See the good things

Reader's note: I know I’m never serious, so this post will seem out of place with all the goofiness here, but I just feel that it’s something I need to write. I'll be back to your regularly sporadically scheduled goofiness soon.

Once upon a time, a long, long time ago, I got married at the age of 21. It’s a decision I still regret, and it is probably the worst decision of my life to this point.

He was a cute charmer, and I fell in love fast. We dated six months, got engaged and married within one year.

I knew at the time it was the wrong decision, but it didn't stop me from doing it. It seemed like the thing to do at the time. I thought that’s what all Kansas girls did: go to college, meet a guy, get married. I fit in that mold.

But, we were both young, immature and didn't know who we were as individuals. And, the marriage was a disaster.

We stuck it out for a few years. We got separated. We stayed married for a few more years while we were separated. We’d hang out pretty regularly, and it was still a disaster. We finally pulled the plug, and I finally felt a weight lifted off of me. I could finally breathe again. I could be me.

We emailed a few times and still had some commonalities as friends, but I just remembered the nightmare of a marriage and wanted to keep my distance.

So, we did. I stayed in Florida. He moved to Texas. And, that was it.

I’d hear an occasional update, and while I wanted the best for him, I just didn't want to be involved.

So, when I started filling out an application for a passport and saw the section for marriages, I stopped filling it out. I couldn't remember where he was born, and the darn passport application asks that. Why? Why must you do this to me, pesky passport application?

I just did nothing with it for a long time. Like a really long time. After threats of going to the Bahamas, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Thailand without me urging from my boyfriend, I finally decided to fill the thing out, and I knew what that meant. I had to use my friend, Google, to figure out where my ex-husband was born. If I couldn't find it online, I’d need to get in touch with him and just get it done.

So, on Monday, I used my smart friend. And, I found out where he was born: in the form of an obituary.

I was in shock, but I wasn't sad. I mean, I was sad for his family, and it’s sad for anyone to die that young, but I personally did not feel sadness.

I told my boyfriend what I discovered, and he asked what I needed. He wondered if I wanted to talk or needed days off from work. Neither, I said. Why would I need that?

I looked at some old pictures of my ex-husband and I together, and I didn't even recognize myself. I just don’t look happy. And, I still didn't feel sad.

On Tuesday, I still felt the same way. I mean, it’s not like we were in each other’s lives anyway, and I remembered so many bad times from our marriage. Why should I be sad?

Tuesday night, I ran along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront with some running group friends. I ran the majority by myself because my running buddy, Lori, is injured and just walking for the time being. 

I decided that when I made it back to Lori, I’d walk back and talk with her. I made it back to her and another girl, and we walked back in a pack of three. 

I decided to tell the story of what had happened with them. I told them about the horrible marriage, and Lori said, “Well, there had to be some good things.”

"Yeah, right," I thought. I said I wasn't sad. And, I was starting to feel like a cold-hearted snake (cue Paula Abdul).

Tuesday night into Wednesday, I was working on a project that I severely under-estimated the time it would take. As I worked into the wee hours of the morning, for a break, I looked into the cabinet near the table I was working and found a photo album (some break).

I found this, and I suddenly remembered the good things (Lori is so wise).

Thanks for throwing such a fun wedding, Jay and Linda! This
photo from a disposable camera a guest used at the wedding
has always been my favorite photo of us.

And, now I’m sad.

But, I definitely want to see (or remember) the good things in everything. 

Running, I thought I didn't love you

I kind of disappeared for a bit.
 
And, it was partly due to falling out of love with running.

No worries: the love has returned … well, not exactly.

But, I did determine the cause of the no-love feeling: surface of the sun temperatures and 99.9% humidity. Running is really not too much fun at all in those conditions. I get even slower (how is this even possible?), and I feel like any progress I’d made during the past season is completely gone.
 

The evil sun disguising itself as a pretty sunset.

I debated taking a break from running group for the summer. But, then I heard some wise advice from a wise coach: what you’re doing now – even if it’s slower or even if you’re walking – will make you stronger for half marathon training (it begins in August).

So, I’m sticking it out. I’m slow, I’m walking more, but I’m running. And, I’m not letting myself get disappointed with my slower times (most of the time …).

The good news is I’m getting excited for half marathon season (and the costume it entails). Previously, I wondered if I’d ever care about a race again, so this is progress. 

I even started thinking a little bit (not really that much but more than ever before, which wasn’t much) about a marathon. That thought went out the window after Sunday’s craptastic 4-mile run. It was the type of craptastic run that you begin to question why you even run in the first place. If I can’t even run 4 miles comfortably, why bother? Why do I even call myself a runner? Why am I so slow? Why did I ever even minutely think about running a marathon? Stupid, stupid, stupid.

