Rocket Run Ten Miler (Success!), my runner's body (Ehhh?), and St. Jude Fundraising (YAY!)

Okay, whew, I have some ideas on what and how to write it. I hope what I type up ends up making sense and I don't have too many typos...

ROCKET RUN TEN MILER 

Stewart, Troy, Matt, Myself, and Susan
Some of the WRH running peeps. We have endured so many long run together! :)

Also, I'm short...

This race had great volunteers and such a great atmosphere, just like last year...it's still one of my favorite races. Wow, what a beautiful day for a race! However, I do remember waking up that morning, still completely exhausted after 8 hours of sleep. I remembered thinking, "Why am I even driving to Mooresville today and racing? I'm sleepy...". I was actually somewhat pessimistic about how this race would turn out. I didn't really have a goal in mind, but I figured a free race (thanks, Huntsville Track Club) would be the perfect motivation & excuse to get ten miles in. So...

Susan, Myself, and Colleen! 

The race went great! I had GREAT company before, during, and after the race. The "during" part was especially important. During the race, I was just so thankful because I felt great...no stomach pain, no shin pain, no headaches...and the weather wasn't too hot or cold for me! Susan stayed with Colleen and I for a few miles, but her fast self had flown by halfway through, but hey, keeping her in sight become one of my goals, and I was able to see her most of the race! Susan is great to talk to, and with us both being educators, we find ourselves with PLENTY of talk about...

Also, I have ran with Colleen a few times before, and every time I run with her, she has a great traveling story to tell, or has a cool story to tell about her kids and their lives. It was so sweet to see them at the finish line cheering her on! :) At the end of the race, Troy met up with me and ran part of the last mile with me (thanks! you rock! :-D)...I still can't believe that I averaged a 9:06 pace at this race. Granted, it was flat for the most part, but I honestly didn't think I could go for that speed for that long. Once of the many cool things about running is that sometimes you find yourself doing the things that you considered impossible at the time...

 Rocket Run Ten Miler Finish Line Photo! That chick in the green behind me went full BEAST MODE and completely out sprinted me to the finish! :-D

 MY RUNNING BODY...YOUR RUNNING BODY...ehh?

So, I hope this next part doesn't come across as unthoughtful, pointless, or false. Honestly, I am just thinking out loud as I type...

At the end of the race, as I said my "good-byes" to my running peeps and was walking toward the car, I had a lady speak to me (and if you are reading this now, just know I am definitely not angry, I just found it awkward and confusing at the time...haha!). She said she recognized me from We Run Huntsville and my blog postings. One of the comments that she made was that I looked "much bigger" in real life that I do in my blog...

....O_o

Seriously, the first thing that crossed my mind was "why would you say that?", and I think she figured out after her comment that it could have been taken as rude, and she apologized immediately. However I did notice that she kept looking at my legs, and she even said that I look like I have "strong legs"...

Let me say this. Runners come in all shapes and sizes. Three years ago, what she commented would have REALLY gotten to me, and I don't even think she meant it to be rude or mean. I mean, really, girls/women can be so insecure/ashamed of their bodies due to whatever reason. It's sad what society portrays and thinks that a "real", "beautiful", or "sexy" woman looks like. I will say this: when I stopped caring about how I looked and just enjoyed the sport of running, I became more confident in myself, and I don't question my body or feel insecure about it.

Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with weight goals. If you read one of my first blogs, you will see how I had a vain goal in the beginning of my health journey. Everyone knows extra weight can attribute to many health conditions that you do not want...(high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high blood sugar, knee issues, headaches, fatigue, the list goes on and on...). However, your health journey shouldn't JUST be about weight. When I see people start getting obsessive and continual about "oh, look how I look!" or "wow, look how many inches I lost!" etc, they've lost the whole point...you should want to FEEL better, and how you LOOK shouldn't be #1. I feel like once you get too connected with that, it seems, well, like idol worship to me, and I feel like you are going to eventually let yourself down because one day, yes, you will be at your "ideal weight" or "ideal look". Then what?

Am I making any sense? Maybe I am just blah blah blah-ing...

This is coming from someone that went to the doctor on Monday, and when I hopped on the scale at the doctor's office, I thought "Oh, that's how much I weigh. I didn't know that...cool" Let me just go ahead and tell you...

Now I know that I weight 125 lbs. 

