I run. Anywhere.

Here I am again, ready to celebrate a whole year that was filled with so many great things. Honestly though, I have so much to look forward to in the new year, there is absolutely no looking back now! 

This morning I went on a run in the foothills of Albuquerque. I was blown away by the beauty of the New Mexican desert. Since I am posting photos daily on Instagram @journey2MY1stMarathon, I want to try to start running in more scenic spots, instead of always where it is easiest. 

The drive was only ten minutes long, and I found a nice little parking lot where I could park. There were trails in every direction. It made me wonder why I hadn't ventured out to begin with!  Of course, I had to stop for a few seconds for each picture, but this is the first thing I was able to see. 

I absolutely loved the view, but let me tell you, trail running is a whole new beast that I would love to tackle. I am more of a road runner, only because it is most convenient, but I truly truly appreciated where the trail led. Convenience though wasn't the only reason for staying on the roads...I am also a BIG CHICKEN. At one point in my life I wanted to be a detective for the FBI, and my dad told me that it wouldn't workout because I was afraid of my own shadow. So, then my dad bought me a can of mace, and that wasn't enough to give me courage, so he bought me a stun gun...anyway, do you think that I carry it? No, I don't like carrying anything when I run. Anyway, this is why I stay on the roads=people can see me and I can call for help if needed. I do run in Albuquerque, where our crime rate is through the roof! 
Anyway, to get back on track...with my husband there the sky will be the limit! I will be able to explore new and beautiful places in Albuquerque! 

Today's run was much slower than my six mile run on Sunday, but I was okay with that. Our training schedule only called for three miles, so I didn't mind stopping here or there for pictures. Three miles at this point is a very easy run, and I don't feel like it hurts to stop. Man! I am so lucky to be able to say that...and it is only easy because I have been "running" now for a couple of years. 
So, on Sunday, near my house I hit a maximum elevation of 5,448, with a gain of only 209 ft. 
Today, I hit a maximum elevation of 6,033, and gained 303 ft. 
Let me tell you though, it felt like I was a thousand feet higher in elevation up there. :)

I really look up to Dorothy Beal, and by following her on Instagram (mileposts), it has helped push me to go further. I want to be that inspiration for other runners who are just starting out. I want to be someone who can tell them, start one mile at a time, and you will get there because with all my heart that is what I believe. 

Let's see what our minds can push us to do! Please let me know what you are training for, or what your goals are.

“The sky is not my limit...I am.” 

― T.F. Hodge, From Within I Rise: Spiritual Triumph Over Death and Conscious Encounters with "The Divine Presence"

Back at it/ I'm running

Well today marks the first day back at it. My husband and I are now training for a marathon. These past couple of months consisted of eating junk, and working out whenever it suited me. I am ready to get back in the groove, and to have a goal again! 
In 2014, I plan on becoming an even better runner! I know that it is going to be hard because we may start trying to have kids in the summer, but I want to still run (just not as far once summer arrives.)
We are planning on running a marathon in May, so we have quite a few months to train! It is going to be long and grueling, but hopefully we will do well. Our goal is to run it in less than four hours. Training in higher altitude should really help us because we are planning on racing at sea level.
This last week I only ran 18 miles, and so I am going to have to start getting used to running more than that in the coming weeks. This week, I am going to have to run 24 miles! We are using the Hal Higdon Intermediate Training program, and it has definitely worked for my friend and I when we trained for the two half marathons.
Today's training (Mondays) consisted of cross training. I just decided to do intervals on the treadmill because it doesn't have intervals in this training plan, and in order to get faster, I think you have to do some! I also worked on the row machine, and lifted some weights. My goal is to try and lift at least once a week while training. I would like to lose about ten pounds, although I do not want to weigh in because I will drive myself crazy. I will be able to notice if I have lost weight by the way my clothes fit, and how I feel. It shouldn't be too difficult because I hope to be eating better, and with all the miles we will be running, it shouldn't be too hard a feat. 
In 2013, since May, I have ran over 440 miles. I know this because of my awesome Garmin watch that my husband bought for me for my birthday. I say over because I did not record every run. Within those 440 miles, I gained over 25,000 feet in elevation. I recorded the least amount of runs in November, and that is when I started slacking off in all aspects of being healthy. 
I am so very thankful that my husband is running this one with me. It will be nice to run together, and maybe be a little more creative in where we run!

 Goals for the new year:
Run at least:
Three 5ks
Two 10ks
One 1/2 marathon
One Marathon

Drink less alcohol
Volunteer my time
Take vitamins consistently
Eat clean-ish :) 
Be closer to God
(In no particular order)

Let's bring on the new year! Good luck to everyone, and I hope you reach your goals. PS You are more likely to achieve your goals, if you set them! ;)

Slow and steady doesn't win this type of race...

