Friday, November 15, 2013

A Year this Weekend

This weekend marks one year since I ran my first race. Yep that was the coolest feeling in the world. However in the last year I have had some peaks and valleys in my running. Peaks include completing my goal of 13 in 2013. This means that between January 1 and December 31 I have run at least 13 virtual or registered races. The valleys have been sickness, and a knee injury keeping me off the road.

One of my favorite things I started this year is the Get LOST in Running series. I have earned the medals for the first 3 stations which hang in my house. These 3 medals are a total of 16.8 miles! This series for me has been a great reason to stay motivated. These three medal where each one race for me so one day I completed the 4K, one day I finished the 8K, and one day at the end of the summer I ran the 15K.
In continuation in this series I have one medal sitting on my dresser that I want to take out of the package so bad! It is a 16K which is a total of 10 miles! I am so far from being able to run 10 miles at one time right now coming out of this valley I am in. So my plan for this medal is to make it my training medal. This means that as I build in my miles on my weekly runs they will add up to the 10 miles. and help me get to the ability to run the full distance at one time for station 5.

To finish out the original series I have to finish stations 5 and 6. Station 5 is a 14. 3 mile run. My goal is to make this my first half! I want to make station 6 which is 26.1 miles break into 2 half's. Upon finishing the original 6 stations means that I have earned the series medal, however Joe added the last 4 stations from the show
into the series so for me until I finish the last original 3 stations and the added on 4 stations will I truly have earned the series medal.
When all is said and done this series will equal a total of 88.3 miles! This series allowed me 3 races (maybe 4) virtual races in 13 in 2013 and will give me 6 races (maybe 7) in 14 in 2014. Oh right my goal for next year is to run 14 in 2014 like I did in 2013! My other goal is to run my first half marathon before next November, and to break my PR of 39:00 minutes on my 5K. With goals in hand, which I will elaborate on more in a different post, I am ready to start my second year in racing.

-Felicia

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Well here we go.

It's been a while since I have been here I have missed my digital running family a great deal, however I had some things to sort out and am happy to say I am back. I spent the summer running, running, running, on ground and in swimming pools as well as lifting light weights and core work. I had lost 15lbs since April-August and was feeling strong and confident in my body.
When I got back to school all those things went down the drain! We are 7 weeks in and I (till yesterday) had not run in 3 weeks! 3 WEEKS! That is ridiculous!!! I was choosing sleep over running with how crazy my schedule had gotten trying to design 2 thesis, be a student, run the electrics shop, and have a social life I chose sleep. And I believe most people would be behind me all the way on that decision. However in choosing sleep I have gained 5lbs back (the ice cream and beer might be helping) and lost a great deal of confidence I had built. So Sunday night I decided I was going to get up Monday and run 1 mile that is all I needed to do 1 mile...and I did: 

Is it record breaking...nope but it made me feel better and right now that is the only thing that matters to be honest. Also it made me decide that I wanted to run 25 mile minimum this month. For some of you that is a days worth of running, for some of you that is a weeks worth of runs, but for me this month it's a months worth of running and I am ok with that. My body is kind of starting over and I don't want to push it to hard to fast and end up laid up on the couch with an injury.
So the goal is a mile a day for a month. That means at least a 7:30am wake up call on week days and weekends (which is way later than it was this time last year) which isn't that bad. The other goal for this month is to post about my runs and let you know how my body is feeling, how my spirit is developing, and how my confidence is growing...hopefully all of those things will be true.
 Today is Tuesday which means run 2 happened this morning yep that's right I am 2 for 2 woohoo! This mornings run was faster than yesterday, I didn't really push for it to be that way, however it was colder this morning so maybe that's why. Some where around the 3/4 mile mark I started to notice my legs getting tired which is great! Yep sounds crazy but it is nice to know they are still down there. As the day progresses I am sure I will find my quads to be a little sore which maybe a consistent thing for the rest of the month. My spirit and willingness are good and ready to tackle as much of this challenge my body will let me tackle.