So maybe my hot weather attitude could still use a little more work. But, I’m still running, and that’s what matters.

How do you handle running in the heat? Am I being a big baby?

Season 2: recap

No half marathons on the schedule until October. It makes me kind of sad until I attempt to run in temperatures that rival the surface of the sun.

Since I’m not able to run nearly as far now (thanks, Florida heat), I’m just going to reminisce about this season of half marathons.

This was my second training cycle for half marathons. I was completely new to running the first season (2011-2012) and was happy just to finish. My first season only consisted of two races:

• Women’s Half Marathon: 2:48:26
• Rock ‘n’ Roll St. Petersburg Half Marathon: 2:33:39

I was completely disappointed in my first attempt, and I’m pretty surprised I kept running after it. It was pretty miserable (mainly because of the heat that isn’t supposed to be around in November), but I felt like I redeemed myself at the Rock ‘n’ Roll race. That was the race I knew I had in me. That’s the way it was supposed to happen. 

So, looking to this season, I knew I couldn’t have a 15-minute personal record (PR) each time, but I wondered if I could hit 2:25. I never publicly proclaimed this goal, but I thought I could do it.

• Halloween Halfathon:2:42:48
• Women’s Half Marathon: 2:45:33
• Holiday Halfathon: 2:41:10

(At this point, I really wondered if 2:33 was a fluke. I wondered if I’d ever see the 2:30s again.)

• Clearwater Halfathon: 2:38:29

(I started feeling more confident after this difficult course, and I felt like a PR was in my future.)

• Carnival Classic Half Marathon: 2:30:54

(I decided to do this race while on a high from the previous race. As in, sitting down right after the race and registering on my phone. Hello, PR!)

• Rock ‘n’ Roll Half Marathon: 2:33:54
• Florida Beach Halfathon: 2:31:44
• Iron Girl Half Marathon: 2:48:35

So, 2:25 didn’t happen. Even 2:2X didn’t happen. While I’m a little disappointed, I still see lots of things to be happy about:

• I ran eight half marathons!
• I’m confident in my running abilities. I don’t worry about finishing anymore. I know I can.
• I even got pretty confident about being able to finish in the 2:30s by the end of the season (aside from the hot, nasty Iron Girl incident).
• I came up with some pretty rockin’ costumes for races.
  
  

• I fell even more in love with the half marathon distance. It’s my favorite, always and forever.
• Oh, and even though these aren’t half marathons, I did run and PR these distances during this training cycle: 5K (by 3:11) and 10K (by 1:21)).

So, now what?

Well, I have a break until August when half marathon training begins again. But, it’s not a break from running – just a break from running the longer distances. I’m sticking with my training group (last year I took a break from it, and while I continued running on my own, I just don’t push myself enough; I felt like I had to start over again when I picked back up in August). And, I’m adding in some new things to shake things up: boot camp (eek!) and yoga (eek!). 

Do you set race goals? Do you publicly proclaim your goals? How did you do this season? What do you do in the off season to prepare for races? Have you done a boot camp? Yoga?

It was a Thursday

Thursday didn't really go as planned. Work brought surprises. After work brought traffic problems, a missed running group and lightning (yikes). This type of day (it's a darn Thursday again) leads to randomness.

• On this crazy day, I got some pretty rockin' news: I'm sweating pink. What does that mean? It means I'm a Sweat Pink Ambassador. So, what does that mean? It means that I'll sweat hard, play hard and inspire those around me to achieve their best selves. Read more about it here.
  
  
  

• I didn't consider myself a Beyonce fan before Sunday. I liked some songs, but was not overly crazy about her (unlike her husband, Mr. Carter ... love some Jay-Z). Then, the Super Bowl halftime show happened. She was incredible, amazing, fabulous. She sang live, and she rocked it. And she indulged me a Destiny's Child reunion. Thanks, Bey. 
• Speaking of Bey and Jay, they were in New Orleans the weekend before the Super Bowl. So was I. Where's the meet-up, folks? Or, more realistically, a sighting. I want to improve my celebrity sightings. Right now, I've got a blurry photo of Vanilla Ice. That's it. Jay would have been a major rapper upgrade.

• Everyday, at least four times per day, I'm looking up at seven flights of stairs. The elevator is being replaced in our building. With a dog, this makes for lots of trips up and down. They estimate it will be out for four to six weeks. Nine days down (and up)!

• The Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon is this weekend! I loved this race last year, and I can't wait to rock it again. From an expo on a Major League Baseball field to bands along the course, this race really does rock. And, the name includes my favorite word: rock.

• Stay tuned next week for my very first and very awesome giveaway! Hint: if you like running and are female (sorry, dudes), this giveaway is going to rock your world! (A badge in the right sidebar is even more of a hint.)

