A Sparkly Start

2013 here I come!

As I read through everyone’s 2012 recaps and 2013 goals, I can’t help but get excited about my year to come.  Runners’ blogs and stories provide an amazing sense of inspiration, and I draw on that collective strength daily as I chart my own journey – both in running and everywhere else in my life.

My 2013 running goals are pretty simple:

1 – Run a marathon.  I’ve thought long and hard about this one, weighing whether I’m really ready, whether work and life will allow for me to adequately train this year, whether I’m good enough and strong enough.  I started to more seriously think I wanted to run a full about 8 months ago, when training for the Country Music Half was going well and I was realizing that perhaps I really did like running.  At that time, I really only wanted to run one marathon though – New York.  I lived there for 4 years and many of my closest friends are still in the city.  At the time, I thought a full marathon would be a one and done experience, and New York was where I wanted that one experience to happen.  I know I’m not alone in that bucket list idea, but it bothered me that I wasn’t even willing to consider another marathon – both because getting in through the lottery is ridiculously unlikely, and because I realized that if that’s the only one I was willing to consider, I probably wasn’t actually ready to run a marathon.  Sometime in December as I was taking a bit of a running break, the bug fully hit me.  I want to run a full marathon, doesn’t matter whether it’s New York or another one.  I know I’m ready.  More on this later, but I’m ready to say that a marathon, whether it’s New York or another race, is on my list for 2013.  It’s going to happen.

2 – Continue to grow as a runner, race with more intention, but continue my low-stress racing attitude that carried me through 2012.  Somehow this year, I became a runner.  Never saw it coming, and it’s been so much fun.  I realized this morning that I’ve run 8 races this year. That’s not that many, but it’s 7 more than I anticipated.  Once I started I just couldn’t stop.  From 5k’s to half marathons, I love the challenge.  What’s been amazing is that I’ve only been sort of concerned about times despite my competitive, obsessive nature.  I’ve run and trained and tried to get better, but I haven’t stressed too much about times going into each race.  I know myself – this won’t last forever, I obsess over details and constantly want to get better – but I want to hold on to the joy it brings, and I never want to leave a race disappointed about my time.  I’ll race with intention and a bit more planning (partly thanks to my new running buddy), but as long as I’ve left it all out there on a given day, I’ll be happy.  It feels a bit like I got better magically this year, but when I look back I realize that it was methodical, smart work, and an enjoyment of that work along the way.  I owe a huge debt to my local fleet feet for helping me realize I can run a half marathon and enjoy it, and for helping me realize I’m a lot faster than I thought I was – through their half marathon training and speed sessions I’ve grown in ways I never could have imagined, and I’m amazingly thankful for that!  I know that there’s hard work ahead to keep improving, but I’m excited to dive in!

This post was originally supposed to be a race recap and has veered instead to a goals post, but I did run a race this morning that starts me off on the right foot for the year.  Donning my sparkle skirt that I won in Corey’s giveaway earlier this year, I shook off my bubbly hangover with the help of a few glasses of nuun, braved the fog and rain, and headed out for the Resolution 5K in downtown Nashville.  Not going to lie, I almost turned around and got back in bed.  Glad I didn’t though, as getting out there symbolized the determination I’ll need to hit my goals this year, and I managed a personal first despite not managing a 5K PR – 3^rd overall female!  Clearly the fast ladies who usually frequent Nashville races weren’t out this morning, but I’ll revel in this auspicious start nonetheless – and will thoroughly enjoy the bottle of champagne – note to self, major perks to winning a New Year’s race!

Happy 2013!

On The First Day of Christmas

Literal B got a whole lot more precise.

I officially entered the world of data geek runnerds as the first day of Christmas Santa brought me a Garmin.  My data-loving, perfectionist, precise self had lasted quite awhile using only mapmyrun and my trusty Nike watch that provided time and lap functions, but it was time to take a leap forward.

Remaining Garmin-less stayed my thing for all of 2012 for a number of reasons.  First and foremost, for a good part of the year I wasn’t sure this whole running thing would stick.  While training for the Country Music Half last spring, I noticed many people with these huge watches on their wrists who were able to tell me what our pace was that instant.  I had no idea that existed (and didn’t really even realize I should think about what my current pace was, I was just trying to finish my long runs without dying at the time) but I was intrigued.  However, I really didn’t want to spend hundreds of dollars on a gadget, even if it was incredibly awesome, if it was going to be rendered useless when I stopped running.   I think this really helped me relax and just grow to enjoy running, as I didn’t worry about time too much for most of the year and (mostly) enjoyed going out at whatever speed felt good.

I also have really strangely small wrists and thought those huge things would look absurd on me.

Fortunately, Garmin came out with the smaller, basic Forerunner 10 about the time that I realized I didn’t need to worry about falling out of love with running.   T received the most specific, and earliest, Christmas request he’s ever gotten from me.  Forerunner 10 in lime green.  I’m not ashamed to admit that I was thinking about it in church yesterday as my too-long-rested legs waited for the Christmas Eve service to start (ok, I’m a little ashamed to admit that, but it’s true).

Along with new running clothes, this little gem got me off my butt this afternoon and out for a short little run.  Not much, but my legs are moving again and it felt great to venture out between the scary southern storms this afternoon.  I’d also forgotten how hilly it is around my parents’ house, but it was a good challenge!   And, I love the data.  Love it.  Being able to not only see average pace, splits, etc. but elevation compared to pace as you “play” your run back?  I’m in love.

2013 running goals here I come, and I’ll now have all the nitty gritty data I need to track my progress!