal weight and go into 2015 with no goal to lose weight for the first time ever that I can remember.  I have mentioned before my weight loss journey.  I am finally almost done! I had a couple months, despite staying on plan for the most part, that I plateaued.  I think I finally have that under control and I have started going down again.  I would love to hit goal before the Flying Pig this year.  Even better if I can hit it before my first half of the year (the Athens Marathon) in April.  Here is my progress from May to December. I have lost a total of 43lbs since November 2012 and between these 2 pictures is about 27-28lbs. (and yes I bought the clothes I am trying on in the picture! LOL) I had sent the picture to my weight loss buddy to determine if they were too small.  It hasn't sunk in yet that I can buy smalls!

6) Try something new in the fitness arena... Maybe kickboxing, yoga, or crossfit? I am not sure yet but I crave something NEW!

7) I am afraid to set a mileage goal for the year since I am unsure 100% what is going on, or what may go on, with my knee but I am thinking that I would like to at least hit 800 this year? That would be nice!

8) 14 races in 2014!

I am sure some of these may change but I thought it would be nice to have these listed so that I can come check in at the end of the year and see how it goes! I have some other family related goals as well but I don't want to bore you with those =)

Happy Running!

My Big Plans!

I mentioned I would try to get back tonight to talk about my plans and figured this is the perfect opportunity.  The Husband went to bed early because he's going to run into work for a few hours tomorrow, Rex has been in bed for quite awhile now, and Curly went to spend the weekend with Nana (my mom).

I am a bit nervous to even say...er, type...this because it is not something that I thought would even cross my mind for a couple more years.  I have decided to run a MARATHON in May.  Yes, all capitals because when I think about it, that's how I imagine it in my head.  I am scared out of my mind, ya'll, but I really, really want to do it.

The whole thought came out of nowhere.  The race schedule that I had in mind is looking like it is going to need to change and we have decided to move a couple races and go back to the Flying Pig this year.  We were between it and the Indy Mini but we had so much fun at the Flying Pig and the kids are wanting to race again.  Unfortunately we don't have any options for kids races nearby and the Indy Mini doesn't offer one.

So, after making the decision to go back to the Pig, I wanted to do something different.  I originally thought that I would do the 3 way which is running the 5k and 10k on Saturday and then running the half marathon on Sunday.  That has been my plan for while but the other day when we were getting ready to run the marathon just popped into my head and I said "I want to do that!"  Now, I am fairly certain that is what is going to happen.  There are a couple things that may change this decision.

1. My weight- I know, I know that shouldn't change my decision to do something I really want but recently I have gone low carb.  I am talking induction level low carb so only 20-25 carbs a day.  This is just enough to fuel my short runs right now but I really wanted to be at or very close to goal weight before I move into a more Paleo-ish style of eating and adding back in fruits and sweet potatoes.  I have 23-28lbs before I get to what I consider my goal and I would like to be within 10lbs of there by the time my mileage ups to the higher miles.  I am fairly certain I can do it but you just never know when you will hit a plateau.

and

2. My leg- The day following my half at the Flying Pig in May I had what I thought was an extremely sore hamstring on my left leg.  Only problem is that it still aches now when I run or do a lot of walking like we did at the theme park Wednesday.  I have an appointment with a chiropractor and I am going to see if that helps.  If not, I am off to my general doctor to get a referral to a sports medicine doctor.

I have decided to do Hal Higdon's Novice Supreme program just because I run much better when I have a program to follow so starting 30 weeks out is not necessarily what I HAVE to do but what I WANT to do. I am sure I could start 18 weeks out on the normal training program and be ok but having a set plan keeps me focused and on track.  Therefore, training for the May 4th race will begin October 6!

Thanks for listening to my rambling!

Happy Running!