Do you like Beyonce? Did you like the Super Bowl halftime show? Do you like Jay-Z? Any good celebrity sightings? Have you rock a Rock 'n' Roll race? What did you think?

Best Damn Race, Safety Harbor, Florida, Feb. 2, 2013: recap

I hesitated doing this race. Why? The name of the race. I know, I know. But, really. I don’t use the word “damn,” and I wasn’t sure I’d feel comfortable telling people the name of the race.

Then, I saw the medal, and it was all over.

Fortunately (?), I got over my non-use of the word “damn,” and fully embraced it in relation to this race.

This damn race was damn early, and it was damn cold. Too much?

With a 10K start time of 6:30 a.m., this total non-morning person was not happy. Thankfully, it was in Safety Harbor (only about a 10-minute drive from home). This inaugural race also included a half marathon at 7:15 a.m. and a 5K at 9:30 a.m.

I (along with my boyfriend, a.k.a. photographer, and my dog, a.k.a. cuteness factor) arrived at the race around 6 a.m. 

I went the bib-on-leg route because I thought
my jacket would come off ... I thought right.

After freezing alone for awhile (yes, 48 degrees is freezing in Florida), I met up with my running group at the start.

Fit2Run St. Pete represent!

After freezing some more as a group, we were off. My running buddy, Lori, and I set off at a comfortable pace. The first portion of the course went along Tampa Bay (b-e-a-utiful) with a turnaround to come back by the start.

When the pack leaders made the turnaround to come back, we were greeted (?) by Angry Bike Pace Leader Man. I understand the need to be stern and loud, but man, this dude was mad. I'm not sure what we did to him, but we got a very angry "TO THE RIGHT" command. We did as we were told.

Mile 1: 11:58
Mile 2: 11:55 

We grabbed water or Gatorade (blech) at each stop, and I never worried about running into one. They were plentiful, thank goodness.

Around 2.5 miles, we again encountered the Angry Bike Pace Leader Man. Only, he wasn't angry.

Lori even mentioned it to him. "You're not angry anymore."

I was laughing so I didn't hear his response, but I guess he mentioned he almost died earlier. I guess that's reason enough to be angry?

The course continued along Tampa Bay until we made a turn into a neighborhood where we encountered some unexpected "hills." I've decided I don't mind a big hill, like a bridge, but these little, gradual, unexpected hills and I are not friends. 

Mile 3: 12:03
Mile 4: 11:56

After the neighborhood, we wound into a park where we made the turnaround to come back to the finish. 

Lori and I noticed a girl running who was kicking one leg out as she ran. We thought it was kind of strange, but then realized she must be hurt. As we ran by her, Lori asked if she was OK. She said she was, but had tears in her eyes. Lori encouraged her, and she started running with us.

She said she hurt her knee in a mud run, and it still wouldn't heal. Poor girl. She said her knee didn't hurt when she ran with us, and she ran the rest of the race with us.

Mile 5: 12:25 (Oops.)

We also ran into two other girls from our running group, and we finished the race together. We really picked it up the last full mile.

Mile 6: 10:54 
Mile 0.2: 2:06

My official time: 1:13:16. It is almost exactly in the middle of my other two 10Ks.

It was so awesome to cross the finish line five strong! After hugs from the injured-knee girl, we met up with some others from our running group.

I also cheered Caroline across the finish, who rocked out the 10K and then ran 2 additional miles.

After watching others in our group come in, it was beer time. Yes, it's completely acceptable to drink beer before 9 a.m.

Oh, and that medal that made me run this race. Yeah, it's pretty sweet. I love that it's functional ... or it's supposed to be.

It doesn't actually function as a bottle opener. But, the race organizers kindly offered to send your name on to the awards company (that produced the medal) who will send you a fully functioning medal. Yes, please!

I loved this race. It was a beautiful setting. It was well organized. It did have one of the best damn after parties (beer, pizza, subs, fruit, brownies and a DJ). And, I ran it with some of the best damn running peeps.

Reunited, and it feels so good

This training session, I've run a bunch of races ... alone. I finally conquered that half marathon PR I was chasing for almost a year. But, it doesn't mean as much to me as running with my running buddy, Lori, or our rockin' running group. Damn.

Do you use the word "damn"? I don't curse at all (I do listen to expletive-filled rap, though), but I just picked this up. Have you ever come across an angry bike pacer in a race? Do you have any functional medals? Do you like the idea?

See you next year, work!

Well, these last few weeks have been pure madness.

My job's really not that bad ... sometimes. I actually like it ... sometimes. I really do ... really.

Seriously (since when I'm ever serious?), I like what I do. I just don't like some of the hassles that come along with it. Like after a long day, getting a call at 9 p.m. asking me to do more work. Or getting stuck at work late those weeks and missing my running group.

