may recap.

sorry. just a tad late. vacationing took my mind away from knowing that may was ending. but better late than never right.

May was a bad month for running, better than April, but still pathetic. 25.53 miles total  but I added things to my training & experienced new and wonderful things so I am happy with May and that is all that matters!  I celebrated 1 year of running … don’t quite call myself a runner yet … but i have been at this for a FULL YEAR!

First – I added Saturday swims. I am unsure how beneficial they are going to be and I think they may be better suited for a workout after a long run, but to make that switch it is going to have to come to me persuading Kyle to let me have Saturday mornings for long runs rather than Sunday.  Back to swimming… I am getting better and I have not drowned yet and that is all that matters.  Second – I had my first ever trail run while at home in Northern VA.  And wowzas did it kill my legs, definitely used muscles that are not normally used when on the pavement.  But, I liked it, it was a total full leg workout, and now I wish I lived in VA and could run at Burke Lake all the time.  Anyone know of any trails in Atlanta? Third -  I put spin classes back in my routine.  Like swimming, I am unsure how this will work for me and if it will at all… but anything to strengthen my lower body and anything to make me faster… I will try it.  Fourth – I ran a Saturday at Stone Mountain.  Awesome but killer. Once my miles increase I will run there more. Hold me too it!  Fifth -  I discovered Lululemon super short running shorts and fell in love. I was also introduced to a new pair of Wigwam running socks and have switched my loyalty to another line (but still Wigwams).

I have been tossing around the idea of getting involved with an organization here in Atlanta called Girls on the Run … they have them all over the place.  I need to decide if we’re staying down here or moving back to NoVA before I make a decision… they have a chapter up there too… I want to dive in heads first and be able to stick around. So that is up in the air….

I am super pumped because Lori gave me a training schedule thanks to Team in Training that will help build my endurance which is going to help with Marine Corps.  Back to low 3 or 4 mile runs (SCHEDULED!!!) and not stressing about 7 or 8 mile Saturdays for a month or so.  Thanks Lori, you rock! :o)

I have another half marathon on my schedule, which I signed up for in May but will run it in September.

running music discovered in may and stuck on repeat:

1. “Can’t Be Tamed” –Miley Cyrus
2. “The Instrumental” –Lupe Fiasco
3. “Airplanes” –B.o.B ft. Haley Williams
4. “No Other One” –Tiao Cruz
5. “I Like It” –Enrique Ingelsias

also. this past month i have been approached by a lot of people in regards to raising money for races (both asking for donations and wanting tips) and as someone who was begging for money is a tough economy just 1 year ago the biggest tip I have been sharing is to THANK THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE DONATED.  It seems so simple but it is often forgotten.  :: cue mini-rant ::  I have donated to quite a few races in 2010 for many non-profits and not a single person has sent me a thank you note and only 1 has given me a verbal “thanks”.  If you’re gonna ask people to dig in their pockets when everyone is watching their budgets, the least you can do is send someone a thank you note, let them know you appreciate them working your cause of choice into their budget.  As a 26 year old, my budget is tight and sometimes my donation to you and your cause means I cannot grab dinner with a college friend to catch up.  Not trying to say that I do not think my donation went to good because it did and i know it did … but take some time to thank the person who donates.  We dug in our pockets, you can dig and yours for a stamp and a thank you note.  Without that show of appreciation what is going to make someone want to donate the next time you ask?  or maybe i am the only 20-something left that writes thank you notes still…  rant over.

Other than having a lack of shoe hitting the pavement, May was not so bad and I for once didn’t fret over my lack of running.  I understood that life just got busy and embraced it for once.  Soon enough my life and work load will level out… I can just feel it!!

how did your May turn out?!

Running in Northern VA!

