Leap Run

Just one more day to enter my Tommie Copper sleeves giveaway!! Don't forget to leave a separate comment for each entry. One comment = one entry.

In honor of Leap Day/Year, I participated in Life as a Running Mom's virtual Leap Year Race, a race where you run 2.9 miles. Check it out here.

I took my Leap Run to the gym since it was raining and I'm a big sissy. I ran 2.9 miles in 25:50, which is definitely not a personal best. But c'est la vie... I was keeping it easy because I knew I had my last session of stage 4 in the New Rules of Lifting for Women. Recap coming soon.

Last night, an exciting package came for me and the boys (yes, the dogs received a package). Kristi on over at Life Sprinkles sent us a goody box of Lara bars, doggy treats, and a Trader Joe's gift card!

My little box of happy!

I won the swag from one of her contests (she's all about dogs, and I'm all about dogs, so I really LOVE her blog!). Thank you, Kristi!!! Little Paws and Crazy Face thank you too.

Darn our lack of opposable thumbs!!

I'm afraid this post is short and sweet- I'm off to Virginia for my Navy Band audition/interview. If you have some extra time tomorrow at 1:00 PM, send me some good vibes!!

How are you celebrating Leap Day?

Have you entered to win some Tommie Copper sleeves? Only one day left!!!

Witty Title Here

Good Monday! Hope everyone had a fabulous weekend. Before we dive in, don't forget to enter for your chance to a win a pair of Tommie Copper sleeves of your choice! You have 3 days left!! Check it out here.

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My weekend had a little bit of this:

And unfortunately a little bit of that:

Which led to watching a lot of this:

On Saturday morning I met my running friend for her long run: 10 miles. We ran our first half marathons together more than a year ago, then she got bogged down by an injury. In 3 weeks, she'll be running her first half since then (SO proud of her!). I had no idea what I would feel like 6 days post-marathon (which I'm now going to refer to as my 26.2 crapathon), so I laced up and hoped for the best.

And... it went surprisingly well! We followed a 5:1 ratio of running to walking and I don't think we could have come out with more even splits! We started from a running store in one city, ran 5 miles to another city and grabbed some water at the local coffee house (they're very runner friendly), then headed back (and schmoozed it up with the running store folk). All in all it took us 1 hour and 50 minutes. I consider that a win! (and it was really cool to run through the city, versus the cow fields I usually run through).

That evening I decided to get gourmet and fixed an already-prepared crab stuffed salmon "pinwheel" from the grocery store. I think it might have been bad because it did NOT sit well with me. I was up all night with an upset tummy, popping Tums like candy (yes, I said "popping" not "pooping").

Since I couldn't fall asleep, David and I stayed up and watched season 2 of "Worst Cooks in America." LOVE that show! And I love Chef Ann. And I love the Food Network because... I love food (see the above paragraph).

By the next day I was feeling a little better so we leashed up the monsters dogs to go to the dog park. Want to know something cute? Max found another Collie at the park and latched on to her, thinking she was Jake, my parent's Collie.

Lady Collie at the dog park

But hey, there's some resemblance here, right? Give him a break, he's half-blind.

Jake the Collie at my parent's

Anything exciting happen over the weekend for you?

Are you fan of the Food Network? What is your favorite show?

Tommie Copper GIVE-A-WAY! --CLOSED--

Remember when I got my Tommie Copper knee compression sleeves?

No? Well, it was a while ago.... a few short weeks after my first marathon (mid November). You can read about it here.

Roscoe would like to know when doggy compression gear comes out...

Mini history lesson on my knee: In 2002 I had a meniscus surgery that went completely wrong. I had worse knee pain after the surgery than before. I dealt with it for 4 years before I went to a different orthopedic, who performed the surgery correctly and got me back on my feet and running (pain free!) less than 2 months later. Almost 6 years post-surgery I'm happy to say I've never felt any meniscus related pain, but my running/walking form has changed to compensate for my injury/surgery/re-injury/re-surgery.

I'd been ogling Tommie Copper's knee sleeves for quite a while before the Savannah Marathon, but I never could bring myself to ordering a pair (at $25 per knee, I needed to think about it. And think about it. And think some more...). But after finishing Savannah and dealing with stiff knees and achy knee muscles for days, I went directly to TC and ordered my knee sleeves.

