"This is really gonna suck."

     Those were my famous last words before I took off on my run today. What was supposed to be an easy 10 miles turned into one of the most time-consuming runs I have ever completed. I generally "write" my blogs while I am running. Training for 2-5 hours daily gives a girl a lot of time to contemplate everything from the meaning of life to what I am going to have for dinner.
     Growing up in Washington has made me love the rain...ok, some days I love the rain - only because running in the rain is one of my favorite things to do. It is exhilarating, cleansing, exciting, and calming all at the same time. Wind and hail on the other hand are two of my most hated elements on this planet. My first 5 miles were perfect. I was soaked to the bone and my hands were turning purple from the cold but I was in heaven. My next 5 miles were not as enjoyable to say the least. The wind picked up and I was battling to keep up a 15 minute mile against it. Then to add to my expedition, hail mixed in with the rain and wind. I was being shot from all angles and there wasn't a thing I could do about it except keep running.
     I stopped in at the coffee shop where my car was parked when I finally finished this grueling run. A cop approached me while I was waiting for my drink and said, "I saw you running out there, why on earth would you do that?" I had snot running down my face, my hair was a tangled mess, my clothes were making a nice puddle on the floor, and I was smiling from ear to ear. I have been asked that many times. Why on earth would I do something that causes pain and takes hours upon hours of devoted time? My answer: I do it because I can. I wasn't born with any innate talent. I have never been naturally gifted at anything. I have always had to work extremely hard to succeed and the only way i have known to succeed is to try harder than anyone else. My strongest quality is that I never give up and fortunately running is one activity where being stubborn as a bull is a good thing. It suits my personality. I have hit some of my highest highs and lowest lows while running. It is straightforward - if you devote time to your training then you are guaranteed to improve. Few things in life are as guaranteed as seeing your physical improvements over time due to how much blood, sweat, and tears you have given.
     I am wholly fulfilled. Most people never get there. They are afraid or unwilling to demand enough of themselves and take the easy road, the path of least resistance. But struggling and suffering are the essence of life worth living. If you are not pushing yourself beyond the comfort zone, if you're not constantly demanding more from yourself - expanding and learning as you go - you are choosing a numb existence. You are denying yourself an extraordinary trip.
     "Because I can," I said to the officer. "You must be crazy," he said. With a big smile I replied, "absolutely."

The Spandex Incident

     To the general public, runners must look like complete weirdos. We wander around the supermarkets and coffee shops in brightly colored mesh shirts, spandex, and compression socks thinking, "What is everyone looking at?" I have learned to welcome these curious looks with a big grin, which only adds to the confusion. What can I say - the runner's high is addicting.
     I remember when I used to waste time deciding which outfit I should wear on a given day. My life is much more simple now. I traded jeans for Saucony running pants, sweaters for tank-tops, and heels for Mizunos and Brooks. I never know when i will get my next opportunity to run so i must be prepared at all times, even in church. Makeup runs down my face when i sweat so that is pointless, and my hair fits so perfectly in a ponytail that takes all of 5 seconds to secure. I used to waste time making sure i looked absolutely perfect every second of the day. I have finally learned to love simplicity. Runners do not judge. We know that if you still look pretty and put together at the end of your workout then you did not train hard enough. 
     About 2 months ago I bought my first pair of spandex. Little did I know that this specific pair would be the cause of one of my most embarrassing moments. I decided to try out my brand spanking new spandex on the army base. About 30 seconds into my run the shorts began riding up and to put it plainly - it looked as though my bum was eating my spandex. I immediately ran back to my car and headed for the gym on post. My thought was if I ran on the treadmill then I would be able to do a better job of keeping the shorts down. WRONG. 30 seconds into my treadmill run the same problem occurred. Except this time, I decided to embrace it. The top of the shorts were up to my belly button and the bottoms were God knows where and I kept trucking for 5 miles. There was an angry swarm of army wives behind me and all I could do was flash my grin and attempt to pull my shorts down to decency. I later found out that these particular spandex are to be used as a base layer. Oops. Hope everyone enjoyed the show.

Running within your limits

     Today was a rough day for running. I got to my trail and immediately did not feel like being there. All i could think about was how badly I wanted to be home eating pizza and cake...and yet I was here - stretching in the wind and rain in my tank top and spandex. The easy choice would have been to go home - I was tired, (I did not get more than 3 hours of sleep both Friday and Saturday as I was going in front of the promotion board Sunday) a bit dehydrated and very hungry. However, taking the easy way out has never gotten me anywhere, so I began running.
     It is very easy to get discouraged when you go out for a training run and are not able to perform at the level you had planned. At this point what is most important is putting the miles under your feet and getting your body used to burning fuel slowly. One of my favorite quotes from Dean Karnazes: "Run when you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must; just never give up." Push yourself to finish your training, but listen to what your body is telling you. If your goal is 20 miles and you start seeing stars at 10 - take a break, hydrate, and determine if pushing yourself on this run will hurt you more than it will benefit you. If you have to stop it is OKAY. Your body is a machine and as long as you train and fuel properly then you will bounce back in no time.
     I have learned that how you perform during your run is not entirely affected by what you do the night before the race. It is entirely affected by the weeks and months leading up to it. You must be completely hydrated at least 72 hours before your race and the types of food you eat during the week before your race will affect your endurance levels as well. Dont think that because you drank a gallon of water, got 8 hours of sleep, and ate spaghetti the day before a race that your body is well nourished enough to perform. I have been following the Paleo Diet for Athletes strictly for over a week and I have never had more natural energy in my life. I highly recommend this eating plan for all endurance athletes. Ill go more in depth on this diet later.
   

MY Run: 1 month until the marathon!

     So for those of you that don't know, the marathon commemorates the run of the soldier Pheidippides from a battlefield at the site of the town of Marathon, Greece, to Athens in 490 B.C., bringing news of a Greek victory over the Persians. Legend has it that Pheidippides delivered the momentous message "Niki!" ("victory"), then collapsed and died, thereby setting a precedent for dramatic conclusions to the marathon.
     Much like Pheidippides, I died. Figuratively of course. Every person has a story and i think that one of the greatest tragedies in life is that we are too afraid to share our experiences with one another. In the recent months I have tried to attain a much greater level of transparency than i ever have in my life. To keep it simple i will say this: God has given me many struggles to make me incredibly strong. I have had a serious life with one traumatic event after another which has made me a serious and in-depth person. But this is the first time in my entire life that i know that i have a future to look forward to. I will continue to face challenges, but i will deal with them after my run.
     I believe that God puts certain people into your life for specific reasons. A friend of mine who is a die-hard triathlete encouraged me to start racing competitively instead of just running for fun. At first i was very skeptical. But then i was presented with this question; "If you are going to do something, why not be the best at it?" And there it was - instant inspiration. I began running and training more than i ever had. There was so much that went into endurance racing that i had never known about! Food, clothing, shoes, GPS, Gu - i absorbed it like a sponge.
     I had revelations like you wouldn't believe! I found my faith through the help of some extremely close friends and God is not just a guy i bring up in conversation anymore.  Running in itself is not my passion - my passion is living a healthy lifestyle and helping others to do the same. Every single person can accomplish amazing things if we could all realize our worth and abilities. I was born to run.     
     Some pretty hilarious things happen when you are training for your first "real" marathon. Ill present them in this blog as i am still learning myself. Enjoy the ride!