500 Festival Mini Marathon

Today, I ran my first — and probably not last — 500 Festival Mini Marathon. It was the perfect morning for a run…overcast, cool and dry. I ran with my friend Jaimie, who ran it last year. We got up at 5:45 and were out the door by 6:20 a.m. We quickly found parking at the race and then waited in line at the port-o-johns. If you know anything about running, they are a popular place before a race. We weren’t as early as we could have been, so waiting in the lines made us a bit nervous. But luckily, we were able to make it to our corrall just in time for the start.

Tyler went to the start line to wait for us to make our way up. We started in corral K, which took only about 15 minutes to reach the start. It was estimated that corral Z would take 30 minutes to make it to the start, if that tells you anything. Even with 35,000 runners, the race coordinators find a way to make it a very seamless start.

The race was a blast. I’ve run the Evansville Half Marathon twice, but it is nothing like the Mini Marathon. There were people every step of the race cheering us on as well as musical and dance groups entertaining us. I think I was smiling most of the race. I felt good running, but more than that I was having fun. I decided that having fun was going to be the most important factor for me. In the past, I’ve put too much pressure on myself to do well. It was great to have Jaimie there running with me and keep me pumped.

My goal for the race, other than to have fun, was to run it in less than two hours. I’ve not been able to make that goal the past two races, so I was determined. I felt great and was on pace the entire first half. I started to get a side stitch at mile 11, so that was the only time I stopped to walk. I ended up running it off and was able to continue a good pace. I am happy to report that I made my goal and finished with a time of 1:58:44, or a 9:04-mile pace. I finished 494th in my 20-25 age group, 1947 out of women finishers, and 7425 overall.

Thanks to everyone, especially Jaimie, who encouraged me for this race. And a HUUUUGE thanks goes out to Tyler, who came all the way from Evansville just to see me race. Well, really he saw me at the starting line and then wait for over two hours until I made it back. He wins Husband of the Year award for sure.

 

Guess where I am!?!

 

I have not fallen off the face of the earth…

…I’ve just been super busy. With work, classes, traveling, and training for the half marathon, I have had little time for anything else.

First, an update on my running. Last week was my best running week in a very long time. I ran three days during the week at five miles apiece, plus a long run of 9 miles on the weekend. Grand total, 24 miles. Not too shabby. And my long run was so great! I did the big loop of 4.3 miles that is near my house twice, and tacked on an extra little loop each time for a total of at least 9 miles, if not more. I only stopped in between big loops at the house to get some water and one other time because a dog started chasing me (it was the first time I was actually close to using my pepper spray). I’m on track this week to do even more…I have done 15 miles already, and I plan on doing another 4.5 on Friday morning, and then my long run of at least 10 sometime this weekend, depending on the weather (it’s supposed to rain on Saturday). This will put me at about 30 miles for the week, which is so great considering the mini is less than a month away. I’ve been really disciplined in the running, even going after my classes at Ivy Tech get over with if it’s not too late. This race is a biggie, with 35,000 people entered, so I want to make it my best run ever. I’m feeling very confident and strong right now, so I’m praying for good health and no injuries between now and then. The only thing I’m down about is that I seem to be gaining weight instead of losing it. I know I like to eat, but good grief, I don’t think I eat THAT much.

I didn’t do my long run until Sunday this past weekend because we were visiting our new niece, Elizabeth. I wanted to go up to Indy to get some pictures of her while she is young, so we made the trip up on Friday night and came home late Sunday morning. I had a great time taking pictures of Elizabeth. She’s such a cutie! But because she sleeps a lot, I wasn’t able to get all the pictures I wanted. I still got some good ones, though, and Tyler and I are going to Ivy Tech tomorrow so I can do some editing on them. I want to get a book made of all the images I’ve taken, and since I don’t have a computer with Photoshop on it, I have to use the computers at the school. I don’t know my way around Photoshop all that well, so hopefully they will turn out okay. I had such a great weekend with Kyla (Tyler’s sister) and Adam. I really felt like I got to know them a lot better and bond with them. They’ve not lived locally since Tyler and I have been married, so I usually only get to see them during their short stays when they visit the family.