However this challenge is going to mean more laundry for me...because I only have 5 pairs of running clothes :( Wish me luck and I will see you tomorrow!
-Felicia

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

UGH!

So not having a goal, a running partner, accountability person has made me LAZY! When I started running a year ago and  for almost the entire first year of running I had a person to compete with, someone to talk to about the failed runs and the successful ones. Someone who understood what it meant to cover a new distance or beat a time record. It has been almost 4 months since said person chose to walk out on this responsibility.
Since then I  have hard a terrible time in working out how to get back on my running/nutrition feet. With that being said it is time to get back up and dust myself off and start all over again. It is time to get up with the sun and get my runs in while it is cooler outside...if I can train while working full time or being in school full time there is no reason why I can't do it during the summer when I have hardly nothing going on. Lazy is not my style but pushing through and conquering things is so here we go today's run is the last of the Lazy kid runs.
I ran the 1st mile, walked mile 2, and ran/walked the 3rd. Well not a great day or great run/walk. It will however count as 3 or 9 miles for station 3 the 15K in the We get LOST in running. I was aiming to do this station in one run but till I get my running legs back under me for real I will be breaking them up.  How are things going out there in running cyber world?

-Felicia


Saturday, July 6, 2013

Firecracker 5K Recap

This weekend part of my family ran the Firecracker 5K hosted by Big River Running Company in St. Louis. We had perfectly amazing weather it was 70-75 degrees and sunny for the whole race! I woke up on the 4th and was in so much pain in my stomach I almost didn't run. I was sure what the problem was but I was doubled over till the race started. I chose to run without my water which was not my smartest move, however I survived just fine. The exciting news about this race is that I got 2 PR's!!!!! Yep I ran my fastest mile ever and my fastest 5K ever!


Mile 1 was my PR mile! It clocked in at 10:45!!! Holy crap I was moving! When runkeeper chirped at 5:00 minutes and I was almost at .5 miles I decided in that second I was going to push it as long as I could and as fast as I could. It was a pace I knew I could never keep for the whole race so I hit my goal and slowed down a bit. My dad and I stayed together for the whole race...sometimes I think he pushes himself super hard to keep up the whole time to make himself better and stronger. Also mile 1 was pretty much a hill slow and steady that ended right around a water station.

Mile 2 I took a little slower and was decently flat. Dad and I chatted through most of this mile joking about the church on the corner about how we would need the good Lord to pull us through to the end. We also joked about needing the old person's home when we were finished, it was a good time. that ended with another water station. We took it as a run walk mile and averaged around 13:14 time.
Mile 3 was up hill and a loop back down to the baseball stadium. which was an easy trek up and back down. The cool part was that you finished the race running the bases and crossing home plate. The uncool part is that the last 0.1 mile was all in sand! Sand at the end is a cruel punishment and makes it tough to finish. However we finished mile 3 in 12:47. 

My goal for this 5K was to finish in sub 40:00 and I succeeded!!!! I finished this 5K in 39:44!!! That is roughly 2:00 faster than I have been getting! I was so excited I couldn't even contain myself! We sprinted the third base line to make it in time for the PR but I wanted it really bad and we were so close! I did learn that if I could PR with the way I felt then I maybe training to slow. So starting next week I will be picking up the pace as much as I can...aka bleacher days will also be speed run days...YIKES!





PreRace photo with my cousin and his wife. Looking right into the sun hence the squinting face! 


 PreRace photo with my dad.




                                                                                Post Race photo with my dad on the third base line.

All in all it was a great race and we had great weather. It was nice to run with the family even if we all run at different paces and finished at different times. We still got to hang out after, drink beer, eat a hotdog and talk about how it went for everyone. How did your race weekend go?

-Felicia

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Lots and lots of Things!

Ok so I am so far behind on blogging it isn't even funny. In this post we will cover 2 runs, foodie pen pals June, a Runnerbox, the new running schedule, and the new shoes I bought. At the end of the summer I will recap all the cool medals I have coming in this summer. I will recap every "real" race in a post and virtual races I'll try and add to something else.

