Running High v. Self Sabotage

I wish I could bottle the feeling I get after I am done with a run. It’s the strangest mix of exhaustion, euphoria, sweat, pain, and calm. I feel as if for just a little while the craziness of the world slows down just a bit while I catch my breath. Runners all talk about a runner’s high and it’s totally for real.

The reason I wish I had it in a bottle is because I am self-saboteur. The reason I haven’t blogged since Friday, is I haven’t ran. Nope, nadda. Zip. Zilch. And I find myself doing it all the time. I have really come to enjoy this running thing, for the way it makes me feel when I am done – but getting going is my number one problem. I can tell myself: “You need to run today” and won’t.

But today, I decided enough was enough. Enough broken promises to myself. So I laced up my sneakers, and harnessed up Moose. While I normally run towards Manito, I decided to head the other direction. Oddly this one seemed to have a lot more hills then the Park run. I really thought I had gone at least 3 ½ miles …..And so I was a little disappointed to map it out, and find out, alas, it was about 2.75. Guess I haven’t quite gotten this estimation stuff down. Or maybe it’s time for a GPS.

But even after a 4 day hiatus, sore calves, and a muddy dog – the post run feeling was still there, like a faithful friend. I know tackling my self-saboteur nature will be a hard battle, but I feel ready for the challenge. Happy Running!

Girlfriends

Last night was my 3rd Flying Irish Run. And the first one where all 5 of us who get together weekly on Thursday for girls night were running it. While we all started off together, we ended up separated into a group of 3 and one group of 2 as a result of our differences in pace. I was in the group of 3, running with my girls Sara and Texie (I have been granted permission to use names...at least from Texie - sorry Sara if that's not ok). Both of these ladies are what I would call regular runners. Texie was my running partner at my first flying Irish as a fellow newbie, so we both have ran the last 3 weeks - in additional she has also ran a full marathon (something I'm not crazy enough to do) and is training for a half in May- so this running thing is right up her alley. Sara is also a runner, and is training for the same half as Texie in May. (I decided to go with one in June to give me the most time possible to train). So I can admit that when the group divided up, and I was with these two, I was a slight bit nervous of being left in the dust.

The run started out with me feeling like I had bricks tied to my feet. I felt lethargic, and useless. I knew for sure that I was not going to make it to the end still running. And this was about a quarter mile in. Great. Hell of a way to start a run.

Every breathe felt shallow, my calves ached almost immediately, and my energy reserves were non-existent. But there is something quite wonderful about running with friends - I didn't want to show them I was weak and that all my recent running was for naught. So, I kept plodding along.

Miles ½ to 1.5*: I still feel like garbage - I never seemed to catch a first or second wind...but the weather did - gusting in our faces, whipping up dust, as a storm front rolled in - perfect. However, armed with my girls (who at this time were maybe a stride or two in front of me) - I forged ahead.

Miles 1.5 to 2.5* I started to feel a little better, as the three of us (all lawyers) notice a dude getting busted for a DUI along the route. Ah, running in Spokane, a welcome distraction from the burning in my legs. And we joked about shouting out that we know some people in case he needed a lawyer, and then we discussed the possible consequences, like getting arrested ourselves, for that sort of thing (ah, ever the nerds). While it was fun and distracting, I still felt like shit.

Eventually, the Spokane Arena was back in sight, signaling that we were close to the end, and of course, the rain started. It was a light rain for maybe 30 seconds before turning into almost a downpour. (What is it with me and running in the freakin' rain?) Of course, I am not wearing a jacket with a hood, so I am doing my best turtle impression while ducking my head forward in attempt to still see and not have mascara running down my cheeks. As we ran towards Riverfront Park the sky darkened as the storm continued, my legs still ached, and the rain dripping into mouth tasted like sweat. At this point, I was only running because I wanted to get back to the bar and out of the goddamn rain. And there with me were the girls, Texie and Sara - just as wet and uncomfortable as I, joking that it was a good thing we hadn't worn white tee shirts. Our conversation was drowned out by wind at times, but we stuck together and reached the end - perhaps a little on the damp side. I admit wholeheartedly that I would have been far behind still out in the rain, walking it back, if those two hadn't been there with me - willing me on, without saying a word. So cheers!-to running with your girlfriends who make you stronger even if you don't think you can.

