Marathon…

So for the past year maybe year and a half I have wanted to run a full marathon. The idea was to run a full 26.2 miles before I turn 26 years old…well that came and went and it never happened but I’m thinking about restarting that goal this time to run 26.2 while I’m 26? That still works right? 

So basically this is my last chance to do it, if I start training now I should be ready for a full marathon in September, which is when I turn 27. 

I started today with the Nike+ running app full marathon training plan, I would like to try the Hansons Marathon Method but I’m not organized enough to plan that out. 

Now I just need to stick with it this time!!

I’m still trying to decide between two marathons in September the Dare to Ascend Marathon and the I Ran Marathons 

I’m leaning towards the I Ran Marathons race because I don’t think I could do the right kind of training where I live to be ready for an actual trail run.

If you know anything about either race please let me know. And if you know of an easy way to come up with a Hansons Marathon Method training plan that would be really helpful too. 

Trail Run In Corpus Christi

Monday I had the day off work and decided to explore Corpus and try to find some new trails to run. I don’t really live close to Corpus, it’s about an hours drive from me, so I don’t get out there as much as I wish I could. My first stop was Fleet Feet so that I could pick up some new socks, I love the Balega socks, they are really I thin so they are perfect if you have any shoes that are a little tight. While I was there I figured I would ask about any local trails and they recommended a trail by Bill Witt Park off of Safety Steel Drive, he said that you could easily get in 6 to 7 miles, which was exactly what I was hoping to do. The sun was shining, it was 75 degrees- perfect weather to be out by the bay just enjoying the day. 

Pretty dry under this bridge, can’t wait to get back out here and see what it’s like after we get some rain

I’m not going to lie, it was a little rough to get going. I had never been out to this trail before (or even this part of town) so I kept having to refer to Google Maps to figure out where I should go. The first mile I just went straight out to the bay (river, reservoir not sure…) which turned out to be a mistake because the smell was terrible! We haven’t had rain in weeks so I don’t know if it’s just that everything is dried up or if it always smells like dried seaweed and dead fish. Either way it was extremely unpleasant, but I think after awhile you get used to it. After wondering around down there for about a mile and a half I went back up and went right where the trail spilt. This is definitely the way to go! You’re further off the bay so the smell isn’t as bad, and you’re not running on sand so it’s a littler easier on you calves (anyone else think “calves” is a weird word). Miles 3 and 4 were probably my favorite part of the trail, you’re close enough to the water to get a nice breeze, it was also the only part of the trail that had any kind of shade. Mile 5 I got a little off the tail on accident, I thought I could cut through some tall grass real quick but it just kept on going and the grass was getting thicker which was freaking me out because all I could think about were snakes and water moccasins! But eventually I got out onto the real trail again and started heading back to the car.    
  

Pretty muddy in some parts, guess my shoes had to get dirty eventually.

  Overall this trail was pretty cool. A few things to note if you ever decide to run there are: bring water especially if it is hot, stay on the trail, it will probably be muddy so don’t wear you new shoes (like I did) there are no restrooms anywhere so maybe bring emergency TP and I ran into a few bikers on this trail so be on the lookout. Like I said this was my first time on this trail and we haven’t had rain in weeks so I don’t know if it’s normally as dry as it was. I think could get muddy fast and stay that way especially with the high humidity out by the water. When I was talking to the guys at Fleet Feet about it they said that they were adding more trails to this area so I’ll have to check back and see if anything changes.
   

Feb 14-20 Recap

This was the best week I have had since November. I have been slacking hard lately but I turned it around this week and I really hope that I can keep that momentum going.
Tuesdays run was a slow 5 mile run. The weather was absolutely lovely, the sun was shining and the temperature was around 80 degrees. My average pace was 10:57, pretty good for me at that distance, but I didn’t bring enough water with me, or I think I could have run another mile. Since it’s starting to warm up I’ll have to start brining more water on my longer runs.
Wednesday was a quick 2 mile run before work. Average pace was 10:02 pretty fast, but not as fast as it could be.
Thursday I took the day off.
Friday I hit the trails at Lake Corpus Christi for 6 miles. This isn’t my favorite trail to run, but it’s all I have been able to find close to my house. Average pace was 11:05, pretty slow but I’m not fast on trails. I need to try to get out there more so that I can improve my time and it’s a great opportunity to get some hills in. Plus it’s great to be in nature. The temp was still in the 80’s but there are a few trees on this trail so it offers some shade.
Saturday was kind of a recovery run. I was still pretty sore from the trail run on Friday but I felt good enough to get in a few miles. I took it pretty easy and did 3 miles at a pace of 10:37. There were a few dogs out on the road I usually run on so I took the side street to be safe. I’m sure they are friendly dogs, but why chance it.
Overall this week was great! I’m happy that I was able to get out as much as I did, I feel good about the longer runs that I did. I do wish that I could get faster, but I like running longer more then I like running fast, both would be nice, but that’s ok.

