Before I formally begin my update on life and a running tangent, please congratulate the lovely and super tiny Kristen on her speedy first half marathon. She and her husband are the cutest!!!
OK people, prepare yourself for quite the post – it HAS been over a week (I think).
Irrelevant Life Update:
Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of this.
Reading blogs and letting a dog sleep on my arm. Actually, I just wanted to post another picture of my sister’s cute dog, Zoey. Isn’t she just adorable?
Another distraction lately has been the release of one of my bestest friends ever’s wedding photos:
I love weddings. I love parties. If I get an invitation to your wedding, I will go and it will be awesome.
Someone at work did the nicest thing anyone could ever do for me- they left their extra Halloween candy at my desk! My heart seriously melted. Now THAT is someone who knows me. Or maybe its just common knowledge among the office? Doesn’t matter.
A shnazzy discovery among the collection: a Gummi Krabby Patty!!!! Any Spongebob fans out there? How did I have NO idea that these existed?
Another one of my bestest friends celebrated the big 2-6 this past week as well. I may or may not have had 6 glasses of wine. In my defense, I was drowning away my sorrow over the Charger’s loss to the Raiders. I mean really – 4 losses in a row? Phillip Rivers and I are in a fight. *FYI – I will always be a Chargers fan.
[I promise running happens in between all of this nonsense]
What better way to kick off college football Saturday than with a Bloody Mary (or 3)???
I also cannot think of a better way to kick off NFL Sundays with a buddy making me eggs and bacon??
And the best part? Edith (aka, my mom) returned from her fabulous escape to South America. I also got to sift through her fun presents and take some goodies before my sisters could. What – you snooze you lose in this family!
Now that we’re all caught up….
RUNNING TANGENT:
I’m a slow runner. I know people say that all the time about themselves, but I’m really serious. 10:45/mile is NOT okay. And it’s not that I’m entirely clueless about how to get faster. I’ve done my reading on speed training…hills, sprints, etc. (Thanks to Kristy, HRG, Emily and SO MUCH MORE). Then I came to a realization: I am mentally weak. This happened when I heard/read things from several blogs and people over the past week. Some things include…
- Running doesn’t have to be comfortable – this one will really test my mental toughness and physical boundaries, but I think I’m healthy enough to go there. I’ve kind of slacked in this area and stay where I’m comfortable. This would explain why I’m staying in this slow-poke range.
- It’s OK to get emotional about running every now and then – I am naturally not the most competitive person in the world. And a large part of me doesn’t WANT to get too self involved/emotional about running…I hate disappointment and being let down. But I do know that putting no pressure leaves me lacking motivation and drive.
- Don’t be afraid to run with someone faster than you – self-explanatory. I hate the idea of slowing someone down, or having them stare at me huffing and puffing away. I would be SO embarrassed.
- You have to train faster to run faster (DUH, but harder to implement) – kind of goes with my lack of mental toughness.
- Make/find a REAL training plan and STICK TO IT – I didn’t have a formal training plan set up at ALL for the two half marathons I ran. I really just ran according to feel, or how I felt that day and just ran long runs on the weekends. And sometimes I cross trained. Yikes, so not professional.
13 comments
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November 15, 2011 at 7:01 am
Army Amy
Ooh! Wedding pictures! Pretty!
As for getting faster, I’d add run consistently for a while. All last year I ran mostly at the same speed. suddenly this year I’m finding that I’m going fast. I think it just takes time.*
November 15, 2011 at 11:15 am
marathon winer
i hear you on the mental side of speedwork. i’ve never set out for a run and said “okay, this is going to be a fast one. at this ___ pace.” nope. just dont have it in me to push unless im in a race. and then my body isnt ready for the push. BAH!
November 15, 2011 at 6:23 pm
Theresa
I hate speedwork. I recommend really good fast music for that. Also, running with someone faster is really helpful. You’d be surprised how fast you can really go.
November 15, 2011 at 9:38 pm
Khushboo Thadani
I love the advice “train faster to get faster”…it really is the only way and I am constantly reminding myself of this….otherwise how can I expect my body to adjust to faster speeds!
November 15, 2011 at 10:51 pm
snapshotsofhappiness
I love weddings as well! =] I think they’re so much fun!
I’m in the same boat as you with the slow-poke thing! I’ve read tips on how to be faster and tried drills… But when I’m out on my run… I feel like I’m making good decent time until I look down and I’m like WTH… Why am I so slow!? LOL
I know what you mean about running with someone faster than you. I hate slowing people down and always feel so bad when I do…
November 15, 2011 at 10:52 pm
snapshotsofhappiness
Also, I’m not sure if you have one… But I’m thinking about getting a GPS enabled sports watch. I think that would be a good tool to have on hand so you can constantly monitor the pace you are going while out on a run. It seems to work for a lot of other bloggers. =]
November 16, 2011 at 4:51 pm
runningismagical
Funny you say that – I literally just purchased one yesterday! Let’s hope it helps me out!
November 16, 2011 at 4:31 am
insightfullybald
Ok, fun at weddings, I wish I would have known this fact 5 years ago when I got married, totally would have invited you.
Word of caution on speed work: Its ok to push yourself, but even when you do speedwork make sure you keep your POSTURE!!! There’s a tendency to lean forward when you go faster and injuries happen. Not good. That’s my word of advice.
November 16, 2011 at 4:50 pm
runningismagical
Thanks for the tip! I’ll have to keep that in mind for sure – I tend to lean forward when I am making the conscious effort to run faster.
November 16, 2011 at 8:29 am
em
Sounds like you have been having a blast! You looked gorgeous at the wedding!
On the running topic, you CAN get faster. NO PROBLEM. Just stick with it and you will be running with the best of them!
November 16, 2011 at 6:39 pm
Kristen @ notsodomesticated
You are so sweet! Thank you so much for the shout out, girl!
And I LOVE this post. I’m slow, too!!! I think we both need to start working on picking up the pace and getting out of our comfort zones. But just be careful not to push too hard too fast! Keep me updated on how things are going!
November 17, 2011 at 2:56 pm
Tracy's Treats
I definitely can relate to your running tangent! I’m not a natural runner by any means and have to make a conscious effort to increase my pace! Hill training has really helped me and you’re right, sometimes (a lot of the time) it’s uncomfortable!
November 17, 2011 at 11:21 pm
Michelle @ Michelle Does Germany
Getting faster and improving your performance is anything BUT comfortable. If you are comfortable, you are doing it wrong.