Photography is going well. I think I’ve decided to go with Appointed Design in Lafayette to edit my images. Since I won’t have Photoshop for quite a while, I’ll have to outsource the editing. I had been looking into some of the bigger companies, but really wanted someone more local that I could really count on to listen to my ideas and taylor how they edit pictures to my taste. I contacted Pictoral twice, but have yet to hear back from them. So if that is any indication of the kind of service I will get, I’ll gladly go with a smaller, local business like Appointed Design. I’ve been in contact with the owner through email, and I feel completely confident that she will do a great job. I will be building my portfolio over the next few months by taking pictures of some family and friends who have expressed some interest in it and then working on actually getting paying gigs as I go. I’m so excited about this. And I’m quickly learning how my camera works, so I feel much more confident about going out and doing some photo shoots. I plan on buying some filters for my camera in the next couple of weeks. I want a UV filter and definitely a polarizing filter, but I’m not sure what brand to go with. I also need a camera bag…I’ve been worried constantly that I’m going to break my camera without one.

The other good news is that I won $500 this week on the radio. I’m now in the running for the $100,000 grand prize, which would be pretty sweet. We would pay off our house and then work on saving money for a while. Eventually, we’d like to build, but we want to save so once we do build, we won’t have a huge monthly payment. I’m not holding my breath for the grand prize, but there are only three of us so far who have qualified, so it might not be too bad of odds.

So there you have it…my life in the past week and a half. I’m exhausted just writing about it.

 

Weekend recap

I was bad this weekend…I didn’t get a single run in. I was just so exhausted all weekend that even the thought of going on a run made me tired. I was aiming to get a 9-miler in at some point to keep on schedule with my half marathon training, but that certainly didn’t happen. And to make matters worse, I ate a bunch of junk that I shouldn’t have…pizza, Easter candy, banana bread, and powdered donuts. I’m not proud of it, and I certainly can’t continue on this pattern. I’m make a small goal for this week…I want to work out every week day, even if it is just a short run or some crunches and push ups at night. If I think in small terms, maybe I won’t be discouraged like I was at the thought of running for an hour and a half this weekend.

On the positive side, I did get a lot accomplished this weekend. I went to our church’s scrapbooking event and got about five pages completed. I haven’t touched my scrapbooking since the last retreat, which was a few months ago. I colored my hair, which didn’t turn out like I wanted…it was much more of a reddish tint than I thought it would be. I’m planning to re-color sometime tomorrow since that will be the 48 hours I need to wait between colorings. I also completed all of the things we need to send in our taxes, which I’ll be doing tomorrow. And I even painted my nails tonight. They’re now a pastel pink, in honor of spring. Which, by the way, has not come in full force like I’d like for it to. I’m ready for weather in the 60s with no rain. I’m so tired of this dismal rainy weather, and it’s really starting to bring down my normally happy demeanor.

This weekend was way too short, and I’m sad to have to go back to work tomorrow. The only thing that makes me excited for it is the fact that the UPS guy will be delivering my new toy, the Canon 40D with the 50 mm lens, f/1.4. Otherwise, it will be a sad day…I have to get my allergy shots and I have to go to my fundamentals of imaging class. Don’t get me wrong, I’m learning a lot, but it’s amazing what two extra free days during the week can do to your schedule. I’m ready for classes to be overwith so I can start putting what I’ve learned into action and booking some clients.

 

Productive Weekend

I accomplished quite a bit this weekend. I always hate to see the weekend go, but it doesn’t hurt as much when you get a lot done.

Saturday started out with going to get my driver’s license renewed. Long story short, I’d been driving on an expired license since my birthday in October and didn’t realize it until Friday night. I was in and out of the BMV in 20 minutes.  Then I went to pick up our Angel Food order and get the oil changed in Tyler’s car. The rest of the day was spent working on dishes and taking a nap since it was rainy out. I was so excited that I woke up to sunshine, so I put on my running gear and went on a 7+ mile run (unfortunately, I don’t have all those fancy schmancy gadgets that tell me my distance, so I’ll have to drive it to see). It was a FANTABULOUS run! I made it back in about an hour and 5 minutes, which is pretty good. Afterward, I cooked dinner and we had a friend over and watched Saw.