Two runs here we go! This first run is labeled as a walk because well i forgot to change it back after walking with my dad the night before. I did a short 1 mile run to warm up my body before I kicked it into gear with and upper body and core workout. I am working on getting down to under a 12:00 minute mile. It is a slow process but I am hoping to get it there before the end of the summer with Thursday's being speed work and bleachers starting next weeks. Next we have a 2.5 mile Saturday morning run before work with a little core work. It felt great! I enjoyed it for the first time in a while. It was also beautiful outside.

JUNE FOODIE PEN PALS!!!!!!

This month my pen pal was Jackye Clayton and she was awesome!!!! She sent me all kinds of things from her home state. At this point I am super excited to try everything! I love chocolate and I am way interested to see how it mixes with bacon in a chocolate bar. Also who doesn't like scones I think I might add some chocolate to it and make dark chocolate ones for half the batter and leave the other half plain to taste the original. I am so excited!!!


Third thing, have you ever heard of RunnerBox? I hadn't till one showed up in my mailbox today. Last week I registered to run the Summer Sunset Run which is a virtual race! One of the prizes was a RunnerBox. Can I just say all of the stuff they get in that tiny is magic! I am super excited to try some of the things I have been looking to try but didn't want to buy a bunch in case I hated its. Nuun has been on that list for a long time and there are 2 tablets in the box, the other thing is the pro bar bolt chews which help with energy during a long run. This is great!!!

July 4 Fire cracker 5K race with some of the family
July 6- 4.5 Miles
July 9- 6 miles
July 11- 3.5 miles with Bleachers
July 13- 4.5 miles
July 16- 6 miles
July 18- Summer Sunset 10K
July 20- 4 miles with Bleachers
July 23- 7 miles
July 25- 3.5 miles with Bleachers
July 27- 6 miles
July 30- 7 miles
August 1- 4 miles with Bleachers
August 3- 6 miles

This is it for July the goal is to not miss a run and to stick with the miles designated, however I understand that sometimes that's not possible. If my legs need a break then I will run less miles. The other goal is to be able to run the 3rd and 4th stations of Get LOST in running by the middle of August...so that means being able to run a 15K and 16K.

Lastly my new shoes!!!!!!! Ok so for almost a year I have been running in my Asics GT-2170 and have loved every second of it (minus the fist few weeks) Breaking them in was a tough process but once I got them broke in and my muscles adjusted to the new way of my foot fall they have been an amazing pair of shoes for my first running shoe to own. However they have several hundred miles on them which means it is time to break in a new pair! And for this years running goals I have chosen the Mizuno Wave Inspire 9! They fit amazing and have a little bit higher of an ankle which I am hoping will keep my ankles a little more stable than my Asics did.
Tomorrow for the firecracker run we will being wearing the Asics but for the next few weeks speed/bleacher runs which are a little shorter will be done in the Mizunos. Super excited!!!

-Felicia

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Today is Random

 SPARKLES!!!! Yesterday I bought the fabric to attempt to make a sparkle skirt for the 2013 Firecracker 5K on the 4th of July. I also purchased some red sequence to make a head band out of. I promise to take pictures for you all to see.





On to more running news. This morning I found a pretty decent 5 mile loop starting and ending at my front door. The best part for me is that it is a loop and not an out and back. Out and backs for me are really boring which means I stop trying where as with a loop there is always something new to look at. The other good things about the loop is that if i get bored doing it one way I can do it backwards. As you can see by the photo I didn't run the whole thing, however I ran more of it than I walked so I am calling that a win! My legs feel good, we will see how they feel tomorrow. Also this run means I finished Station 2 in We Get LOST in Running! I should be getting Station 1 and Station 2 medals in the mail this weeks!!!


















So the reason you are seeing it twice: I am now using both apps. I am trying to decide which one i like better. I like Runkeeper because I have a few other friends to compete with and it records my splits, but I like the Nike + app because it gives motivation while running, and it is quick while it gives you your stats while your running. So for now I will keep using both of them.

Lastly this little guy showed up in the mail last week! I was super excited to get it. As stated in an earlier post this set of races where done internationally and I had a great time!