*I am totally guessing here on where these feelings actually occurred along the way, I am including mileage for dramatic effect - I don't wear a watch when I run, there are no mileage markers, and I didn't take notes for my blog along the way - so I am taking some liberties as a blogger here. Happy Running!

Going out with my new kicks on

This See Steph Run Blog is really moving up in the world….look a picture!!

These my dear readers are my new favorite thing. I can literally not say enough good things about my Asics Kayanos. I have been faithful to this shoe since college – and they in turn have been faithful to me. I think they might be God’s gift to running. All kidding aside, if you are looking for a new pair of running shoes, I wholeheartedly recommend these babies. I have feet that are normal-if-not-slightly-wide in the front and narrow in the heel.

I sold athletic shoes in college, and during that time tried on every pair in the store – so about two years worth. So for me I know what will and will not work almost immediately. Nikes aren’t my thing : so narrow & I have heard some nasty Nike shoes horror stories! But damn they are always cute. Adidas - always had slippage in the heel and I was perpetually underwhelmed. Never liked Sacouny or Puma. And Under Armour? Really they make shoes now? For me, Asics have always fit like a glove, and offer some phenomenal support – no sore feet for this girl.

Like I said I have been faithful to them since college, buying my first pair while I working my shoes sales girl job (i.e. EMPLOYEE DISCOUNT). Warning: These beauties are not cheap. However, I have the good fortune of being the sister of a Sports Authority manager, who not only gets a pretty rad discount, but buys this pair of gems for me every year for my birthday. So I get the blissful ignorance of not really knowing how much he pays for them.

While my birthday was over a month ago, I just got these, the latest edition, this weekend, and yesterday was our first date. This is also the first pair that I have the actual goal of needing to replace prior to my next birthday. :)

Together we enjoyed a three-miler through Riverfront Park with Moose – who only tried to hunt down 1 goose, 2 quails, about 50 squirrels, and a partridge in a pear tree. Together we even enjoy a beautiful sunset:

Ha, 2 pictures! look at me go!

Bottom line, the new shoes are great – and knowing that a 3 mile run will be my shortest this week gives me a tiny bit of pride. Happy Running!

A Rainy Running Revelation

I am one of the sick individuals who is actually a morning person. Most of the time I'm pretty good at pretending I am not, but I underneath my wicked ability to hit the snooze button with an addiction typically reserved for crack heads, I truly feel the best when I get up early and get on with my day.

Yesterday, a Saturday, I woke up at my parent's house in Idaho, after having heading down for the weekend to spend some quality time with my brother, sister-in-law, and baby niece who are visiting from Denver. It was about 6:30 am. And I was wide awake. There is something about my parents house that prevents normal people from being able to sleep-in. My thoughts wandered as I lay there, fighting my natural urge to be awake. And then it hits me --- Once again, my rest day from running had morphed into two - and I knew that I needed to get my run on. No problem right? Plenty of folks get up first thing and head out ---but as I listen for sounds of life from the other parts of the house, I hear one thing: the steady thump of the rain outside. Perfect. I need to get super motivated, and the rain is all that greets me.

I have come to the realization that for me to run I just have to plunge in. So I crawl out from under the covers, and pile on my running gear. Taking a look outside, I resist the urge to tough it out without a jacket, and make a quick recon of my parents laundry room - finding an adidas windbreaker that had been purchased in the mid nineties. I'm sure I looked ready for the runway - beat up dirty sneakers, incredibly tight compression running capris, an oversized pull over adidas jacket and a winter cap.