Armadillo- not a very shy little guy

Total miles for the week: 16
Total time: 2:53
This week I might try finding some new trails, or go out to the Bay.
Anyone have a run they are looking forward to this week?

What In My Running Pack

Just finished up a 6 mile trail run at the lake. I don’t get out that way very often but I have been craving a trail run ever since I started reading Eat and Run by Scott Jurek. It’s a great read especially if, like me, you need a little extra motivation this time of year. 

  But anyway, since it was a trail run day that meant that I got to use my running pack so I figured I would tell you guys what I keep in it. The pack itself is from Lululemon and I love it for trail runs, and any long run I do that is not just around my house. It has a Platypus hydration system in it (not included with the bag, I had to purchase it separately) which I love for those hot Texas days when I just can’t seem to get enough water. A few things that I think are essential are; a small travel size of sunscreen and chapstick with SPF because when you are outside for that long you have to be protected from the sun. I also keep Glide in my bag, although I have never had much luck with it personally, I just feel like it doesn’t work that well(any tips?). I’m that person that always has to listen to music when I run, soI like to bring extra headphone, just to be safe, and I try to keep my Ipod Nano fully charged in my bag at all times, because I never know when I’m going to be without cell service, or my phone battery could be low. I like to keep a few things in there for emergency (I have been lucky to not need them) such as: a Fox 40 whistle, an emergency Nite Ize light, and if I’m someplace I know doesn’t have a restroom I will try to bring some TP just in case. Also, if you are running someplace new, and they have one available, I would bring a trail map, I have a terrible sense of navigation so this is a must have for anyplace new. Lastly, because you never know when you will need some fuel to keep going, I always have a Cliff bar, some GU or Nuun in my bag at all times. I think that’s basically it, if you can think of something that I am forgetting to bring with me I would love the feedback.What are some essentials you always keep in you bag? 
*non of the ablove links are sponsered, or afileated 🙂

What I Ate Today

What I ate today.Usually I don’t eat anything to exciting so I’ve never really felt the urge to do a What I Ate Today post, but today I feel like I have eating pretty well and I found a local spot I wanted to mention. So today was an early day for me at work so I had to be up at 4:30am (not a morning person so this is always tough) usually I’m not hungry that early in the morning and I don’t really have the time to eat, so I try to make something that I can bring with me. Today I made a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and had a banana as well, pretty basic but I love it. When lunch time came around (about 10:30am) I went to a local Mexican restaurant hoping to get some nachos. I asked for them without sour cream, cheese or meat, I have done this before and it comes with guacamole, lettuce, tomato and beans (if they don’t use lard in their beans) and it always come out nice and is a great meal. No such luck this time, when I got back to work I opened my nachos and found that they had misunderstood me and put steak on my nachos. Usually if it were just a little bit of cheese or sour cream I would just do my best to ear around it (I’m not one for wasting food just because of a little mix up) but there was just no eating around this. So I gave my nachos to my boss (she thought it was her lucky day) and left work again on a mission to find something else. And I’m so glad that I did! I ended up going to this place called Fruit Creations  and got myself an acai Bowl with strawberries, bananas pineapple and granola.

And because I was feeling a little wild I even got a wheat grass shot.

This meal was fantastic! I don’t think I have ever been so happy a place messed up my order, because it lead me to try someplace new. This was my first acai bowl before and I was pleasantly surprised by how sweet it was, I was expecting it to be more bitter, but it was great and I cannot wait to try it again!

When I got home (around 2:00pm) I was feeling pretty hungry so I made up some fresh guacamole! I have been loving guac lately especially with a lot of lime, it’s just so fresh and delicious. Now it’s about 7:30 and I’m fixing to eat dinner, I’ve made a sweet potato and I’m about to spiralize a zucchini and have to veggie pasta. If you haven’t tried a veggie spiralizer yet you need to! It’s a great way to get in more veggies and you don’t have to feel bad when you go back for seconds, or thirds 🙂

That’s it for today, over all I think I ate pretty well today.

