Run Like a Kenyan....Me? Bwaaahaahaa!

The 2012 Boston Marathon, one of the most elite marathons in this country, was held this past weekend.  Of course, because I run, I now get why bumper stickers exist that read:

"Run Like a Kenyan."

Because the winners were that, Kenyan. 

The Top Three Males and the Top Three Females - were, you guessed it, Kenyan - long and lean running machines.

I do not EVEN want to go into their numbers.  Let alone that this year's, 2012 Boston Marathon, on its 116th year, had unusually high record temperatures.  It was 86 degrees on the hot asphalt and the medics were on full alert for heart attacks and heatstrokes.  The runner Wesley Korir came in after a FULL 26.2 miles, at 2 hours and 12 minutes....!!! Wha, what?!!! Yup, 2:12 and change. Oh and he was "slowed down by the heat." (Remind me to use that excuse!) The last time an American won the Boston Marathon was in 1983 and his name was Greg Meyer in case you get on a trivia game show, that tidbit might come in handy.

DUDE, that is seven minutes lower than my 2:19 time for the Gasparilla and Rock N' Roll HALF (13.1) marathons!!

<-----Do I look Kenyan?
No? I do not? Wheeeeew!  
Let me pull up a chair and enjoy some taffy as the pressure is OFF!  

All I know FOR SURE is that I will never, EVER see the finish line tape at Boston, New York or Chicago....so I will not lose sleep over that; that I can push myself a little bit harder to make my time of 2:05 for the Iron Girl HALF marathon this coming Sunday; and that Kenyans are fast, really, really fast, period.  Do not try, it is not in your genes (nothing short of a miracle, a wayward relative in my family tree that may have traveled to Kenya, or the help from the bionic factory that made Jaime Sommers into the Million Dollar Woman - in 1970s dollars).

This year's Boston Marathon inspired me but also makes me so antsy and anxious for the 2012 Bank of America Chicago Marathon - my first marathon, ever.  Wow, cannot believe I am actually signed up for it.  Let's hope all my planning and training in the next few months will fall into place and I get to finish in the nice and impressive non-Kenyan time of 4:15.  I would be so darn proud of that.  Honestly, I would.

I will hold on to that medal...and decide if it was worth it and whether I want to go through all that trouble next year when I decide to do The 2013 ING New York Marathon for my 40th.

The point is....  
if I look this HAPPY------------> after finishing my first FULL marathon, the answer will be a resounding YES!!! Let's go to NYC!

So if you are bored on Sunday, and wish to see a bunch of women running, as if their lives depended on it, come on down to beautiful Clearwater Beach.  Look for me, Bib # 1301....and chant "2:05! 2:05!"  

Since this race is going over several bridges, (Sand Key and Memorial Causeway), look for a group of women wearing turquoise colored dri-fit shirts with the words: "Bring it, Bridges!" and Run Tampa on it.  I will be one of them. 

Come and chant.  Please.

I may need the motivation.

Running More Than Just Errands

Running around doing errands......
    Running around like a chicken with its head cut-off.....

Not exactly the "running" quotes I had in mind, so I did a little research to find some inspirational quotes to help me get by since I will be running the IRON GIRL (grrr) in two weeks.....

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack or last.  You can say, 'I have finished.'  There is a a lot of satisfaction in that." -Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-Founder.

So my training has been slooooow-mo, but I have to keep reminding myself, that I am a soooo much better than I was at this point last year when it took me two long months to run a full mile without wanting to stop and walk (and whine).

The psyching yourself up to begin the run is the hardest.  When I started on Monday after my glutton-infested week(s), I posted on Facebook that I WAS GOING TO RUN 6 miles today.  I got dressed in my new (and seriously cute) Nike running pants and shirt, laced up my sneakers, and decided, today IS the day I get back to my running form again.  So I opened the front door, and was shocked at how nippy it was at 5:45 a.m. and, oh boy, how dark it still is.  Oooh it took every bit of my will power to NOT go back in the house and enjoy a fresh cup of hot coffee and watch the early news curled up with Simon the foster kitty (which FYI- looks like he might be a permanent addition and boy he looooves to cuddle - such an aggressive beast-not!).

But oh no, I cannot stop nor waiver!!! I have already publicly posted my goal run that morning on Facebook....and I was not about to lie - it was hard 'cause now I owned it. I already had friends posting "go guuurrrl.."  "Yay good for you!  You got this!!" and "Jo is back - Look out Iron Girl!"

I started slowly and kept convincing myself, internally, that really, 3-4 miles will be just as good and quite adequate, especially since I am just coming back.

Then something miraculous happened, I
"Forrest Gump'ed" it.
Yes, I just kept on going and going.  It just got easier with every step after mile 2.  I got my breathing and running matching a close pattern.

I. FELT. GOOD.



"Remember the feeling you get from a good run is far better than the feeling you get from sitting around wishing you were running." - Sarah Condor

Clearwater Beach, Sunday April 22, 2012

It's official!  I just got my Bib Number for the Iron Girl (grrr) 
I am runner 1301!