Flying Pig Weekend- Part 2

I am pretty tired right now but I want to get the details of the half marathon out before I start forgetting things but you will have to forgive any typos I happen to miss! Also, I don't have as many pictures for this post.  Sad. =(

Ok, so I left off last time with finishing up the kiddos' races and the day being great.  I had forgotten one very important detail of our weekend! On Friday night, around 1am, Curly woke up vomiting out of nowhere.  It was pretty bad while it lasted, thankfully only about a half hour, and then it was gone like nothing had really happened.  She didn't really want to eat anything until around 10am the next day but she seemed to feel great.  Then right after their races when we were getting ready to go back to the hotel she started showing signs of a UTI or something of the sort.  It was very obvious and she was crying quite a bit.  So that means momma and baby girl walked into the hotel just long enough to Google urgent cares before we left again.  I ended up needing to drive about 20 minutes over to Florence, Ky to find an urgent care and poor Curly was MISERABLE the entire ride.  I felt so bad for her.

We get to the urgent care and miracle of miracles it was completely empty! We were next in line and were in and out within a half hour with a prescription for an antibiotic and a pain medicine in hand.  I was so very thankful for that pain medicine because it worked almost immediately for her and we all got a good nights sleep that night. Another bonus- the trip to Walgreen's was short and sweet as well and we were back at the hotel in time for dinner!

That night we watched a bit of Twister on t.v at Rex's request and then got the lights out at around 9:30. We were all exhausted and fell right to sleep.  I, apparently, was incredibly nervous because I ended up waking up at 11:30, 1 something, and again at 2.  I couldn't fall back asleep no matter how hard I tried that last time so I finally just got out of bed around 3:54.  My alarm was set for 4:10 because I wanted to get up, ready, and in the car by 4:30 to get close parking.

I got to the parking lot pretty early since our hotel wasn't far away and sat there fiddling around on my iPad and crossing my fingers that the rain would stop.  As I sat there I kept debating on what I was going to do in case of rain.  I had brought a poncho but also had my everyday Columbia rain jacket with me and was considering wearing it because it looked like it was going to rain the entire race based on weather.com. I finally decided to just do the poncho if I needed it and headed in the direction of the start line at 5:30. I didn't make it far! I got to the port-a-potties that were on the far end of the parking lot and then realized I was freezing so I headed back to the car to get my jacket and my bag check bag in case I ditched it.  Back I went and walked back to my corral.  I was in F which seemed to take forever to get to.  By the time I got there, guess what? I was burning up.  So back I went, all the way around to the busses that were checking bags.  Finally, I used the restroom again and headed back to my corral.

Once I got into my corral I chatted with a few people and then when the 2:30 pacers arrived I edged up to where they were standing.  That's where I met Alicia and Trisha! They were the pacers and they were AMAZING!  I am pretty sure the race started on time.  We were pretty far back from the actual start so we couldn't hear much.  However, we got a good omen right before the start.

 

Pretty rainbow just as we started moving

It probably took us 15 minutes or so to cross the finish line and it was insane how many people were moving in one direction.  it looked like a giant wave as you watched people go up hills.  I am not a huge fan of crowds but it was pretty amazing to watch.  After a mile I was starting to get into a good stride.  The first few miles took us over a bridge into Kentucky, along the river and then back into Ohio.

From the bridge crossing into Ohio

Both of the pacers were pacing for their very first time but each mile they had us right where we should be.  The group started out with probably 8-10 of us and we were all chatting and pointing out our favorite signs.  I started the race with both earbuds in for music, eventually dropped to one, and by the end of the race I had them both out.  We talked about the whole race except in the tougher portions.

I was feeling really good and then we started approaching the dreaded hill.

 I saw people start going up and I asked Alicia if that was IT and she told me it was.  Up until this point I had told them that my intention was to hang with them until the hill and then I would most likely end up dropping off.  I underestimated myself! I ran the entire hill.  On occasion I would drop a few people behind them but as soon as we got to one of the flat stretches I would rush to catch up with them. It really wasn't as bad as I had imagined it would be. Finally, the top was in sight and the view of the river and KY opened up to our right.

From the top of the hill

From this point on it was essentially downhill and I was pretty happy about that.  Up until this point my longest run had been 11 miles and I had run the first 8 of that before a short walk break and then ran the final miles so that was the next goal I set for myself.  8 miles.  8 passed, I was still feeling good, and I knew The Husband, the kiddos, my dad and my sisters were going be at mile 9 so I had to push through to there.  I was pretty anxious to see them.  Finally, Tricia told me that the street I knew they would be on was coming up so I started looking for them. 