I’m hoping to get in a big run tomorrow before work, maybe like 6 miles?

Hope you guys enjoy this kind of post, what was your favorite meal today?

Where Have I Been?

So I’ve been gone for awhile… and I’m really sorry about that but I have been figuring some things out with life and also trying to decide where I want this blog to go and I think I have figured some of those things out. The biggest thing that I have discovered -or I guess changed about myself- is that I am now vegan. January 27th I woke up, got on Youtube and watched this Video by Gary Yourofsky and then I watched Food, Inc. and Cowspiracy; after learning more about the meat and dairy industry I just can’t take part in the cruelty- for ethical and environmental reasons. That being said I don’t want this blog to be about Veganism, it will continue to be about running but maybe with a dash of Vegan, like recipes, What I Ate Today or other things along those lines.

  
Because of this major (is it really major?) lifestyle change I have not been running. I wanted to give my body a chance to adapt without the added stress of running. Since going vegan I have ran twice- both 6 mile runs and I felt great both times! The second time I didn’t have to stop at all during the whole run (usually I’ll have to stop or slow down a few times during a long run). So over all I think my body is adjusting fine, I haven’t noticed anything negative so I’m going to keep doing what I’m doing. Actually my hip did start bothering me after the second 6 mile run, but I don’t think that has anything to do with diet. My hip used to bother me all the time but it had gotten better, I’m thinking it was just me pushing myself too hard so I think it will be fine after a few days off. And if I actually stretched for once that might help…

 I will get back to running regularly this week and I will also get back to posting more as well. I just had a lot of things to figure out. As it is right now I don’t think I have any hope of running the Alamo Half Marathon, I’ve taken too much time off and it wouldn’t be smart to push it. I do need to find something that I can start training for maybe a local 10 mile run or a half that’s a little closer to summer. Or maybe a destination race that could double as a vacation, that sounds lovely!

Would you guys be interested in vegan posts?

Jan 17-23 Recap

This week has been great for running, the weather was lovely- I don’t think it got hotter then 65 degrees which is perfect for me! The sun has been shining and over all it’s been fantastic. I only managed to get my butt out the door twice to run this week but I’m not letting that discourage me because one of my runs was a 10K which is further then I have ran since I did the Veterans 10 Mile Run November 7th. Yikes it’s been awhile, but it felt easy I’m not sure why I haven’t been running far I think I’ve just been tired from work and just slaking off. I had some C4 as a pre-run drink but I didn’t bring any Gu or Shot Bloks with me for this run, I didn’t feel like I needed anything during the run either, it just went perfectly, I didn’t feel any pain or cramping- I just ran comfortably, it was amazing and very encouraging! My laps were pretty consistent and I feel pretty good about my speed. My average pace was 10:41.

Mile 1	10:58
Mile 2	10:33
Mile 3	10:43
Mile 4	10:46
Mile 5	10:46
Mile 6	10:32
.2	9:47

My second run this week was only 4 miles, I was hoping to get in at least 5 but I had plans to go out and I got started a little late. (I really need to work on managing my time better) This run was a little colder (which was great) so I was able to run a little faster with an average pace of 10:11. There was also a lot of wind which slowed me down on miles 1 and 3 but really pushed me to go faster for 2 and 4. Also I ran a sub 10:00 mile which was really exciting!! I didn’t have any C4 or shots for this run and I still felt great, maybe a little scatter brained afterword’s (does that happen to anyone else?)

I also didn’t stretch before or after either run, and I know I’m going to pay for it if I keep that up so I will make it a point either do yoga or foam roll after I run. (least favorite things ever)

Mile 1	10:20
Mile 2	10:13
Mile 3	10:21
Mile 4	9:50

That’s it for running- I know I haven’t been putting in as many miles as I should especially if I want to do the Alamo Half Marathon at the end of March. I’m still not sure that I will be doing the race, my friend that I usually do races with doesn’t want to go (she’s not a cold weather runner) and I really don’t want to go by myself. I haven’t completely made up my mind about it yet- it could still happen. If I have another couple great runs like the one on Monday I might just do it.

