Running Jen Takes A Running Break

Don't they call a long pause from something a pregnant pause? I guess that is how I'll delicately describe my laziness over the last few weeks. After the half marathon I decided to take a break and enjoy not being obligated to a training schedule for the first time in last three months. But I think the break may have gotten out of hand.
I've been working out occasionally, probably 2 to 4 times a week, which usually includes at least one run. So I haven't been completely out of the game- but I mostly have.
Lately I've been feeling more stressed out about life and in general not as good about myself. I don't completely attribute this to a lack of running, but I definitely think I've taken for granted that running is a major stress reliever for me. Sometimes I hate it and have no interest in pushing myself, but when I do I feel better about everything pretty much 100% of the time. So, I need to get my butt back in gear.
I'll be posting photos soon of the race and hopefully will also be posting about more running excitement!

I MADE IT!

Woohoo! I made it!
After 2 hours and 42 minutes of running in very cold (we're talking high 30s here) weather, I finished 13.1 miles. Obviously, I'm not going to be winning any races anytime soon with that time but I'm incredibly proud of it! I was hoping to finish, period. Finishing 13 minutes sooner than I had hoped was incredible.
The feeling I got when I crossed the finish line was AH-mazing. Knowing that I had accomplished this goal for myself and had raised over $3,000 for a fantastic cause was completely overwhelming. Beyond that, I knew my Dad was with me, looking down at me making that face he made when you could tell he was really proud of you but didn't have the words to express it. I loved that face, and I know he had it at 10:43 am on Saturday.
If it were possible for me to put into words how grateful I am for the support that people gave me throughout this process, I would say them. But I know that the words are not enough. All I can say is that my heart is bursting. When I had times during the race where I felt tired I thought of the 40+ people who contributed to my fundraising efforts and the many more who were supportive with their words and thoughts.
I'll post photos and more play by play about the race soon!

Getting Nervous

By this time tomorrow I will hopefully have completed a half marathon. One might think this is a comforting thought. It's not...it's terrifying. I have been feeling confident this week and then woke up in the middle of the night tossing and turning, getting very nervous about the race. It also is pretty cold here today and is supposed to be around the same tomorrow. I'm not crazy about the idea of running in the cold. I'm a running weeny, so cold will not help. I think I'll do fine, but I'm still getting SUPER nervous. AGH!

If I can run 10 miles, I can do anything

I had my final long run this Sunday- 10 miles. I had a pretty awful running week previous to my long run so my confidence and morale was VERY low. It was a gorgeous day- 65 degrees, sunny and minimal wind- so the odds were in my favor. The question was if my mental state would do its job.
With a little help from my pit stop boy (my boyfriend who was visiting for the weekend) I finally made it through the 10 miles. The first 2 miles were challenging and I truly believed I would never finish. After that something just kicked in and I found the zone. I ran for about the next 6 miles with minimal stops. A few breaks for water and GU aside, I was a running machine. Mile 8 was a bit more challenging and mile 9 was an all out battle, but I finished strong and felt amazing.
I can't believe I am capable of running 10 miles! I never thought I could do it and now that I have, I know I can run 13.
Another huge motivating factor? The phenomenal support of my family and friends in my efforts to raise money for the American Cancer Society. To date, I've raised over $2,500. It's amazing that people believe in me and believe in my cause. I'm overwhelmed.

A Request

Dear God,
Please hear my prayer. If it all possible, it would be great if it were not windy on race day. Yesterday while doing my 3 mile run outside it was very windy which made 3 miles much more challenging than I'd prefer. 13.1 miles will be difficult enough, so please don't make it harder with wind. Thank you for listening.
Jennifer

In The Zone

I found the running "zone" yesterday. I was wondering where it was. I mentioned several posts back about how I felt like I had found the runners high, but I still hadn't found the zone. The "zone" is referring to the time in your run where you just kind of zone out and keep running. You don't need to stop to take a breath and you mostly just feel like you could run forever. I FINALLY found the zone yesterday. After I hit about 2 miles of running, I just kept going and going. I felt like I never needed to stop. I was so completely focused. Finding the zone was eye opening for me and gave me a chance to see how far I've come in the last few months. That was a nice piece of encouragement.

Eight Miles!

Yesterday I ran eight miles, which is officially the longest distance I've ever run. It was my long training run for the week.
YES! I am so proud of myself for doing it. After the last few weeks, I was nervous about getting through it, but I did it! It felt great.
The first thing I did? Went to the cemetery to visit my Dad and tell him about it. I'm sure he'd be proud of me too.