Have a great week everyone!
-Felicia







Saturday, June 22, 2013

SO SO

This is all I have for you today. One terrible run on Wednesday slow and steady did not win over the heat and the poor eating habits. Also I have chosen to switch to Nike+ running app to give something new a try. I haven't worked out all the bugs (aka choices) yet but so far I really like it.




Second things I have today is my new favorite poster:
This pretty much sums up me and my attitude these days. Working through a lot of things laced up and on the pavement.

The last things I have today is this:


Try and remember that every one! Have a great weekend and keep running!

-Felicia

Friday, June 14, 2013

New Plan

Today I tried something new...water work out! I was a little hesitant at first I didnt think it would be as difficult as my runs or strength training...I am here to say I was wrong! This morning I did 30 first position jumps, 10 minute run, 10 laps, and a 5 minute water tread and I did it all twice. Let me tell you I can feel every muscle in my body right now. Water cardio is no joke! This workout will be worked in twice a week most likely on Mondays and Fridays.

The week will now look like this:
Monday: water cardio
Tuesday: run & core
Wednesday: yoga
Thursday: run & core
Friday: water cardio
Saturday: run & core
Sunday: rest day

I am in the process of finishing my race and training schedule for the summer and fall. We are definitely doing the Fircracker 5K on thr 4th of July, this one will be nothing but fun. 3 of my cousins are also registered and we are pushing 2 munchkins. Things in the possible column include the Cardinals Care 6K in August in St. Louis, Hot Chocolate 15K in November in Columbus, and the Mickey Jingle Jungle 5k in Disney World. We are putting off the goal of a 13.1 race for this year mainly because I cant find one I want to run that I could possibly be ready for. I will however be entering the raffle for the Nike Womans Half in DC.
Thats all for today every one have a great weekend!!!

-Felicia

Thursday, June 6, 2013

Two Runs One Post

Two runs one post. 

Tuesday I ran Station One of the Get LOST Running series and lets just say i might not be as smart as I thought. As you all I am sure know a 4K is 2.5 miles, and as you can see I apparently thought it was 2.9 miles. (And can I just say those last 4/10th of a mile where killer) 
The point of the series is to run trails, or beaches well since I live in a land locked state that makes a beach impossible, however the amount of flooding in the state of Missouri has also made trails impossible right now which means I ran the neighborhood. The neighborhood is full of old trees that provide shade on the wrong side of the street from the side walk. Have you ever noticed that the sidewalk is always in the sun no matter where you are. I will say though with the rain we have had the heat and humidity have stayed away which I praise the Lord for because in July it will not be that way, you will instead hear me whining about how hot it is and how I wish it was winter time again.

 The other thing about this run is that I was trying out some new clothes. Yep you heard right I finally broke down and bought a few new pairs of running short and tops. The shorts I think I hate but I trying to get use to them but the top I love. The shorts are to short for me my thighs rub together when they get hot and I hate it! My sister suggested that I go buy a pair of biker shorts of another fun color to wear under them which would indeed solve the problem. The top on the other hand was awesome! It is bright colored, fit well, and has vents in all the right places. I will indeed be wearing this one often this summer!


Run number two was this morning. This morning started out a little rough sometimes you just have days, but I laced up and put on my new tank top.
This morning I covered 3.1 miles or a 5K depending on how you like to talk about it. The first 2 miles weren't so  bad my legs felt good and my breathing was pretty solid. The last mile however everything just fell apart. Does that ever happen to you? I couldn't breathe and my legs felt like I had tied bricks onto my feet. But I pushed on, something yoga has taught me in the last few weeks is that if you can breathe through the pain and discomfort on the mat/road you can breathe through the pain and discomfort of life. This might be my new motto. We shall see. 

 
 The other thing this morning is this great new Nike tank top I bought! (Not sure why the picture keeps loading sideways) Tank tops are a new article of clothing for me when it comes to running. I must say I enjoy this one. It is super soft and kept me dry through my whole run though I did find when I got home that the shirt itself was soaked!