My goal was to simply make it to the railroad tracks and back, approximately 2.2. miles - I had no intention of going for the gusto - just trying to dust the cobwebs off and get my heart pumping. Not to mention it was raining pretty steadily at this point and I was not motivated to do more the minimum However, as I turned back at the tracks to prepare for my 1.1 miles back to the Krebs' casa - I had an incredibly urge to just see how far I could actually go. At this moment the weather decided to throw in a challenge at the sleet started. Thank god for that funky adidas jacket! Undaunted, I ran to my mom and dad's driveway and kept going - figuring i just make it a 3 miler. But as a I continued on I decided that instead of doing what was the minimum - I'd make it my long run and folks, I ran 4 miles that morning. It was a great feeling to accomplish my longest run yet on this journey, and not even had planned to do so.

I felt like with every step, one more piece of the "becoming a runner puzzle" fell into place. I made it home soaking wet, and feeling great. It served as a reminder that there is more strength buried in your soul then you can imagine, you just have to keep digging and keep running.

Happy St. Patty's Day!

No no no. I didn't run today - I did immediately leave work to go to a bar & have two green beers while watching a copious amount of NCAA tournament action. But I did run both Tuesday and Wednesday so I feel a day off was necessary. Also I have read the days off are often as important as running days since they give your muscle a chance to recover and build...ya know, bigger faster stronger. :)

Like last week, I ran with the Flying Irish Running Club - however, it was held on Wednesday this week instead of today....for some reason (wink, wink) the Irish bar is a little busy today - so yesterday worked better. But, in the spirit of the holiday embracing all things Irish and a running club that well does as well...it was a "st. patty's" day run --- with everyone (including me) dressed up in their best green running gear. I apologize for the lack of pictures. After the run everyone got green running club beer koozies and Irish dancers entertained the bar-goers and runners - plus $2 Sessions. Nice.

The Running club run was a good 3.3 mile loop through the neighborhood in Spokane lovingly referred to as Browne's Addition. It has a couple hills, and near the half way point has an amazing view of some valley that I don't know the name of- despite having lived in this city for 3+ years.

While I did run the whole way (minus the stops at street crossings - as jaywalking is looked down upon and booed by the other running club runners) - I felt lethargic for the first mile and a half-- and then I realized that I had eaten very little that day, and what I had eaten had been at lunch - several hours before. A very important lesson kids: eating is important in order to power a run. :) But luckily I did catch a second wind at the halfway mark roughly, and also made a fairly decent dash the last 4 blocks - with a one block sprint race finish with some random who saw what I was doing and thought it looked like "fun" (as much fun as trying to make yourself throw up from physical exertion can be). We ended with a tie and a high five - and I have no idea who he was. It may be weird but I love to sprint -- its the long distance stuff that kills me ;)

So I'm hoping to keep the good running mojo the next couple days - Wish me luck!

Keeping it brief...

So far so good. I kept myself going on my running, even on a Saturday and put in 2.5 miles today. Overall it was a successful week - with a total of 10.8 miles. Woo hoo. In other exciting news, one of my girlfriends decided to run the same half-marathon as me- so I'll have a running buddy with the same goal!! Its her first half as well! I have been really fortunate that my girls here in Spokane have all taken up the mantle of taking better care of ourselves - so moral support is all around.

A great quote I have seen on the "See Jane Run" gear is "Friends - they are cheaper than therapy"

If you are interested the half that I am signed up for is the See Jane Run - Half Marathon in Boise, ID --- you really didn't think I thought of the title of my blog all by myself did you?!?! ;)

here's the link:
http://www.seejanerun.com/t-See-Jane-Run-BOISE-Half-Marathon-and-5K.aspx

Wishing you a very exciting weekend - Happy Running!