I’m thinking I may need to get a new pair of running shoes for longer distances, right now I have the New Balance Vazee Pace NYC and I love them and I feel like they make me go really fast, but I don’t think they offer much support for runs over 6 miles. I used to run in the Asics Gel-Nimbus 16 and they were great, probably the best supporting shoe I have ever worn. So I’ll most likely be trying those again but maybe the 17 or maybe I’ll try the Kayano?

Over all last week was great, it’s always nice to have a run that leaves you feeling like you can run further or faster and not be in pain afterword’s! I think this week I want to work on running more often, maybe a few shorter runs during the week, and work on my speed a little more, after running a sub 10:00 mile I feel like I can do even better then that!

Hope you guys are all doing great, if you were part of that big snow storm I hope you are staying warm and dry! Hopefully you have a treadmill (or skis!)  because I don’t see how anyone could be out there running in that snow!

Do you like to do races alone or with a friend?

What’s your favorite long distance running shoe?

Do you run in the snow or stay inside?

 

Running In The Country

Hello happy Sunday! Hope everyone is enjoying their weekend! I have to work this morning but I will (fingers crossed) get a long run in after work. This week I have been seriously lacking motivation to get outside. Works got me tired and I haven’t had much energy when I get home.  But that has given me time to think about the pros and cons of running in the country. Really its got its ups and downs, I love that the air is always fresh (maybe a little to humid at times) and there’s lots of open space and endless miles of road to run on. But on the other side of that it can be scary because anything could happen and in an emergency there might not be help for miles.

I love that I can step right out my door and pretty much run in any direction and not be faced with a busy road laden with traffic, I don’t have to deal with stop lights; on a typical run I can expect to see maybe one car, two max! This does make running on country roads easier because the roads are one lane and if a car is going by I have to hope that they get over for me, which they usually do because most the time it’s the same people driving by. While most blocks are pretty small (I would guess an average city block’s about a mile?) the block I live on is four miles, which I love! Four miles is a perfect distance for me to run on an average day, so usually I just “run around the block” and if I want to run longer, say eight miles its doesn’t get super repetitive.

With all the positives come a fair amount of negatives, the most notable being safety. Part of me likes to think it’s safe because I hardly see people so really what could happen? But the flip side of that is; if something did happen there wouldn’t be anyone nearby to help. Which is why I always have my phone on me, but that’s only helpful if I can physically get to my phone. Another thing, and this may just be unique to the area I live in, is the large population of stray dogs. While I will say that it’s gotten better over the last year, I still do occasionally see strays. I have never had a major problem with a dog out here, but when I a strange dog sneaks up behind you, it’s scary! One last small thing that I have never experienced but I do think about is snakes, there are a few venomous snakes out here, but I feel that as long as I’m being observant and staying out of the grass that’s all I can really do.

I think that know matter when you live there are going to be things that you have to deal with while you’re outside running. That’s just part of it. What it comes down to is knowing your environment and being prepared to deal with any obstacles that may arise. I think that if you concentrate to much about what could happen, you will always have an excuse to not get out there and have a great run. I’m not saying to completely ignore safety, but to just use your best judgment and be sensible about it.

What are some things you worry about while your’e running?

How do you prepare for these things?

What do you think is the thing runners most neglect when if comes to safety?

Week 1 Jan. 1-9

So I’m going to *try* to do weekly updates about running and other random things going on in my life (but lets be real, running and work are about the only things going on over here).

The first week of the year has been pretty mellow, I’m trying to get back into the groove of running, I basically took the entire month of December off, for better or worse I’m not sure- but it happened. So now it’s time to get my butt back in gear and start ramping up my mileage. Considering I only ran 2 miles in December (I know- I was a total sloth) I think I’m doing okay for January at 8 miles for the first week. And the miles felt easy, I don’t think I lost a lot of my endurance because I was able to do a 5K with ease and without stopping. My speed it pretty much the same too, 10:20 a mile or faster. It feels good to be able to take that kind of time off and start back up without much consequence.

My first run of the year was one New Years Day, which I’m pretty surprised by because I did drink a decent amount on New Years Eve, but I wanted to start the year right and Matt was willing to go with me so we did a short 2 miles. Matt is much faster then me so I love when he goes with and pushes me to go faster. I also ran two 5Ks this week, the first in 31:05 and then again in 32:05. This is a pretty average pace for me, but I do hope to get faster this year maybe bringing it down to around 28:00 for a 5K.

