NaBloPoMo-You just opened your own restaurant, what are your featured menu items?

Hmmmm...my own restaurant? ? ? It would definetely have to carry my favorite food items. Which in result would make it a menu with much variety. It would have to have Pizza, Chicken, Panang Curry w/ Chicken (not even sure if that's spelled correctly) Steak, ohhhh and of course Potatoes! I'm sure there'd be other foods too that I can't think of right now. I'd really rather just open a bar tho. Cuz then there'd be all kinds of delicious (tho not healthy) bar food to eat! :)

NaBloPoMo-What do you think your calling in life was/is?

A little nervous that all the topics are gonna be this intense. I've really been pondering this question/topic since I saw it. I'm gonna have to continue thinking about it and then get back to it soon. Sorry followers!

National Blogger Post Month aka NaBloPoMo

This month I am participating in a Blog a day challenge! November is National Novel Writers month but since I don't write novels...I joined a group of bloggers who participate in writing a blog per day this month instead. Each day a new topic to write about is offered to encourage us to write a post a day. So if ya see the NaBloPoMo...you'll have the heads up that, that post is the topic of the day. :)

I'm baaaaaaaack!

So, as it says...I'm baaaack! I needed the down time/recovery time. My left ankle is still quite tender from the Marathon. It was a mess, but each day it does seem to get better, I have a great day where it doesn't give me any trouble at all, but then I spend some over extended time on it and I swear I degress with it. Regardless, I am making plans to get back into the swing of things no later than Nov. 1! I'll just be nursing it along throughout. Anyways...that's where I'm at. Looking forward to getting back into running and even more so looking forward to eating better and healthier so I can pull this weight off of me the right way this time around.

Race Course

10-10-10! WELL....I FINISHED WHAT I STARTED! :)

A little over 5 months ago I promised myself I would do the Chicago Marathon on 10-10-10 and I did it! Oh what a day it was! It began super early. I was up and out of the house by 3am to be in the city parked and ready to go by 4am as planned. The coach and I headed to the START then only to learn that we could not go down certain streets and had to re-navigate our route to the START. At this point we had already added an extra mile onto our day but we finally got to the START LINE and began at 4:25 a.m. I was so excited to see the first mile marker. It was all so real now! Only 25 more to go! I got this. Met many volunteers out there on the streets setting up the water/gatorade stations...all were so confused on why participants were coming through already. Many would make silly comments that we were cheating but I obviously wasnt in this event for the win or the money...well not completely true on the win..I was in it to win it for me. To know that I could do it! So, we kept trucking along with only the street lights to light the path so that I could occasionally look to the map to reassure myself that I was following the set course. So, up through the Lincoln Park Zoo, through the northside neighborhoods we went passing miles 2-8. I'd always shout right away .. there's mile 2, then 3 etc. etc. Timing was going well, the sun was starting to rise finally. (pic taken @ 6:45am)

I felt ok, my stomach was a little sensitive, not sure if it was nerves from the event, or if it was from something I ate the night before or both. Who knows!
So, thank goodness there were portajohns. Not to mention a 7 eleven for me to stop into on Broadway (or maybe it was Clark street at that point) for a banana in hopes it would help. Which it did! Then, back down from the northside to the loop I went. I loved seeing the party that the volunteers were having already on the streets (which was super amazing seeing as many of them were out there as early as 6am) and they were seriously rocking it out! Dancing, singing, clapping, trust me ... the music was rocking out loud (so sweet!) As I rolled through Boystown there were many awesome costumes worn by a number of the volunteers. Alot of drag going on as well. And I really think the volunteer station theme in boystown was SUPERMAN seeing as they all wore a SUPERMAN symbol on their shirts. The streets were slowly becoming filled with spectators, they had already been blocked off...seeing as I saw many of Chicago's finest 5-0's blocking off any possible street that a car could travel; to get onto the course route. Down into the loop I went conquering miles 8 thru 12.

I remember hitting mile 11 and thinking I can do this... even tho I started feeling the first blister on my right foot had formed. Somewhere around this point too there was a course official who was the one of the bikers who rode the course ahead of the elite runners. The official rode over to me and told me I needed to move to the sidewalk that the runners were coming through. Normally I'm a pretty passive person who woulda been like ok sorry! Not today, I looked the boy right in the eye...(and yes he was a boy..maybe barely 21 yrs old) and pointed to my bib and told him..." I'm a participant too! that i wasn't moving off the street!" His reply...oh ok! I know he was doing his job...but I deserved to be there. Espcly after being out there since 430am and completing 11 miles..I wasn't going anywhere but straight ahead!

So on I went down to Adams eventually Passing Old St. Pat's and then on I went again awaaaaays out west to Damen Ave. Man! Damen Ave was way further away then I had remembered. The hard part then was not only the blister...but I knew the streets..I was too familiar with knowing that I'd hit Canal, Halsted, Throop, Loomis, Racine, Ashland, and finalllly Damen(and those were just the bigger street names). But before doing that I hit the 13.1...I was finally half way...but then the blister on the left foot set in as well! I could barely walk now bc every time I tried to push it harder to move faster and keep going..i'd end up stepping wrong and the blister would roll in my shoe and just become extremely uncomfortable. Shortly after that I began getting this sharp pain on top of my left ankle. My first thought was yeah that my foot had swelled and that maybe my sock was too tight now. So, i got over to the curb and rub it out. That'd help a little but then I thought maybe the shoe was too tight. So again, I got to the curb and loosened up the shoe. That helped a little as well but then it returned. Still just thought I got to move forward but I could feel I was slowing down. I definetly had lost my pace timing! :( But, I didn't give up...just kept at it. So by miles 11 on for sure the streets had become completely filled with spectators lining the sidewalks, and they were cheering people on. They were cheering me on! It was so awesome! My coach had suggested that I put my name across the front of my shirt so that people would know who I was so they could cheer me on....Complete strangers cheering me on! So in my world...the SPECTATORS ROCKED! When I was having a mind battle that I couldn't go any further...I'd hear someone shout "Keep it up Kerri ..ur doing great!", or "Its just a battle of your mind!, you've got this!" the spectators would shout what mile was coming up and how much further ya had to go. They were seriously absolutely amazing and definetly are an important part of the event. I'd see signs that many of them had made too...some of my fav's throughout were the ones that read "Free Beer Ahead!". Any year that I am not participating in the Marathon....I want to be there to support all of the future runners on their Marathon experience because without those millions of people....I know I woulda lost my mind battle and gave up!
So after finally reaching Damen Ave it was back east to Halsted.