Everything I bought I bought at Marshall's...it was a bad day for my checkbook but I great day for summer running! Have a great day everyone!!!!

-Felicia 






Monday, June 3, 2013

Foodie Pals Reveal Day

So I am a few days late things have been nuts. I apologize to my pen pal Bethany for not writing this sooner. Bethany and I share a love for Trader Joe's I was impressed that she found a box full of things that I had never tried. Now I will admit I still have not tried any of them, however I am super excited to try the mango pieces and the dark chocolate. The things she sent in my box where all on the healthy side which is great because that is something the last few months I have been struggling with. However she didn't leave out the sweet tooth I am so guilty of having.

I will also day I am super excited to try the couscous! I have never made couscous without the seasoning packet which I know adds a lot of salt which I don't need. So needless to say I am super excited to try a bunch of Trader Joe's products that I have never tasted before!

-Felicia

Saturday, June 1, 2013

5 By 5 Ending

Today was the last 5by5 race for me! I did half of my races in London and half of my races in the US. Some of them were running past Parliament/London Eye, some past the Hocking river,  some past the St. Louis Arch, and the last one through the subdivision I grew up in. My run today was a little slow but I have not been treating my body the way I should be.
I loved being able to run this series! It sometimes was the only reason I laced up and hit the pavement. I have had a difficult few months and this series has helped keep me grounded in my running and kept me sane and on the right track. I thank @mommyrunfast for this great series and I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

-Felicia

P.S. I can't wait for my medal to come in the mail!!!!

Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Awesome Motivation

I have been looking for motivation the last few weeks to get me going for the summer. I am not really in the process of training for anything but want to up my distance and my physical ability. Now though I did not watch lost while it was on tv I did watch all of the seasons twice on netflix! I love this show!!! I think it is incredibly well written and an amazing mind game(which is you ask me is what running is) Everything below this blurb is take straight from his sight. Registration for the 4K just reopened so get in while you can to get these awesome medals! 

Joe Rainone started a virtual race called Get Lost in Running. There will be 6 virtual races in this series, using the numbers Lost was so famous for as the distances. Each virtual race is $20, which the series proceeds will be donated to benefit the National Tourette Syndrome Association and TEAM TSA.


Virtual Trail / Beach Run Series Station
1 - Hydra 4k Station
2 - Arrow 8k Station
3 - Swan 15k Station
4 - Flame 16k Station
5 - Pearl 23k Station
6 - Orchid 42k

For each race station you sign up for, you will receive a Lost inspired medal.
You are encouraged to participate in running these virtual races either on a trail or the beach (if you can't get to either of these, the roads or a treadmill works just as well). Registration for each station will remain open until all spots sell out. Please check the site often to see updates as to when registration for the next station will open. For those who participate in every station of the series will receive a special series medal which will be shown at a later date. There is no specific date to do the runs, but a good guide is to complete within a month. As the distances get bigger, they can be split in any way you would like and then combined.​​



How cool is this!Virtual races are good for runners like myself who can't afford to travel to races as often as I would like. The goal for this is to collect all the medals!!! The fact that I dont have to run a full 26 miles at one time is also helpful for me. It will allow me to set a goal for the month and reach it while still doing all the things I mentioned above. I'm in love with this series so you will be hearing more about it.

-Felicia

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Time to get it together

For the last almost 2 months I have been a disaster. Not eating right, sleeping not at all, asking my body to do way more than it should for the way I have been treating it, and being an emotional disaster area. Well I have come to tell you it is time to get my act together! I'm not perfect no one is and we all handle things differently. I needed these 2 months to help me figure out what I needed to do to put my life back together in a constructive way.
So here is the deal
A: I have to jump back on the healthy eating bandwagon which means I have to get my dad on the wagon too. Since I am living at home this summer it's eat what the family eats so...that means I get to change what they eat.
B: Finish my 2 thesis by next May no questions asked. And complete them to the best 110% of my artistic ability.
C: Graduate with my Master of Fine Arts degree from Ohio University on May 2, 2014.
D: Put together a magnificent training plan to get my body, mind, and soul set and ready to run my first half marathon. I chose a race and I have my eye set on the 2013 Wine and Dine half marathon at Walt Disney World. However I just found out that it is sold out!!!! I am crushed!
E: Find a new race in a hurry!!!!

