Congrats to Adam at The Boring Runner for qualifying for Boston with his 3:04:00 marathon at Eugene marathon!

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PFTW

Sunday: Rest
Monday: 1 mile run and maybe yoga
Tuesday: 3 mile run
Wednesday: 1 mile run
Thursday: 1 mile run
Friday: 1 mile run
Saturday: 5 mile run

4 AM Run

I put off a couple of my work day runs this week thanks to lack of sleep and shortened one run due to the heat.

Since I work a "mid-shift" (2pm-2am) if I run before work it's during the hottest part of the day, not horrible now but come June and July, it won't be fun; if I run after work I'm running at 3 or 4 in the morning.

Today I ran at 4 AM, I made sure to let someone know I was going out for a run and then to let them know I was home safe, I ran a mile from my front door and a mile back, in a somewhat well lit, residential area. It was also cold which aggravated my asthma.

I've run in the afternoon, when it was hotter than hell and cut into my sleep. Sometimes I don't get the sound sleep I need during the day, since life goes on around me and I live in between 2 schools. I'm trying to get a change of shift approved for the noon - midnight shift which might help me out in a lot of respects but until then I have to figure out how to make my training runs work with my job.

The afternoon will start to kill me with the heat and won't always happen if I can't sleep but the 4 AM scares me a little.

What do you think? Am I a wuss about running at 4 AM?

I Would Run to You

I love this for so many reasons! If you haven't watched it yet you need to.

Three Things Thursday

1. I finally gave in to my inner bling whore and registered for the Go! St. Louis All American 5K on June 17th. So with all the races I'm currently registered for that will put me at 3 half marathons, 3 10ks and 4 5Ks for the year. I still need 1 10K and 2 5Ks in the months of August, November, and December to meet my goal for the year.

2. I'm ordering a pair of these (or 5) to wear under just about everything I run in during the summer. I haz the chub rub...

3. I've been spending to much time drooling on my keyboard while checking out 26point2medals.com

So Long Smokes

I've been smoke free for most of the past two weeks. I slipped up on my birthday while we were out drinking.

I'm putting aside $2 a day for every day I don't smoke to by myself a present. I'm torn between a couple of ideas of how to spend my money.

I really want to have my underarms done. I would have to be smoke free for about a year.

I had braces as a kid but never wore my retainers and I'd love to have a beautiful smile again. I would have to be smoke free for about 18 months, plus still be covered under my wonderful dental insurance. 

Master the Met - Fight for Air Climb. As a former smoker and an asthmatic what better way to show I'm done with the nicotine than to climb 40 stories! Plus stairs are my enemy so it'll be great exercise. Registration is $30 so I'll have enough money the day after tomorrow and the event is March 13, 2013.

May Race : Live Well Ferguson Twilight Run/Walk 5k

Crisis averted! Ladies and gents I found a 5k the same day as the race that got cancelled. 

Plus since it is a twilight run I'll be able to do the Heart Walk with my Emergency department team that morning. 

Double bonus : race bling and a street party with a band after!

PFTW

Well I had planned on making this a weekly thing and post it every Sunday but I consumed large amounts of alcohol yesterday so I didn't actually have time to sit down at the computer until after my blood alcohol level was way beyond doing anything productive besides playing on facebook.

Plan For The Week
S: Party!!!
M: 3 mile run
T: 1 mile run
W: rest
T: 1 mile run
F: 1 mile run
S: 4 mile run

I'm still working on getting out of the house for the 3 miler today, which will have to be at the gym. My body is reminding me that I'm not 21 and that I can't hang at the bar and drink for 8 hours without suffering. I'm not sure why in the hell I thought that was a good idea anyway...

Racing Dilema

So in the same line as what I posted yesterday I wanted to blog about my resolution to run 12 races in 2012. When I made this plan I'd only run 4 other races, I wasn't running on a regular basis and well I was hoping to motivate myself.

Now I find myself struggling to find a race a month that fits into the plan (3 halfs, 4 10ks, 5 5ks). I'm also finding additional races that I'd like to run. The 2 I've been eye balling are only a 5 and 10k so it isn't like I'm adding huge amounts of mileage on here and neither are directly on top of one of the halfs. Plus these 2 others are Go! St. Louis races which I've already mentioned I'm quite fond of and I'd love to support their effort to go beyond the 2 races they currently offer. Plus they have cool bling. So what do you think? Add the races and stop being such an OCD freak or stick with my original plan and pile on all I can take next year?

Happy Birthday to ME!!!!!

Today is my 26th birthday! I feel like I should feel old but I don't. I do feel like I should be further along in life, maybe married, kids, homeowner, or at least not in so much debt but oh well still got plenty of time to work on it right?!

So anyway, Happy birthday to me!

Wish List

My birthday is tomorrow and I have no idea what I'm actually going to get but I figured I'd dream a little...

Garmin Forerunner 405

Cause you aren't real runner til you have a Garmin right?

Ericasaradesigns.com

Beautiful, Simple, I'd love a 13.1 in this and then have the option to add the 26.2 next year. 

Under Armour HeatGear Capri Tights

I <3 everything Under Armour when it comes to running.

 

Joyful Bath Co.

Bath salts that help relieve aches and pains. Great post race or long run.

Halo Headphones

I saw these at last years RnR St. Louis Marathon Expo and I really liked them but I was cheap and didn't get them. I've regretted it since. 