I do NOT have a thigh gap. Yes, I lost weight since I started my running journey in late 2011, but Body Glide is my best friend on a long run.

I love chocolate, cheese, and Coca-Cola, and I am not going to act like I don't. Do I eat/drink it every single day? No. Am I going to give it up completely? NO.

I dread getting on a treadmill, and I dread Jillian Michaels and her evil workout videos, but I love how I FEEL afterward.

I still cannot do a pull up. 

I do NOT have a six pack, and yes, I do ab workouts 4 times a week.

However, I DO have thighs, and yes, even some cellulite! Running, squats, lunges, hip bridges, etc has made me toner and stronger, but heck, I am not what America considers a model. 

 

But...I sure am strong and pretty, and I have a husband that reminds that I am beautiful every single day! <3 comment-3--="">

With that being said, let me tell you what running has done for me...

1) I have met amazing people who I consider role models in the sport of running, and people that I truly look up to and consider my friends. 

2) I have seen myself run races, distances, and speeds that I NEVER thought possible. 5ks, 10ks, 15ks, 10-milers, half marathons, full marathons, and one 50k (30+ miles...)

3) It gives me more time to pray, think, and clear my head on my solo runs. Running also taught to be a good listener for my running buddies, and to be more talkative (I'm such a hermit...). 

4) Running has taught me to eat healthier (no, not EVERY meal, let's be real here) and to consider food portion sizes. 

5) Running has helped me with my anxiety and stress. 

MCKAY HOLLOW MADNESS 12k

So, my next blog should be interesting. My third trail race is tomorrow. I hear it is technical, and I hear it's a challenge...these pictures should sum it up...

  and of course this...

...and did somebody say that there will be Bojangles at the race?!

 

My goal for Saturday: NO INJURIES. I'm looking forward to blogging about trail race #3!

-Holly 

Oh, and of course...

Runkeeper.com---get the free app today and find your Couch to 5k Plan!

Hal Higdon's Training Plans...do you want to walk or run for your first 5k?  

 A great list of what beginning runners need to know/do...a humorous/informative Runner's World post for beginners

Get the RIGHT running shoes for YOU. It's a BIG deal! 

 

And THANK YOU to everyone that has donated to ST JUDE to help these precious children & families! If you want to be included in the $50 Fleet Feet Gift Card drawing, have your donation in by April 1st! For every $10 you donate, your name will be added to the drawing!

Holly's Fundraising Page

Scottsboro Half Marathon Review, a new PR, AND...it's SPRING!! :D :D

Seriously, I am sure you could tell by my last blog that the winter weather was getting to me, mentally and physically, and it just needed to GO!!

I have had some GREAT training runs/workouts since then, AND I managed to make a new personal record for the half marathon (13.1 miles) distance. I ran the Scottsboro Half Marathon in 2:05:45...that's around a 9:35 pace! I was super stoked and very thankful, considering how I felt around the 9.5 mile mark. It's funny to think that a year ago that a 10:30 half marathon pace for race day would have been impossible for me. One of the things that I love so much about running is seeing yourself and others grow & improve as runners when you train right. And yes, your pace is something that you watch improve by your running data and race time, but even by how we encourage and motivate others in their running journeys changes as we change. It's a really cool thing! :) :) :)

 Myself, Susi (pacer), Alex (pacer) and Denise!

I had never ran the Scottsboro Half before. I had heard both negative and positive things about it, but here is my pros to this race and why I would do it again:

1) It's close to home (45 minutes away from Huntsville).
2) It was inexpensive (I think I paid around $25).
3) It is a small, local race (I don't like a huge crowd...there were around 250 runners running the half marathon distance).
4) The race had pacers (what a great motivator!!).
5) There were plenty of aid stations, and the volunteers were GREAT!
6) I loved the bling! The medals are soooo bright! I love it!
 7) The course was relatively flat, and I enjoyed the scenery. I had heard people tell me it was hilly, but what I ran on the course I would have considered an "incline". I had also heard the course was "boring" but honestly, I didn't think it was that bad. I thought it had some beautiful scenery in some areas!
8) The awesome company (well, I guess that didn't have a direct connection to the race itself...LOL!) but seriously, I am so thankful for Denise, Susie, Alex, Mike, and for the others that I was able to meet and run with along the way! I even had a couple of folks during the race that recognized me from my blog, haha, and I was able to have a good conversation with! The We Run Huntsville community is AMAZING, and it has truly made me a better runner...NO QUESTION!

