Spring Summer has Sprung!

All of the sudden, we've gone from freezing to blazing!

Clues that Spring (with temps close to Summer) is here:

• After taking the winter off, my car air conditioner just decided not to show back up to work this spring. It is HOT in that car after school gets out in the afternoon.
• Once again, I'm a sweaty mess after a workout. (Which is a good thing! It feels like evidence.)
• I spent a few hours, laying out reading "Little House on the Prairie" at the lake this afternoon. (I accidentally starting reading it when I was waiting to get my nails done and that was the only book I had in the car. I read all the Laura Ingalls books multiple times when I was little and picked that copy up at a thrift store to add to my classroom library. I felt a little ridiculous reading a children's book at the nail salon, but I got so into it! I forgot how wonderful those books are.)
  
• And most convincingly, it's spring break!!

In other news, I have a horrible confession: I did not run yesterday. We didn't get home until 10 and I didn't want to have the late-night treadmill discussion, so I just let it go. I did get in two runs today...one before supper and then one after The Shred Level 2. (Please ignore the fact that they were each only 1 mile.) I really liked Level 2! I've done Level 1 probably 15 times, but I was scared to go up because I was afraid it would be too hard. There were a few difficult moves, but overall, it was doable and there were some fun new moves!

Have a Happy Easter everyone!

Confessions, Lessons, Blessings Race Report

Confessions:

• This was my first anti-social race. I chatted it up with some nice people waiting for the shuttle, in route, and before the gun, but once the race started, I was iPod-on, eyes-ahead. Part of me kind of felt like I missed a little of the race experience, but part of me didn't want to muster up the energy to make small talk while running. I did pop out one ear bud at mile 6 to ask this nice couple for the time (57 minutes in) and then when they passed me at mile 12, they offered the time again. They were so sweet.
• I didn't study the course map well enough and I couldn't remember where the water stations were. It screwed up my GU schedule and I skipped one water station that I really shouldn't have.
  

Lessons:

• Even though I've been taught this lesson before, I definitely learned it again today: I can finish a race without training properly, but I cannot enjoy the whole race without training properly. I was pretty miserable the last 3 miles or so.
• It's time to buy a fuel belt, for real. It's not cool to have my GUs stuffed in my waist band and I could have used water between some of the water stations.
• I think it might be time to go for the Garmin. Or at least a new sports watch, but even as I type that, a watch seems really lame and I think I need to bite the Garmin bullet.

Blessings:

• I don't know why I ever doubted that chocolate would be the choice for me in energy gels. It's my first choice in any other realm of life, why would running me different? I thoroughly enjoyed both my Chocolate Outrage GUs...it's kind of like dark chocolate syrup, right smack in the middle of a workout. How could that be wrong?
• Despite my right knee going berserk the last 2 miles, I was able to finish the race in 2:07:58, which is not fabulous, but I think is pretty decent for the amount of training I put in.

Overall, my experience with the Wrightsville Beach Half Marathon was good and I think I definitely earned my hardcore badge by getting up at 4:30, driving by myself to the beach, running 13.1 miles, and making it home, showered, and dressed in time to be in the church choir at 11:00. I iced my knee for a while and took a nap (which I hardly ever do) this afternoon and I don't think I'll be too sore. I do plan to take it easy on the knee the next few days to see what's up, but I think it's just an symptom of undertraining and not anything major.

Give me some tips on fuel belts and Garmins...I think my birthday list will be mostly running gear this year!

Confession

I have not been back to the yoga studio since my "incidence." Even though I paid for a 5-class package and realized (a week later) that I also left my yoga mat there.

At first, I was just too embarrassed to go back. And then, I got over it. Then I was too busy to go back. And now, I'm embarrassed because it's been over 2 months and I still haven't been back.

It's time to bite the bullet though. So I'm going to get in my "long" run (it's an easy week, only 4-5 miles) and then go to Pilates.

I'm going to feel pretty lame if I don't make it through this class with flying colors, so wish me luck!

Cheating through The Shred

So I had to take 2 days off of The Shred before my muscles felt recovered enough to run without giving out. I put off this week's "long run," which was only 4 miles until today after school.

(Please don't judge me for using a Beginner's Half Marathon Plan even though this is my fourth 13.1...and for choosing the minimum mileages on each day.)

I had a really good run though and (due to heading out too late and trying to get back before it was completely pitch dark) it felt pretty speedy for me. I even decided to go ahead and forge through with Day 4 of The Shred afterwards.

Confession: I completely cheated and fast-forwarded through the warm-up (I figured I was plenty warm already), cardio (since I just got in about 40 minutes of running, I didn't feel that guilty skipping those 6 minutes), and cool-down (I'm on the floor now in a v-sit stretching out my arms to reach my laptop).

I doubt Jillian would approve. : )