Running randomness

I'm pumped that I was able to at least focus my randomness on one topic. This is progress:

• Our running group started bridge training for the Clearwater Iron Girl Half Marathon this weekend. In other places, this may be known as "hill training." On the West coast of Florida, there are no such things as hills. We met at a local trail and ran overpass repeats for 50 minutes. There were three overpasses in a small area, so you can cover a lot in a short amount of time. It was tough. Probably the most difficult 4.3 miles I've ever ran. I'm hoping it gets easier.
• During this training, it was extremely humid. Being the sweaty girl that I am, I sweat ... a lot. Since I knew this was going to happen, I wore my hair in a braid to try and avoid the sweaty, tangled ponytail I usually get. Instead, I got a tangled braid (how does this happen?!?). Any advice on how to avoid tangled, matted, nasty, sweaty hair?
  
  

Ponytail and braid end in tangled, sweaty messes. (Yes, I like purple and making funny faces.)

• Speaking of purple (when do I not speak of purple?), I will soon have these beautiful babies in my possession. I got the last pair in my size (allegedly), and I got them on sale. Score!

Source

• In other exciting running news, my dad is running! He's run before (he played college basketball and was in the military), but not in a very long time. He walks 3 miles a day at the gym, and he decided he wanted to add some running. I sent him the Couch to 5K plan and told him to take it easy, not overdo it and not get discouraged. He's decided he wants to do a 5K with me when he's here in March for some spring training games. I'm so pumped!

Baseball and running? Awesome!

Do you do hill/bridge training? Has it helped you? Do you like it? What is your favorite color? Have you ever run a race with a family member?

Six things I learned from my sixth half marathon

Apparently, I'm a slow learner.  It took me until my sixth half marathon (the Clearwater Halfathon ... otherwise known as the race with the big, scary bridges) to finally learn something. Well, six somethings.

1. Don't let your fears hold you back. I was scared (extremely scared) of the big bridges in this race. I panicked. I wondered if I should do the race. Was I ready to run these bridges? I didn't think so. I can't lie: I thought about not doing it. I wanted to wimp out. Thankfully, I didn't. And, guess what? I ran those bridges (slowly) and loved them. I felt so accomplished and proud when I was done, too. Totally worth it.  

2. Trust your training. I was nervous that I didn't get enough running in between Christmas and the new year. I missed some runs here and there, including a few long runs. I assumed that I wouldn't be able to handle this race. You know what? All of the hard work I've been putting in since August didn't just disappear. I still had that base, and I could still run a half marathon. 

Four months of sweaty work (apparently, sticking
my tongue out is my thing?)

3. Run your own race. Yes, I've heard this many times before. I never get caught up in the initial start. I always start at the back, and I start slow. No big deal. But, in this race, I encountered a bridge before mile 1. So many people were walking already. I wondered if I should walk, too. If I ran, I thought I might be sorry later on. But, I felt awesome, and I wanted to run that bridge, so I did. And, the next one. And, on the way back, too. Why? Because it was my race, and I knew I could do it. 

4. Don't give up. I did not feel great during this race. I wanted to turn around at the 5K turnaround and at the 5-mile turnaround. It was just not my race, I thought at the time. Thankfully, I stuck it out, and it became one of my best races ever.

5. Enjoy your surroundings. It's easy to get "in the zone" or so focused that you really don't notice anything around you. But, if you look around, you're likely to see something beautiful, funny or awesome. I enjoyed the views in this race more than any race before, and instead of dreading the bridges, I just enjoyed the views from the top.

6. Think of those who can't run. This race was special to me because I was running mile 11 in honor of my friend, Linda. She's been couch-bound for a good deal of her pregnancy, and she was itching to run. Mile 11 was her mile, and I thought about her each step. I enjoyed each step. I appreciated what I was doing even more because I was thinking of someone who couldn't do it. 

What have you learned from running?