Sunday was a good day, too. I got up early and did dishes from dinner the previous night before I headed to church. Afterward, we went shopping for food to grill since it was such a beautiful day out. BJ and Rachel were to come over and have lunch and finish up our HAWAII plans! We got everything ironed out, and figured out our main activities: horseback ride through Haleakala crater on Maui, and on Oahu we’re going on a 45-minute helicopter ride and snorkel/kayak trip. Of course, we’ll also tour the Dole plantation and spend plenty of time on the beach. We also finalized our car rentals on both islands. It feels good to get it all done, but not to pay for it. Nonetheless, we’re beyond excited and can’t wait for May to get here!

I always feel so reluctant to come back to work. Where do the weekends go? Luckily, I had a jury to get ready today, so that motivated me a bit more than a usual Monday morning.

EDIT TO ADD: Thanks to Tiffany’s suggestion, I now know that I ran 7.46 miles yesterday. Whoo hoo!

 

I Am Not a Jogger

I came across this column in one of the Runner’s World magazines my mom gave me this weekend. I really liked it, and then I read Jaimie’s blog where she classified herself as, first, a runner, and then reconsidered and called herself a jogger. No, my dear. You ARE a runner. The photo of you from this summer in all your running gear, sweat dripping from your smiling face says so. : )

I AM A RUNNER because my runs have names. I do tempo runs and threshold runs and fartlek runs. I do long, slow runs and track workouts. My runs are defined, even if my abs are not.

I AM A RUNNER because my shoes are training equipment, not a fashion statement. The best shoe for me is the one that makes me a better runner. I choose the shoe that goes with my running mechanics, not my running outfit.

I AM A RUNNER because I don’t have running outfits. I have technical shirts and shorts and socks. I have apparel that enhances the experience of running by allowing me to run comfortably. I can say “Coolmax” and “Gore-Tex” in the same sentence and know which does what.

I AM A RUNNER because I know what effort feels like, and I embrace it. I know when I’m pushing the limits of my comfort and why I’m doing it. I know that heavy breathing and an accelerated heart rate–things I once avoided–are necessary if I want to be a better runner.

I AM A RUNNER because I value and respect my body. It will whisper to me when I’ve done too much. And if I choose to listen to that whisper, my body won’t have to scream in pain later on.

I AM A RUNNER because I am willing to lay it all on the line. I know that every finish line has the potential to lift my spirits to new highs or devastate me, yet I line up anyway.

I AM A RUNNER because I know that despite my best efforts, I will always want more from myself. I will always want to know my limits so that I can exceed them.

I AM A RUNNER because I run. Not because I run fast. Not because I run far.

I AM A RUNNER because I say I am. And no one can tell me I’m not.

Waddle on, friends.

 

Highs and Lows of 2007 and a Fast-Forward to 2008

Highs:

1) Finishing the Evansville Half Marathon without passing out. As many of you know, I wasn’t that lucky in 2006. And considering how hot the weather was in October this year, this is definitely something to be proud of.

2) Tyler’s band, BorrowedTime, got off to a good start. They played a handful of local shows and one in Columbus, Indiana. Tyler, BJ, and Cassie are the core members and they’ve had some turnover throughout the year. As of now, it’s Tyler on drums, BJ on vocals and lead guitar, Cassie on vocals and accoustic guitar, Logan on the saxophone, and Daniel (aka Dandy) on bass.

3) I really grew spiritually. Much of this is thanks to a little book called Captivating but mostly to some really awesome, authentic Christians in my life. I’m even unofficially getting the youth group at our new church, Sojourn Newburgh, off to a start. I’m very excited about what the future for this church holds.

4) Tyler and I celebrated our second anniversary with a trip to St. Pete Beach, Florida. We had some rough times in our first two years, but we made it through. And we’re stronger than ever. It was a great trip, but we found out we’re kind of boring when we don’t vacation with at least one other couple.