If you don't know how compression gear works, read about it here. You can also learn why it's called Tommie Copper.

I used the sleeves to recover from a handful of long runs (ranging from 10 to 22 miles), my first 50k, hiking through the AT, my most recent marathon, and hard weight lifting sessions. I'll admit to being skeptical that these things did anything. But my skepticism was blown away after they helped me so tremendously after my 50k. Now, I'm a firm believer that Tommie Copper knee sleeves DO help in faster recovery.

And they're sooo stylish ;)

Here's what they did do:

• made my lower quad and upper calf muscles (aka- the "knee muscles") less sore and recover faster
• made the tendons/ligaments/whatever is behind the knees not nearly as tender and tight
• helped the "achy" feeling (I'm so medically savvy) go away quicker- within 24 hours, oftentimes less!

Here's what they didn't do:

• immediately cure any and all knee problems and turn me into Kara Goucher Superwoman
• alleviate the stiffness in my surgery knee --- can't blame TC for that one since their products are designed for muscle recovery, not intended for reducing bone scar tissue (right?)
• make me look super hot (they give me 'sausage knees'... David said he wouldn't go out in public with me unless I put long pants on over them. Party pooper.)

If I had to say something I didn't like about the sleeves, I would complain about the bands on the top and bottom of the sleeve.

one band at the top and one at the bottom

While these are necessary to hold the sleeves in place, they tend to irritate my skin a little and give me flashbacks to when I had to wear those awful knee braces (gag!). However, the pros of this product greatly outweigh the one con. And I would consider that a win!

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Speaking of WIN, how would you like the opportunity to win a pair of Tommie Copper sleeves of your very own? The awesome folks at TC have graciously offered one LMYR reader with sleeves of their choice.

Here's the skinny:

MANDATORY

You must "like" Tommie Copper on Facebook OR follow them on Twitter. You can do both, but you only get credit for one. Leave a comment saying which one you chose.

OPTIONAL

-Be a follower of LMYR (that's this blog, in case you were wondering). Either follow via Google Friend Connect (on the right) or by e-mail address (also on right). Leave a comment saying so.

-Mention this giveaway on your blog or on Twitter. Leave a comment with a link to your blog entry or Twitter account where you announced it.

-If you're training for an event that you would use these recovery sleeves for, tell me which one.

You have until Thursday, 3/1 at 11:59 PM EST, to enter. I'll use whatever that fancy random generator tool is to choose the winner on Friday morning.

(Tommie Copper did not compensate me in any way to review this product. These opinions are my own.)

Some marathon tips

Thank you for such kind comments on my previous post! I've said it before, but I'll say it again- I am blown away by the kind of support you all give me, and I'm so grateful to be in this community! (pssst- be on the lookout for a sweet giveaway later this week!!!)

I've been licking my wounded ego since Sunday while at the same time analyzing what went wrong and what I'm going to do differently for my next marathon (yeah, it didn't take me long, did it?). If you're running a marathon, please take this to heart. Shoot, if you're running any race, take this to heart! (but remember I've only run two of these mothers, so what do I really know?)

Weather

Mother Nature can be relentless. You can't control what is going to happen on race day. The heat and humidity is what did me in, I think. It zaps your energy and leaves you crippled. Hydrate hydrate hydrate! Know the signs of dehydration, know how to combat it, and know when to slow down. Cramping sucks, so make sure you can replace your sodium loss. Don't expect to run at the same pace/effort in 80 degree weather as 50 degree weather.

Plan Ahead

Practice your race plan, and for the love of God, stick to it! I knew I would do best if I incorporated walking into every mile or so, yet I blasted through the first 10 miles with little to no walking. Stupid! Whatever your plan of attack is, practice it during your long runs and don't let ANYONE talk you out of it on race day.

Pace Yourself

For real, go easy on the first 13 miles. Hold back. You should feel like you're not trying hard enough. After the half marathoners finish and start their cocktail hour, THEN you put the pedal to the metal, with whatever energy you have left. There is no such thing as "time in the bank" during the first 13 miles. If you're ahead of your splits, that's time on your credit card that you'll have to pay back later... with interest.

Be Thankful

Every volunteer, medical staffer, and police officer deserves your gratitude- thank them for being out there.

