July

I accomplished my goal of running 100 miles in the month of July! Look at the progression from when I started running again at the end of February! I am just so proud of myself. Next month my focus is less on mileage and more on speed.

It was my birthday this month, too, and I ran a 13.1 miles to celebrate all that my body and mind can do.
A big emphasis on the mind part because running that long on a treadmill requires the meditative skills of a Tibetan monk. I think for the rest of the summer my runs will be capped at 10 miles until I can get my ass outside without fear of rattlesnakes and/or heat stroke.

A more normal approach to birthday celebrations was also enjoyed. Clif took me, Brian and both girls to an authentic Irish Pub in Phoenix. The decor was amazing and the food was amazing-er... Well, it was.

I also baked myself a blueberry peach pie. Officially my best pie to date.

And red velvet cupcakes with blue cream cheese frosting. (Autumn was over and so they were Spiderman cupcakes) I didn't give one to Aria but she found Autumn's plate and apparently she approves.
Autumn enjoyed them, too. Duh.


Brian and I also stayed one day and night at the fancy hotel sans babies. It. Was. Glorious.

Whoa

I just ran 8 miles and I wasn't considering it my "long" run of the week... WHAT THE HELL?!

:-D

It was a tempo run with the 4 middle miles around my goal half marathon pace, 9:40. When cool-down time rolls around I have a really hard time even running 1 mile because I usually am just so ready for it to be over. But today I ran 2 warm-up and 2 cool-down miles! CRAZY!

It's about 4 hours post-run now and I'm still feeling okay. I don't feel beat up, just crazy positive about everything.

It seems pretty common sense that if you push yourself, your body will adapt and you WILL become a better runner but for the years that I ran before this year, I felt like I was pushing myself. That's the thing, running is a challenge, running slow, running fast, running loooooooooong distances, it doesn't matter! It's all pretty tough but the hardest part is starting!

No matter what type of run I have planned I can definitively say that making the initial transition from stationary, or walking, or whatever, to running proves the toughest challenge! Once you get moving, pushing yourself harder is not any harder than actually starting in the first place.

Well with the exception of trying to make yourself run when you really shouldn't. Like when your head weighs 8 pounds more than usual due to the snot filling your sinuses... Yeah, then the whole run is really, really hard and I don't recommend trying it...

Today was a good run day, though. I am feeling more confident in my abilities as a runner with every step!

25/100

Big sigh of relief that I made 25 miles in my first week. I was 11 short this morning and a long run truly seemed like the worst punishment anyone could dole out.

Brian told me last night that a 10 mile run on the treadmill is easily the equivalent to a 20 mile run outside just because the treadmill sucks and requires so much mental will power. I'll take it. So technically I ran 20 miles today but I'll only count 11, I guess...


Once I got moving and to about 4 miles, it didn't seem so bad. I thought about nursing school a lot. Thinking, if I can get through this run, I can get through nursing school. Haha, I don't know how that works exactly but it got me through the run.

I ran slowly enough that I didn't feel dead tired at the end and even though I definitely feel pretty tired right now, I was able to go grocery shopping and make another pie. :-P
Oh yeah, I also thought about pie while I was running. That helped, too.

I really feel 100% now that I can run a half marathon but I have no idea how I could possibly run it in 2:15! That is the goal time a calculator told me I should be able to run based on my 5k PR, After 10 weeks of training. We will see I guess.

Either way, I'm stoked and happy to have strong legs and an incredible, napping daughter! I really cannot wait until I can run with her again when fall comes!

6/100

First run of the month. 100 miles seems very far away. Some days running feels like such a chore but I just gotta keep telling myself, "an hour is a very short amount of time and it will be over before you know it and you can go as slow as you want"

I feel good. And proud of myself for putting in the effort when I really wanted to just sit on the couch.