5) We found out Tyler’s sister is pregnant (I can’t WAIT to be an aunt!). It’s a girl and her name is Elizabeth and she’ll be here in April! We were totally shocked by this because Adam and Kyla swore they’d never have kids. In fact, when Tyler’s parents tell people they’re going to be grandparents, everyone assumes it’s Tyler and I who are expecting.

6) I earned some extra income by writing/photographing for the Courier & Press and also by doing some copy editing. There were some really fun stories that I was pretty proud of and that allowed me to be creative. It was a lot of work at times, but I was glad to earn the extra money so I could buy Tyler an iPod Touch for Christmas.

7) I went on Accutane for my acne. It sucked that I had to do it, and there were times that I hated the medicine with a passion (dry skin, always thirsty, blurred vision, fatigue), but I’ve been off of it for about 3 weeks now, and my face is clearer than it’s ever been. I’m praying that my face stays clear, because it was a lot of effort and it was NOT cheap.

8) I got to go home for Christmas. I hadn’t been up north since May so the trip was long overdue. It was great to see my family (although I only got to see my mom’s side) and share in a tradition that was such a huge part of my childhood. There was nothing like Christmas at the Jones’.

Lows:

1) Tyler’s papaw had a decline in health, thanks to Parkinson’s and Alzheimers. He is now in a nursing home, where we don’t get to see him too often because of his eating and sleeping schedule. I would love nothing more than for him to have a complete turnaround and get better. It saddens me to see a man once so full of life ravaged by these horrible diseases.

2) My allergies were horrible this year. I had to take several days off to take care of them and to basically sleep them off. I’ve been on Allegra for over a year and it still didn’t help. I’ll soon be going on allergy shots soon, which I’m not too thrilled about.

3) I was really sick for about three weeks. In fact, today is the first day that I actually feel better than 90%. This not only made me cranky at home, but also really made me miss a lot of work and get off of my running routine. It was a nasty virus that I just couldn’t shake.

4) I have lost touch with a lot of friends I hold very dear. Life is busy, plain and simple. But that’s no excuse to forget about friends who have made you who you are.

5) We didn’t have any measurable amount of snow. My poor Tyler’s only wish was to have snow to go out and play in. Every time we’d have snow in the forecast, he’d wake up in the morning and check outside, only to be disappointed. It would be great to have a big snow so we could go out and throw snowballs at each other and also so Lola could try to eat all the snow in sight. Seriously, she has her tongue out the entire time just licking at the snow. It’s pretty cute.

Up for 2008:

1) I start classes at Ivy Tech in January. I’ll be going back so I can learn the basics of photography and hopefully build up a clientele so I can have a business. It would be great to be able to stay at home when I’m a mom (one day).

2) Borrowed Time will record a demo in Nashville in January. They will spend an entire weekend as well as the following Monday recording about 5 songs. (I’ll spend much of my time taking pictures and scrapbooking with Rachel.) The band hopes to make it in the lineup for some summer festivals. It would be Tyler’s dream come true.

3) I’ll be running the 500 Festival Mini Marathon (the biggest half marathon and 8th-largest road race in America) in Indy with my college friend Jaimie. She currently lives in DC where she is a law student, but she’ll be coming back to practice law and live in Indy a couple weeks before the race. I’m really looking forward to connecting with her and catching up on things. 

4) We’ll be going to Hawaii for our vacation. A woman I work with is graciously letting us stay in the home she owns on Oahu - for free. I’ve already purchased all the plane tickets and booked our hotel for while we are in Maui for one night. We’ll be going with BJ and Rachel, so it should be a lot of fun.

5) I’ll be doing less work on the side so I can focus on family and friends. This means turning down some stories, but it will be worth it. I haven’t had a chance to breathe lately.

6) Sojourn Newburgh will launch at the beginning of the year. New year, new location, and a lot of faith in what God is doing we hope will equal helping to change the lives of people in the area. We could certainly use prayer, but if you’d like to give, you can do so online at www.thesojourn.org. I’m going to be trying to find interesting ways to decorate the youth room, so if you have ideas, let me know. Right now, I’m thinking chalkboard paint on the walls.

I may add some more later as they come to me, so check back.