How important is time?

To some, very important. Their finish time is everything. But think long and hard about how you're going to feel if you don't reach your desired time. Try setting non-time oriented goals (i.e. run strong, make a new friend, perfect fueling strategy, increase strides per minute, etc). Don't rely solely on the stopwatch to find your self-worth. After all, you never know when it won't be your day.

Respect the Distance

Don't assume you're a super hero and can leap over tall buildings without proper training (to some extent, I think I'm guilty of this). Yes, you can leap over the tall buildings, but you need to practice jumping. Never, ever, EVER underestimate the power of your long run. Always take it seriously.

Don't fear The Wall

It's just another way of saying "butt stinking tired." It's not the end of the world- you run through it. It sucks and you'll want to throw in the towel, but have faith that "this too shall pass." Relentless forward progression.

Go for the "F"

DNS= did not start, DNF= did not finish, DFL= dead last, TATT= too afraid to try, and F= finisher. Go for the F. Or the DFL (those placements usually make for better stories anyway).

What do you have to add?

I finally put up the medal hanger David got me for Christmas. I couldn't decide where to put it, but I finally wound up putting it on the wall next to my side of the bed. It's the first thing I see when I wake up.

I noticed the medal from the Gainesville marathon has a big "finisher" typed on the bottom. It made me realize that I didn't earn any of these medals based on my time (ha!), but rather from crossing the finish line. That's what it's all about.

all my pretties... (said in a creepy voice)

I'm slowly figuring this running thing out... one race at a time.

Five Points of Life Marathon Race Recap

I'm not really sure where to start or what exactly to say about the Five Points of Life Marathon this weekend. It was definitely not my day.

This isn't going to be my normal, upbeat recap, so if you'd rather not read, I understand. I'll save you the time and tell you now: I finished with an official time of 4:50:36.

Things started pretty good. I was looking forward to this race because it was small and familiar. There were 168 people that finished the full, but well over 600 people that ran the half. The marathon (orange bibs) and half marathon (blue bibs) started at the same time, but used different road lanes. Approximately 3.5 seconds after the gun went off, the halfers zoomed past us.

At the start- with smiles on our faces.

Let's break this race into two halves.

The First Half

I started out fast. Way too fast. There were rolling hills for the first 6-8 miles. In that time, I was passed left and right, by blue bib after blue bib. I started to hate the color blue. I felt strong, but I could tell the weather was not going to be on my side. It was in the 70's with upwards to 85% humidity. Even though it was overcast, I'm just not use to that kind of weather anymore since I moved out of Florida, and especially after doing all my 'winter' training in the Carolinas. My body never got the memo that it needed to start sweating. There were also some parts that were incredibly windy.

Around mile 7 (or 6? or maybe 8?) I saw David, my mom, and the fur kids. I told them I was tired. I had no idea.

I ended up running into a guy from last year's race, the one who encouraged me for the last three miles of the half marathon. I was busy trying not freak out about how tired I was already, and fight breathing cramps, so I didn't recognized him until he brought it up.

He congratulated me on moving to the marathon this year. He said, "friends don't let friends run half marathons." Those words are still haunting me.

We ran through sorority row, past the music buildings, through the stadium (my personal favorite: they had music and game commentary blasting), through the heart of campus, through fraternity row, past the bat house, and next to Lake Alice. If you'd like a more detailed description of the race, read last year's recap here.

I was starting to feel better, though I was slowing down a bit. I was on pace to finish in 4:20.

I saw my crew again around mile 12.

A brief visit with the "I feel good" feeling

At mile 13, half marathoners went one direction, while the crazy, masochistic, and psychologically unstable runners went the other direction.

I passed the half marathon split at about 2:12, which was faster than my time from last year's half.

The Second Half

I had been struggling since mile 6, but at this point it officially went to hell.

I let go of any hope that things would get better, that I would find a groove. I was definitely getting dehydrated. I was going back and forth being too warm and feeling goosebumps. My legs were tired, but surprisingly nothing hurt. My stomach wasn't upset, but I had bloating and cramps every time I ran. My mouth was so dry it was hard to take down Gu.

