half marathon – Sweat & Sparkle

March Goals

Hello March Well, February, I feel like we barely got to know each other before you were gone. That’s okay, though. March is here to step in and take over!

I am ramped up, fired up, and lit up for a spectacular March. I will weigh in tomorrow morning, and then I have four more weigh-ins in March to make some serious progress.

I have a lot to do over the next 31 days.

My March Goals:

Get down to 149 pounds or lower.
Hit 100 running miles.
Consistently log my food and drink, at least Monday through Friday.

That ought to keep me busy! I make this serious promise to myself right here, right now: no weight gains this month. No spinning my wheels. No backtracking. Nothing but moving forward and closer to my goal.

I got the new month off to a good start with an early morning run at the gym. Today I tried the 30 minute 90s music fun run, and I have to say, I am officially hooked on the Peloton app. I had planned to just test drive it for 3 months and then cancel, but now I have to seriously consider keeping it. It’s only $20 a month, but that’s on top of my gym membership, workout DVDs, running gear…then again, isn’t it a good investment in my health, happiness, and general bad-assery?

Last night, pondering what to wear to work today, I spotted the corner of a black sweater peeking out from the bottom of the pile. I wasn’t even sure which sweater it was, so I tugged it out. Oh, yeah, that one! Lordy, I haven’t seen that one in ages. I had deliberately stuck it on the bottom when it got too tight to even think about wearing. I tried it on, and it fit just fine. I wore it to work today and feel wonderful. No one else knows it hasn’t fit in at least a year, but I do!

I’m looking forward to the weekend. It’s supposed to rain quite a bit, but hopefully the clouds will give me a break and let me fit in a long run.

Oh, almost forgot! This weekend, my husband and I are going to hit Home Depot so we can pick up what he needs to make me a running medal and bib display. I found one I really like online, and he told me he can make it for me. I can’t wait! Just in time, too: I have already registered for another half marathon 🙂

download — *Now just try to get that damn song out of your head!*

Running Jewelry Review: Alume by Bonnie

When I finished my first half marathon a few weeks ago, I wanted something besides memories to celebrate and commemorate it (and to show to others and brag a bit, of course). I searched running jewelry online, thinking I might like a necklace, but nothing stood out to me.

I like simple and elegant, not clunky and tacky with a bunch of charms and knick-knacks dangling from a chain. I didn’t want a large “13.1” charm suspended from my neck, or a stick figure runner, or a running shoe charm, all of which were offered up over and over.

I was getting frustrated, because I had searched all over the place, and just didn’t like anything. Then I came across a shop called Alume by Bonnie on Etsy and saw this bracelet:

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I kept coming back to it. It was simple, pretty, clean-looking (I hate thick, chunky, or dangly bracelets). And I loved that I could add the date and the city of my half marathon to the inside of the bracelet. Sold! Take my money!

My bracelet arrived quickly, within days. I immediately put it on my wrist, and it fit perfectly. I love it! Every time I look at it, I will remember the hard work and the sweat of training, the excitement and nervousness at the starting line, and the “oh-hell-yes-I-did-it!” triumph of crossing the finish line.

She doesn’t just create running jewelry, though. Her shop has pet remembrance jewelry, personalized sports jewelry, anklets, law enforcement and firefighter necklaces, and more…even charms and dangly things if you don’t hate them with a passion like I do! Go check her shop out. The prices are very reasonable, so treat yourself!

Protected: Half Marathon Pictures

Half Marathon, Baby!

OVM-131BTRT_480x480 The alarm went off bright and early (more like dark and early) yesterday morning. When I registered for the half marathon five months ago, it seemed like a hundred years away, but now it was officially here. It was half marathon time!

I got dressed, pinned on my race number, put my hair into a bun, and double-checked everything one last time: headphones, fully-charged phone for music and pictures, a tissue, lip balm (I hate, hate, hate dry lips!)…looked like I had everything. I ventured out in the dark, windy morning, nervous and excited.