Rushed up and gave the kids toes a wiggle and kept trucking

From this point, it was just myself and the pacers.  Some of the group had drifted ahead, some fell behind, and I was determined to stick with them the rest of the way.  I have never been a talker while I run but we talked just about the entire race and really just reveled in the sheer amount of people who were out on the streets cheering.

As we got closer to the finish the crowds got denser and somewhere between miles 12 and 13 there was a church group? football team? I am not sure but they were amazing! They were twirling towels, screaming, jumping up and down.  I couldn't stop smiling.  We made the final turn and saw the "Finish Swine." I was so happy at this point! I had run the entire way, was on track to finish in my goal time, and had met some awesome people along the way.

After crossing the finish line (2:29:52) it started raining again! My wishes that morning had come true and it held off long enough for me to cross the finish line.  Alicia, Trisha, and myself decided to get a picture together.  We spotted one of the big flying pigs that were everywhere and scooted over to get our picture taken with it.  Well, somehow I trip over my foot and end up scooting the thing about a foot.  We thought it was anchored somehow.  Nope!  Not a few seconds later Trisha (who is about 25 weeks pregnant BTW) knocks into it and tips the whole thing over! There were tons and tons of people around and I know we were pretty red!

See all the people looking at us? Yup, that's what happens when you knock a giant pig over!

In all I loved this event.  It was a record setting year on how many people were there.  The girls kept saying the whole way how they could tell there were more people on the course and we dodged and weaved a large amount of time.  I think that maybe they hadn't sufficiently been prepared for such a huge influx of people which made certain aspects of the event a scheduling nightmare I am sure. They had sufficient water/Gatorade stops and the volunteers were really nice. The family events were fun and they have the unique options: 4way (5k+10k+full) or 3way (5k+10k+half).

Cons: The starting line was kind of wonky and the corrals didn't have enough port-a-potties, in my opinion. I wish the kids races had been longer for their ages.  They really love to run.  I am not sure what the ages were for the 26th mile (a 1 mile race) but if they are old enough we will do that one next year.  In all, I believe if we don't have any other races on the agenda at this time next year I think that we will be going back.

Flying Pig Weekend- Part 1

I have to say that this weekend was AMAZING! We had such a great time and my husband is already talking about going back again next year. =)

We started our weekend on Friday afternoon. Around 12 the house/dog sitter showed up and we got on the road. Cincinnati is about 2.5 hours away and we wanted to get to the expo while the kids were still fresh and we may be able to look around without them getting crazy. Those of you with preschoolers probably know about how well that worked out for us!

We ended up getting into the expo at around 3. We picked up our race bibs and got the papers filled out to sign the kiddos up for their piglet runs on Saturday. They were so excited about racing. It was pretty cute. After I filled out their paperwork we went to sign the Boston Strong banner. The boys ended up not signing but Curly and I did. She is getting so big.

 After this we walked through the maze they had set up, looked at all the vendors, spoke with team in training, had the KT tape guy retape my foot for me, and tried lots of yummy snacks they were giving away.

These were pretty delicious.  We also tried the Cranberry Apple and Tropical fruit varieties.

The kids were pretty good through the expo minus a few mishaps because they were getting pretty tired.  We ended up finding a handheld bottle for The Husband to carry on his runs and a 13.1 magnet for my car to put on after the race.  I would have to say that we did pretty well on our goal to not go overboard at the expo.

After the expo we headed over to the hotel to check in and figure out what we were going to do for dinner. We were in bed pretty early, maybe around 9:30, since we had to be up at 6:00 to get to the 10k on time on Saturday.

The Toyota 10K:

The Husband was running the 10k Saturday Morning.  It started at 8am and we probably got there around 7am, I think.  We had a fairly close parking spot and hung out at the start with him.  They took off right on time and the kids and I headed down to watch him cross the finish line.  On the way there we had to get some pictures by the river.

if you look REALLY close the bottom right picture shows the runners across the river in Ky.