One of my Dad's good running buddies happened to be in Gainesville for the day (she ran the 100k Iron Horse Saturday and killed it, major kudos to her!). She was a life saver. She went back and forth between me and my dad on her bike (we were never more than a quarter mile apart, he was having some cramping/dehydration issues as well), encouraging us and giving us supplements.

Crossing the road at mile 20 with Kathleen.

When I told her my sweating problem, she immediately made me take some e-caps. When I ran out of fluid in my 70 oz camelbak, she biked up to the next aid station to request they fill me back up with ice water. She reminded me (commanded me?) to eat my Bloks and drink my Gatorade. When my walk breaks got too long, she reminded me to run. When I wanted to sit down and quit, she encouraged me to keep going. When I hit mile 25 and started crying because I was so tired and mentally shot, she told me to calm down and collect myself.

I don't know if you read this blog Kathleen, but thank you for being my marathon angel!

I also can't say how great the police officers and transportation officers were who were keeping the runners safe. At every single intersection, there was a cruiser and officer directing traffic. Nearly every single one of them cheered us on, telling us how great we looked (lies! all lies!).

The police officer stopping traffic for my dad to cross at mile 20.

There were also medical tents every few miles (I think they're more common in the south because of the heat/humidity), staffed by sports medicine students. Not only were they attentive to our needs, but they encouraged and cheered us on like we were the most important participant in the race.

It's hard to describe the physical and mental fatigue that you get when you 'hit the wall' in distance running. With this marathon, I felt like I was hitting some wall or another from miles 6 to 26. That's a long time to be in pain. That's a long time to fight. Somewhere toward the end, Kathleen said something that every runner has heard but can always be reminded of: Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.

At mile 20, I knew I wasn't going to meet even the slowest of my time goals. A few miles later, I didn't even know if I was going to be able to break 5 hours. It's funny how you can feel so great going into a race and then it can turn around and beat you up.

After I saw the flag for mile 26, I decided I was going to run to the finish. Come hell or high water, I wasn't going to walk anymore. Other runners and spectators were cheering for me as I rode the biggest wave of emotion to the finish mat.

These folks were cheering so loud it sounded like there were a 100 of them!

I didn't notice David or the dogs or the photographer or even the time clock. All I knew is I had just finished the biggest physical and mental battle of my life and tears were streaming down my face.

Clearly my "run happy" shirt did nothing ;)

I tried to smile as I crossed the finish line, but I'm sure it will turn out to be a freaky looking grimace.

My dad says I had a good day, not because I met my time goal or felt good, but because I fought through the pain and finished. He said I had a good race because I didn't give up.

In my head, I know he's right. But in my heart, I feel like I failed. I feel like I failed myself, my family, and you all- my readers.

Maybe this is really a reflection on my naivety. Perhaps I'm too new to running to really understand the accomplishment of fighting hard for something, even if it's not in the time you had hoped. Hopefully one day I'll understand.

Not to worry, I was smiling by the time we got 'home.' You can't really tell from the picture, but the race shirt is of the 34th Street Wall. And the medal is pretty awesome-sauce.

Official time: 4:50:36

Overall Place: 104/168

Overall Gender Place: 34/60

Age Group Place: 9/17

‎The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner. Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. I will persist until I succeed.

-Og Mandino

Marathon Number Two: Goals

I've been going back and forth between whether I want to set any time goals for the Gainesville Marathon on Sunday. On one hand, it seems ridiculous to go into a race without some kind of goal in mind. But on the other hand, I really haven't been training specifically for this race (just piggybacking off the 50k I did a few weeks ago).

I could go with my usual puppies-and-rainbows goal of "to feel strong and race happy," but I've gotten to know my race-self well enough to know that come Sunday morning at 7:00 AM, that ain't gonna be enough...

So in order of priority, here are my goals for Sunday:

A) Finish under 4:30:59

B) Finish under 4:35:59

C) Finish under 4:42:00

I'm sure everyone remembers how I did in Savannah (um, hello, why wouldn't you memorize my finish times?!), but just incase you don't, I finished in about 4:42. I took it really conservatively. After all, the marathon was a huge unknown for me. I ran the first .9 of every mile and then walked the last .1. This helped me keep a steady pace and I had enough gas in the tank to finish strong.

Aiming for 4:30 this time around seemed extreme until I broke the numbers down and really took a look at what that time meant. What's that, you say? You'd like a chart? Well, sure!