Joined a Running Club

I had the sincere intention of posting last night, immediately following my run. However, more pressing things, like my weekly girls’ night and Thai food, took precedence. So, here I am almost 24 hours late providing an update/recap for those of you who care. If you are reading this, I’m assuming you care (at least in a tiny, insignificant, passing, Charlie-Sheen-didn’t-do-anything-crazy-today, sort of way).

Shortly after moving to Spokane in late 2007 to attend the hell most commonly referred to as law school, I learned about a ‘little’ running club on Thursday nights. The Flying Irish. Now this club sets off on from a fairly popular Spokane staple, called O’Doherty’s – which in case you didn’t gather from the name, is an Irish pub. Like many things associated with exercising, I had the good intention of partaking and never committed. I had been invited by several of my friends over the years and I always seemed to have an excuse (really lame crappy excuses). However, now that I am committing myself to a half-marathon, this seemed as good of time as ever to finally take the plunge.

This may be weird, but I was extremely nervous. I had these wild imaginative thoughts that this running club somehow must feast upon the carcasses of “newbies” who dare to show up, while humiliating them beyond repair. Of course, I was mistaken. Not only was a person staked out looking for newbies to greet and to specifically direct them to the signing in process – but also, the running club is well over a hundred people, so its not like anyone notices and/or cares if you’ve done it once, twice, or 198 times (I throw that in because evidently last night’s run was the 198^th Flying Irish Run). The size of the club actually rivals some races I have been in and I’m sure the allure of beer has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Last night’s run was a 3.3 mile route called the “Seven Bridges” – a zig zag through downtown Spokane, and that, well obviously, involves crossing seven bridges. My fiancé, my fiancé’s co-worker, and one of my girlfriends - decided to partake last night as first timers as well. Being with 3 other newbies made the whole experience far less intimidating. The best part – accompanied by my friend, I ran the whole thing! [with the exception of a brief shoe tying stop] I was grateful for the company – she is like me, a chatter box – so the 3.3 miles sailed by as we chatted about, well, anything that came to mind.

While the club is not sponsored by O’Doherty’s – the bar does play a gracious host. Seeing as we had just finished a “Flying Irish Run” – it was deemed necessary for the girls in our group to indulge in the deliciousness of a round of Irish Car Bombs. MMMmmm good. It is interesting to be in a bar filled with people drinking after exercising. I would be lying if it didn’t smell a little bit like a gym bag. And then there was the dude who ran the 3.3 miles with make-shift shoes (i.e. plastic bags and cardboard) whom we bumped into at the bar – apparently he had forgotten his shoes at home – now that’s dedication (and just plain weird).

Also – once you participate 6 times (5 to go for me!), you have to stand on the bar and tell an Irish joke so that you can get your Flying Irish Running Club Shirt . If you have any good Irish jokes, pass them along, as I’ll need one in a few weeks.

Bottom line of this post – so far this week, after last night’s run, I have logged 8.3 miles!! Not exactly medal worthy – but not a shoddy week so far!

a GREAT run...Finally!

I have to admit, that I have been down on myself the past week or so. I thought I did something huge, amazing, wonderful, life-altering, earth-shattering. I thought signing up for the half marathon was the beginning of the end - finally, me getting my booty into shape. And then I realized something incredibly important - in order to run a half marathon, you have to, well, RUN.

I have seriously being letting myself down, and even worse, avoiding admitting it. So here it is - I have been cheating myself. But not today.

Since yesterday afternoon I knew that something needed to change - after I spent yet another weekend, getting drunk two nights in a row, and not running a single step. While I did accomplish other things, I let my biggest goal slip - exercise. So, today, all day at work, I kept reminding myself that I was GOING FOR A RUN. and kept repeating my mantra all day. And you know what folks, it worked. As soon as I walked in the door I slipped into my running gear. To boot, my fiance offered to tag along, and be the one to deal with Mr. Moose (two bonus points to him for that). We headed down to one of our favorite places to take the dog - the Centennial Trail - It basically runs through downtown Spokane along the river - a hearty three mile loop. And guess what folks - I ran the ENTIRE THING!!!! No stops - not even a little cheater one. Mind you it was no grueling pace - but it was amazing, it felt great and I found a tiny bit of hope that I am not going to quit.

