Running Dog?

Prada's First 8k Race

A few years ago while out on a morning run I was followed by a van.  After back tracking and some of the fastest running I have ever done I made it home okay only to be terrified of what might have happened.  So I told my husband that I needed a Running Dog, too which he agreed (it freaked him out too).  I started doing some research on what the best running dog would be and came up with the Australian Shepard.  I then found a rescue group and talked to the lady in charge, since I had a new baby an old dog and two cats I needed  dog that would fit into our already big family.  She said she had the perfect dog for us and when we met her it was love at first lick.  Prada (that was her name and we kept it) has not left my side since.

Well until our first winter in Kansas and I chickened out of running in the cold.  You see she got fat and lazy that first winter.  And I have had a hard time getting her back into running.  She keeps getting fatter and fatter and lazier and lazier while I go out and get stronger and healthier.  So this morning I decided to leash her up and make her run with me.  Since I am just starting back again I am slower and only doing two miles at a time so I thought it was the right time to get her back into it.

My question to you all is this, do I have the right to choose if she is a running dog or not?  Should I make her run if she does not want to?  Is it wrong to not take her running and let her get fatter and fatter?

Running in the Dark

Do you run in the dark?  I usually have to squeeze my runs in before my husband leaves for work so that means I am usually running in the dark at 5am.  Truthfully I usually don't mind, there is something peacefull about being the only one up and out first thing in the morning. 

Before this last injury, there were mornings when my runs were just long enough to see the sun come up and I gotta say those were my favorite runs.  There is no better way to bring in the day then out on a morning run while watching the sun rise and listening to the birds sing.

This time of year, I usually opt for the treadmill instead of a nice run ouside because it is so cold at 5am.  But today, I was blessed with a nice warm 40 degree morning so I geared up and took my run outside. And I must say I feel awesome today, you just don't get this feeling when running on the treadmill.

I know a lot of people (espically us women) are afraid of running in the dark.  So I am wondering do you run in the dark?  Are you afraid?  And what do you think, if you have to run in the dark is it safer in the morning or in the evening?

Scared to Run

Have you ever been scared to run?  There are so many reasons you could be.  The dark might make you scared, the seclusion, the fear of not being able to do it, the fear that you can do it, or maybe the fear of getting hurt.

It is funny, I have lots of fears that I don’t let rule my life.  Pretty much all of those fears listed above can describe how I have felt from time to time, but I don’t let them affect me or my running.  Well until you get to that last one, the fear of getting hurt.  I am not scared I will trip and fall (though I guess that could happen) I am afraid the stress fracture I had last year will return.

I was actually kind of lucky when I got the fracture, you see right after I found out I had it I found out I was pregnant so taking time off from running did not seem too bad.  But once that baby was born and I found some motivation I started running again.  My leg felt fine so no worries, I signed up for a half marathon to keep me motivated (after all I had some baby weight to loose).  My training was going great, but when I got home after my 10 miler the pain was back.  Yes the pain right in the same spot as my fracture.  That is when the fear gripped me, Oh no it is not healed, I can’t run, what will I do?

I went to the doctor and he assured me I did not have a stress fracture the bone was just stressed.  He also told me I could run, just to back off the mileage.  Great news right?  Well after every run my leg would hurt and my fear of not being able to run would take over till it finally consumed me to the point where I did not run.

Isn’t it funny how my fear of not running caused me to not run?  Fear is a funny thing and can make us do funny things.  It has actually been over a month now since I have run (well before this week that is) my fear was so strong.  At the same time the fear was keeping me from running, depression was taking over because I was not running.  I would see a runner out while driving and wish it were me, but then fear that if I ran my fracture would return and I would not be able to run at all.

Finally after several weeks of not running, I got to thinking about my fear and how silly I was being.  I mean here I am so scared that I might not be able to run that I am not running. I was making my worst fear happen, and I was doing it to myself.  So Monday afternoon, I did it I got on the treadmill and ran for 2 miles.  And today I did it again.  I feel great, and the best part is I have no pain in my leg. 

I plan to take it slow and keep the mileage down for now, but I learned a lesson about fear.  You can’t let fear rule you because if you do, it will make your worst fears come true!

What is your fear?  Do you let it control you?

The Virtual 5k

After a 4 day drive with some visiting along the way I am in Miami with my two baby girls (well my oldest is turning 4 in a couple days so I guess she officially is not a baby any longer). 

My sister flew up to Kansas to drive down with me and help with the kids, man I am so glad she did.  Two kids would have been too much even for me on this long drive.  We made it to Miami on Sunday and that night I went out to do my Virtual 5k that Tara Tosta was hosting to help find a cure for diabetes. 

My sister was going to do this 5k with me, but she got sick on the trip and was not feeling well so she stayed home.  I can be a bit of a chicken running in a new place so I took there dog Cheyenne with me on my run.  After several days of traveling and not much sleep (I don’t sleep well in hotels, and my 4mo old still does not sleep through the night) this run did not go as well as I would have liked.  It was hard to say the least, but I pushed through and did it even if there was some walking involved.