 Some of the awesome WRH Madison crew! :)

I had a great race that day, all things considered. If I could take back anything, it would have been NOT to wear new race shoes on race day. Yeah yeah yeah...why would I do that, you ask? Well, I wore a new pair of trail shoes for my first 50k and did GREAT, I wore a new pair (but same style) of shoes for my marathon and PR'd, so I figured I would have the same luck with this race (same style, and I needed a new pair of shoes anyway...)

UMMMMMMM...NOPE. 

For 9 miles, I was feeling great and just rockin' and rollin'. No stomach pain, No headache. No allergy issues. No shin pain. I was talking and feeling like I could get that 2 hour half marathon finish time no problem. But, around mile 5, I started experiencing ball of foot pain in my right foot, and it gradually got worse, but I will still able to keep my pace at or below a 9:15 minute pace. By mile 9, it REALLY hurt, and at that point, I was feeling the fatigue from me racing & pushing myself to be faster...but that ball of foot pain was something else. I didn't walk right for two days after that. I blame it on the new shoes.

Lesson learned.

I am still very happy about my 2:05:45 PR though. And this race also reminded me that I am getting closer and closer to my 2 hour goal! I KNOW I CAN DO IT!!


By mile 12.5, I could see the finish line. I remember not feeling the adrenaline rush that I usually do, and I felt so stinkin' tired. Even hearing cheering didn't help, I had to talk myself into pushing myself hard to get to the finish line. I remember Denise and someone else, meeting me and running with me close to the finish, but I don't even remember what they said at that point. It felt like my brain and my vision were not connecting.

What happened at the finish line that day was a first for me. I remember being talked to by Amy, but I can't even remember what she said...I remember telling her what I was seeing and how I was feeling. I literally felt like I was on a rocky cruise ship, and I couldn't keep my balance. I also remember not being able to focus...a fence, a fire hydrant, etc looked like they were moving when I knew they were not. I remember leaning up against a building, but still feeling like I would fall over if I didn't think hard about where my feet were along with keeping my balance. Tired, thirsty Holly at that point started crying and asking Amy "What's happening to me?! Do I need to get someone, a nurse, something?" But she was able to calm me down and help me get fluid (thank you, Amy), which I am assuming the lack thereof was causing how I felt. I must have REALLY pushed hard during that race because I had NEVER experienced that. I hope it doesn't happen again! :O 

HOLLY'S MARCH/APRIL RACE SCHEDULE 

March  21st- Rocket Run Ten Miler, Mooresville, AL 
March 28th- McKay Hollow Madness 12k Trail  Run, Huntsville, AL
April 4th- Oak Barrel Half Marathon, Lynchburg, Tennessee
April 18th- Cookie Dash 5k, Huntsville, AL 
April 25th- Country Music Half Marathon, Nashville Tennesee

I am running as a St. Jude Hero for the Country Music Half Marathon. I am over 90% of my fundraising goal: help me reach 100% to bless the children and families at St. Jude! Here is my fundraising site!

Holly's St Jude Hero Fundraising Page


Anyway, it's my Spring Break, and tomorrow I will be running in the Rocket Run Ten Miler, and next weekend will be McKay Hollow (Trail Race #3 for me!) and then Oak Barrel the first weekend in April! I told myself that I wouldn't be racing as much this year, but who was I kidding?! I am loving free and cheaper races along with running friends to hang out and run with! :) Whatever works to be motivated, right?!  I am looking forward to a week off of work along with spending time with the ones I love. Have a great weekend, everyone! Get out there and get active! Find what motivates YOU. You know, like workout buddies, tracking your workouts, losing the weight, feeling better, or this huge pizza! How's that for motivation? YUMMMMMMM :)

-Holly :)

Sickness + fitness = Bleh (but suck it up, buttercup!)

I have never liked winter. The only thing that I like about winter is Christmas. That's IT. I can't stand being cold, and I don't like cold weather. AT ALL. I know that cold intolerance is a symptom of hypothyroidism that I truly have, because not only is it very uncomfortable for me to be cold, but it takes me A LOT longer to warm myself up for being cold for so long.

