6 is the new 5

Oy. 6 miles is the new "easy" run in the training plan on Tuesday and Thursday mornings. I always said I was only going up to 10 miles in the training run but I've done 10 miles. And like our running buddy said "once you go to 10, you can't go back!" so, I'm going up to 13 now. That means I have to run 6 the next two weeks. Two weeks, easy peasy.

We are in the homestretch now! I'm already thinking about the wonderful days of just running 4 miles during the week and maybe throwing in a 5 miler for good measure on the weekends. After this race, I'm planning to do a 10k at the end of September and a 5k at the beginning of October but other than that, I don't have anything planned. I'm sure I could get roped into a few races but I know once the cold weather comes, I will be not as willing to run as now. I hate cold weather. Hate.it. I really don't want to mess the good thing I have going though so maybe I should schedule a few races, even if they are just 5ks between now and the spring when it gets warm again? Hm..

Anyway, the 6-mile run on Tuesday was fine. Nothing about it really stood out as hard. I ended up waiting in the back of the pack with a girl I encouraged to come run with us. So, I was a little slower than I would have liked. But I felt bad leaving her since I talked her into the insanity of getting up early!

There was a point at around 3.5 that I took the time to think about how I was feeling and I remember thinking that there was not ONE sore part of my body. My legs were moving and I felt AWESOME. It was a nice experience.

Around 4.5, we were to split off to the "little park" to get in another .5 miles before our 1 mile stretch of GA to the end and my friend just kept straight which meant that I had 1.5 miles by myself. I didn't mind doing it but then I started thinking about all the freaky stuff that DOES happen in the parks and I got a little nervous. So I sped up until I could see my normal running partners in the distance. I knew if I knew they were there and I could see them, I could scream loud enough that they could hear me, should so crazy dude approach me.

So in the last 1.5 I just ran and did a lot of thinking. I had wonderful thoughts about KT and Will and just how blessed I feel to have them in my life. I know that's getting kind of deep for the running blog, but everything just seems so clear when I'm alone and can think without any distractions. My life is really great and I feel so unbelievably not worthy of all the good stuff. But, I'll take it while it lasts.

At the end of the run, I kicked it up a notch because I snapped out of my deep thoughts and wanted to get done at a respectable time. I felt good afterwards. It was hot as all get out, but fine all around.

Tomorrow, I need to remember to bring GU since 6 miles isn't 5 miles. Or 4. This is the real deal, y'all.

3.5 weeks until race day! Holy Shit!!!!!!

Nightmare

Well, it's begun. I'm freaking out about the race. Like, FREAKING OUT. As if my 171 miles already logged this summer is going to do NOTHING FOR ME when it comes to race time.

Last night I had a nightmare and woke up in a panic, went back to sleep and continued to dream about it. Here's a list of everything that went wrong in my dream.

First dream:

• I showed up wearing a cotton shirt. Not only a cotton shirt but the 1/2 marathon shirt from 2005. I was THAT girl all the sudden.
• I lost the group and was in the corral alone. All alone, just like in 2005.
• Jules had insisted on eating at Panera on the night before the run.

Second dream:

• I walked up to the registration desk on the day of the race (!!) and my stomach was grumbling.
• So I grabbed a banana. A peeled banana with finger marks in it. Blech.
• I didn't have my water belt
• Or GU
• I was wearing a string bikini to run in? Didn't have a sports bra.
• Susan had INSISTED that she should wear her number on her butt? And backwards? All I could respond was, "well then how are we going to search for your pictures after the race, Susan??"

Oh, what a terrible terrible dream. And I have another month of this!!

Digging the 5:45 a.m. run

When the little man was growing in this mama runner's belly, I started doing crazy things like: waking up early, eating breakfast, not drinking so much wine, and not vegging on the couch for hours and hours. It was like Will completely changed me because I had to start thinking about someone else (gasp!) besides me! Doh!

I'm always amazed at how different my life is today compared to 2.5 years ago.

Now, I've made all these (positive) changes in my life because of Will and now also because of training for this 1/2 marathon. I seriously feel like my life is so good right now.

I have been voluntarily waking up at 5:26 to get dressed and out the door and to drive the 3 miles or so to the park to run with my running girls. It's awesome. I am so excited about this major change in my life. I can promise that 3 years ago, I wouldn't be caught ANYWHERE except in my bed at 5:30 a.m..

The fun thing about getting up though, is the great girls I'm running with. We are busy ladies with jobs, kids, family, friends, Facebook... and we all make the time to run.

With the weather as unpredictable as it is and the heat that we've been experiencing (high of 91 Thursday and 94 on Saturday), it's not only fun to get up and run with 6 other ladies and share the experience of running, it's also pretty much essential to get a good run in.

I'm also loving the feeling I get throughout the day of knowing that I'm done. I don't have to juggle being a wife, employee, mom and runner between the hours of 5 p.m. & 7 p.m.. All I have to be is wife and mom and those two things are really all I want to be after a long day at work.

So this morning was awesome. Tuesdays always seem better than Thursday. I think it has to do with the wonderful 2 days of rest we get between Saturday and Tuesday. Today just felt good and like I was in my groove. I love that feeling.

I invited a church friend and her running partner to join us and they did! I loved migrating groups!

We did our normal 4 mile loop and finished in the same amount of time we have been in the weeks prior. The hills are still a bitch but I just think they always will be.

Speaking of hills, tomorrow, I'm going to do "hill repeats" with the Janes group at the park that Liz encouraged us to do. We aren't meeting until 6 p.m. and apparently an expert is going to lead us in this. Tomorrow is an exception to the rule of being home in the evenings but I'm sure the boys will do just fine without me.

And then on Thursday (provided I survive hill repeats), I'll be hoping that I don't wake anyone as I sneak out the back door of our house at 5:45 a.m. to do another 4 miler with my crazy girls. Crazy girls that I am proud to call my friends. I really just can't wait to get back out there again!