Every Day is a Chance to Change your Life

Last week was tough. I'm going to leave it at that and move on. This week is going to be great. Started the day off by waking up next to the love of my life, got to eat breakfast with him and his brother (2 over easy eggs, toast, and 2 thin slices of spam- yes I said it. SPAM.), and I got a lot done at work today. Got back to the apartment, and went for a run. AWESOME. Did a little over 5 miles and averaged 9:14 min/mile. The one thing I do need to start doing for my training is incorporating more elevation training. Most of the runs I have been doing have had little-to-none elevation change. (Make sure you notice the sweat droplets clinging to the tips of my hair. hehe.) I blame the slower times on having to wait for lights to change. I felt really, really good overall though. I think this weekend I'm going to practice at the times I'm actually running and do all 3 legs. I am now Runner #12 so these are my three legs and the distances I'll be running. I'm not worried about the distance themselves, more the elevation (as I mentioned before).

 I should know the approximate time of day I'll be going shortly. We have an awesome team captain that put together a spreadsheet that actually calculates about what time we run based on each persons expected pace. This could obviously be off based on a number of factors but it gives a decent idea of when I'll be going. I put my average as 9:30 min/mile which I hope to keep for the 5 mile runs, but I think my goal for the 2 miles is closer to 8:30-9 min/mile. This is dependent on me not stepping in a hole and falling on my night run (which has happened before and I still have a scar from), very little soreness, rest, etc.

Another thing I'm having to start thinking about is any gear I might need to purchase. What could I possibly need for a two-day running event that I'm only running a total of 12.8 miles? They have a list... pretty sure a small duffle with 3 pairs of running clothes, "shower" wipes, hat, sunscreen, snacks, and some comfy clothes to do my best to sleep in should do it. Either way, I get to go shopppping. I try to lie to myself and say that I don't have an issue when it comes to shopping but I really do love it, and once I start, I have a really hard time stopping... which is why I typically avoid it unless I'm fully prepared to spend some $$$.

These are the three legs I'll be running. I just got switched to the last runner due to the distances and my strength as a runner versus the prior person covering that spot. I would, by no means, consider myself a strong runner though. You can only do your best through right? It's kind of "stressful" to be the one that finishes off the race completely. To be the last one of the team to cross the finish line... but at the same time there's something that makes you want to train harder so that you can finish strong for your team.

That being said, I think for the next couple weeks I should average 6 miles/day at least 3 times a week, and practice doing all 3 at the approximate allotted times.

 I'm excited and I can't wait for the experience. Here's to training and following your dreams and making your goals a reality!