These miles were getting tougher and tougher but I knew I had people ahead that gave up their day and their time to see me out there and I couldn't not see them. Because trust me I could think of a number of reasons as to why I should and could quit...but deep deep deeep deeeep deeeep down I just couldn't. Really wanted to tho! I did have my phone on me and occasionally when I would step to the side to rub out my left ankle bc it still was incredibly sore. (I could feel this non stop sharp pain in it...and still had no clue how to make it go away!) So anyways, occasionally I would glance at my phone and would see some texts that came through of people cheering me on from afar. One's saying "go kerri, go!" , one that came through from Alek (the 11 yr old I mentioned in an earlier post) that said "Keep on running, I know you can conquer this race!" I nearly broke into tears at that moment..this kid believed in me...why couldn't i believe in me! (He's obviously good at getting in my head and making it count when it needs too! Thank you again Alek! I couldn't be a quitter now...no matter how much it hurt. Why was I sooo weak....so I bucked up and kept going! Later that night, I texted Alek back and thanked him..bc his text was exactly what I needed at that moment to push through. So, on I went knowing that somewhere ahead I would see family and friends! :) I knew I had to get back to Halsted and Jackson...Jill lived right there and I may see her. (she's been a great supporter throughout it all too.) Unfortunately I didn't get to..but that's ok. It was what I needed to strive for so that I could keep going ahead. It was right after that at mile 17 that I got to see my sister Col..and she brought me water like I had asked the night before. Even though there was water out there all day...I needed more..It was sooooo HOT out! The bottle I had on me was just about gone and with the water out there being kinda far spread out I needed to have that one on me as well!

Col snapped a couple of pics of me...Harassed me that she was walking faster than me at that point! Brat! LOl! obviously anyone would be that hadn't done 17 previous miles! :) Then we parted an on I went...only 9 miles to go right...doesn't sound that bad..i've done 9 miles before...but I didn't have the blisters or the pain in the left ankle those days. Didn't really matter tho...there was still so much more to see..which by the way...the Chicago Marathon is an amazing way to take a tour of the Beautiful City we live in! It really could not have been a more amazing experience...beautiful weather in a beautiful city...with amazing people! Onto miles 17 thur 20 as they too were difficult...same symptoms...but I was hoping around 20 i'd see some more of my people. The route from there was to take Taylor street to Ashland and then down to 18 the street where I would return back to Halsted. 18th was another party street! There were DJ's out on the sidewalks...ROCKING OUT some upbeat music..it was like a parade party the whole way back east. Pilsen and 18th street was truly one of my fav parts of the Marathon even tho I was ready to call it a day! So back east I headed from Ashland Right around mile 19 tho this kid..and yes a kid (maybe 14 or 15)...his name was Kwan (i think that's how it's spelled) stopped next to me and started walking along side of me. Just before he did I was having another fit in my head that I couldn't take it anymore..I knew if I called my mom she'd make my brother come get me and it'd all be over! But, still I didn't want to quit. Well, Kwan started talking to me...he walked along side of me distracting me from my own thoughts. The supporters were still shouting out to me..and it was great but you still get caught up in your own thoughts sometimes! Anyways, he proceeded to tell me this was his first marathon. He was running with other runners from his schools' team and that he was struggling too. He said he was in a pain and I offered him the last of my water so that he could take it with a pain killer. He was exactly what I needed to make it around the corner to get to that mile 20 where I just kept hoping I'd see another familiar face. Kwan was one of the many runners out there that gave me kinds words to keep moving forward! There truly were so many that would be walking or running by and would pat me on my shoulder and say "Keep it up Hannan...you're doing Great!" I'm tellin ya...the runners world are phenominal people...it has got to be one of the most friendly sports! :)

Turns out my cousins, Marcy, Jess and Liz (w/tommy) were out there waiting for me. Marcy had been trying to track me down all day which I hadnt known until I saw her. So, Marcy and Jess jumped in do some miles with me! Thank Goodness! bc it really helped to take my mind off of what I was doing! My advice to any future Marathoners....have people meet you at miles to do them with you! It makes moving forward easier! So east through Bridgeport we trekked right into Chinatown where I would see my Mom and Lil Bro Patrick! :)

They too had brought me water! At this point, the water was being poured on my head by me and then I would also drink part of it! Chinatown was another party street! Many spectators and people dancing around in costumes...absolutely amazing! Down wentworth I went as I would meet up with my older bro Tommy & Jodi, and Baby Tommy, Lizzy and Luke. Yes Baby Luke was there to see me at only 3 days old! Seeing them made my day...my bro snapped a pic of me with them but it seems it didn't save...but they were there and had waited for me to arrive! Soooo Cool!

By this time, I was finally on my way to mile 23. I knew I wasn't going to quit now..I had completed 23 miles, there was no turning back! Obviously! There was no calling mommy to come save me! I had to do it! I could do it! It'd hurt...but I'd heal! The reward for finishing would be way better than facing myself in the mirror the next day...when id have to admit I was so close and couldn't do it! Not to mention facing all the supporters and having to repeat over and over that I had failed myself! I know people are understanding and they would totally sympathize with me! As am I ... but I wouldn't have forgiven myself for coming so far and quitting! That's what I'm trying to get at! I didn't want sympathy...I wanted success and to prove to myself that I could keep the committment I had made to myself so many months before! I believed I could do this!

So onto mile 24 Marcy, Jess and I went and Thank Goodness again they were out there with me ... to support me and to keep me distracted from what I was actually doing! :) Just before mile 24..there was a music schools marching band! They were pretty darn sweet too! Marcy suggested that they should follow us the rest of the way...I agreed but feared they'd catch up to me and eventually pass me. Bc at this point...I was told I was moving forward but I sure didn't feel like I was. My lil chubby legs could barely move one in front of the other...the pain in the ankle had gotten sharper, much worse than from when it began back at mile 13. Ever since then I was constantly stopping off to the side to rub it out and try to keep going ... at one point I had Marcy rip the sock in hopes that it would relieve and pressure on my foot. That's when I realized that wasn't the problem...bc that didnt work at all! Just pass mile 24 tho I would see Justin (Marcy's son) and Maggie (Jess's sis) they were working one of the volunteer stations for their school. I had known that the week before too so all along I knew I had to make it to see them too! So finally I was there on Michigan Ave...I knew it was the home stretch of the miles...didn't make it too much easier but it did give me light at the end of the tunnel. I parted from Marcy, Jess and Liz around 29th ave...I knew I had to get to 1200 S. (Which is Roosevelt Street) I still had 17 CITY blocks to go! All suburbanites(i grew up in the burbs) make CITY block references bc their so darn long! lol! Not soooo funny anymore! :) The Chicago Firehouse Rest was near mile 25 I knew I just had to get there next bc that's where my Mom and lil Bro were meeting me and possibly my aunt, and cousins....baby steps, baby steps! I could do this...I knew at that point I'd never make it back to the finish before the allowed 6:30:59 timing..it sucked! but at this point...what did it matter. I did it! I wasn't there yet...but I would be soon.