The starting line was packed with stretching, bouncing, and chatting runners. I lined up with the elite runners, right at the front…ha, totally kidding! I made my way to the second half of the pack, the not-very-fast-but-not-walking crowd.

I wasn’t cold very long. Around mile two, I had to take off my jacket and tie it around my waist. The race volunteers and police officers shouted encouragement and clapped as we went by, which was cool. Runners of all sorts surrounded me, some in packs, some loners, all of us in it together.

I was very glad that I consistently train on hills, because the course definitely had them. Especially near the end of the half marathon, hills were full of runners who fell back to walking instead. Proudly, I was not one of them. I chalk it up to hill training and weight training, since a lot of runners don’t lift weights.

Around mile 11, I was impatient to just be done already. It drizzled on us, I was hungry, my stomach cramped up a bit (just enough to be uncomfortable), and I was just ready to change into warm, dry clothes and eat and be done putting one foot in front of the other. At mile 12, I gave in to the impatience and sped up: I wanted to see that finish line, already!

I crossed the finish line with a big smile on my face, and I couldn’t stop smiling long after I got my medal. I waited at the finish for a few runners I had talked with along the course, so I could applaud and congratulate them for finishing too.

The day I signed up for the half marathon, I still weighed around 190 pounds and could never have finished that run if my life depended on it. I have come a long, long way since then! I remember that first one or two mile run on the treadmill, my first half marathon training run, and feeling like I was surely going to die.

The half marathon actually didn’t feel all that difficult, and I am surprised that I am not nearly as sore today as I thought I would be. I stretched several times yesterday, iced my foot, massaged it, and made sure I didn’t sit still for very long without getting up to warm up my muscles and stretch a little more.

My husband and I went out for a victory dinner last night. I wore the half marathon t-shirt (I wore a different shirt to run in, because I didn’t want to wear the half marathon shirt until I had actually finished it). I wore the medal all day, even put it back on right after my shower, and lounged around last night with it on over my pajamas. I contemplated wearing it to work today, but it’s kind of heavy, and I didn’t want it smacking into my laptop screen!

I very nearly didn’t register for the half marathon, because I had almost convinced myself I couldn’t do it. Almost. Something flared up and sparked among all the doubt and defiantly said, “Try it.” I’m glad I did.

So…next up…training for a full marathon! I don’t know if this plantar fasciitis will allow it, but there’s only one way to find out, isn’t there?

Nervous

afab5303328b4d2f4a0bb90597baf2f9 This past summer, after I started over again and was determined to get into shape once and for all, I started toying with the idea of running a half marathon. I’ve done the distance unofficially, on my own, a few times, but I want more than a Runkeeper screenshot as a memento of my accomplishment. I want the medal!

A few months ago, I pulled the trigger and registered for a half marathon. It was months away, I had plenty of time to train, what could go wrong?

Right around Thanksgiving, I fell victim to the cursed plantar fasciitis, and it ate up at least six weeks of my training. Even after that, I was running drastically reduced mileage. I didn’t get back to a normal running schedule until right before the new year.

My half marathon is this weekend. I’ve been hesitant to write about it, and I admit it’s because I figured, well, if I bomb, if I can’t finish, then at least I never mentioned it, and we will just never talk about it again!

My only goal is to finish. I won’t be smashing any records, qualifying for the Olympics, waving to you majestically from the podium, or making the cover of Runner’s World. That’s okay. All I want to do is cross the finish line (preferably running and not crawling or moaning or whimpering) and get my medal!

Ideally, I would not have missed over six weeks of training. I would have been able to do more hill training and speed training. But I covered the half marathon distance just a few weeks ago, so I know I can do it if I stick to my training. Go out easy, watch my pace, don’t get caught up in the rush and adrenaline of the crowd. Make it my run, my way. And make it to the finish line.

Now it’s supposed to be raining that morning, and I thoroughly, intensely hate running in the rain. I refuse to not do this, though, because of some water. This is something I have wanted to do for years, but I left self-doubt stop me from trying. Not this time. Rain, snow, sleet, hail, or anything else falling from the sky, so be it…I will be at the starting line!