Pure Harmony Day Spa Gift Certificate

My favorite place to go. The staff is amazing and the massages are so great.

Agape Yoga Studio Gift Certificate

I need to start doing some cross training and they have a class called gentle yoga that sounds prefect.

Do Epic Shit!

Somewhere between mile 9 and 10 of the Go! St. Louis Marathon weekend, right before the half and full split someone had a hand made sign that just said Do Epic Shit! I haven't been able to stop thinking about it.

My 26th birthday is tomorrow and I think I'm going to make that my mantra for my 26th year.

Do Epic Shit!

Go! St. Louis Half Marathon Photos!

Starting out strong. Actually I'm not sure what mile this was taken at but I don't appear to be having trouble breathing so I'm going to guess it was pretty early in the race.

I have no words for this photo. I laughed when I saw it as a matter of fact. I just look so defeated.

So focused...

Finish line!

BLING!

May Race

I did end up getting an email from the race coordinator of the race I was planning on running in May. They said they didn't have many people sign up and that they could either refund my entry fee or register me for a mud run they are doing in June. I am out of town for my June half marathon During the mud run plus I really don't have much desire to do a mud run. Plus it is my goal to do a race a month, so I needs my May run!

Now I come to my second part of the dilemma, finding a May race that works with my schedule. I found a 5k that is not to far away but far enough that I'd need to get a hotel for the night before. So it would be $50 for a night in a hotel, $30 for the 5k. $80 bucks is a lot just to get my 5k in plus I don't even get bling. They are doing a half the same weekend and the cost is $70 and I get bling but it's only a week before the San Diego half and I don't want to be dead for San Diego.

I'm off for memorial day weekend (but not memorial day, go figure) so there HAS to be a decent 5 or 10k somewhere in this metro area right?

Three Things Thursday

1. My asthma has been really kicking my butt since the half marathon and landed me in the ER yesterday morning. I’m on a prednisone taper and I got the ok from my pulmonologist to keep running with the caveat that I stick to short easy runs for now. I love that my pulmonologist is a marathoner. He gets the obsession I’m developing and actually encourages it sometimes. :)

2. I booked my flight for my June race tonight. I’m flying to San Diego on May 31 and flying back on June 5. I’m going to have to do some serious trades on my work schedule to make this happen but I’m super excited to travel for a race for the first time and that I will get to spend some time with my brother, sister-in-law and the kids. I’ll be staying with them but I’m going to rent a car so that I’m not a huge burden, especially since my flight gets in at 11:30pm.

3. I’m working on relocating my blog from tumblr to blogger.

May Race Cancelled!!!

My May race has been cancelled. I didn’t receive any email or notification of any kind. I happened to be signed up for the event on Facebook as well and someone posted that they heard the race was canceled. A quick visit to the Missouri USO website and sure enough the event is cancelled. This is all they had to say “this event is cancelled. Thank you for your support.” WTF. I think this is highly unacceptable that I received no notification from the event organizers and had someone not posted on Facebook I would have shown upon the day of the race, oblivious.

Now I’m out the registration fee and I need to find a new race for may, ASAP!

Miles Before Work

So I’ve started running 1 mile everyday before I go to work. I felt bad that for 3 or 4 days a week I wasn’t getting any mileage in at all.

I’ve noticed that I’m more awake at the start of my shift and that I tend to be much more pleasant. Also I’ve noticed that it has kept me from pulling 16 hour shifts when i have to be back the next day and that might not be great for my bank account but it is doing wonders for my overall happiness and home life. My house has never been cleaner, the dog gets played with more and I’m doing better with taking my medications like I’m supposed to.

I don’t generally post these short little runs on here but I figured I would talk about it. Does anyone else find time to run before work and if so does it help you at your job?

Go! St. Louis Half Marathon Splits

Splits for the 2012 Go! ST. Louis Half-Marathon. Piss poor planning and what not...

I'm starting training for the Rock N Roll San Diego Half Marathon and I'm hoping to PR again. The course looks hilly so I'm only hoping for a PR by 10 minutes which would mean a 2:55 half marathon. I'm going to plan on trying to maintain a 13 minute mile. That would give me a 4 minute cushion for those hills.

Race #4 Finished!

Finished! My backs a little sore and I’m not sure I was sub 3 hours but I’m pretty sure I PR’d. Also whomever came up with the idea to have the PB&J on graham crackers was my hero. I had never tasted anything so wonderful!

Edit : Official time 3:05:11
I was right, I PR’d by 10:03 but didn’t sneak under 3 hours. It’s on for San Diego though!

Race #4 : Go! St. Louis Half Marathon

Tomorrow is my first half marathon of the year and my second half marathon ever. I love this race series. The Go! St. Louis Race Series has a 5k, 1 mile fun run, a "Read, Write and Run" for kids and then of course the half and full marathon. This is the race series that I ran my first and my second race on. So its something I always see myself doing in some form. Maybe next year I'll make it my first marathon. ;)

A Long Run

Well we’re 11 days away from my first half marathon of the year which means that I should start tapering soon. Except that I don’t have much to taper from so I hit the path around the lake and knocked out 6.87 miles in 90 minutes. Was hoping for an even 7 in 90 but my lack of proper prehydration derailed me. Wish I would have pushed myself that 0.13 but I did 6.87 miles!