Shamrock Shuffle

Alright, I know it's been several weeks since I've posted... I've been busy training, at least when I wasn't sick (I was sick with some sinus thing and bronchitis for a couple of weeks... still have the cough).

Today was the big day! The goal I set for myself a year ago happened... I ran the Shuffle. And yes, I RAN the whole thing! I think my time is around an hour... I'll post my time when I get it. There were a few spots in the run that were tough... around mile 2 I wanted to die... and mile 4 was pretty rough, but at that point I just told myself that I only had a mile left and I had never run that far outside before so I might as well finish what I started! The stinky part of the Shuffle is that the last quarter mile has a HUGE hill on it which SUCKS... I ran up it... my feet weren't going too far in front of each other as they were moving, but I ran up it! When I got to the top I just had this feeling of relief, even though I still had a bit more to run. As I turned the corner for the finish line, my legs just took over... I don't think I'd ever run that fast in my life. I was just praying that my lungs could keep up because I couldn't get my legs to stop. It was like they had a mind of their own and just wanted to finish it! But I'm pretty proud of myself for accomplishing this goal.

Funny how your goals change sometimes. When I originally said that I wanted to do the Shuffle, I just wanted to do it... complete the 5 miles, however that happened. When I finally started telling people I was going to run it, many looked at me like I was crazy (which maybe I was a bit). I heard lots of "but you're not a runner" and "WHY???" which made me want to accomplish my goal even more. When I first started training, I wasn't able to run a quarter mile. My maximum time on the treadmill before I started training was maybe a half hour... and that's pushing it (and all walking time). As I progressed with my running I thought that maybe I'd want to run the majority of the race, maybe only taking 2 or 3 breaks. But in the last few weeks I changed my goal to run the whole thing without a break or walking... which I did. Now, I can say that I can run 5 miles... without stopping... and outside according to my own pace. That was the furthest I've ever run outside. (I've been training outside when I could the last three weeks or so.) There are times that I think a treadmill is easier to run on because it paces you, but as I've been running outside I've learned to pace myself... to push myself when I feel like it's too easy, but to ease back when I'm having a rough time.

So, yeah... YEA ME for accomplishing a goal and finishing what I started. I'm pretty proud of myself, which is a nice thing to be able to say. And, for those that are wondering, yes, I have future runs planned.... I think my next one will just be a 5K along the bike path in Batavia... the Fox Trot or something like that at the end of April... then I have another one at the beginning of June... and then... I don't know... maybe the half in September? Haven't committed to the last one yet, but.... you never know...

Thanks to everyone for their love, support, and prayers these last few months while I've been training. It really has meant a lot to me... I couldn't have done it without you!

V

Addendum: They have the times posted already... I finished in 1:00:26... I'm pretty proud of that... since my last 5 mile run was at 1:07:08... that's almost 7 minutes cut off!!! (AND... there were 400 girls in my category that finished after me... I wasn't the last one!)

Tagged!

10 years ago:
Spring of freshman year of college at Augustana... so I guess I was pledging (and praying I'd make it through), taking gen chem, and, at some point, getting mono! Ugh...

5 Things on my to-do list today:
Run... at least 3 miles (it's supposed to be my long run day... we'll see)
Go to church
Meet Lindsey for lunch
Go tanning
Do laundry

5 Snacks I enjoy:
Anything with Nutella
Dark chocolate M&M's
Mango Peach salsa and chips
Mint chocolate chip ice cream
Margaritas (that's a "snack", right?)

What I would do if I were suddenly made a billionaire:
There's too much to list!
-Pay off student loans/debt
-Pay off the debts of my immediate family
-Set aside enough money so that if I ever have kids they'll be able to go to college
-By a dream home here in the states and one in Europe
-Give my parents and siblings enough money to buy a nice home
-Tithe
-Donate to various charities
-Invest, invest, invest!

