Fresh as Fall

The past two days I may have been in a slump. I may have felt like there just weren't enough hours today. And this morning when I woke up at 6am and it was still dark I realized why. It's that time of year again. Fall. Don't get me wrong, I love fall. I can find something beautiful and amazing about every season, and fall in particular I can find many somethings. Running amongst the rainbow of changing foliage, the cool temperatures for long runs, apple cider (cold and hot), cider donuts, the need for chic running jackets (Like THIS ONE), my lungs love the crisp fresh air and of course it is the height of marathon season.

At the moment I am bogged down my work, boyfriend, friends, Team Challenge (Please donate today!), and just trying to have a life. The days are getting shorter, and fitting everything in just seems like a chore some days. I have to keep reminding myself of all the good things that come with the season change. Yes the fall may be more challenging but it brings a fresh change and perhaps I will start breathing better. After my little bitty set back from the past two days, I was very excited to wake up early today and hit the treadmill before work. A little Jackson 5, N'sync and four miles later I felt like myself again. I'm glad I let my body take the break it was asking for. I don't want to get in the habit of skipping runs, but I am happy to know I can survive if it happens every now and again. And I am really happy that I have lots of people around me who support me and push me forward when I am falling back.

Are you in love with fall and all things pumpkin flavor as much as I am? This weekend I am testing out a new pumpkin cupcake recipe, after my 15 mile long run of course!

xx Sara

Playing hookey

You know those days where nothing is going right? Everything seems to be wrong and all your mistakes come tumbling down into your lap. Yesterday was one of those days. And I literally couldn't wait to leave the office and head home for a 7 mile run. The weather was gorgeous, not to hot, not to cold. A Goldilocks just right late summer evening. I was stressed to the max. I knew running would clear my head and serve as the perfect outlet for my frustrations.

But when I walked in the door to my apartment I decided to take five minutes to sit down and decompress. Five minutes was all it took to turn me off completely from the idea of running. At first I tried to guilt trip myself. I thought about pushing it off until tomorrow. In the end I gave up and went to make dinner. The rest of my night, although relaxing still felt lacking. I knew the real reason I wanted to skip my run. Time. There just wasn't enough of it in the day. I wanted to cook dinner, I wanted to go to bed before 11pm. Running is just taking up too much time. But I still want it. What a dilemma.

Today, although I had all the optimism in the world nothing was going my way. I promised myself I would make up for yesterdays missed miles, but before I knew it, it was after 6pm and I was still at the office. Boyfriend and I had dinner plans, I had things to prepare before visiting a friend of mine after work tomorrow. Yet again, not enough time. No running.

Partly, I was disappointed that I had scared my "perfect record". I had run every workout that was given to me since the very beginning of training. I had been so proud of myself, and my dedication. But with this little miss comes the realization that no one is perfect, and I cannot expect to hit the mark every single time. Old Sara would have looked at this as a huge set back. Old Sara would have blamed work for stressing her out and gotten angry that there wasn't enough time in the day. But when I started this journey I promised myself I would change. Even if that means how I react to set backs.

So I am taking this little bump in the road as just that. So I missed a run. I realize it was one of my longer runs of the week, but I am not going to beat myself up for not running a workout I am too burnt out to do. Tomorrow I will run my four miles as planned. Saturday I will run my 15 as planned. And a week from now I will be forgetting this ever happened. Part of this experience is the journey, figuring out how to make running work around my life, my friends, my boyfriend, and work. Every now and again I have to realize that running cannot be number one. Like Jack said to me today "Running, like a good friend, will always be there when you are ready to go back to it"

Do you ever get in a running slump? Loose your passion for the road? Do you let it get to you or brush it off like nothing and move on?

xx Sara

Long weekend get away

If you're like me, no matter where the destination, if you're packing for vacation the first thing in your bag is sneakers, and running clothes. It's the only constant that I will find time for a long run. Running on vacation gives me a sense of exploration and freedom. A chance to see the destination from a new viewpoint. This weekend was no exception. Saturday I woke to my mother tapping my foot, just itching to get out the door so we could get back and start the party. Together we ran 11 miles, along route 1 in Madison CT, and then I stopped back at the house to fill up my water bottle and ran 3 more miles to bring me to my grand total of 14 for the day. There was no time for my usual post long run routine as the party was just getting started. I quickly showered and began a cooking, drinking, eating and laughing extravaganza that lasted until I passed out around 9:30pm.

I thought that would be my only early morning beach run, until Boyfriend and I decided to stay one more night, which would mean leaving early Monday morning, and running even earlier. When I woke up morning I was greeted by a gorgeous sunrise and FREEZING temperatures. Although my pace was a little bit brisk due to the chill in the air (I could see my breath for most of the run) I ran along quiet back roads listening to nothing more than the sound of my footsteps on the ground and my breathing. It was magical. There were no cars, no city noises, no people talking except for the occasional "hello" to other runners and bikers passing by.

I was sad to leave such a relaxing amazing place but happy for the time I was able to spend there.

If I woke up to this every morning, I think I would be extra inclined to go for more 6am runs.

Imagine drinking your coffee and breakfast, and then stretching pre-run with this view

xx Sara

Team Challenge + VEGAS!

If I learned anything from my 10+ years as a Girl Scout (thanks Mom) it's help others at all times. That and selling sweet cookies makes one awesome fundraiser. But since the Girl Scouts already have that market cornered, I guess I'm going to have to come up with some fresh new ideas for my second round with Team Challenge.