Doesn't look too daunting, right? I need to cut about 30 seconds off my pace per mile... I think it's manageable.

Hopefully the weather cooperates too. I've been stalking The Weather Channel and true to their nature, the weekend forecast has changed every single time I see it. We're now back to thunderstorms. Booo.

But alas, this is Florida after all.

We're about to pack up and hit the road. I'm very excited to get to see family and friends this weekend, and maybe ever more excited to run the streets of my "hometown" again - including a run through The Swamp! Go Gators!

Happy weekend everyone!

What are your plans?

Since this is dripping with Florida Gator pride (or the race recap will be) what's your favorite football team? I suppose NFL counts too...

Weekly Wrap Up

How is it time for a weekly wrap up already? The days seem to fly by, especially so the closer we get to marathon day!

I had a pretty quiet week, hence my lack of posting. Two weeks ago, I blasted everyone with posts almost daily. And this week? Yep... nadda.

Obviously the highlight of my week was my romp through the woods on the Appalachian Trail. Aside from that, I pretty much took it easy easier in attempt to taper.

Monday

2 mile walk

My Monday regular: a quick warm up on the treadmill (this time it was incline walking) before NROLFW 4A. I was pretty tired during this workout and dropped from 3 sets of each workout to 2. I did up the weights though, so maybe that had something to do with it.

2 miles / 24:00 / 13:05 pace

Tuesday

5 miles

For the first time in a while (er... ever?) I had truly negative splits for this run! It was pretty cold at the start and my legs were in need of a slow warm up mile. After things got cooking', the magic started happening (including an 8:30 final mile!) =)

5 miles / 46:01 / 9:12 pace

Wednesday

3.15 miles

Another warm up on the 'mill before NROLFW 4B.

3.15 miles / 29:00 / 9:11 pace

Thursday

rest

Friday

16 miles

Some outdoorsy fun in Northern Georgia on the A.T. Read more about it here.

Saturday

rest

(unless you count walking around being a tourist as miles in the bank...?)

Sunday

rest

I'm a little sore from Friday's hike, so I've been on the foam roller like it's my job. I'm planning on a few short 3 mile runs with Crazy Face this week to shake out the soreness and nerves before heading down to Florida on Friday. I'm also cooking up marathon goals for Sunday and hope to post them soon.

Using one word, tell me about your training last week!

Ok, ok, you can use more than one word ;)

16 miles through the Appalachian Trail

This weekend we headed down to northern Georgia for a mountain getaway. We're sharing a cabin with my parents and some family friends. Yesterday we hiked about 16 miles of the Appalachian Trail from Unicoi Gap (elevation about 3,000 feet), through Trey Mountain (4,430 ft) to Dick's Creek Gap (2,650 ft).

I made the venture with my Dad and his running buddy (the same one who did the Grand Canyon crossing with us). It was a chilly 20-something at the start of our hike.

According to my nifty Garmin, there was a total elevation gain and loss of about 5,500 feet- yowsa!

Was this the smartest thing to do the week before my marathon? Nah... probably not. But hey, you only live once, right? And how was I suppose to pass up a run on the Appalachian Trail?

And especially with these kinds of views. The Smokies truly are beautiful mountains.

It took us about 6 hours from start to finish, but we stopped a handful of times including once for lunch. For the most part, it was way too cold to stop for too long! At one point, we even saw some snow flurries!

Now I'm hoping my legs will recover quickly enough for the Gainesville marathon next week. Time to hop into the hot tub (no matter that it's about 25 degrees, right?) for some muscle recovery =)

Have you ever been on the Appalachian Trail?

Monday, Monday

... can't trust that day.

We all know Daily Mile thinks the week starts on a Monday, even though my good sense tells me Sunday is the start of the week. But since DM keeps track of my miles, I guess I'll consider Sunday as the end of the running week. Thus... my week in review.

Monday

2 mile run

A quick warm up before an NROLFW session.

2 miles/ 19:00 / 9:30 pace

Tuesday

6 mile run

I took advantage of the gorgeous weather for an afternoon run. I also laughed my face off giving Crazy Face cooked spaghetti noodles. Hooray for ditching the e-collar!