Again, I remember stopping and rubbing out my left ankle and I stopped to look at my phone again. There was a message from my friend Sarah.."Keep it up friend, you're doing great!" and then another one "You're almost there, We're right by Roosevelt Hill and you're closin in! :) go, go, go!" I knew I had to pass the firehouse now...even tho I knew that was where my car was and if I had to call it a day due to physical inability..I would there...but not anymore..there were more people waiting to see me closer to the finish line! The spectator numbers had dropped but there were still people out there pushing you on...it was great! Finally, I reached the firehouse. I saw my Mom :) my lil Bro :) and then....my Aunt Mars, my Cousin Meg and Lil Peanut (cousin Kel). YEY! they came out too...I gotta do this! These people have been waiting for me, theyve been rooting me on all along, all today! I can't quit..the adrenaline kicked in and I kept at it. My aunt says then "hey we're gonna jump in and finish with you!" I said come on...and they did. Unfortunately, they were asked to leave the course just before turning onto Roosevelt hill. Oh yea...best part of my aunt jumping in...was when she did...she took off like a bat out of hell. I leaned into my cousin and said.."why is she going so fast?!" we all just laughed but I couldn't keep up with her! Well, here I was...only 2 blocks to go! I made the turn after parting with the fam and I look ahead and I see Sarah and Kristin. I made my way to left so I could high five them and keep going. I had to get there so this pain could stop (cuz I really thought once I got there it'd all be over! lol!) I finally made it to them, while still hearing so many supporters cheer me on! You got this kerri, great work today! and so on, and so on! Lots of Go Kerri, Go Kerri! :) So awesome! I high fived the girls, thanked them from coming and kept moving forward! Then I noticed another familiar face! My cousin Dan and his wife Debbie were there! I had held back the tears for a number of miles now and hear I was faced with another outburst. I gave them both a hug and a kiss, wiped the tears and moved on! So many people stilllll cheering! Go Kerri, Go Kerri, Go Kerri! Ay I was a mess now...the tears of joy...words cannot even begin to express how great I felt for I was about to finish! I turned that final corner...had maybe half a block to go and I see Marcy, Jess, Liz and Tommy again! They had returned to the finish line to see me cross!

That's me in the red crossing the finish line! YAY!
OMG ... my family and friends are the most amazing people in the world! I also heard from many people that they had saw me out there even tho I didn't get to see them. My mom's friend Pat texted her when she saw me, my friend Heather was out there and saw me and was cheering me on and my cousin Colleen her husband Don was out there and saw me too and was cheering me on. There were many times I'd here my name and not know where it was coming from...SO TO ALL OF U TOO...THANK YOU SOO MUCH!
On 10-10-10 I crossed the finish line in just under 10 hours..(yes...probably the worlds slowest Marathoner) but I did it and noone can take that away from me! And yes, I would do it again in a heartbeat....Well just as soon as I heal properly and train more! I wanted out of the blocked off area tho! I never heard the announcers say to keep going to the end of the block to claim my medal.(So, I am still working on obtaining that!) I wanted and needed to get back to different shoes, to my car and to get the heck off of my feet! Once I found an exit, I walked through and pulled out the phone again. I saw another message that had come in from my friend Jackie saying that she & her sister Cynthia were out there at the finish line looking for me! I couldn't go meet them but sent them to meet me back at the firehouse where I would come back and celebrate the finish! The after party for the Special Children's Charity was held at the firehouse restaurant .... when I finally returned I was greeted by Susan the lead gal for this fundraiser...she's another amazing gal who has been a huge part of my fundraising efforts and has made the experience a joy to be a part of for such an amazing charity. So, I hadn't mentioned the coach in a while, she had returned much earlier than I when I did finally make it back to the car/firehouse she was leaving ... COACH...thanks for all of the support and training days, and tips and just everything throughout...wouldn't have been successful without ya! So, this is just another milestone in the journey I set out to do 5 months ago! People have already said I am crazy for saying I'd do it again! But, I will. I learned so much about myself today and what i am capable of! It did hurt! But, well worth it! and yes I am looking forward to starting to train again for next years .... just as soon as i heal...more on that too come! There may things I realized I left out! So if you're a follower....stay tuned...there will be more to come! Thanks again to you all! Peace!

IT'S HEEEEEEERE! 10-10-10

WOW HOW TIME FLIES......WOULD LOVE TO STAY UP AND BLOG ABOUT ALL THAT'S HAPPENED OVER THE LAST COUPLE OF DAYS...BUT I REALLY NEED TO GET TO BED FOR TOMORROW! I'LL FILL Y'ALL IN THIS WEEK! I PROMISE! :) TO THOSE I SEE OUT THERE TOMORROW...THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY LIVES TO COME CHEER ME ON! TO THOSE THAT CAN'T MAKE IT...YOU KNOW I UNDERSTAND! :) I KNOW I'M IN YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY! LOVE YOU ALL! SEE YA AT THE FINISH LINE! PEACE!

Congrats! Tom, Jodi, Tommy & Lizzy!

Just wanted to share that my niece & nephew welcomed their new baby brother Lucas this morning! I can't wait to meet the newest addition to the Hannan Clan!

Ay the commercials! Make em stop! LOL!

I can't even watch tv to avoid thinking about the Marathon! Uggh! LOL!
It's all I think about lately! I dream it, I think about it all day and then
dream about it again when I finally dose off from thinking about it! LOL!
It's exhausting though! So, I really just can't wait til it's here and it's done
and I finally get to celebrate it! Seriously though, there's a ton of commercials
lately advertising it as well as a constant reminder when I watch the news.....bc they keep talking about the expected weather for that day! Which btw...is supposed to be in the 70's, Sunny and possibly no rain til later in the day! YEEEEEEEEY!

Pedi Sunday!

Sooooo....I discovered today when I went for the Pedi Sunday special that I have 2 toenails that pretty much are ready to fall off. They had to be glued to my skin to keep them on! That really freaks me out! Toenails should not fall off! It's just not right! It's not painful by any means...it just feels weird. I can feel that they are barely hanging on!

Trinity's Alumni 5K Troll Trot! "Trolls are Real!"

On Sat some of my very gracious supporters joined me for the 5K Troll Trot in Palos Hts. We were quite lucky out there bc on Sat it rained where I'm from and when I left to meet up with them that morning I was very nervous that it was raining there. And even though I enjoy running in the rain, it was cold outside already and then being wet on top of that...just didn't sound like fun to me. However, when I arrived at Trinity it was sunny out. Still kinda cold but I knew once we got going that I would no longer have that chill in my bones! :) Let me introduce my fellow Troll Trotters.

On the left is Zack Z., then Momma Z (aka Kim), Alek Z. and me!
Daddy Z. joined us too! This crew has been among the many big supporters of mine since I announced that I was going to participate in this years Marathon back in April or was it May (man how time flies). I remember Alek telling me the one day when I said..."oh man I still gotta go do my miles tonight...I'm soooo tired!" all he had to say was "YOU JUST GOTTA GO DO IT KERRI!" and I was speechless. This lil guy just put me in my place....it was refreshening, he meant it & it truly was sincere! Plus, I really just needed to go do it! I knew once I got it in I'd feel better about the day...so that's what I did...Afterall, the 10 yr old (then) told me I had to! I told him thank you back then! but just wanted to say THANK YOU again Alek!
Alek also said to tell everyone on my blog that we came in first place on Sat. So world....we came in 1st place at the Troll Trot! (even tho we didn't!) sorry A! It's ok that we didn't...we had fun! There will be plenty of more races for us to come in first in....especially for you guys since your just getting into cross country and track now! You'll see many a first places in your future! For me right now...it's just about finishing the race! :0) Great work out there though! Way to stay positive and have fun while doing so!
Overall, the 5K went well and I was glad to have the crew out there going it with me! so THANK YOU GUYS FOR COMING OUT AND DOING IT WITH ME!

All I have to say is that TROLLS ARE REAL!

Fri night Hot Yoga (Bootcamp class btw!) Eeeeek!