I know that I will get back to my old running self where a 5k is just a walk in the park but it can be frustrating when you know you use to run this distance for fun and it is so hard now.  Some days I go out and 3 miles is not so bad so I know I am getting better, just have to keep pushing through and in time I will be knocking out 10 milers like nothing.

As I mentioned in my previous blog, Tara got many companies to support her 5k by donating tons of great items to auction off for the participants.  I was super excited to find out that I won a $15 gift card for RoadID.  I am a huge fan of RoadID, I think everyone who goes out to run should have one.  You never know when something bad may happen and I for sure would want my family to be notified if I was hurt.  So I am super excited to have won this, I may already have a RoadID but members of my family who run don’t so you know they will be getting one for sure now :).  Looks like Tara is going to do this race yearly so check out her blog that way you don’t miss out on the fun next year.

I am running a 5k with my sister in a few days and can’t wait to see how we do.  I will be rested and not coming off a 4 day drive so I am planning on kicking some 5k booty this time. 

Happy Running all and remember we may have a bad run but that just means the next one will be better!!! So get out there and run!

Need some motivation please!!

It has been 4 months since I had my new baby girl, and I have to say that I am struggling to get back to my healthy ways.  My diet is not too terrible but I forgot how hard it was to lose weight.  For me I have to really watch what I eat and not cheat if I want to lose anything.  The first 12 pounds seemed to just fall off but now these last 10 I am really struggling with.  Some days I am right on point and others I cheat badly.  I will keep on fighting this and know that even though it may be hard I will get back to my old weight and fit in to all my clothes!!!

As far as working out, well this is difficult to say the least with two kids around.  I have gotten some great workouts in and do manage to work out every week.  But having a normal workout routine has proven difficult.  I am finding that I cannot commit to work out every day at a certain time because the baby may have a bad night and wake up 20times and I am too tired or I can’t get her down for a nap to get my run on in the afternoon.

Even though I seem to have some really great excuses on why after 4 months I am not in better shape, I think one of the things I am struggling with the most these days is motivation.  Some days I got it, others not so much.  So to help with my motivation I have signed up to run 2 5k’s in the next couple of weeks. 

Virtual 5KThe first 5k is for a cause I believe in.  My Ultra running friend Tara is hosting a virtual 5k to help raise money for Type 1 Diabetes.  If you don’t know anything about Type 1 diabetes just know that this disease sucks big time.  It is nothing like Type 2 and there is no cure.  So if you want to do something to help this cause just click here to sign up for this 5k it is only $10 to enter and she has a pretty nice list of times that were donated to raffle off to the runners, so go check it out.

My second 5k is down in Miami with my sister for July 4^th.  We (meaning my sister and I) are racing each other.  Now I have been running a lot longer than my sister and have always kicked her booty.  So going into this challenge I really did not feel the pressure.  Well I find out yesterday my big sister has really been training.  Yes folks I better kick it in gear or she is going to beat me.  

I am planning on going out and getting 4miles in this morning after my hubby wakes up so he can take care of the kiddos while I get my run on.  I really don’t feel like it but I know that I have to push myself.  I am waiting for those mornings when all I want to do is run.  I remember those days and look forward to getting them back.  

Maybe I need to find a special reward to give myself if I stay on track for a month and loose these last 10pounds and keep a decent workout schedule (I say decent because a normal schedule is just not going to happen right now).  Maybe a new running skirt or a pair of Nike Frees (I have wanted to try them).  What do you all think is a good reward that could help to motivate me so I stay on track?  

 How do you stay motivated when life gets in the way and sleep does not always happen? 

My first TRI

Well I did it, I finished my very first Triathlon this past Sunday and I must say it was harder than I thought. However I can’t wait to do it again.


The morning of the Tri, by brother-in-law went with me to help me set up because I was way too nervous to go alone. He helped me load up the car and did not flip out when we had to turn around and go back to the house when I forgot my goggles. He was really great and I was so thankful that he went with me.

Once we got to the race I actually ran in to some friends from work and they gave me some pointers and tried to calm my nerves. I really just wanted to get started so I could stop thinking about it. When the time came we headed off to the beach and I was glad to see that they had 3 huge buoys marking the swim. Since I had to leave my glasses back in transition it was nice that these buoys were big enough that there was no way I could miss them. We watched as each wave took off and I decided that I would defiantly start in the back of my wave to avoid the madness at the front.

When it was time for my wave to line up I found a good place in the back and quickly learned that all the girls in the back with me were first timers too. When the gun went off I walked in the water and let the madness go before me. When I finally started swimming I realized that the pool is very different than Open Ocean and I started to freak out a little every time I put my face in the water. You see with everyone churning up the water you could not see a thing, and then the salt water would splash in your face and the taste and feel of it is totally different than the pool. Even tough I started to freak out there was no way I was quitting so I decided to just swim it with my head out of the water. I knew this would slow me down but at least I could still do it. All in all I was very happy with my swim time; I ended up finishing the swim in 10:21 which was still a PR for me.

