Over 300 Miles!

Guess what??  I'm near the end of my "how many miles can I run in 1 year?" running goal.  I started this goal on November 1, 2012 and the end date is October 31, 2013.  As of right now, my grand total for the year is 309.5 miles....YAY!!

As you know, I started out with the goal of running 500 miles in one year.  It didn't seem like something out of my reach or unrealistic when I set the goal, as that is only an average of 10 miles per week.  Well...life happens and a few months ago I adjusted my goal to simply be "run as many miles as you can".  I did it!!!  I think 309.5 miles is a huge achievement and now I have a baseline for next year's running goal :)

So....what have I been up to lately?  I'm glad you asked.  I've been training for my 3rd half marathon.  Part of that training was to run as consistently as possible each week, have some shorter races to help keep me motivated, and run longer runs on the weekends.

Me, Amy, and Kayla

On October 5, 2013 I ran the Fall Flash 10K in Moscow, ID.  I was joined at this race by my friend Kayla and met a new friend, Amy.  This race had a 5K which was an out and back course and a 10K that went in a big loop through some back roads of Moscow.  I signed up for the 10K because I needed to keep increasing my distance working towards my half.

This was an interesting race for me because it didn't seem like much of a "race".  I ran with Kayla and Amy until we got to the turn around point of the 5K.  It was so nice to have their company.  But....then they turned around, I waved goodbye, and said "good luck ladies".  I turned onto the road to keep going on the 10K route.  Once I made that turn, I was ALL alone.  That's the interesting part.  This no longer felt like a race for me.  It was more like a training run....I was a lone wolf.

I kept myself motivated and kept running.  When I finally got to the finish line, I realized that I was literally the last person to cross the finish line.  All the people who were slower than me only did the 5K run.  It was a little emotional for me, but I was proud of myself for running strong.

Oh hey, do you see the picture above?  Kayla and I are both ambassadors for Swirlgear.  We were proud to be "swirling" on this run together :)


Next came an increase in miles....on October 13, 2013 I had a nice 8 mile run with my friend Chris O.  I've said it before....Chris is an amazing running buddy!!  She keeps me going and always willing to run my pace.  Thanks Chris!

The following weekend, Chris O., Kerri, and I ran a lovely 10.24 miles together.  The weather was beautiful.  We didn't run fast, but we ran the whole way!  I needed this run to help me mentally prepare for the half coming up soon.  13.1 miles still sounds like a really long run and even though I've done it twice before, I'm scared.  So....if I can do 10, I can do 13, right?  Yes :)

On the evening of October 24th, I did a virtual 5K run just for the fun of it.  I put on my race number and ran 3.2 miles out and back from my house.  I'm sure I looked a little silly to the cars going by....they were probably wondering where the other runners were....but, I didn't care.  It was fun! 

Today...October 27, 2013 I ran the "Run For Your Life" 5K with my friend Kristi.  How do you like Kristi's outfit?  I love the striped leggings!!!  I had on my camo Swirlgear shirt to help fight off the zombies ;)

The Run For Your Life course is a course that I'm very familiar with.  It's on the WSU campus and it's extremely hilly.  I have to say that I was kind of dreading the run today.  I know how I felt the last time I ran this course, but I couldn't let Kristi down.  I said I would join her and I did!

In the training runs that I've done lately, I've been doing more hills.  This definitely helped me today.  One thing I worked on was getting my breathing under control.  Sometimes when I run up hills, it's hard for me to get a deep breath.  Today I regulated my breathing before tackling the first major hill.  That was what I needed....for sure!  I ran the entire course....hills and all!!!  AND...so did Kristi :)  Yay us!!

The picture above is Kristi and I right after the race and with our new finisher T-shirts.  Nice! 

So....next week is the half marathon in Asotin., WA.  My cousin Carrie is coming to run with me.  We have made a deal....we will stay together, have fun, and finish :)  Chris O. will be coming to this race too.  This will be the first race we have done together.  I'm excited!!  Wish me luck and stay tuned to see how it goes......