That's right. The half marathon program I so fondly talked about here and here. The one I decided to join because Boyfriend has Crohn's disease and I can't just sit around the house and do nothing, pretending I can live in my own little bubble where nothing affects me.

What's your selfless act for the year? One of our wonderful team members for this season will proudly stand up and say that joining Team Challenge is her selfless act. She is amazing. You can be amazing too. Join Team Challenge. Or if that is too much of a commitment (and I understand I really do, it requires a lot of dedication and effort) please think about making a (TAX DEDUCTIBLE!) donation. It's quick and painless (unlike the half marathon which is long and sometimes hurts) just visit my fundraising site!!!

xx Sara

100+

Welcome to September, one of my favorite running months of the year. I am in love with September weather. Late summer heat is still around, but the nights are breezy and cool, making a post work run the most amazing way to unwind. The leaves are turning, the humidity is retreating, and they air may start to chill just enough to be comfortable. It also means race season is underway.

So yesterday morning, after checking my emails, sipping my fabulous iced coffee, and mentally plotting out my to-do list a fabulous idea came over me. I need to tally up my monthly mileage from August! Now this is not something I usually do, or care about, but I like large even numbers, like 50 and 100, and I like to see how far I've come.

Off the wall comes my trusty training calendar, out of the desk drawer comes the calculator (because it was too early in the morning to do mental math...) and after a couple of clickity clicks the number 115 is staring me in the face. At first I think there must be a mistake. 115 is the highest monthly mileage I have run all year. I sure don't FEEL like I have run 115 miles in the past month. But the numbers are right there staring me in the face. All of a sudden I start to feel really good. I mean I was feeling good before but now I am feeling REALLY good. I can't believe I had managed to accomplish so much in so little time. Especially because when August started I was coming off of two weeks of NO RUNNING whatsoever.

Just further proof that if I take things slow, follow my training schedule, I am on the road for a really good race come November.

xx Sara

Rainy day disasters and sunny disposition

I had seven miles on my calendar yesterday, and mother nature had rain on hers. I don't exactly love running in the rain, but I will tolerate it for training. And truth be told there are much worse weather conditions to endure. Cold being one of them. But yesterday was not cold. It was gorgeous. I pulled my hair into a ponytail, topped off with a baseball cap and my trusty Disneyland Half Marathon windbreaker. Yes I realize I may look a little silly wearing a mouse on my jacket. Not exactly the serious runner type, but maybe that's the point, maybe all running should not be taken so seriously.

Seven miles through the rain, sure beat seven miles on the treadmill. It was not my best run, my breath was short and I knew exactly why. I had neglected to pack my Flovent for the weekend and hadn't taken it since Saturday morning. I was really starting to notice what a difference it was making to take it not just once a day but twice. And now I hadn't taken it in two days. Never the less I managed to make it the whole way. I marveled at the beauty of the misty evening, wondering if the sidewalks would be mine alone or if other runners would be braving the weather. Much to my surprise there were more than I could keep count of.

I could't believe that I was running seven miles on a Monday. Four weeks ago seven miles was not even my mileage for the WEEK let alone for a day. I was so pleased with myself after completing that run. I know a lot of people who would have skipped running, or cut the mileage in half and spent an hour on the dreadmill. But that thought never even crossed my mind. I knew that no matter how much it rained I would go out there and put in the miles. Sometimes that is even more an accomplishment than a time or a distance. Just having the determination to go out and train no matter what (ask me again in November if i have this same attitude about the cold...)

So this morning when I woke up for work, I was feeling fresh and positive. I swung my feet out of bed and headed to the kitchen for breakfast and that's when things started going wrong. I spilled things, I dropped things, I tripped over things, and although I managed to get dressed in a decent outfit the kicker was when I spilled a pot of iced coffee ALL OVER my kitchen. At first I wanted to scream. I wanted to cry. This day was starting to blow and it wasn't even 8am! But instead I kicked off my heels, rolled up my jeans and turned on some tunes. The sound of music instantly lifted my mood and I began a thorough cleaning.

Was my attitude about running starting to creep into my real life? Was I not crying over spilled coffee because I knew there was nothing I could do but clean it up? Just like if things don't go as planned on race day, or on a long run for that matter that I just have to suck it up and keep going? Before I knew it was I singing along as I mopped up the floor, thinking that on the bright side my kitchen now smells like delicious hazelnut creme instead of dirty dishes and trash.

Lesson learned? So what if it rains or if it's hot or if things spill or if you are late and nothing is going your way. A positive attitude may be the only thing standing between you and happiness.

xx Sara

Running is a Journey. Enjoy every mile.

One of the reasons I am training for the Philly Marathon, is to conquer my fears. To prove to myself that I can successfully train for and run a marathon, and then pick myself right back up and run another one with our spiraling into dissapointment.

Although it has only been one week since I completed my "running homework" and was forced to face my real fears about this distance, I feel like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel like I run freer now that I have in weeks. Mostly because I have accepted this training as a journey, instead of a destination.

Training, for me, cannot be about just getting to race day. It's about every day I get to go out there and run. Every day that I have the strength and physical ability to challenge by body, to exercise it and make it stronger. Every run is an opportunity to observe nature, observe people, enjoy life.

Once I started realizing that these weeks and months are not a means to an end, and that I want so much more beyond this one race, I think my whole body just let go. All I can do is my best and then on race day just go with whatever happens. It won't be my last race. Far from it. And as long as I can set my sights on that, and enjoy every run along the way, I can be happy.

xx Sara