And I’m Off. For Real This Time.

Slow and steady wins the race.  Except in a real race.

Skinny Runner (or at least I stole this from her blog at some point)

From google images.

A perfect likeness no? Except I don’t have blue eyes. Oh well.

Oops if you thought this was one of those quickie how-did-I-do posts. It’s not. Because I haven’t run the darn thing yet!

But I am ready to ROCK.

This is scheduled to go up at 0800 CT.  AKA I should be starting to run and racing and attempting to hit that puke threshold.  Hopefully I can make it the whole 26.2 miles before that happens

I’m not quite sure what to think or feel  because, given I signed up for this race 5.5 weeks ago, I’m not quite sure what to expect. That said, I think that my training has been great and stellar and “money in the baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaank”.  Obviously there is the potential to do VERY well.  It’s just how I’ve been rolling this fall.

I wrote a bunch of paragraphs about this race being a way to meet people that I’ve only known through RW and blogging and play catch up with those that I’ve been fortunate to already know.  And how the end goal is to HAVE FUN. So no matter what actually is going down right now in Dallas, TX that is Mission Accomplished.

But then I deleted it.  Because, while I know that I’m having fun on this trip (Of course I could be miserable right now and it could be snowing or hailing or tornadoing.  In which case the RR should be lovely to read when I get back to New England hahah), and I just wrote the end goal is to have fun, let’s be honest here.

At this very moment the goal is to race until I feel like I’m going to puke, remember?

The trip can be about fun and hanging out but this race? Puking. And I think the puke threshold is about a 7:30 pace (which is ~3:16 marathon, a better seed for Boston, automatic qualifier for NYC and a PR.  I dream big, no?).  I don’t know if I want to be right on that account or not. Puking isn’t very fun.  Or sexy.

To wrap up a rambly post: this race’s tagline is “Run the Rock” I was going share some type of song that was a pop pump up song referring to rocking.  Instead  I will share this lovely gem.  I actually began the outlines of this post earlier this week and, while driving to work one day, I heard this song.  And though EFF YES.

Let’s hope that Texas (and WR) is going to bless me

As Many Things As I Want Thursday

Soooooooo I’m kind of liking the Three Four As Many Things As I Want Thursday.  I don’t think I did it last week but whatever. I’m feeling a bit lazy today.  Or just too busy to really think of anything creative. Or maybe I just like the bullet style

But first (and I’m not counting this as one of my Four Billion Things) I’m really glad that you guys agree with the whole “Tell Yourself You’re Awesome” deal-io.  I know it’s kind of a “heavy” topic or at least a more personal one for a blog, and I debated a bit before hitting publish, but worth it to get it out there that dealing with insecurities with running is NORMAL. It happens to everyone and, to beat a dead horse, I think there was an article awhile ago about Kara Goucher having lots of self-doubts.  So we’re in good company

I also think that on some level, that having small insecurities is a good thing because it shows that there is passion and a sense of *caring* involved.  If you’re so confident that you’re going to do well or awesome or amazing then, at some level, what’s the point of even trying?  Sometimes the fact that I don’t know if I can complete a run is just fuel to go out there and do it.

Okay so now my Four Things.  It did start out with four but then I decided to add more.  Because it’s been a way to procrastinate on my studying.  Oops.

• Last night I decided to call it an early night of studying and went to a BBQ.  I think technically it was a housewarming party for my friend? Buttttt it wasn’t at her new place.  So I was a bit confused.  But a night out with the girls is always appreciated.  Drinking + farm stand ice cream (her family runs a state park) + good music = dance party.  Can I get some love for the dance party?

• My toes still feel weird.  And I’m still not quite sure what it is .  A couple people suggested that my shoes are too tight but I would have thought it would result in blisters if that was the case.  This is more that the tendons and muscles are sore and almost tender-like.  Jess made a really good point that I’ve been trying to run on my toes a bit more (it makes me feel and go a bit faster I think. Maybe it’s all mental.  I will say that it takes so much effort to do so though despite the more powerful feeling)

• Plus these shoes I’ve been wearing for….well I think the term “awhile” is an understatement   But maybe rather than being too small they’re just worn out. LeSigh. I have given consideration to the fact that I’ve been running A LOT lately.  Like practically marathon training weeks.  It’s almost embarrassing how much I’m running lately. Therefore…

• I need to plan some races.  Yes I love running but lately I’ve just been running for the sake of running.  Which was fine post-Boston but Boston was kind of a long time ago.  I need to regain some speed.  It’s not like I’m not thinking about it.  Pretty much on every run I go on I’m like “Damn.  I should do something fast today.  But then I get settled into a pace.  And no fastness occurs.  I’m pretty sure having a race on the docket would change that but hey, I’m too lazy to do some actual searching.  I should hire a personal assistant or something.

• I also need a vacation.  Seriously.  I have job training in Philly during July and probably will stay with a friend for a couple extra days after but I want a tropical island vacation.  Or actually anything that isn’t where I am now.  Sadly my schedule is so tight this summer that it’s going to be hard to do.  But not impossible.  Kind of as a tangent to racing, I’ve been toying with the idea of a destination race.  Likely a marathon because it just doesn’t seem right to travel and do anything less.  I’m totally open to suggestions and, while I am starting a year of poverty service in August I’m not going to be really picky about cost.  Wow. Those are words I never thought I’d say.  Thoughts?

• I actually am wearing sunscreen right now.  Well maybe not as I think I sweated it all off on my run just a few moments ago.  But I’ve been waking up recently and the first thing I see are two scars on my chest from getting two *atypical* moles removed recently and I realized I needed to just suck it up and wear the stupid sunscreen.  Skin cancer is probably one of the, if not THE, most preventable cancer due to sun exposure which is in our control.  I need to smarten up and make sunscreen the first thing I put on everyday.

• My second run went well yesterday and was incredibly faster than the first 7 miler.  I ran the same route as the morning run just to see what kind of difference I could produce.  It was about a 5 minute difference.  Hollllleeeerrrrrr.  And my run this afternoon was a lovely 8 miler that was, oh I don’t know, 8:22 pace.  Where is this coming from? I still think I’m dehydrated, sleep deprived and stressed out though.  Maybe that should be my new math equation to good running

• I’m stealing this one from Ada because I really liked it: What are the 10 countries in the world that only have 4 letters in them? I got 5 of ‘em before I had to resort to google.  And she posted the answers in a recent post so you can cheat that way if you want

So much for Three Things ahahah.  Maybe I should have majored in English or Writing rather than Physics. Hope everyone enjoy their Thursdays And here are two pictures of me and Jess when she was here in Boston over the weekend.

We look incredibly put together for having run 9 miles!

And again. We look really put together. And awesome