But, I'm happy to say that as of yesterday, I'm away from work until 2013.

As a final hurrah to that pesky thing that pays the bills for 2012, I went to the holiday party this past Saturday to enjoy one thing I always like about my job: the peeps. 

This event may have caused me to miss running group on Sunday. Darn you sangria, cran-apple martini, red wine and more sangria!

So, what does one do once they finally have broken free from the chains to their desk?
Dye their hair shockingly dark, of course!

I'm sure I'll get used to it, but man, it's dark.

My hair stylist and I talked about some of the best Christmas songs, like "Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays" by *NSYNC. Do you find it hard to say "Merry Christmas" instead of singing it, or is that just me? And, the entire Jessica Simpson album, "Rejoyce." My hair stylist loves Jessica almost as much as I do, so I could care less what she does to my hair. OK, not really. But, she's awesome.

My dad was supposed to arrive this afternoon. Due to that terrible winter thing called snow, his flight was cancelled. Thankfully, after a 25-minute hold and another 20 minutes on the phone, I rescheduled his flight ... to Orlando. The next seat available to Tampa wasn't until Christmas Eve, which I found unacceptable. Fortunately, a flight to the next closest airport had a seat available tomorrow. It's a little more than an hour away, but it's so worth it. 

Because of this, I was able to delay all of the last-minute things I was going to do today before he arrived until tomorrow. No sense in getting things done early. 

Also because of this, I'll be at running group tonight. Yay!

Are you taking a break from work? Are you as pumped as I am? Did you go to your work holiday party? How was it? Have you ever dyed your hair a very different color? What's your favorite Christmas song? 

Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure 10K, St. Petersburg, Florida: Oct. 6: race recap

Before Saturday, I ran one 10K. It was OK, but it was definitely not my favorite distance. So much so that I didn’t think I’d do another one.

Then, I had a friend doing a 10K. I thought about it. Then, there was a possibility I’d be out of town. So, I stopped thinking about it. Then, the possibility of being out of town turned into not a possibility. So, I signed up for the race.

I was still a little unsure about the distance, the course and the weather.

The pesky Pier

Heat ... and lightning?

I met my friend from running group, Lori, at her house to ride together to the race (in addition to two of her other friends).

We wanted to get there early to find parking. I read in the paper that they expected 10,000 people. Yikes!

But, parking was a breeze. Also, since the 10K was the first race (and started 45 minutes before the 5K), it wasn’t crazy crowded.

We had time for a photo, porta-potties (with no lines) and checking out a few booths before heading to the start line. 

Photo credit to random guy walking your dog early that morning

Yeah, the photo is blurry. But that's how I feel early in the
morning so I thought it was appropriate.

The race started right on time, and we headed to the start (with other members of the running group we found at the start). It wasn’t nearly as crowded as I thought it would be.

Luckily we hit the Pier in the first mile, so it wasn’t as pesky as it has been in past races. We ran through our first water stop. We kept running along the water, and all was wonderful … until we started running by hacking-coughing-snorting-sniffing-spitting man. Seriously, this guy was making every nasty bodily noise possible, and it was nonstop! Ugh. I think this was our fastest part of the race as we sped to get away from him.

A few miles into the race, I knew this was going to be a good race. It wasn’t as hot as it could be (still hot, mind you), and it was fun! Yay for running! It was great seeing other running group friends throughout the race. Yay for running friends!

We walked through each of our next water stops to make sure we were hydrated. But, that was it. No extended walking breaks …even when we went up a hill (a Florida hill, so probably nothing to anyone else).

I felt really great throughout the race. It was hot, but thanks to clouds, no scary sun. And, no scary lightning.

I started to feel tired at mile 5. Lori sped up like you’re supposed to do later in the race. I just couldn’t do it, but I kept running. As we hit mile 6, Lori turned around and came back and found me so we could finish together. I thought that was so sweet.

As we got close to the finish line, we did our final push. And Lori grabbed my hand as we crossed the finish line. Emotional moment, and I’m not emotional.

Our time was exactly the same: 1:16:38. 

Woo-hoo! We ran a 10K, and it was fun!

I ran a 6-minute faster 10K earlier this year, but it was not nearly as fun as this race. It was much, much cooler, though (and that probably had something to do with my faster time).

We had fun cheering other running group friends across the finish line. Then, we hit the booths, grabbed some freebies and cooled down before heading home. 

I just enjoyed everything about this race: water stops were great and well-stocked (necessary on a hot day); it was well-organized; and it was inspiring to see all the breast cancer survivors participating.  My only compliant: they listed me as 4 years older than I am and put me in a different age group. I quickly emailed, and that was quickly resolved. Whew.

When people ask me how the race went, my response is always “It was so fun” because it was.