To top it of, Spokane was quite a beautiful site. The sun was setting, and all the city lights were just coming on - my favorite time of day! And I even beat my fiance and Moose to the finish line!! So this post lacks the humor I try (albeit not always so successfully..) to include - but I just had to finally make a positive post!!

Top 5 Reasons Why I Shouldn't Run With A Terrier.....

The following post was inspired by my most recent run, which occurred 30 minutes prior this post. I made the adult-pet-loving decision to include my beloved two year old Jack Russell Terrier, "Moose", in my run. Lord knows he needed the exercise, and its just too cute when he gets excited for a trip with the leash. Also, I knew it was not going to be a long run, as I have been suffering from shin splints and am a wussy - so it ended up being a paltry 2 miles, tops. but I digress.....

5. The running book specifically listed terriers as a poor running partner
Oops. Who said everything you need to know is in a book, but now, i have to agree that the author was probably right. (All of the reasons she gave, are almost identical to my next 3, but shit, this wouldn't be a good post if I listed one and done). After all, I don't have a lab, golden retriever or doberman, and am not going to go get one just so I have a running partner. So I got the dog before I took up running - i guess we'll just have to make do with what I've got...or convince my fiance to get me another puppy :)

4. The Dog looks more attractive running then I do.
So, I'm not going to brag or anything...but my dog is cute as shit. (The doesn't mean he has the personality to match, for those of my readers fortunate enough to meet Sir Moose). Also, for weighing in 15.5 pounds - he has one of the most muscular bodies for a dog ever. And I am supposed to compete with that? Let's just say "muscular" isn't a term I used to describe my current physique. Curvy...now that's closer to the truth, now i don't think I am unattractive, but i certainly am not hear to ring my own bell. But overall the dog has me beat ...bad news bears. He actually got checked out by a passing car during our run - no joke. I could actually see the driver say "so cute" - yeah lady, he's get it all the time. thanks. You know who didn't get checked out by a passing car - or at least not so obviously (Moose's admirer slowed down, and literally watch him trot by)...Me. Again - thanks.

3. Holding on to a Leash while running messes with my running mojo.
I definitely feel impeded when running holding on to a leash - well, duh, obviously because I can't swing my arms - anyone who knows me, knows that I am always moving my arms while blabbering away -- and while I run is no different. I figure if I can keep my arms pumping I'll forget how much my lower body is not enjoying the experience. This brings me to number 2....

2. The Dog has running ADD.
It may be shocking for those of you who have had experiences with Jack Russell Terriers, and are familiar with their urges to hunt and chase things - but Moose seems like to lunge at literally everything. Squirrels. Other dogs. Cars. Bikes. Rustling Leaves. Being only 15 lbs means he doesn't get away or knock me down, but the little bugger is sure trying. Throw in the multiple dogs hidden behind fences who bark at anyone passing by, and you have a full blown motorized yo-yo on a leash. Great way to get a good run in - yeah right. At least he didn't bark ;)

1.The Dog is a better runner then I.
Top reason why I shouldn't run with my dog: So basically I am "running" (for lack of a better word for the awkward movement that propels me forward slightly faster then a hearty walk) and this little shit keeps up with me simply by walking fast. No joke. My stride is like a good two feet long, and he just trots along, happy as a damn clam. Another reason, I'm glad I didn't invest in a lab as a running partner. Can you imagine how I'd do against one of those? Too pathetic to imagine. To top it off, my pathetic attempt to race Moose one single block ended with him trying to drag me faster then I could keep up with....definitely going have to work on it and challenge him to another round...Albeit, I'll leave him home and then retrieve him just prior to the one block challenge...and perhaps blind fold him.