So here it is......two weeks, baybeee!  My third 1/2 marathon in three months. WOW! Who knew I had it in me?

Last year's 2011 Iron Girl Half Marathon 
(courtesy of the  TBNweekly.com)

I came back strong and finished my Monday run, 6.55 miles in 57 minutes.  Yep, I AM A BAD-ASS!  Follow up Facebook postings (of course after posting that yes, it got conquered): "Girl you are a speed demon."  "Now that's what I am talking about!" Awesome job!"  Aaaah the joys of admiration from my fellow runners! It honestly helps in keeping me going - just knowing how many people are on my team!  Love my Run Tampa Peeps!

"Don't bother just to be better than your predecessors.  Try to be better than yourself." -William Faulkner

(This quote is so personal to me as I need to beat my last PR of 2:19 for my last 1/2 marathon, Gasparilla.)

My new goal is 2:05 and yes I am making it publicly known, so I cannot back down now.   And lastly, I will leave you with my final quotes:

"It's supposed to be hard.  If it wasn't hard, everyone would do it.  The hard....is what makes it great!" -Tom Hanks in "A League of Their Own"

"Running should be a lifelong activity.  Approach it patiently and intelligently, and it will reward you for a long, long time." 
- Michael Sargent

I hope to run until I can't no more!

So Here I am...at the Crosshairs

So, recapping on my last month....

1) I ran another 1/2 marathon, The Gasparilla, and PR'ed (personal record), by 41 seconds.  Eh, thought I was going to do better, but if you read three posts ago, you will see I had "issues."  But there is another one in the works....and yes, my goal is to sub-2 hours, but it would be difficult to shave off 19 minutes from my time....but try I will.

2) I was coerced to run another 5k (The Oldsmar Armadillo 5k) the weekend right after Gasparilla, and *woo hoo!* I broke the 10 second curse and finally did a sub-30 minute 5k, at 27 min. and 53 seconds! FINALLY, now what stinks is that I want to now break that record....I aim for a 25 minute 5k.  Never happy....for long.

3) I went skiing for the first time in Maine, not an impressive first time because I was too chicken to attempt any more difficult slopes other than the bunny or the smaller blues.  I was ok with that.  Three days of skiing and was good enough. But I am still alive, ACLs intact and walking on twos without any apparatus....so 'nuff said.

So...what's next for this girl?  Oh yeah...ta-Ta-TUM!!!

 grr....

Yes, I feel like a bad-ass.  Iron + Girl - Dang! Who wouldn't?!

So, Sunday, April 22nd at 7:30 a.m., is my big day and I am hoping to kick some major bootay.   Training is coming along after a two week hiatus.  So come on sub-2 hour goal....which would be nice (that is my mental goal) but I put down 2:05 as my official goal!!!  It is my final 1/2 marathon this Spring before my Chicago 26.2 Full in October.  On my birthday!  *woo - hoo!*

courtesy of coloradorunningmagazine.com

SO EXCITED!!!!

I may have to find one more 1/2 marathon before October as my training suggests that at week 9, I need to run one.  But in 9 weeks, I am dreading the Florida heat as we are in the mid-80s now and quite the sticky, humid kinda-heat.  Aww man, thinking about it, it looks like we will be smack in the middle of June....ugh, bring on the swelter!  Usually races in Florida during the hot months revolve around some body of water to cool you off, so I am hoping a half running through a river, in the shady woods is in the works 9 weeks from now.  I have not found one yet, but trust you me, the running fanatics out there will create one.

ON A DIFFERENT NOTE, I LEAVE YOU WITH A CUTE PICTURE.....

Wha? Wha? Wat-chu-talking 'bout Willis?

This is Simon.  He is a cat I am fostering right now.  Not all that ready to replace the cat of my life Hootie that passed away in February hence the fostering status...BUT, Simon was there at Hootie's veterinarian's office each time I took him in.  Apparently, this cat, Simon, has been dumped there FIVE times by different owners in 2 months because he was "aggressive".  It just so happens that each time I went to the vet, he was just returned because of his "crazy" nature.  So my vet who indicated "he is a declawed 15 lb cat that wants to play, a bit rough, but he does not know any better"  said that unless she was able to place him one more time, he was basically labeled aggressive and that does not bid well for his future...actually he would not have a future....he would have had to be euthanized.  He was already picked up once by Animal Control and was labeled the same.  So the sucker that I am for the underdogs or "cats",   I offered to take him in and evaluate.  He has been with me for a month....and he has been AWESOME - as a declawed Siamese can be.  He cuddles and does get on the key board while I am typing this and keeps pressing his forehead on my face because he seeks attention and a cuddle.  Yep, such an aggressive beast.  I will keep you guys posted.  Oh and by the way, NEVER declaw cats, it is just awful....and sad.