I think the title says it all! Fri night (tonight) was my return to Hot Yoga. I hadn't been to a class in over two years. Jill and I went together. She's a pro at hot yoga btw! I remember how hard yoga was for me two yrs back..and it was no easier tonight!Though I did make it through it! and much like anything I know it's a process that one I have to get used to again and two I have to practice it to get better at it. This place cranks the heat up to 105 degrees. It was a bootcamp class (& it felt like every bit of one!). The instructor was really cool tho. He saw that I was struggling with alot of the moves and would come suggest some other ways for me to do them (until I could do them the correct way). That was super nice!
Also while doing some of the yoga moves or better known as poses I learned just how bad my pulled hamstring is right now. It's not a good feeling, I really think that I pulled it the day of the 20 miler when I got the blister. I think I over compensated on the one leg trying to avoid hurting my blister or foot for that matter any further and in result I strained that leg and pulled the hamstring at the same time. It will heal...I just hope it will by next Sun.
So, like I said I did survive hot yoga! It actually felt great afterwards but then the next 2 days I could totally feel the workout! aka BOOTCAMP. Let's just say....

OK...so EVENTUALLY....I will LOVE hot yoga!

MARATHON DAY PLANNING!

Hey there! Anyone that's interested in doing some miles with me on 10-10-10 shoot me an email and let me know! This is where I'll be and approximately when! (Give or take let's say 10 mins before or after the listed time) :) I will have to complete the final 2.2 miles solo....tho I would love to see faces at the finish line as well! :0)
Copy and paste this link in your browser for a printable map of the course: http://www.chicagomarathon.com/CMS400Min/uploadedFiles/Chicago_Marathon/Runner_Information/10_CM_Map_FINAL.pdf
SPLIT/ ELAPSED TIME/ Approximate Arrival TIME @ EA. MILE MARKER

1 mile 20:36 4:35 A.M.

2 miles 41:11 4:55 A.M.

3 miles 1:01:47 5:15 A.M.

4 miles 1:22:23 5:35 A.M.

5 miles 1:42:59 5:55 A.M.

6 miles 2:03:34 6:15 A.M.

7 miles 2:24:10 6:35 A.M.

8 miles 2:44:46 6:55 A.M.

9 miles 3:05:22 7:15 A.M.

10 miles 3:25:57 7:35 A.M.

11 miles 3:46:33 7:55 A.M.

12 miles 4:07:09 8:15 A.M.

13 miles 4:27:45 8:35 A.M.

14 miles 4:48:20 8:55 A.M.

15 miles 5:08:56 9:15 A.M.

16 miles 5:29:32 9:35 A.M.

17 miles 5:50:08 9:55 A.M.

18 miles 6:10:43 10:15 A.M.

19 miles 6:31:19 10:35 A.M.

20 miles 6:51:55 10:55 A.M.

21 miles 7:12:31 11:15 A.M.

22 miles 7:33:06 11:35 A.M.

23 miles 7:53:42 11:55 A.M.

24 miles 8:14:18 12:15 P.M.

25 miles 8:34:54 12:35 P.M.

26 miles 8:55:29 12:55 P.M.

26.219 miles 9:00:00 1:00 P.M.

Sept. 25, 2010 - 22 mile day (not so much!)

This past Sat was supposed to be a 22 mile training day! However, I just wasn't feeling it...I did go out and train but 22 miles wasn't gonna happen. I had been fighting a bad cold the week prior which definetly carried on into the weekend. Sat the coach and I did park our cars at two different spots along Rubio and Yankee Woods. Packed up the 2 coolers again and set out to do our miles. I finally called it quits around mile 13 for the day (which is nearly half a marathon :) lol!) I'd say by mile 9 I could feel I had already had enough training for the day and started feeling the wrath of the cold creeping back on me so by mile 13 I knew I was good to call it a day plus a stream of events were occuring so I had to call it a day anyways.
PAWS 8K was on Sun as well so miles would get in then too....just not consecutive miles! My puppy was supposed to join me in the 4K but last minute I let him go with my sister to the cottage. I'm sure he had more fun up there anyways!

CRAZY MARATHON DREAMS!

Wow...so over the past few weeks since I've completed the Oak Brook Half Marathon I keep having these dreams about the Marathon. Basically the evening before I have these dreams; I find myself not getting any sleep because I am lyingg there freaking out about the miles I have to do that next day and how I am going to get them all in, and in a decent allowed amount of time. The week following the 20 miler has been my worse week of dreams yet.....wait these are more like nightmares! I made horrible timing for the 20 miler...I could think of many elements that may have caused this...but realistically that doesn't make a difference. Any of these elements can arise come Marathon Day and I won't have control over them either. The only thing I can/will have control over is finishing the event! So, anyways...just thought I'd share that I've had extreme nightmares and many restless evenings of fear that that I will be struggling to finish come Marathon day! I just hope too at this point that I can actually get a good nights rest the night before the Marathon!

20miler....RAIN OR SHINE!