After this we looped around a block so we could get into a good position to keep an eye out for The Husband.  We got there in time to watch the first person to cross around 33 minutes.  I knew we should be watching for him around the 1:15 mark because that is about what he had been running at home.  Boy, was i wrong! He came in at the 1:07 mark!  He did awesome and is now looking for a new PR!

After we reunited with the Husband we headed over to the Family Fun area where they had some fun stuff set up for the kids and where the Piglet Runs were going to take place. We were there super early so there were no crowds at the beginning.  They had free chair massages, a greyhound adoption place, a play area, free hotdogs, Skyline Chili, and a few games at various other vendors.  We let the kids play for awhile and then, realizing we had a lot of time to kill, we decided to go down by the river for a walk.  The kids loved watching all the boats.

 

Then, with even MORE time to kill we decided to walk across the bridge but as we were heading that way we got distracted by a park.  It was really pretty and had the perfect thing to occupy my Rex.  A timeline that had descriptions and years of all kinds of prehistoric animals and plants!

Rex reading about an Apatosarus

 By the time we walked the whole timeline and back it was time to head over for their races.  Curly is 3 so she was first out of the kiddos and ran a 25yard race.

Rex is 5 and ran the 50 yard race.

They both had a blast and had huge smiles on their faces after finishing.  They have caught the bug! It was such a fun family day and I can see us going back in the future.  I know they kids are wanting to do more races as well!

ProCompression Review and GIVEAWAY!

Ever heard of ProCompression socks? Of course you have! Especially if you are a runner.  Though they have many uses if you go to any large race you are going to see compression socks everywhere.  I came across the ProCompression through a few reviews and recommendations and just knew I had to try them.  With the running and race schedule that I have planned for the year the benefits of these socks would be great for my legs.

What benefits you may ask? According to ProCompression:

"Compression technology helps improve blood flow, resulting in better, more consistent performance with less fatigue and faster, more efficient recovery. In addition to improving vascular performance, Marathon compression socks provide support to critical muscles and tendons, helping reduce inflammation and soreness."

Who doesn't want better performance and less soreness?? I know those were the main selling points for me! But, do they work??

On Sunday, I ran my first half marathon.  The Flying Pig in Cincinnati which is  known for it's giant set of hills around mile 6.  I broke a big race day no-no and tried something new and wore the new ProCompression marathon socks so I could have a good distance for review.

One thing I was concerned about are my giant calves.  Any other knee socks normally don't want to fit or are too tight or distorted around my calves.  That was not the case with these socks. They fit comfortably and were not too tight.  It was mostly a gentle snugness which was great.  I wear a 7.5-8 in shoes normally and they sent me a S/M and they were perfect!

I felt great the entire race and I even ended up leaving them on for our 2.5 hour ride home and for awhile after I got home to take advantage of the recovery benefits.  I do have to say that though my I am slightly sore today I know that it could have been worse based on my 11 miler a couple weeks ago.  Thanks ProCompression!

Want to win a pair of your own? ProCompression has been generous in letting me give a pair of Marathon Socks away to you! Just enter through the Rafflecopter below and I will  draw a winner on May 13th and will announce on May 14th.  Good luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway Also, if you just can't wait and want to order now the folks at ProCompression have also been nice enough to provide a 40% off coupon code for their Marathon Socks and Compression Sleeves. Isn't that awesome?!  Just enter BLG13 at checkout!

I wasn't compensated for this review. ProCompression provided me with these socks in exchange for my honest opinion.

6 days!

It is so hard to believe that the Flying Pig is next weekend!

I am so excited for my first half marathon (though not about the hill involved) and I am counting down the days.  It has seemed to sneak up on me but I am fairly confident in my training.  The only thing I am bummed about is this foot issue but it is already feeling a bit better.  With ice, resting, massage, stretching, and anti inflammatories and pain relievers I believe that I will make it through just fine.  I am concerned that my taper is going to end up being 2 weeks rather than 1 and has been literally NO exercise this week.  I have really been babying my foot a lot.  I am going to attempt my short runs this week to test it out as well as the KT tape I ordered and hopefully it helps.