6 miles / 56:20 / 9:22 pace

Wednesday

5 miles

Cold, rainy weather chased me right to the gym. Maybe it was something about the treadmill that inspired my vegetarian/clean eating post?

5 miles /47:34 / 9:22 pace

Thursday

7.38 miles

6 miles

...hooray for a twofer! In the morning I busted out a little run. I sat on my butt all day and then ran the trails in the dark with my new running group. It didn't matter that I was tired and wanted to walk, unless I wanted to spend the night out there I had to keep up!

7.38 miles / 1:05:52 / 8:55 pace

6 miles / 59:06 / 9:55 pace

Friday

rest

Saturday

5 miles

Drove up to B.F.E. Salisbury for a rainy 8k race that turned out to be as good as puppies and rainbows!

5 miles / 42:38 / 8:30 pace

Sunday

7 miles

I'll admit it, I just wanted to see my DM ticker hit 40 miles for the week, so I went out for 7 miles. In all seriousness, it was better than puppies and rainbows- I felt like I could run forever. Best.Feeling.Ever.

7 miles /1:04:15 / 9:11 pace

Total miles: 40!!

I must admit, it's somewhat surreal to see my pace for all my runs in the 9's, a few even in the 8's! It still feels like my paces are a fluke, like I just had some really good runs and I'll go out tomorrow and be back to my 'normal' pace.

Maybe it's time I move on from calling myself a slow runner, but I'm certainly not ready to call myself fast. Is there such thing as a moderato runner?

How was your training week?

How do you label yourself?

Can you name that song?

Salisbury Winter Flight 8k

Yesterday morning I braved the cold, rainy weather and drove up to Salisbury, NC for the 29th Annual Winter Flight 8k. According to their website, this is the oldest 8k in the state. The 10:00 AM start time allowed me a late race morning start. I drove up to Mooresville to meet a friend and we drove through cow field after cow field to get us to Salisbury (which is still kind of in a cow field).

(Side story: I thought this race was in Charlotte. Imagine my surprise when I found out it was an 60+ minute drive! whoops!)

The race started and finished at Catawba College, who so graciously offered their facilities for our use (toilets, gym, heating, etc). The race also had some great sponsors, which allowed 100% of the proceeds to benefit... whatever organization the race was supporting (I'm not really sure which organization that would be).

The temps were in the low 40s and there was a steady drizzle/light rain that blessed the course for the entire 4.97 miles. We snagged a parking spot on prime real estate and were able to sit in the warm car right up until the start.

I seem to remember during the Resolution Half declaring that I would only participate in races that were further south or east of Charlotte (read: less hilly). This race was neither south nor east and the hills were vengeful. In fact, each mile seemed to have a significant climb.

Of course, it's also possible that I'm being a pansy and the hills weren't that bad.

Through the rain and through the hills, I was able to keep a sub 9 minute pace to finish with an unofficial time of 42:37 (the last 8k I ran was in 2009 with a time of 52:37!). Aside from wanting to collapse once or twice, I ran pretty strong and am quite pleased with my time =)

It was also good enough to snag 3rd place in my age group.

Post race refreshments were served right out of the concessions stand. Water, Cheer Wine (holla!), cookies, candy, bananas, and protein bars were abundant. And, let's not forget, the awesome long sleeve technical tee that every runner got.

Overall the race was pretty successful and very well run. But then again, when it's your 29th time, you'd think all the kinks would be worked out. Great job, Rowan county runners!

Month in Review

A post FOUR days in a row... who am I?!?!

In all honesty, I was a little nervous posting about vegetarianism last night. I wasn't sure what kind of reaction I would get, but based on my past interactions with non vegetarians, I was bracing for a storm. Buuuuut, you guys are all just so nice and supportive! (or maybe the post hasn't been 'live' long enough to elicit responses of varying opinions)

This morning I got out for what I intended on being an 'easy 7 miles.' For me, 'easy' usually means somewhere between a 10-11 minute pace. I ran comfortably and walked when I felt I needed to (and up those darn heeeeaaaaals!) and covered almost 7.4 miles in 65 minutes! That's certainly not 'taking it easy,' is it?

Maybe I need to start raising my standards for my pace... after all, I can't run faster unless I... well, run faster. (I know, I know, you come to my blog to have your intellectual mind blown!)