There you have it my life for the next 12 months. As soon as I pick a new race I'll let you know.

-Felicia

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Bark in the Park St. Louis

This weekend I finished race #10 of my 13 in 13 challenge! I ran the Bark in the Park 5k with my dad, sister, and my sisters 2 puppies. This was my dads first 5k!
We had so much fun! We finished in: 
Which with the puppies being out of shape and not use to working that hard is pretty darn good! It was about 80 degrees yesterday morning and for your first 5k as a human or a puppy is really really warm! We had a great time and ran/walked a good race, the one thing I would say is that there were not enough human water stations. There were plenty of water stops for the animals along the way but there was only one for the humans. There also was no water for humans at the finish line. I normally carry my water bottle but I didn't have enough hands with having a puppy on one arm.
We also wore our new shirts!

The festivities before and after the race were great! We didn't get a chance to enjoy them much but there were a ton of vendors selling things for animals and humans. All in all it was a good race!

Let me know if you raced this weekend! I love hearing about everyone elses races!

-Felicia

Wednesday, May 8, 2013

HA!

So things in this life haven't been so great the last couple of weeks. Between changing/putting my life back together, finals, and coming home it has been a long road. But with that aside I have done some pretty great stuff, hung out with the family, donated blood, and took a yoga class.
Yesterday was suppose to be a 4 mile day, however on Monday I donated a pint of blood which meant that 4 miles was a loft goal. I didn't realize that donating a pint of blood the day before a run was going to cause me to only make it .5 miles running before my body considered hitting the pavement in a heap. So I walked 1.5 miles to get home and totaled out at 2 miles.

This morning I decided to try something new. Since it is going to be a pretty trying and hard day on my patience and emotions I decided to go to yoga. My church here at home offers 3 yoga classes on Wednesday for $10. I decided to go to the 9:00 am class so that I had plenty of time to get everything else finished before my 7:00pm appoint. Yes I know there is like 10 hours between there but trust me I need the mental prep time. Yoga is fun! I had never take a class before but coming from a dance background made it a lot easier. I knew already the correct ways to hold my foot or how far to stretch before it is to far. And the woman who taught the class was so nice! She is the wife of the head pastor of the church. She gave me direct instruction and compliments since I had never done it before. She also helped me lay out all my blocks and blankets for what she was going to teach that day. Lastly because it was so nice out today we practiced outside instead of in the sanctuary! Listening to the birds chirp and the wind blow lightly while you stretch and work on stability is nice.

I hope everyone is having a good week! Talk to you all again soon. Tomorrow is a run day as long as the storms hold off.

-Felicia

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Foodie Pen Pal Reviel Day

This is going to be a multi part post today. It is Foodie Pen Pal reveal day!!!! My box came from Christina and she hit the nail right on the head. There was so much stuff in the box that I had never tried before and great stuff to help with my running. Since receiving my package I have tried the Lindt Dark chocolate which is amazing and I can only eat one square at a time because it is so rich, the rice work salsa fresca chips which I will be buying again they are so much better than Sun Chips garden salsa in my opinion. The next thing I tried was the Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea! It came right at the perfect time to help get rid of my head cold. It was also super tasty! The last things I tasted that I had never had before was the power bar and the lara bar. I ate the lara bar before I went rock climbing last week and it did the trick I was able to climb for 3 hours with no peaks and valleys. I ate the power bar this morning half before my run and half after my run. It was great! I ran 3.34 miles this morning. I slowed down the pace a little bit to make a longer distance. I am satisfied with the time I accomplished today.