3 of my bad habits:
Being a couch potato when sports are on
Biting my nails when I'm nervous or frustrated (but that's getting better!)
I'm bad at staying in contact with friends once one of us have moved

Places I have lived:
Lily Lake, IL
Batavia, IL
Rock Island, IL
Munich, Germany
Paris, France
London, England
Kalamazoo, MI
Cambridge, MA
Columbia, MO
Marshall, MO
Woodridge, IL

Jobs that I have had:
Babysitter
Paper girl for a paper route in my neighborhood and at the Holmstad
Holmstad Retirement (Waitress and Cook)
Temp for Frank's Temporaries
File Room Clerk and Receptionist at Delnor radiology
Sales associate at American Eagle
Occupational Therapist (for pediatrics, at two hospitals in Missouri, and now at MarianJoy)

5 Things people don't know about me:
-Even though I'm type A, I'm very messy around my house (yet I still know where everything is)
-I get REALLY shy around guys that I'm interested in... or, I turn in to the "best friend"
-I'm afraid of what will happen if I ever move in with someone now that I've lived on my own for so long... I don't know if I can be that accommodating!
-If I could go back and change my profession I would be a travel photographer... I love taking pictures
-I have started a lot of things and haven't finished them... and am finally starting to try and change that about myself

Okay... I've never done one of these before... so now I tag... anyone that actually reads this blog!

V

Holy crap... I did it!

The title of this blog says it all... I know I've been freaking out about the Shamrock Shuffle... I've been really nervous about being able to run 5 miles (while, yes, theoretically I could always walk part of it). And, up until now, my longest run EVER was 3.11 miles (a 5K). So... how about beating the longest by nearly 2 miles??? Yes... I RAN 5 MILES STRAIGHT... without walking... without a rest. Granted, it wasn't really "running"... more of "jogging" as I was only going 4.5mph... but I ran the whole time... finished in 1:07:08 (which is a 13:26 split)... not great... but I did it. So... thanks for all the encouragement and the prayers... but keep them coming! I now need to make this fairly consistent... yikes!

The last few weeks...

Okay... so, like you haven't figured out that I stink at posting. I often think about posting... but also think that it will take too long and I don't have anything to blog about. Then, after a month, I look back at everything that has happened and realize that I can't possibly blog about everything that has happened and then just feel overwhelmed. So... where to start... where to start...

The weight loss thing is going... I'm down 21.5 pounds so far... I'll weigh in tomorrow. We decided that we'd continue the "6-week challenge" for another 4 weeks until one of the ladies in our group gets back from Africa. So, now it's a 10-week challenge. Thus far on the challenge I've lost 6.8 pounds. I've had a hard time being motivated these last couple of weeks to work out. The weather has really been bumming me out... I was hoping by now it would be warmer and sunnier so that I could run outside, and it hasn't been. I usually love winter, but this year it has been crazy! I never thought I'd say that I was tired of the snow... but when it snows in February 22 of 29 days, it's excessive! Although... I was FINALLY able to run a 5K without stopping (that's 3.11 miles)... it was slow... 12:40 min/mile, but not terrible. AND... was I able to run outside today since it was MUCH nicer... 2 miles at 10:45 pace... so, I apparently run faster outside and need to push myself on the treadmill I guess! For those that are keeping track, there are only 4 weeks until the Shamrock Shuffle... yikes!

Tuesday night I went to the Bon Jovi concert with some Tina, Patrick, and Greg... it was AWESOME!!! Bon Jovi totally rocked the United Center... the highlights were probably Daughtry singing "Blaze of Glory" with Bon Jovi... and "Livin' On A Prayer"... hearing the whole stadium belt out the song without any accompaniment from the band gave me chills.

Here are some pics from the ride there... we took a limo... the story is below...

Me and Tina

Tina and Patrick... who was already looking a little rough (anyone else dig the Mizzou cup I made him use?)

Me and Greg.... I have no idea what he was doing...

Myself and P-diddy... who thinks the "rock-n-roll" sign is cool

And... just a cute self-pic

We're on our way!

We took a limo to the concert... my mom hooked us up... she has a contact at one of the local limo companies for her job and got us a stretch and arranged for us to have the same driver both ways so we could leave all our things in the car and not pay for the waiting fee. AND... the driver was hot. Haha... doesn't that always make it better? So, pretty much the whole way home from the concert I was hitting on him... he's my age (28), from Bulgaria, so he's got the accent thing going for him, a nice guy... and did I mention that he's hot??? SO, I invited him up to my apartment with all of us when we got back since we were his last run of the night... had exchanged numbers since I had to call him from the concert when we were done (yes, on his personal cell phone)... and have since been in touch a little bit. We're supposed to have coffee or a drink sometime in the next week... keep your fingers crossed! I need a date!!! (And no, I didn't get a picture of him... I know... I'm a moron!)

I guess that's about it for the updates. Like I said, nothing really new has been happening... just busy at work and trying to be motivated to work out! If anyone has any tips to help motivate me, I'd appreciate it... and... prayers are needed for the Shuffle!!!

V