**caution** this post has a little bit of complaining in it.

Forgive me runners for I have sinned. I have not be running like I should be and I have no excuse other than a dog who eats rocks and has to be rushed to the vet, training a new gal at the office, and in town visitors in the form of parents and old bosses. But! That all changed when I got home to Northern VA. There is something awesome about running back home. I do not know if it is just the newness of the routes and roads. Or if it is because it is the ‘burbs and running in neighborhoods is much better than the city. So, as I packed I packed up 5 days worth of workout gear because I had every intention of running, spinning, hitting the elliptical every day I was home. However, mid last week I had a feeling that my vacation away from life and my hopes of getting in some major gym and road time was going to be squashed when Kyle started making my vacation away from my busy life busy with not one but two meals with his mother, drinks with his best friend, and dinner with his dad. Mind you all I wanted to do was dinner with his dad and 1 meal with his mom but of course me speaking up turns into “why do you hate my mother”. Kyle even had the balls to ask why I wanted to grab coffee with a high school friend. Yes, 4 events in like 5 days home made for a pretty hectic first few days home. No gym time as planned Friday. Saturday was spent recovering from 2 days in the car and dinner with K’s dad till oh 11:30 pm, followed by Saturday dinner with his mom and drinks with his friend. blah blah blah – the first 2 days home were packed and Monday was a 4 hour lunch with his Mom (and all I could think was, why does it take 4 hours to have LUNCH?!) …so leading up to leaving I packed running clothes, my iPod, and Garmin in hopes of running Burke Lake and around DC and around my neighborhood but I had a sneaky suspicions I wouldn’t get in too many quality runs and I was right…

so here were my planned runs and let’s see if they happened or did not happen

Burke Lake :: miles run = 4.65 :: I had planned on doing this run at 8 am and well, if you know me… waking up in the morning isn’t my strength so after hitting the snooze button about 5 times I postponed the run to the afternoon. worst.idea.ever. 90 degrees is still hot in the shade. The gorgeous views of the lake distracted me a bit from the terrain for the most part but I did have to take quite a few walk breaks. I never knew how hard trail running could be until this run and I the verdict it still out on how I really feel about it but my legs were dying after the run because of the ups and downs (more ups than downs) which I know if beneficial. If/when we move back to DC I think Burke Lake runs will happen… quite honestly, I wished I had more time home to go run it again. …next time…

Washington DC, around the mall :: miles run = 4.42 :: This was the one run I was looking forward to the most and it was a great idea in my mind but once I did it … no so much. I spent more time on the metro than I did running but other than that it was a cool run. I shall call in “find the monuments” because when I got off the metro I had no idea where I was and I was thinking “ok just find the Washington monument” … well I found the capital instead and then spotted the Washington monument and headed that way. So I ran from The Capital, to the Washington Monument, to Lincoln (where I wanted to wade in the nasty reflecting pool like Jenny from Forest Gump because it was so hot) and then back to the metro. Looking at the map of my run (thanks Garmin connect) I wish I had sucked it up and ran around the tidal basin, but the heat was getting to me. Needless to say it would have been a super cool run if it wasn’t so hot and if/when we relocate back to DC it will for sure be a spring/fall run. Now lets just hope it isn’t this hot in October for Marine Corps!! ….after getting home I kinda wanted to run Burke Lake again (crazy me) but the rain came in so I laid in bed instead! :o)

Around the neighborhood :: miles run = 2.01 :: the heat, hills, humidity, high pollen count, and hangover from 1 too man Blue Moons the night prior cut this run short. Who ever said a good run will cure a hangover was crazy, it just made my stomach cramp up and want to hurl in Taylor Ward’s parents front yard. (I didn’t though.)

For a grand total of 11.08 miles. Not impressive but not too bad for the busy vacation.

In other news… I pulled the trigger and signed up for a half marathon in Nashville on September 25th. It will be an easy trip up, spend the night, 7 am start, run for 2 hours, hop in the car and head back to Atlanta. I think it would be great training for Marine Corps… nothing like forced long runs with a shiny medal at the end! :o)

Tomorrow is national running day – I hope you all get out there and RUN. I will rock my running gear, but I will be trekking back to ATL from DC so no running for me. Happy running to you all tomorrow!!