Yes, I had a very successful 50K in November (VERY cold...I did not sweat until around mile 20) and a suprisingly awesome marathon in December after getting over an ear infection & sinus infection, but after Christmas, I could NOT stay well...

Another sinus infection. Then a upper respiratory infection from Hell. Then a stomach virus that made me lose weight. Then thyroid issues. I would get over one thing, and then have something new within a few weeks.

SERIOUSLY, give me a break!

Then, there's this thing called life. You have your time that you are on top of the mountain, and then you have your time when you are low in the valley. Honestly, I have felt like I have been in a valley for a few months. I feel guilty about even saying that because I know that I have so much to be thankful for, and I am thankful, but I have allowed myself to keep too much stress on me. I have allowed people to get to me in ways that they shouldn't. I have seen and heard things from my students in the last couple of months that have hurt my heart. I pray and wish that I could do more, and I feel guilty that I can't. I have begin to feel sick about it. I am taking my job home, paperwork and even thoughts, when I should be focused on my husband & leave that at home. Then guilt sets in. 

Yes, I know I write a running blog, but I write this to say this: it's difficult to run and perform your best when you're sick. It's hard to run when you are stressed to a point that it's hard to breathe from anxiety or you are on the verge of just wanting to cry.

A wise runner once told me that sometimes, you will have a bad run. You might feel bad, hurt, and just not be into the race or run itself. Other days, you will have a great run, or even the best run you ever had, whether you trained hard for it or it just happens out of the blue. BOTH are what it takes to be a successful runner.

It makes me think of life also. You will have bad days, but you will also have good days. Both are equally important. Those good days will remind you of your blessings, who you are, what's your purpose, and what God wants you to be. Your bad days should remind you of the same. Yes, I know that's hard to swallow, and I'm talking to myself too. You're talking to someone that has dealt with that demon called anxiety all of her life, and the only thing that has helped me with it is Jesus, plain and simple. If I didn't have my prayer life and relationship with Him, I would be in serious trouble.

As a Christian, I tend to feel guilty or like I am backsliding when I begin to worry or when I begin to feel anxious. However I have to remind myself that it's not sin, but it's how I handle it and how I allow myself to feel. Just like I will handle my negative thoughts with positive prayers of thanksgiving, I will also be handling my 13.1 race tomorrow with the same attitude. I will NOT beat myself in the head if I don't finish at the exact time I want. Instead, I will be thankful for the ability to be even out there running. I will be thankful for those friends that believe in me and that run that same race with me, whether by me, in front of me, or behind me.

As a runner and a person, I like to challenge myself and make goals to motivate myself along with encouraging myself to do better. There is nothing wrong with that. But, as you can see above, sometimes one cannot make these goals due to justifiable reasons. Even when this happens, I find myself hard on myself, which I shouldn't be. You shouldn't be either!

My last race was in February. It was the Tick Ridge Trek race, which is a very challenging trail race in Elkton, Tennessee. HILLS. I was too ill the week of and before to complete the 25k, so I dropped down to the 10k. I suffered through that whole 10k. My brain and legs felt like it was going through a 26.2 race when I was only going 6.2. I was angry at myself for not even getting close to my goal, even though I had perfect reasons why I couldn't attain it. Needless to say, I had to make a serious attitude adjustment halfway through the race, and just tell myself, "just finish...your ride home is waiting on you...just finish." I have never smiled so big after a race...I was SO happy it was OVER! I am so thankful for my running friends, especially Chris and Eric, that pulled me through that race. I would have probably just wanted to be picked up and taken to the finish if it wasn't for them.

Tomorrow, I am hoping for a great race. I have had some successful training this week after a nasty stomach virus last week, but my pace has suffered a lot, but we will see where this race takes me. Whether I finish in 2 hours or 4 hours, I still get the same medal, right? How's that for a positive attitude?! Bring it on, Scottsboro!

I have 4 exciting races within the next four weeks! I am hoping that I have time to blog more since I missed writing last month due with sickness and too many hours at work.

Here's to next time! Remember, you can be a runner too! Who knows, it might change your life. :)

Hal Higdon's Walking 5k Plan 

Runkeeper's Beginner 5k Plan (You can get this app on your phone!)

6 Great Reasons Why You Should Run! 

My St. Jude Hero Fundraising Page

-Holly

Oh, and I want to leave you with this too...every person, every life has a story. Have a great weekend. :)