I would call this week a good one. Monday is usually a strength and stretch day according to the Hal Higdon plan. I use body pump for strength, but I really do struggle on getting stretching in. I know I need to put a lot more time into stretching if I want to stay injury free, but I just come up with a lot of excuses...and really that's all they are. I can talk your head off about how I don't really have time, but in all actuality, I don't make time.
On Tuesdays, I do an early morning run with a friend who is also going to do a half in October. She is doing the Duke City, and I am doing the Day of the Tread, a week a part. We only do a short 3.4 miles, but it is a good incline/hill workout to get our endurance up. :) We are going to start a new course this week though; it will be easier, but longer.
On Wednesdays, I do body pump again. Now that it got added at my gym, it is my new addiction, really. I also get a few miles of running in at night.
I skipped Thursday this week.
I have been coaching a lot of volleyball for my school this week, and it has been fairly demanding. I have barely had any extra time this week, but it is a fairly short season.
On Friday, I woke up early and ran intervals. I did 8X400; this is also a part of the Hal Higdon plan.
Saturday was a slow 4 miles, I felt like crap and couldn't seem to hit a decent speed. The arroyo by our house is nice, but it is either all downhill heading west, or all uphill heading east, and it is no longer my favorite.

Today was my long run and I really felt good about it. I used my Garmin connect to look up how I was doing at nine miles when training for the last race, earlier this summer, and I discovered that I am running about a minute a mile faster! This is very encouraging because I am starting to really figure out how to run...I think, at least! I ran from my house around Academy and back, which as nine miles exactly.
I am ready to try and be a little better than I was last race, although I know how difficult this is going to be because I am 5,000 ft. higher in elevation. I am still trying to figure out how to do it because the two weekends before my race, I will be hunting out of town. It will definitely be interesting. Steph says she will try to get an 8:30 min/mi pace, and I just don't know if I can do it alone.
I can try though, but finishing this one might just be enough for me...oh I wish this was true.
Well runners, I hope that you have a fantastic week, and I will keep you posted, maybe with a little more detail.

The weekend

I do my long runs usually on the weekend, but last week I had to do a long run on Thursday because I was camping in the Pecos last weekend. I met a woman from my exercise class who is a member of a  local running, and I asked her if she would run with me. Although she was slower than I am, we had an amazing run. She showed me local trails along the Rio Grande that I would have never even known about. It is good to sometimes not keep track how fast you are running, and tie up your laces, and just enjoy. I still got my miles in, only I got a whole different type of experience. I love where running takes me sometimes. It is fun to connect with someone who has a whole different perspective on running. She doesn't listen to music, she doesn't own a GPS; she just does it because she loves it, and together we got our eight miles in.
This weekend I had it pretty easy. I was supposed to run a 10k race, but instead I just pushed myself to run it as fast as I was motivated to. I ended it with an average of 8 min/mi. It felt good, and it was definitely an easy run. My husband, Conrad, and our dog, George, ran half of it with me. It is always nice to have company. 
I am waiting to hear how Steph did on her run today. 
Good luck on your runs this week, wherever you may be, and remember, it is nice to sometimes leave your devices at home...and just run!

How I started.

I have always been an athlete. I fell in love with the competition more than the sports themselves, but after finishing high school I realized that it wasn't realistic to think that I could really do competitive team sports anymore. So, I started to run. I remember when I was in college, I thought a mile was a "long run." Back then I used numerous exercise machines to stay in shape: ellipticals, treadmills, stair steppers, etc. Until, finally, I decided to sign up for a 5k, and I trained hard to prepare. I didn't do as badly as I thought I would. After my first 5k, I was addicted! 

Later, I moved to ABQ, and got myself a running partner. My good friend, Stephanie, was on the same running plan as I was. I remember us thinking that three miles was a HUGE accomplishment. We ran our first 5k race at around 9:30 min/mi, which was speedy in our eyes. We kept running, making sure that our normal distance was at least a 5k. Soon, Stephanie moved to LA, and the move left us both without a running partner. :(

We then decided to sign up for a half marathon: The Shoreline Half in Ventura. We trained using the Hal Higdon Intermediate program. This program helped us learn the safe way to push our bodies. We became long distance running partners, encouraging one another by checking in daily, and holding one another accountable. We were both excited and nervous for the actual race. The anticipation was killing us. Our goal was to run it in under two hours, and we beat it at 1:46:53! Our average pace was 8 min/mi, we couldn't believe it! 

Starting out, it was unfathomable to even think we could run 13.1 miles!!! The Hal Higdon training program had us running short runs during the week, and on Saturday, with only one long run on the weekend. We added a mile to our long run each week. It was a very realistic schedule, one I would never want to toss out. 

Today, I am training for my second half marathon. Steph and I are not running this one together, but we signed up for a race on the same day: October 27th. I know that running without her, I will probably not make the 8 min/mi pace, but I will try my best. This race will be here in Albuquerque, therefore it won't be at sea level, which is another factor that will hinder my performance. I am definitely not expecting a PR on this one. 

I just love running, I love how I feel before, during, and after a run. I love how I have to be strong mentally, as well as physically. 

Steph and I will sign up for our first marathon by January. We decided to do the Rock 'n' Roll in San Diego in June of 2014.

Today I went to Body Pump to strengthen my muscles, and our trainer decided to end the class with some Insanity. WOW! My back has been bothering me a little bit, and I know I should probably take it easy, but I absolutely hate to miss a day. 

My husband, Conrad, and may do a 5k later this evening. Hal Higdon says that I need to lift and run three miles, so I better get both in today! :) I have just been reading that if you are hurt, you should take it easy, and I think I need to start listening, before it is too late.

When I started this entry, I started it by saying that I thought a mile was a long run, but I truly think that I am only beginning to understand what a "long run" truly is. :)