Slowly Turning Into a Runner...

I keep feeling as though someone is going to see me running and say, "Ohhh, she's not a real runner! Don't be fooled, everyone! She's faking it!"

However, I'm getting closer and closer to the point where I feel as though I will be able to tell people, "Yes. I am a Runner."

I'm not sure when that point is going to be-- in the past two weeks, I've run just a little over 40 miles. Will I need to hit one hundred miles? Will I need to have run for a full month, first? Will I have to run a mile in under 10 minutes?

I'm not quite sure what it is I'm waiting for. Maybe it's that I have no cool running gear? I've got a few pairs of leggings, one race shirt, and a bunch of random 'big shirts' that I wear, an old bra. a very tight sports bra, and a pair of 12 dollar running shoes. Maybe once I get myself a new pair of running shoes and a tech shirt, I'll call myself a runner?

Whatever the goal is...it'll happen.

But just to be sure, I'll make sure I run another 30 miles in the next week, try to run under ten minutes on my short run, and perhaps buy a cheap new pair of running socks.

;)

Turkey Trot!

So tomorrow, I've got my first Turkey Trot! I hesitate calling it a race, since it's only 2 miles, and not even a 5k-- nor am I going to be able to beat anyone (I don't plan on running very fast-- just fast enough to finish!). But I am, all the same, very excited! I went and picked up my first packet today, and got my first race shirt! I'm not quite sure why I'm nervous-- I ran 5 miles a couple of days ago, and today, I ran a very quick two miles (well, quick for me!) and I don't doubt I'll be able to make the two miles for the trot tomorrow. I think it's just excitement of the day-- I'm also very excited at the idea of not just running today, but also running everyday until New Years. I also got an advert in my packet for the Wisconsin Marathon and Half-Marathon, which I think I might sign up for! The idea that I think I could do a half marathon is kind of shocking to me, but also very exciting!

Tomorrow, with two different Thanksgivings to attend, I'm hoping I can do a good job with portion control. My normal diet is very healthy-- probably about 50 percent raw, and the rest as non-processed as possible, with a nice dose of protein. Though I've been eating healthier like this for the past three months or so (maybe longer?), I still have a super difficult time limiting myself when there is food in front of me. I have a hard time saying "no", especially since I love all of those foods! My goal is going to be to feel free to try everything, but a VERY small amount of each--excluding veggies, of course.

Anyways, I'm excited for tomorrow, and I'll be posting pictures of me running!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Butt Massages

It must be the way I land with my left foot (a little more on the outside than flat on), but after my long runs, my left butt cheek is sore. Never my right.

Luckily for me, my husband must have snuck in a "butt-massage" class somewhere. And you know what? I'm not upset about it at all. In fact, quite the opposite.

My happy butt dedicates tonight's smile to heating pads and Mikey.

Mind Over Matter/Hello, Collarbones!

I can see my collarbones. Clearly. Not in a creepy, I'm part skeleton kind of way, but in a "wow, now that my fat is disappearing I can see my skeletal structure again!". My body is finally reaching my ideal for myself. My body is still curvy, and I look womanly, but I'm more...compact? I want to start doing some yoga, and more toning exercises to kind of tighten up. I'd be happy to stay at this weight, and get more athletic and capable of working with my body, rather than against it. That being said, losing another five pounds wouldn't depress me ;)

I took my husky running today again, and it didn't go so well. Part of the problem, I think, is that Bandit was used to pulling me, on rollerblades. I could skate as fast as he could run, so he'd get to sprint, and I'd even let him pull me for a while. I mean, he's a husky. That's what he's built for, and what he loves to do. I can't wait until it snows a lot, and I can go ski-joring/cross country skiing with him. However, for running, I don't want him pulling-- I want him on the side of me. When I switched the leash to the front of his harness, he was better. I think what I need to do is teach him that when the leash is hooked to the front of his harness, he doesn't pull, but when it's on the back, he can.

I actually ended up calling my husband to come meet us and pick him up, because I was becoming so frustrated, that it wasn't enjoyable, and probably not so beneficial for either of us. Once he picked him up, I was left driving by this really barren field, and so the wind was so difficult to run against. I started feeling exhausted, and frustrated-- I just felt like falling over when I got home and crying. When I was less than half a mile from my house, however, I decided that I didn't want to do another "re-run" later on in the day because I didn't like the way my first run went. The only person who was going to make my run shitty or a success was me. So, I bucked up, ran past my road, and went for another mile. And you know what? I was tired, but the rest of the way was great. Whereas before I was running only 1 minute and a half stints, I was running 5 or 6 minutes no problem, and walking for twenty to thirty seconds before running again. My body wasn't too tired, my mind was-- and when I decided to run, and not let my mind give up, it was a great run. I can push my body to do many things, but I think what I need to work on is making myself agree that I can.

TMI Post/ Break Day

Thursday was my break day.

I was reluctant to take one, since my run on Wednesday night was so good, but I had experienced some spotting after every run, and a lot after my longer run, Wednesday night. I was worried that I might have been hurting my body, so I took a day off, and spent that day wishing I were exercising/researching what was going on.

Turns out, it's a pretty normal occurrence for some women-- just their body's way of dealing with the extra stress on their body. It seemed the majority of women experienced it while running, though some got it from cycling, swimming, and doing the elliptical. If it was a taxing exercise (for them), then they experienced it.

Some women said it was an indication of something wrong in their system, like polyps or cysts. Since I'm already aware I have cysts, I'm not too worried. As long as it stays light, I'll be fine.

As for running, I went yesterday earlier in the day, and it was so disheartening. It was super windy out, and I wanted to run a simple two miles, but barely ran any of it. I felt...disappointed in myself, and it was hard to keep a positive mindset. I ended up walking almost all of it (maybe running most of one mile, total-- but I'm not even sure if I got that far) and feeling like a failure. Not for walking, but for not having the awesome run like I had two night's prior. I think comparing whatever run you had to a past run, at least for me, is not a good idea. It starts me in that competitive mindset again, even if just with myself, and I don't think that is going to help me like running.

I went home, tried to take a small nap, loaded up on some more fuel (eggs and peanut butter toast) and decided to try again later. This time, I brought my husky with me. The run was a billion times better. Having Bandit as a pacemaker was a) humbling, and b) extremely helpful. He was so excited, I didn't want to disappoint him-- plus, he helped me sprint a few good times, and with him aiding by pulling, I went faster than I ever have before. It was wonderful, though he needs a BIT more obedience for staying next to me rather than pulling. He's been better about that before, so I'm going to chalk it up to excitement.

So...about to go run with him again :) Here's to hoping it was as great as yesterday!