THIS WAS OUR "THUNDER BLUE" TEK SHIRT! (it got named that due to the thunderstorm that occured during the run)
The 20miler in Elk Grove Village was this past Saturday. (9/18/2010) What an experience! Let me start at the beginning of the day......I was up and out of the house by 3:45am on Sat. I also had worked a Candy Drive/Fundraiser which was a cool thing to be a part of also on Fri. (However, being on my feet ... in flip flops (totally my own fault) the day before I have to do 20 miles...wasn't exactly my brighest idea) LOL! My legs were already swollen before even getting out to Busse Woods! Didn't matter though...I had miles to get in! So, back to 345am, left the house and arrived in Elk Grove by 5am. Yey...for once I was on time....better yet I was ahead of time. It was dark out there so I struggled finding exactly what grove I needed to be at .. but regardless figured it out by 5:15am. The plan was that the coach and I would meet there by 5:45, check in & then begin the event at 6am. It never fails though...something always holds us up. This day it was that the event wasn't ready to check people in on time plus they couldn't find my shirt. I waited around for a bit...but eventually it came down to I didn't care that they couldn't find it and I just wanted to begin bc I wanted to be able to finish in a timely manner before all the participants had crossed the finish line. Me not having my 20 miler shirt earned me the nickname "OAKBROOK" for the day...the reason being was bc I wore my Oak Brook Half Marathon Tek shirt that day instead. So, long story short...HA! we did't end up starting until nearly 6:30am., this put me already at a 30 min disadvantage mentally which I already knew would take a toll on me as I did my miles. I don't mean to sound like a brat...but it's hard to see one person after another pass ya while you're out there trying hard to keep moving and keep ahead the best ya can. Miles 1 thru 4...went by quickly...after that ... oh boy..the miles seemed spread so far apart. I would have loved to of measured them out myself bc there is no possible way that the markers were only a mile apart at times. The temperature was much different then I had been used to also. I consumed just as much fluids as I normally would have...except this time...I had to use the washroom at least twice before finishing the 1st 10 miles. Normally, I would maybe use the washroom once while out there for 18 miles. I just wasn't swetting it out like I normally would be. Again, I saw person after person pass me...the people all being supportive like they have been all along! Runners are super friendly athletes! Some of the runners out there remembered seeing me at Oakbrook as well as saw my Oakbrook shirt on and I heard numerous times....."Keep up the good work OAKBROOK!" So I finally passed the 10 mile marker and kept telling myself I could do this...even though I knew I had wanted to quit already! I really did! By this point....every single participant in the event had passed me...I was the last one in the line...that sucked and it definetly was not encouraging for me! (To the point that I ripped off my Bib bc I didn't want to be associated w being apart of it any longer. I really just wanted to quit...I was about to call my aunt and tell her...I don't want to do this..I already knew exactly what she'd say though...she'd say that I could do it...I've already nearly done it and have worked hard each week but, if I really didn't feel like doing it that I could just quit! I didn't want to feel that I couldn't do it though...I just wanted to be done now. And then ...... it began to rain.....correction it began to down pour...and there was lightning & thunder! It was pretty scary to be in those woods at that point! I saw many people turn around and say no way were they finishing! It didn't make me feel much better about being the last one out there .... but I was happy I kept on trucking along. Bc runner after runner that passed me on their way back while I headed out 5 more miles before the turn around for the remaining 5, would say to me..."Great Job!, that's the way to be!, you can finish! etc, etc, there was so much support from them that you could see that they couldn't believe that I hadn't turned around and gave up with the way it was raining and storming out there. Either way I knew that I would be stuck out there so I just had to make the best of it! Oh....real quick too...one gal that was running passed me on her way back said to me...."Great Job Momma!" needless to say...I do have a BIG BELLY so I could see the confusion plus with the downpour my white tek shirt was now like a horrible spandex shirt that was stuck to my belly :( It wasn't very attractive look I had going! I just laughed the comment off and obviously felt the need to share with ppl that this gal thought I was a momma out there running that day. :) LOL! Ah well! Afterall, that's why i'm out there wk after wk....trying to lose the belly! So, it rained from mile 10 to about 14 while I was out there...the whole time from mile 10 on... I kept telling myself that it was only 5 miles out & 5 miles back....ONLY 5 MILES OUT & 5 MILE BACK! Why was it so hard for me....afterall I had done 10 miles before...these last 10 shouldn't have been such a big deal...well I was dealing w/the self pitty & wanting to quit, the rain soaked me...so now I was uncomfortable,my shoes felt like they each had gained 5 lbs worth of water in them, oh....and then there was the lovely blister I got after my shoes got soaked....a beautiful blood blister that was easily the size of my ipod nano (5th generation for the visual folk). I finally saw the coach again at mile 14.5 and she expressed how proud she was that I kept going. "How could I not...I knew she was out there...and uhhhhhh thought for sure she'd kick my butt...if I didn't keep going!!!LOL...j/k...I really just wanted to do it...I had to know for myself that I could do the 20 miles! Afterall, the Marathon was only weeks away at this point! AHHHHHHH! So, finally on the trek back ... I do believe around mile 17 I started feeling just super drowsy! It sucked...all I really wanted to do at this point was to lay down on the side of the trail and take a nap. (heck I only needed a short one & then I could keep going!) lol! Well, that wasn't option...I had to get back to my car! The coach came and met me at mile 19 (since she knew I was still out there) and walked the last mile with me. I finally was so glad to be back and I did earn my hot dog and banana that they were giving out at the end of the run. I finally got into my car and began driving home and the feeling of that nap kept coming back as I was trying to drive home. I knew I couldn't make the drive home, my cell was ruined from the rain storm so I couldn't call anyone to come meet me so the only thing I could do was find a safe place to pull over and rest my eyes. I finally found a spot that I felt safe at and rested for 45 mins. That felt wonderful, when I woke I finally made the rest of the drive home....and arrived safely! :) WHAT A DAY! ! !

18 mile day & only 4 wks to go til MARATHON day.......YIKES! (9/12/2010)

Today was the 18 mile trek through Rubio Woods, Arrowhead Lake & Turtlehead Lake out in the Tinley/Midlothian/Orland area. Two laps around would give me the 18 miles I needed to get in for this weeks training. Let me first admit to my tardiness that morning! I arrived late this morning. I'm pretty sure that did not make the coach happy! "Sorry again Coach!" I did have things together the night before. However, when I got to the convenien store to buy the ice I needed for the 2nd cooler, it dawned on me that I never put the cooler actually in the car. I had only taken it out of the garage and left it on the driveway. How I didn't notice it on my way to the car is still besides me.... OR it's bc it was the booty crack of dawn & I don't exactly function at my fullest(espcly w/o coffee)during that hour of the day! (Many could attest to this!) Anyways, I finally arrived & we still had to get a car to an approx. half way point so that we could have another cooler there w/ H20 & forms of nutrients in case we needed them. After driving around for a while we finally parked one car & headed back to where we needed to begin at Rubio Woods (during the car ride back we talked about the invite we had extended earlier in the week to friends & family that had interest in coming out to join us for a few miles either by foot or bike). Our trek then began at Rubio Woods at 7:30 am. Doesn't sound like that early of a start until it dawns on you that you've now been awake since 4:30 am & you're just starting your 18 miles! Sorry again Coach! Regardless we began & to our surprise we found the first of many messages written(w sidewalk chalk)on the trail. (The first message was for Mel aka the Coach) "It's just down from here Mel!" So even though we had just begun...it was beyond awesome to see that someone had gone out of their way to come out and give their support like so! From what I understand also....these messages came from Mary Lynn (The coach's 1st coach), Rose & Bernice! Very cool ladies! I know the Coach appreciated the LoVe from her good friends and ThanK YoU soooo much for the support out there too! Then about 3 to 4 miles into the trek came some more messages & a purple flag that drew my attention into the messages.... :)

"Carry on Carrie!" :)

"Well done ladies!"
There were quite a few more messages to come...I only snapped a few photos while I was out there so I could share the support here on the bog that was represented out there on the trail.

"Hip Hip Hooray..Keep going!"

"Way to Go!"
I had 3 visitors out there as well for 9 miles of the training.:) Chan, Navarro & Catherine (Navarro's daughter) all came out to train w me as I got my remaining miles in. Thank you too gals for coming out there to support me! You're all super troopers! I talked to them a couple of days afte the 9 mile trek and they expressed their soreness :( "there's no question that doing that amount of miles ae painful! right girls??? LOL!" After parting from the girls I still had 2.5 miles remaining to go. It had become extremely hot outside and I ran out of water at least 5 miles prior to getting back to where my car was parked. So, when I did finally get back to my car I took in 4 bottles of water very quickly...I still had those 2.5 miles to go and now my stomach was feeling very sore from filling it with water. That I learned was not a good feeling either w still miles to go! So, I got going w those miles and then the Coach called me and asked where I was and how much I had to go. She also checked in on me bc I had expressed when I had saw her last that my legs were cramping pretty bad (again from being so dehydrated w it getting so warm out there). So I gave her the heads up that I still had a couple miles to go. She offered to pick me up closer to where I was. But, after all the days efforts....I just really wanted to finish the miles! So, I did and she was super cool with waiting til I met her at the end. Thank you yet again for waiting for me Coach! :) It felt GrEaT to finish those miles! and now only 4 wks to go until Marathon day!.....Hip Hip Hoooray! :)

Thank you friends for coming out to support me today!!

Lisa, Gavin & Cindy drove out that morning to see me cross the finish line! I hope they truly know how greatful I am that they came out to support me! You guys ROCK!!!!

So .... I obviously had a wonderfully cheezy smile shortly after finishing!

Lisa, Me & Cindy! (Above left to right)

Me & Gavin

After the race we chatted shortly and then all decided to grab some lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise (love that place!) Yey Parrotheads! Then, Gavin, Lisa and I drove out to Monee and played 9 holes of golf in Monee! Good times! Good times!