This week I was pretty bad at drinking water too, I used to be so good at drinking at least 80oz  a day but I’ve been struggling with it this week.  I have been snacking a little better though, my go to snacks have been carrots with hummus and also apples, this time last year I was snacking on a lot of chocolate so this is a definite improvement.

Has anyone else noticed that the days are finally starting to get a little longer again? Okay maybe it’s only a few minutes but I’ll take it. I’m excited to actually have some daylight left by the time I get out of work. I might be able to bring my running gear with me and explore the trails by work!

I’m also trying to figure out how many miles I want to try to run this year. Last year I did 450 miles, so I’m thinking this year I should shot for 600 miles? That’s only 50 miles a month, which seems manageable, as long as I can be consistent about it.

Other things I’ve been thinking about doing lately: The Alamo Half Marathon in March, it’s about 10 weeks out so training would be cut a little short but I think I could do it. The Color Me Rad 5K is going to be in Corpus sometime maybe at the end of this month? I have a few friends that run it every year, but I have never done a color run and I would love to!!

That’s about all for this week, I didn’t win the Lotto so I guess I’ll try again Wednesday! Great job to everyone who ran at Disney this week! I would love to run there one day!

What’s your favorite place to run or your favorite race?

How I Became A Runner

I started running in the spring of 2013 for the same reason most people start running; to have more confidence with my body, but most importantly I wanted to lead a healthier lifestyle. At the time I was working at a sporting goods store so I bought myself a new pair of bright pink Nike Free Run’s, a sports bra, some cute running shorts and downloaded the Nike+ running app (still a favorite of mine). After much persuasion I talked my friend into coming with me, hoping that we could both motivate each other to go a little harder. Neither of us had ever ran before just for the sake of running, so our strategy was very basic, and in my opinion the best way to start running;  we would begin running and pick an land marker (light pole, tree, fence ect.) to run to, once we reached it we would slow down for a bit and then start back up. I think the first run was about 1 mile, and it probably took a solid 15 minutes to complete, but that’s all it took- I was hooked!  I don’t know if it was the freedom I felt while running or the amazing trail that I was on, but there was something about it that just made me want to go back every day. From my first run, to my run earlier this afternoon, I have never felt like it was a punishment or something that I had to do, I always just wanted to run. It didn’t hurt that when I first started getting into running I was living in Avon, Colorado so any place I ran was beautiful so I always looked forward to be out running and exploring new places. Just like that running became a part of my daily life, I wend to bed thinking about my run earlier that day and how far or where I wanted to run the next day.

The only major obstacle I’ve faced has been in July, 2014 my boyfriend I moved to South Texas. When I first moved here I didn’t really think it would affect my running as much as it has.  My initial thought was that it would be easier because of the lower (non existent) elevation, but the heat mixed with the humidity here is like nothing I have ever dealt with especially coming from the cool, dry mountain air. After living here for about a year and a half now, I would say I’m a little more adjusted to it but I don’t think I will ever like the heat, my favorite temperature to run in is 55 degrees, so winters here are pretty great for that!

Running for the past two years has taught me quite a few life lessons, with the most important being; when you find something you love doing- it will not feel like work. When I first started running I never could have imagined that it would have such a strong influence on who I am as a person. I never thought that I would be capable, let alone look forward to running 6 miles. But I love it, I love how it clears my head and helps me get rid of any anxiety or stress that I might be having that day. Another major thing that I have learned is to love my body because it’s stronger then I ever thought capable. I love that my body allows me to be able to love running. There are days, heck weeks, when I don’t stretch like I should, I don’t eat like I should, I don’t drink enough water like I should but my body still preforms like it should, and it’s truly amazing. One last thing I have learned is that just like bad days will happen; so will bad runs. If you expected every run to be a solid, good run you would be setting yourself up for disappointment. Instead I try to take the bad with the good and learn why the run didn’t go the way I wanted it to and how I can change it in the future.

I guess you don’t really notice how such a seemingly small thing can change your life in such a tremendous way. I never would have imagined that by heading out for that first run, not being able to run for a solid 2 minutes without stopping, that I would be where I am today. I have such a great appreciation for myself and for my body, I have learned to overcome things in my life that are difficult and grow from them. I am happy and proud to be able to call myself a runner.

 

What made you start running?

Could you ever see yourself not being a runner?