I'm going to need all the help I can get for this hill!

This weekend should be really fun.  I have everything lined out: house sitters, hotels, directions, information. The only thing I have to do is get my packing list together.  Packing for myself and both kids is always fun.  At least The Husband always does his own packing =).

The weekend is going to be super busy: We are staying the night Friday close-ish to Cincy in order to get The Husband to his 10k the next morning without messing with the kids' schedule too badly.  After his race we will head to the Expo and explore a bit.  Following the expo we will be heading over to let Curly (my 3 year old little girl) and Rex (my 5 year old little boy) run the kids races.  We will have a picnic lunch and then we will likely have some time to kill before we can check into our other hotel for the half marathon Sunday.  This Friday night stay was a last minute decision (aka made a few minutes ago) hence the 2 different hotels.

We are also hoping to squeeze in dinner with some friends on either Friday or Saturday night.  Busy but oh-so-fun family weekend!


Happy Running!

Weekly Workout Roundup

This week wasn't as great as last week.  It wasn't that great at all actually.  I did have some really good runs, though, so that counts right??

Week	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
10	Stretch & strengthen Zumba and HIIT	5 m run 55:20	3 m run or cross Nothing	5 m run + strength 53:05	Rest	60 min cross Nothing	11 m run 2:02:48

Monday- I went to Zumba and HIIT Fit again.  Zumba last for an hour and this time around they really worked my arms.  I borrowed a pair of the weights and I was definitely feeling it by the end. 

In HIIT we did a deck of cards workout.  I don't know if you watch Biggest Loser or not but Bob did this with his contestants this season when they had to spend all day sitting in the room of sweets and video games.  Each suite had an exercise and you did however many the number of the card was of that exercise.  Here's what the workouts were:

Face Cards: 10 reps of any ab move
Clubs: Pushups
Diamonds: Sit and Stands
Spades: Tricep Dips
Hearts: Prone Jacks
Ace: 10 burpess.

Let me tell you those darn burpess saved themselves.. I think 3 of them were in the last 15 or so cards. That totals 54 reps of each suite and then the 40 burpees and 12 sets of 10 of each of the ab moves chosen.  It was a good workout.

Tuesday: I had a decent run but it was VERY hot and muggy.  I felt like I could barely catch my breath most of the time which was not pleasant at all- but I survived.

Wednesday: It rained all day.  I had every intention of doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred but ended up not doing it.

Thursday: Another 5 mile run with the husband.  The wind and heat stunk but I ran the entire way even though it was at a snail's pace.  But progress is progress!

Friday: Scheduled Rest day and Saturday: Accidental rest day.

Sunday: Today I did an 11 mile run on a bike path I had never been on.  I was happy with myself because I ran the first 8 miles, took a small walk break, and ran the last 3.  It felt good.  I had a pain in the arch area of my left foot the ENTIRE run, though, as well as my left hamstring feeling tight from the beginning.  My left leg was apparently against me today.

On a side note, I run in some really pretty places.  I can't wait to get my Garmin so that my phone isn't strapped to my arm and I can use it for pictures!

All in all, it wasn't bad but the next week needs to be on.  Only 2 weeks until my first half!

My last long run and some randomness

I have been wanting to kind of recap my last long run for future reference.  It was my very first double digit run ever and that seemed like a huge milestone to me.  Especially since I just started running at the beginning of January (minus a short 3 month stint last year that had me up to 3 miles).  I have to say that I was really proud of myself.  Sure, I wasn't fast.  I ended up settling into an 11 min/mile pace that felt comfortable but once I was there I felt like I could have gone on forever.

The area I ran in was the bike path in one of my favorite towns in this part of the state.  Ohio University is my alma mater and, in my opinion, is a gorgeous campus.  The path goes along the river and there is always something scenic to look at.