 This is the other things I have been making this past week! I love them I have been learning how to screen print in class this semester and I made this really great shirt. I registered my sister, dad, and myself in a 5K on May 18 called Bark in the Par which is to raise money for the Missouri Human Society! I am so excited I made us all matching shirts and still have the screen so I can make more! I'll post pictures of us wearing them after the race.
I hope everyone is well I miss all my blog friends! Fill me in on how things are going injuries, runs, workouts.

-Felicia

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Sad but reaching goals

This is the first post in a while. Some crazy things have happened in the last few weeks and I am now living the single grad student life...that is all I will say about that.
However that being said last week with all the crazy the universe threw at me I did this:
Yep you are reading it right I came in under 11:00!!!! I reached my April goal and haven't laced up since. I am guessing out on the run it was a little chillier than I was prepared for while I was at home and now I have a head cold that has kept me down and out. But that is a ok because I made my goal and have managed to keep all my other work outs in check the past few days...I just cant run because I can't breathe. I also in the last few weeks have managed to reach yet another goal I set I am down 6lbs. Though not a large amount it means I only have 10lbs to go to reach my upper goal weight and 15 to reach my lower goal weight.

I hope everyone else out there is doing well the blog world has gotten silent since spring started...fill me in ow is training going for you?

-Felicia

Thursday, April 4, 2013

THIS IS NOT A RUNNING POST

Do you ever feel like the world is moving on without you or ahead of you especially those you care about most?

It seems like everyone I know is doing one of a couple things or all of the things. Those things are, engagement, weddings, babies, or buying a house. I mean lets be honest I am from the midwest which means the fact that I will turn 27 this year (yikes I don't think I'll say that again for a while) and am not married with at least one kid is kind of blasphemy. It also means that some people think I will become the crazy artistic cat lady who never stops going to school. Now while all the things my family and friends are doing are great and wonderful for them I made a decision a long time ago to kind of be a floating spirit. Yep sounds crazy, but this decision has allowed me to live in Michigan, Florida twice, West Virginia, New York, Ohio, and London. It has also allowed me to see really cool places like Ireland, Germany, France, Mexico, the Keys, and I am sure more places than I can think of right now. However this decision also means I miss a lot of things with my family. I miss births, deaths, birthdays, anniversary, showers, house warming parties, and anything related to a giant achievement in someone else life.

I am not really sure what I am trying to say with this post other than I miss my family and am tired of being the spinster of the bunch. Thank you for sitting through my ranting about something that makes very little sense even to me.  We will return to regularly scheduled running posts tomorrow.

I hope everyone is well this morning and has a great run if it is in your schedule for the day!

-Felicia

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

New Things

This is going to be an interesting post I hope. This morning I tried my new theory of running less. I ran 1 mile in 11:19 that is super fast for me! My goal is to get my mile time under 11:00 by the end of the month even if it is only 10:59. As far as pain goes it wasn't to bad my legs are tired and I can't figure out how to wake them up. I also still have this pain in my right foot except it is there first thing in the morning when I step foot on the floor. (I may have to go see a sports doctor)

Something Else I will be starting today is a journal. I have tried it before and well I keep putting it down. However I do find while I am using it my eating habits get a lot better and I keep better track of my running speeds, times, and distances. So I went to staples this morning and bought this:
It is small enough it will fit in all of my bags and has a leather cover that will keep it from being destroyed on the first day. (My bag is a scary place) The goal is to keep the journal for 1 month solid, I have to go back and fill in April 1 and 2, it will include all food, fitness, liquid intake of all kind (yes beer and wine will be included) as well as maybe mood for the day. 

The other things I have started doing in the last couple of days is drinking water out of a cup instead of my giant water bottle. I have found that I like to drink water out of a straw and I tend to drink more of it when it is fun to drink (yep weird I know) This means that I bought a plastic tumble with a lid and swirly straw because if you are going to do it you mine as well do it fun. I bring my water bottle full of 32 oz of water to the office where this cup sits and waits. I pour the water out of my bottle into the cup that way I can still measure my water intake accurately.
 I think that is all the new things I am working on right now. I shall keep trucking on my thesis till I can take the summer off and work in North Carolina. Tell what's going on with you any new tricks? Any new goals or PR? 

-Felicia