Half Marathon Day 13.1 miles (Sept. 6, 2010)

My first official results: http://results.active.com/pages/displayNonGru.jsp?orgID=234623&rsID=98487


Coach and I did start 40 mins early. I was freaking out that we hadn't started at 6am and during the whole race that was all I could think about...was that I still may not make it back by the 3.5 hour time limit that was set for the race. However, that was not a problem! With starting early I still finished within that 3.5 hr time frame. Well, to be more specific I finished 3:30:56.....(I'LL TAKE IT!) This was my first ever true timed race. Well, the first that ever mattered to me. I've participated in the Shamrock Shuffle (never ran it either...always just signed up as a walker) a number of times before but never cared about when I finished, just that I did. There were a lot of hills out there on the Oak Brook trek...I did push through them (and felt every single one of them the next 2 days) Oh and bc I had started early I had passed a number of the mile markers prior to the race even beginning and I believe it was near mile 5 that a cop that was patroling the streets told me as I passed him that "I was in 2nd place!" lol! Twas a good feeling to hear him say that! :) even though I obviously knew I wouldn't be for long...Coach was in 1st place at that point btw! Let's see....what else was happening while I was out there....I remember just after passing mile marker 6 that was when we went down hill into another forest area that had a gravel path...that was definetly something I wasn't used to training on either..I remember as I was going down the trail that I could see runners running up a hill that I hadn't approached yet but would be shortly...that was un-nerving as well! As I did finally approach that hill and begin to trek up it I could hear people encouraging 481 to keep up the good work...that I could do it! "Hey that was me!" I was #481 so that was a phenominal thing to be hearing at that point. There were EMT's out there near those two larger hills that were cheering people on as well. They obviously had noticed me too...bc I saw them again as the race was coming to an end; they rode past me on their bikes and cheered 481 on again and then again I saw them as I crossed the finish line...where they high fived me! That was pretty cool too! I remember at one point more towards mile 9 that a gal that was running past me put her hand on my shoulder and said "hang in there...you're doing great!" I seriously wanted to cry right then (the emotion that ran through me was undescribable)..she took the time to notice me and tell me push through...how could I not push through at that point! There were many other friendly voices pushing me on too throughout the entire race! I told the coach at the end of the race that running has seriously got to be one of the most friendly sports I can think of....people are so motivating out there! They take the time to push you as they're out there trucking along pushing themselves.
I saw much of this the whole time...many passed me!

But it's ok...I'm on my own journey working towards my own goal...i'll get there some day...it just takes time like anything.
I tried my first Accel Gel pack while I was out there..they passed them out at one of the fuel stations along the path. Btw...thank heavens they had the water and gatorade out there all day...bc I needed it! But back to the Gel pack...not for me is all I have to say. lol! It reminded me of the gel candy that came out when I was a kid. The gel that was in like the baby bottle or tubes...uggggh it wasn't for me!
So while I was out there...I'd say like by mile #10...my nano died. Long story short is that it fell in the river in Wisconsin (Yes...I know! Electronics & H20 don't mix!) but I wanted tunes on the tube trip! Anyways...the nano doesn't hold its charge longer than 2.5 hrs any longer :( So, I had to rely on my phone that I have music and my podcasts downloaded onto. Well, I plugged into that and since I still haven't taken the time to learn anything other than putting it on shuffle.....when I hit mile #12 my phone jumped to my running podcast! (talk about crazy instances!) I will admit ... I had seriously slowed up...I was tired! Well, seeing as I didn't know how to skip to the next song/podcast on the phone...I had no choice but to listen and follow along. So that is what I did! Which turned out to be perfect...bc it actually pushed me to run..(let's be honest.....JOG) across the finish line.
So Mile 12 finally came...I even have proof!

I finally was rounding the last stretch...and guess who I see? THE COACH! Yes, she beat me back....she is much faster than I and she was there cheering me on and even got next to me and said "Pick up the pace Hannan! Move those legs! Move those legs!" and she proceeded to run behind me...pushing me to go faster and reach the finish line! THANK YOU COACH!

She also told me to "quit posing for the camera!" LOL
I was just acknowledging my friends that drove all the way up there to see me finish my first half marathon.

I did finally cross....it's by no means my favorite picture of myself! But it's the FINISH LINE & I MADE IT! YEY!

What a feeling! There really are't words to even express how great it was to cross that finish line for the very first time! The people cheering, the feeling of accomplishment...it was all just so overwhelming! In a good way of course!

OAK BROOK HALF MARATHON! ......eeeek! it's here!

Yes I've been freaking myself out about the half marathon tomorrow. It seems to have come so quickly! I'm worried about not hitting the half way point in time and that they'll make me turn around and go back the way I came. Which really isn't a huge set back because I still will have completed the 13.1 miles but it's not what I will have set out to do. So I find that frustrating/stressful! The coach and I are planning to start the race a little early though so that I won't have to worry so much about that obstacle! 13.1 miles shouldn't be bad overall tho because I've already done 16 on a long training day. YEY! More to come tomorrow I'm sure! Until then.....here is the course I will be doing on Labor Day....thought i'd include it here so I could recall it at a later date! :0)

Rock N Roll Bike Tour - Hyde Park/Dusable Museum

Went on a bike tour....didn't think I'd have it in me to do so after the previous 16 miles but turns out .... I DID! It actually helped to relieve some of the tightness in my legs, thighs and feet that I had gained from the long training. It was pretty cool. Jill, McKenna and I rode the streets of Hyde Park and learned some history about the area. I enjoyed it and visited places I probably never would have had I not taken that tour. We guess that it was a 5 mile ride. The best part was that it trully was a leisure ride...no hard strenuous effort! The bikes were pretty sweet, they definetly made the ride a lot easier too. :0) We got to wear sweeeeeet bike helmets too! I can honestly say that was the first time I've ever worn a bike helmet. Now that I'm older and have heard a good share of horror bike stories when ppl weren't wearing a helmet...I wouldn't even second guess wearing one!

The tour guide (sweet long dreads huh?!), Jill & McKenna

Oh long training day .... how u come so quickly each week!

So normally long training days are Saturday mornings...but since the fundraising/volunteer event was on Sat this week we opted to train Sun @ 5:30am instead. Well...after volunteering from 7 til 4 needless to say I was already a little sore and quiet tired that I didn't exactly get out there at 5:30am. Which actually was cool with me bc it was still very dark outside at 5:30am. So instead 6am was the approx start time. My legs were already feeling pretty crummy from being on them the previous day for so long (they tend to swell up more & more now w/ training) but I knew I couldn't let it interfere with Sun's long training miles. (THE COACH wouldn't hear of it!!! LOL!) BTW...Sun was a 16 mile day. It was pretty decent weather out there which was so helpful with the long miles ahead of me. I finally put stronger efforts into my 3/2's and was what I like to say...TRUCKIN ALONG! I really don't feel like I have a lot to say about this weeks long miles ... other than...Yet again...I survived them. They are never super easy....but after they are finally done...then I can honestly comfortably say...it's one more goal checked off the training sched for me and it's one more milestone completed! Hip Hip HOOOOOOOORAY! Some notes from the day! I made sure I hydrated myself ridiculously the day before and the day of the long training. I again made sure I had me some pasta the night before. I took some aleve before bed and again in the morning when I woke. I think these tricks plus the weather really made the 16 miles bearable for me today!