You can see the bike path there running along the opposite side of the river. Source

We parked at the football stadium and hit the bike path going east.  I think this weekend when I go back we will head to the west because from where we parked I hit the very end of the bike path before the halfway point of 5 miles.  I had to run a very short way up into the hospital parking lot that is at the end of the path to get the full 5 miles.

I was pretty happy with my performance overall on this run. I ran the first 5 miles (except for a short stop in the bathroom around mile 3.  I drank too much water that morning apparently!), took a short walk at the turn around point, stopped AGAIN in the bathroom at 7 miles and then ran the entire way back.  I would say that I walked less than 1/8th of a mile or so.  Like I said, it was slow going but I ran much of it!  My time was 1:51:05 which was an average of 11:06/mile.

source

Now, some randomness:

1) I am SO elated over the fact that the final Boston bomber has been apprehended.  I was debating on posting this but decided that in order to stand up to the madness in this world we must move on and do what we love.  Run in memory and honor of those in Boston.

2) I am at the point in my life that I only want those who encourage around me.  There is so much drama among some people I know and I just want people surrounding me who uplift me.  That being said, I have made some decisions this week to begin to make the move toward having only positive influences in my life. I have to say that it feels good.

3) I am just 15 days away from my first half marathon and I get goosebumps every time I think about it!

4) It is so strange yet so great to have my husband home after he was gone for 11 months.

5) Finally, there are some great companies out there making shirts and the like to benefit the victims of Boston.  I am still trying to decide on a shirt that I want but I did order a Sweaty Band and I am really excited to get it.  I really hope it fits my strange shaped head =). 

I am going to try to get a list of the shirts I have seen together to add to my next post.  I have seen some great ones but they are on my phone... which is dead.

Happy Running!

Weekly Workout Roundup

Week	Mon	Tues	Weds	Thurs	Fri	Sat	Sun
9	Stretch & strengthen 1:30  Zumba &  HIIT Fit	4.5 m run 54:13 4.75 miles	3 m run or cross 37:58 7.33m bike ride	4.5 m run + strength 48:31	Rest or easy run	Rest  2:00 Slow walk	10 m run 1:51:05

 ** (a note on this schedule.  It had a 10k built into Sunday but I opted out and settled on a long run for the weekend instead.  That is why there is a rest day scheduled for Saturday also.)

This week has been a great one for my workouts.  Having The Husband home really helps motivate me because he continuously reminds me what I am working toward and where I want to be in the near future.  It really helps.  Now, I have him attempting to motivate me to get my school work done on time!

Monday: I went to Zumba for cross training for the first time in a year.  They now do something called HIIT fit after the hour of Zumba and it lasts a half hour.  So we did Tabata intervals of various things including squats with a kettle bell, leg climbers, pushups, oblique crunches, and lots of other ab work.  I was fairly sore the next day from HIIT Fit.

Tuesday: I was able to get up first thing in the morning to get in my 4.5 mile run! I usually have to run late at night after the kids go to bed but since The Husband is home, I was able to do it before breakfast. I actually ended up doing 4.75 that morning because I got into a zone and forgot when I was supposed to stop.

Wednesday: The Husband and I went on a bike ride.  It was a lot of fun and it had been awhile but I always forget how much of a workout riding a bike can be!

Thursday- The kiddos went to my Grandma's to play and The Husband and I went for a 4.5 mile run through town.  I hadn't run this route in a few weeks and I was happy to get in one of my short runs outside.

Friday: Was rest day =)

Saturday: The kids had soccer games this morning.  My mom and I, along with my Little Girly went to a big outdoor outlet mall right afterwards to get the kids some summer clothes.  It wasn't at the pace I would normally walk for cross training but I was only scheduled for 50 minutes and probably got in over 2 hours.

Sunday: Again, The Husband and I took off together for a run.  I had 10 miles to do and we finally hit the point that we had to travel about 45 minutes in order to safely run it.  I had a VERY slow pace that I settled into but I really felt like I could go forever at that pace.  I stopped 3 very quick times and 2 of those were because I had to pee! I hydrated a bit too well apparently! I am going to have to watch that because I don't want to be stopping in the middle of my half!

I am very happy with this week and I am really excited for next week.

Happy Running!