The transition between the swim and bike was long. We had to run all the way up the beach into the parking lot and over to the transition area. Once I got out of the water I started running up the beach and then realized that I must have pushed harder than I thought on the swim since my heart was racing so much I was having a hard time catching my breath (this could also have been a side effect of the whole freak out thing), so I ended up walking a bit up the beach so I could catch my breath and calm down. The total transition time ended up taking me over 6:47 and really just took way to long. This I am sure if from being a newbie and just not really knowing what I was doing.

Once on the bike I felt good. I borrowed my sister’s mountain bike for the race and although she is much taller than I am it ended up working fine, I just had to really lean it down to get on and off of it but that was no big deal. The morning of the Tri there was a pretty good wind blowing and the bike section of the race was and out and back that took us over a HUGE bridge and then you turn right around and go back over the bridge. On the way out the wind was to our back, so I was making pretty good time with out working too hard. Once I got down the bridge and turned around I got hit by that wind and thought OH CRAP! I tried to pick up the speed so I could get as far up that hill as possible but it really did not help much. The wind was blowing so bad that all you could hear was the wind, I just kept thinking of my friend Tara who was out running in a 24 hour race and knew what ever she was feeling was much worse than my stupid little hill and wind situation so I just kept peddling along. I really can not express the total utter relief I felt when I finally made it to the top of that bridge and knew that the hardest part of the bike was now over, my smile must have been huge. When I turned the final corner to get back to the Transition area I saw my family. They all came out to cheer me on and it really meant so much to me. Even my little 3yr old daughter was there holding up a sign, and the smile she shot me really made my whole day. My bike time was not the best but it was better than my worst I finished the bike in 50 min.

The transition between the bike and the run went much faster than the first one and I was in and out in 1:57 which I am very pleased with.

Going into this I knew the run was going to be my weakest point. Not only because it was the last thing but since my leg started to bother me again, I never even got up to running 3 miles before this race. My longest run in several months was 2.5 miles on the treadmill. So although I was disappointed when I had to stop and walk I was not really that surprised. My goal was to finish and I did so should not be upset about my run time but I am a runner and to say that I am disappointed would be an understatement. My time for the run was 40:30 my worst time ever since I started running a couple years ago. I know I was not ready for the run section and could rattle off a ton of excuses for my time but really it just comes down to I was not ready for it and I knew that going in.

So my final time for the race was 1:50:23 which was 10min faster than I was hoping for. I am pleased with my final time and think I did pretty well for a first timer and being 2 months pregnant. I am however very disappointed that I can not do another one till after this pregnancy. I know I can do better and want to get out there and do it again. But I guess this will be a great goal for after I have this baby. I have already told my husband that we need to look into getting me a Tri bike because I am going to do this again.

My big comeback plan for after this baby is to do a couple where the swim is in a pool, then switch to a lake. Once I am feeling more comfortable with a lake swim I want to give the ocean a try again. I don’t like that I was so freaked out and will not give up until I can do an ocean swim and feel completely comfortable and relaxed.

Prerace jitters or lack of training?

My very first Triathlon is just a few days away and I have to say I am getting nervous. I am starting to wonder why I get myself into these things and if I am just nuts. I feel like I could have used a few more weeks of training. As a matter of fact I have not done much training in the last couple of weeks at all.


You see my husband was activated and is down helping with the oil spill so he has been gone, which cuts down on my workout time. Then I planned a trip to drive down to see him and then visit my family in Florida (which is where the triathlon is) so I had to get ready for that and then drive the 2000 miles with my toddler, dog, and two cats. I also had my daughters third birthday that we went out of town for in this time frame. And then I found out that I am pregnant and with it being the first trimester I have been so tired that a few times I actually opted for a nap instead of a swim or run.

I know sounds like a lot of excuses right. I knew all this was coming up but really thought I would still have the time to get my training in. I was wrong. Last week I did nothing but pack, work, plan, and clean. No swimming, biking, or running at all. Now with just a few days till the race I am starting to wonder if I am really ready for this. I know each thing individually I can do but with them all thrown in together I am not as confidant anymore. And the last run I did the pain in my leg came back, so that has me very worried. I am going to try for one last run tonight then no running till the race because I am too worried about reinjuring the stress fracture again.

I know all my nerves could just be pre race jitters but then again I am not too confidant in my training this time around so not sure if that is all it is. To be honest I am almost feeling like not doing the race at all but feel like that would be quitting and I am not a quitter. I guess I signed up for this thing so I am going to give it my best and hope that is good enough. I just hope I do not embarrass myself in the process.

How do you all deal with prerace nerves when you are not totally confidant in your training?