This evening I headed up north to join my new running friends for a trail run. I figured a twofer might do me some good, and what better way to get your butt in gear than to run with other people? We started out at 5:30 and headed into the woods for some hilly fun. Eventually I found myself running with two guys, the sun had disappeared, and I was so turned around I had no idea which way was up. This was the scene:

Since I didn't want to spend the night in the woods, I had no choice but to keep up. And I couldn't let two guys do me in (although I'm sure they were slowing down for me). We finished up 6 miles in just under 60 minutes. I came to be pushed and I was not disappointed!

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Anyway... this post I get to talk about the first month of the year- January '12! I ran a total of 110 miles last month, as compared to about 75 miles in January '11.

Last January I struggled nearly every run to even get out the door, this January I don't think I had one 'bad' run (aka an "I don't wanna" run).

This January, my longest run was 32 miles. Last January, my longest run capped at 13.1 miles and I would have told you that you were certifiably INSANE if you said I'd be running a marathon plus... (my how times change)

While I haven't officially accomplished anything on my New Year's Goals, I'm getting closer =)

How was your January?

How are your New Year's Resolutions/Goals going?

Have you been having "I don't wanna" runs lately?

The Cost of Eating Responsibly

When people ask me why I'm a vegetarian, I brace myself for their scornful looks, disapproving remarks, and blatant rolling of eyes.

Likewise I'm sure, meat-eaters probably feel like they're in a constant state of scrutiny and judgement by those who refrain from eating meat or animal products.

So let's all be honest: this is a sensitive topic for both parties involved. With that being said, I'm going to do my best to be respectful toward people from both sides.

So why am I vegetarian? This might surprise a few people. Simply put, I'm a vegetarian because I don't agree with the way animals are treated and killed. It's not that I think eating meat is morally wrong. On the contrary, I feel animals were put on this Earth for both our enjoyment and sustenance. But I'm thoroughly disgusted by the inhumane treatment of many animals that make their way into our supermarket and therefore choose to refrain from purchasing and eating these products.

If you are an animal lover, I strongly encourage you to do some serious thinking and research into this topic (I have no intention of going into detail about it here). Make an educated opinion, not an ignorant one.

Animal by-products carry a similar weight on my conscience. Products that require the animal to give up its life are off limits for me (marshmallows and many candies that contain gelatin or lecithin are not vegetarian). Products like eggs and milk, on the other hand, are a different story.

Cows produce milk naturally. Chickens have to lay eggs. I'm not harming the animal by consuming these products. I am harming these animals if I choose to support farms that inhumanely obtain these products from said animals (not to mention the living conditions).

I've been doing a lot of thinking lately as to the cost of eating responsibly. Please notice, I did NOT say eating healthy. I am NOT telling you to not eat meat. As an animal lover, I feel I have an obligation to research and support only the farms that do no harm to the animals that give us our food.

Recently, I found out that Earth Fare distributes eggs that are from a family owned and operated farm right here in North Carolina: Latta Family Farm. The hens are free range, eat a vegetarian diet (important if you're going to eat them or their eggs), and are antibiotic free (meaning their living conditions aren't so horrendous they require antibiotics to stay healthy).

The cost for a dozen eggs is a little more than what Wal-Mart sells them for, but the peace of mind is worth it to me.

Next up, I've been thinking about our milk consumption. The price of a gallon of milk is already high, and drinking that 'fancy' organic milk is even higher (upwards to $5+ per gallon). I stood in front of the dairy section, having an internal debate about whether or not the cost of animal welfare is really worth the price tag that comes along with it.

And just like that, I snapped out of it. Of course it's worth it. Not only is it worth it for the peace of mind that I'm not harming the animal, but that I'm also getting a product that isn't heavily laden with chemicals, hormones, or drugs.

I think the world has been going about buying groceries all wrong. What if the cost of healthy living and responsible eating isn't expensive, what if the price tag of eating processed foods, boxed dinners, and ill-treated animal products is too low? Think about it.

Furthermore, how dare I complain about the cost of buying organic food when I have a $4 Starbucks latte in my hand!

If you eat meat or dairy products, you have a responsibility to make an informed, intelligent decision. The next time you're at the grocery store about to reach for that carton of eggs or the ground chuck, think about how it got there.

That's my two cents. What's yours?