Will Run for Cookies.

Today is Christmas Eve.  Somehow, and I am still not really sure how, it is no longer summer and it is the end of 2011.  I’ll probably say this a dozen more times before New Years but this year and especially the last quarter has just flown by!

Since Sister and I are anticipating our upcoming half marathon at Walt Disney World, we still had to get out for one of the last long runs of training this weekend even though it was a holiday.  But that probably worked in our favor because then we had more room for cookies, right!?  Clearly cookies are the best pre and post running fuel.  I mean they have protein (eggs, milk, butter) and carbs (flour, sugar)  so pretty much perfect if you ask me!!  But a bit better if sister is in reality enough to actually finish baking all the cookies instead of leaving them in the freezer… wow Kels, wow…

So anyways, off that sugar tangent and back on to my run this morning.  My nine miles this morning was a lot easier mentally and physically than last weeks.  I went the same route but this week there was no dusting of snow leading my way.  It was a little chilly again but nothing brutal and by mid-run, I was warm enough that I could have shed a layer but not so warm that I absolutely needed to.  It should be interesting training in these kinds of conditions but then running the half marathon in Florida.  I suppose it could very well be in the 30′s in Florida but could also be in the 70s so it should be interesting and I guess we will probably want to pack for both conditions, I suppose?

This week and last week I have had this weird knee feeling I would say.  It’s not really a pain, and it’s not just fatigue but I can feel my knees when I am running and it feels weird.  That probably makes no sense but I don’t know how else to describe it.  I have been trying to foam roll every day and that has helped I think.  Last week was a lot worse than this week so hopefully it’s just something lingering from my IT Band issues and will go away.  I also ended up with some pretty severe bicep fatigue from holding my water bottle… apparently someone needs to lift a few more dumbells through out the week… As strong as my legs are, my arms sure are woosey

Well, I had better go and get showered, packed, etc. to go out of town for Christmas.  Hope everyone is having a good Christmas Eve and has a Very Merry Christmas!  (and eats their share of the Christmas cookies made )

Mental.

This morning’s run was all mental.  Physically, nothing was holding me back but mentally, mentally I wanted to turn around at mile 1.  Then I had a revelation.  I don’t want to run the Disney half marathon in a few weeks.  I want to be running the full marathon.  I think because my motivation to start running was someday crossing the finish line of the marathon at Disney, I was feeling like I somehow failed myself by doing the half.  This had me in a really foul mood for quite sometime and I came thisclose to turning right around and going home to sulk… and then I came across some footprints in the snow.

These are not THE footprints... just some I found online

I told myself I would keep running until the halfway point of my nine mile run or until these foot prints ran out, figuring the latter would occur soon.  Well, lets just say, I turned around because of the former!  A few times along the way, I kept thinking that the footprints had disappeared and I was thinking about turning around and then sure enough!  There those damn footprints were again so I knew I needed to keep going because of the initial deal I made myself.

So, thanks to those footprints in the snow, I finished my 9 mile run this morning (and maybe a slight case of the crazies for letting some feetprints be enough motivation to keep me going – ps why isn’t it feetprints when it’s two feet making the prints? Sorry again for the crazies ).  Some runner out there will never know that he/she kept me from giving up on myself this morning!

The weather was a bit warmer than last week and my gloves actually  were hardly necessary but it still served as a nice insulator to keep my water from freezing.  I ended up working up quite the sweat running despite the snow!  I also fueled at the halfway point with my favorite Clif Chocolate shot.

When I got back from my run and Sister returned from hers, I was bitching and moaning about how much of a loser I am and how much I am not motivated to run Disney and she was pissed at me but then we finally determined that I was just being disappointed in myself for not being brave enough to sign up for a full marathon and so she talked me into just biting the bullet and signing up for a marathon in May.  The Cellcom Marathon to be exact!  This race is in Green Bay so it will be a little drive, but nothing super taxing and we know a few good places to stay and eat up there.  Normally this race would involve a lap around Lambeau Field but not this year because of some construction but I decided that was not enough reason for me to change my mind about this.

Guess I won't be seeing you in May

I know I previously talked about waiting until next October to run the Lakefront Marathon but then we determined that I am not going to be happy until I at least try.  I live my life waaaaaayyyyyy too much in my own comfort zone/bubble thing and I guess maybe my case of the mentals this morning was what it took to make me crazy enough to just sign up for a marathon again!  So I guess now I am officially “training for a marathon”… not sure how this will go but I am glad I am at least brave enough to take the steps necessary to go for something I have been wanting for the last few years.  So here goes nothing!