More City Chase photos.....THANK YOU AGAIN GALS FOR ALL YOUR HELP & CONTINUOUS SUPPORT!

Jess, "These R my peeps", Lil Pnut & Tic Tac taking a moment to pose for a photo while there was actually slow traffic on the streets of Chinatown.



Lil Pnut had to try out for the hole puncher role today! We had to know she could handle such an important task! We had 2 give her 2 tries....Hahaaa! Sorry Pnut...had to call ya out!



Thank goodness she had a large breakfast to give her the strength she needed to punch the bibs....otherwise we may of had to find another task she could handle! Thank you Huck Finns for providing her a donut the size of her head!



Participants calmly pass thru HOY POLOI to the Zen room so they can meet their challenge. See....I told ya Jess was good with her lines!



Maggs & Magnet monitor and time the participants challenge! I'm pretty sure this was when the Funny guys were there breaking the puzzle unintentionally!



FAMILY love! .... maybe they're not as camera shy as I had thought!

City Chase Chicago - "These are our people, these are our streets!"

"These R our people, these R our streets!" Definetly the quote of the day! What a great group of gals that came out to help me for my fundraiser for the Marathon! These gals really made this day a one of a kind event. The stories we have to walk a way with. OH BOY!..a great day of LAUGHTER, FUN, FRIENDS, FAMILY and so much more!(photo lt. to rt.-Meg,Me&Lil Pnut)



Jess rdg the script to the participants...Jess was a pro with her lines! She had to tell the participants to slow down & enter the store quietly..so they could calmly enter to go do their task! The two fellas pictured...we're a riot! They were cracking us up as they tried to solve the puzzle they were assigned. Ummm...they were the only group to break a puzzle..it wasn't intentional...but they managed to do so! Great fellas!



(Linds,Lil Pnut & Maggs) The timers and the puncher! Great Work by these gals! These gals worked hard all day!



HOY POLOI in Chinatown! These were our stomping grounds on Sat. Sat's are busy in Chinatown! The man on the left w/his back to the camera is Rob/Ron? (we're still not sure) who is the owner's bro. He was a very informative fella and was extremely fond of educating Meg about all sorts of things! He took her on a field trip to the bakery next door. Then showed her all the memorabilia & it's history in HOY POLOI..(which is an awesome shop in Chinatown!)



(Jess, Marcy ,Tic-Tac & Meg)

Pre-event Meeting at Joe's Bar on Weed St!

The volunteers at the pre-event meeting! (Maggs & Marcy) "They love photos as much as I do......"


(Jess & Maggs) "Yummy pizza & a refreshing beer!"

UPCOMING ADDITIONAL FUNDRAISING OPPS & TRAINING EVENTS:

I have some upcoming events that will continue to assist me in training and work on my timing for the actual marathon day! I figured I'd include them on this page too so if anyone has the time and wants to come join me out there....you know my theory! "The MORE the MERRIER!" Also some fundraising events that are coming up....as always more to follow too! (As in look for pic and info to come!) LOL

Fundraising events:
Volunteers needed for The T-Mobile Chase Chicago Adventure on 8/21/2010
volunteer from 7am til approx 3pm. If interested in volunteering please send an email to Susan at scc@sochicago.org an be sure to mention that you would like to be apart of Kerri Hannan's volunteer group as we will have our own station to rock out at! There will be a meeting at Joe's on Weed St. on Thursday 8/19/2010 from 7-8:30 as well so that we can be informed of our duties. If you cannot attend the meeting that is ok...just be sure to email Susan to let her know you will join me on Sat am to volunteer. THANK YOU AGAIN FOR ALL YOUR HELP!

8/29/2010:
Come out and support "The Coach" & I at the VERY SPECIAL YARD SALE
In attempts to reach the fundraising goal for the Chicago Special Olympics - THE COACH will be hosting a VERY SPECIAL MARATHON Yard Sale on Sunday, August 29, 2010 starting at 10 a.m. - till everything is sold. If you have been hoarding or have rid yourself of household clutter or just the need to purge your home and items have a purpose, are clean and can be legally sold - please contribute to this cause. I'll work out the details for charitable receipts for your tax deductions. If you don't have anything...PLEASE COME AND BUY THIS STUFF, THERE ARE SURE TO BE MANY TREASURES! There will be perrennial plants, antiques, jewelry, knick knacks, household items, electronics, unused Christmas gifts, prizes won from other charities and maybe even an Irish item or two!

Donations will be accepted at THE COACH'S home 10629 South Artesian Avenue from now until the the sale. Please call (773)239-9762 when you can drop off or if you need items picked up. Let me know if you would like to just lend a helping hand, bake cookies, walk the dog or do the laundry just to make this sale a success.

Thanks! Spread the word...bring your friends and most importantly get out your check book!


TRAINING EVENTS:
Monday September 6th,(Labor Day) 2010 Oak Brook Half Marathon beginning at 7am. 13.1 MILES

Saturday September 18th, 2010 Elk Grove Village 20 miler beginning at 8am. 20 MILES


Feel free to email me if you have any questions...THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT & FOR READING!

Dehydration ='s Legs of Concrete! 8/14/10

I think it's safe to say that the title says it all! I was severely dehydrated on Sat and paid for it during the 12 mile training that morning! I had my worse timing yet for 12 miles. I found myself pretty sick on the Fri prior to Sat's training and never took the time to properly rehydrate my body. Therefore while I was out there training at 6am on Sat morning I started out without any additional food (energy) in my system (due to fear of getting sick again) I only took in a bottle of water for the first 8 miles and at that point my timing didn't seem to0 bad. By the time I finished those 9 miles though I could feel in my legs and feet some crazy (different) pain than I had been accustomed to in the previous long training days. By the start of the final 3.1 miles my legs felt like I was carrying slabs of concrete and therefore my timing suffered! Bottom line...I gotta make sure I stay hydrated all week! So that on long training days my timing doesn't suffer! Still many high points being out there each week as well as this past week. The support from other runners/walkers training out there each week is always grrrreat! Many saying Keep up the good work, Nice job, Great work, You're doing it, You can do it...etc. I love how friendly & supportive those people are out there!

14 mile Sunday....oh wait it was 15! :)

Today was the 14 mile day! Tho it turned into a 15 mile day! Which hey no big deal right?! Unless you've had enough by the 13 mile mark. LOL! Hey who cares at this point.... I SURVIVED another long training day and battled another milestone! I really liked that we changed up our route today for the long miles. Before, I would train around the same 3.1 mile route. It definetly made sense bc then I could return to the car to get more water or a snack if needed. However, today we added two new paths to our training and it was ok that I didn't have more water after the first 3.1 miles. I had consumed quite a bit prior to starting and carried one along so it worked out well. Plus, it was a great change of scenerey and I knew how many miles I was getting out of it (for the most part!) even tho I had no clue when or where the path would end. The first round seemed to of gone great! I utilized a couple podcasts that I had downloaded the week before that included a lot more running than I had been doing so I think that definetly helped with my mileage timing. I hate admitting my timing because it's really nothing impressive at all. But, perhaps it's better I make a note of it so I remember later down the road that today my mileage timing was at 18:30 a mile. Like I said ... not impressive but it is where I'm at and it will help me get where I am going by owning up to it! I've been meaning to mention this...and heck I may have already & just don't remember. While out on the trail today...a fellow runner said some pretty nice things to me....& it's things like that, of course along with other things, that really make being out there so great! The fellower runner told me to "keep up the great work, it's a hard thing to do, but not to give up!" I thought that was so awesome...I didn't even know the fella. Thank ya dude...it totally made my day! So Yes, Coach (M.O) was out there with me like she is weekend after weekend! She told me to kick it up a notch around mile 12.5 or 13 or at least somewhere close to it...and man I just couldn't! I was seriously struggling to the point that I thought I was going to have a mini meltdown right there on the path, the emotions ran high at that moment. My breathing got crazy! I swear I must have sounded like I was weazing...but regardless I pulled it together instantly and put the tunage back on & got going. Maybe not as quickly as she would have liked to see me...but I did do my best & finally finished & finished 15 instead of the 14 we had set out to do. Thank you Coach for pushing me yet again! You're the best!

Rough week! Thank you Stress!

Stress definetly plays a role in me not getting miles in every day! I know it's an excuse and it sucks...but it's the truth! Luckily, I have amazing friends that encourage me not to give up...to keep going with the training and that they said the words I needed to hear..."that this is for me, so I need to just do it!" Thank you friends! :0)
It was a rough week with miles...however, I did do swimming which it can count as my cross-training days. It's ok that I do cross-training days...but for me to improve my times, I should really be concentrating more on getting the miles done during the week.

No Weight Loss equals FRUSTRATION! ugggggggh!

The scale has not been my friend yet since I've begun. I've been told I look like I've lost some weight! That's a grrrreat thing to hear but when you're stepping on a scale and you don't see the numbers dropping...then it becomes very frustrating ... i know my eating habits may be playing a role in it...but honestly ... i rarely even eat poorly anymore...if anything I struggle with getting the necessary meals in bc either I'm too tired to eat or honestly I am just not that hungry and prefer to skip the meal. Unfortunately, even when I don't want to eat...i've learned that it's better to at least have something otherwise my body just starts to store the fat. So anyways...as frustrating as it has been...I do have some good news and this news is what has helped a lot since the scale is not cooperating with me! The news is that the hydration belt I bought when I began training did not fit around my waist. It was too tight and felt way to akward to wear .... so I wouldn't wear it! Well this weekend I decided to give it another go...and yey it fits now! It actually fits with quite a nice bit of extra length that I get to tuck into the belt! It's the only proof that I have that makes me see that my efforts are working!

Sat 7/31 & Sun 8/1 (Happy 22nd Birthday lil Bro!)

Saturday's training I felt went well! I'm still working on my timing and speed but getting the 9 miles in and done...I have to admit I felt pretty darn good by the time I ended it. Again...I have to get better with my timing and speed...but to actually not feel so awful when I finished (like the week of the 12 miles) I thought was a huge improvement! I did get to go out there on Sat with a blister on my heal bc I thought it was a BRILLIANT idea during the week to train without socks on.....turns out it was a HORRIBLE idea to even attempt to do that. Shocking..I chose to learn the hard way! :)
I definetly spent a lot of both Sat and Sun this weekend concentrating on improving my posture and breathing properly while kicking it up as much as I felt I could handle. I'm thinking that may be why my hips were killing me by Monday. Sun. went well too. Instead of stopping for a water after the first three miles I kept going so I could finish the 6 I set out to do and then go about my day. That was a hard decision...bc by the time I wrapped around close to the 4.5 mile mark...the hunger and thirst kicked in. Started getting some chills again bc it was starting to get a lil warm out there. But, I made it through it all and was super happy to finally be back at the car to take the shoes off and go about the day. After Sun's training I definetly felt worse than I had on Sat. which was weird since it was less miles. However, somehow I formed yet another blister on my foot...this time on the bottom of my foot. Of course it sucks but it gives me a reason to go get a pedicure and a foot & leg massage. Oh yea..and I got to see cousin Colleen out there running too! I like seeing her out there....she too checks in on me to see how I am doing w/ the training and I get to hear how hers is going too!
Coach (aka M.O.) was out there w/ me again this weekend too & THANK GOODNESS she is..bc she really is great at giving me suggestions on how to improve my trainings. I did promise her that eventually I would actually listen to her advice & that sometimes I am just slow at implementing what she's teaching me...but I will still give her the kudos for being the one that taught me it! :)
Coach kicked butt this weekend herself! She's continuing to improve her times and still blows me out of the water. Just wanted to say Great Job this weekend Coach! We completed a total of 15 miles over the weekend. 9 on Sat and 6 on Sun! We are scheduled to do 14 next Sat and will probably do 6 or maybe even 7 on Sun....I can hardly wait to attempt the 14 miles next weekend...lol...12 was so hard! I can only imagine how these 14 will go...tho I do not after it gets done..its just one more to check off the list until the next big one. YEY!

SUPPORT!!

I can't rave enough about the support I've gotten from friends! I get checked up on in the middle of long training days via text. Most of the time I don't see it til I finish (tho the week of 12 mile day I happen to see it at mile 11) it was a nice boost to get as I was in the finishing stretch. When I share w/ friends where Im at each week they congratulate me and send me encouraging words to keep trucking along. So again....I really can't rave enough about all the support i've gotten each week. THANK YOU FRIENDS! ! ! It really does mean alot to have a great support system behind me each week ... checking in on me making sure i'm getting it done!

Less than a mile to go....& now I'm just so confused!

So that last mile, the heat was beating down and again i want to just be done already!

That sun was so warm that I kept wandering off the trail onto the grass to avoid the

direct sunlight shockingly enough walking in the shade on on the grass felt way better than staying on the pavement to me! We finally reach the end of the trail and can either walk another small stretch of the trail or walk the parking lot back to our vehicles? I thought for sure there had to be shade in the parking lot so we went that route....boy was I wrong...there was no shade in the parking lot! (Many would wonder why I would be complaining about the heat....which truly I NEVER DO...I love summer therefore, I try NEVER to complain about hot days...well after that workout...I needed my body temp to return to normal so that's why I was freaking out about the sun!)...trust me...i don't make complaining about the hot sun a habit....at all! Ok...so back to walking the parking lot. We decide to walk the lot and just off to the side there is grass that is out of the sun or there is the hot parking lot to walk through. Well....M.O. suggested that I could go walk the lot over in the shade or I could just walk along side her in the sun for the little we had left. Keep in mind I REALLY wanted to be in that shade. Sure enough as we are walking through the HOT LOT...a tree branch comes falling out of the sky. Not a small branch either...this one here in the pic. It was pretty large and could have done some real damage to either and or both of us had we been under it...(like I had wanted to be so that I could be in the shade!) The branch seriously fell like 10 feet away from me when we were walking the lot. It was such a confusing moment for me...here I was trying to avoid being in the sun bc I thought it would kill me to go any further being that hot...and then right where I wanted to be at the same moment...a huge tree branch comes falling out of the sky! I'm always thinking about signs .... as in here's your sign..(Jeff Foxworthy reference) If you're interested in sharing your feedback on how to take that sign...feel free to let me know! :0]