10 H A L F M A R A T H O N S

This past weekend I ran my TENTH half marathon. I myself can not believe that I have ran that many halfs, let alone one. I never in my life dreamed I would be a runner but I'm so thankful for this sport God gave me. It's been a big blessing in life. This was my fourth time running Rock the Parkway and you can see last year's recap here if you want to.

I want to give a bit of a recap about my training and then about the race itself.

T R A I N I N G

My training started January 25th and was eleven weeks long. The training was hard, very intense, but also doable. I decided to work hard at each run, to push myself at crossfit, but to also listen to my body, and if I needed to take it easy a bit to do so, as injuries are no joke. 

I averaged two to four runs a week with two to three crossfit sessions a week too. I often just tried to knock them out both in the same day and that seemed to work really well for me.  

This winter was also really cold so the treadmill was my really good friend. I think it paid off in the end because for some reason I like to get on those thing and push myself very hard. I think it makes it easy because you can just push a button to make the belt go fast and your legs have to just run it. I did a lot of runs where I would warm up and then just continually increase until the end of the run where I would give an all out sprint. I think that helped me get some time off of my miles. 

At crossfit for these past eleven weeks I competed in the Crossfit Open which is basically a worldwide competition and those who do really well advance to regionals and then the crossfit games. I'm no where near advancing but the point was to test your limits and to push yourself. Some of the workouts they had us do were things I didn't know I could do (hello pullups!). However, when you have no option but to do something or else not get points in a competition it is amazing how your body and mind cooperate. It was eye opening for me and definitely help me to realize I can do things I didn't know I am capable of. I also used crossfit into training because when I really didn't want to do something I would imaging the finish line of my half marathon and imagine beating my personal record and it would help me endure and push.

The last week of training I did two really easy crossfit sessions and didn't run one single mile for a training run. Sometimes you just need to listen to your body. 

Also, this year I changed some of my eating habits and I think I feel so much better because of it. I've eaten more fruits and veggies, healthy smoothies and have eaten smaller portions. Now, you all know I'm on Team Beef so you know I'm still eating but I think my relationship with food has been better and I'm so thankful. 

R A C E D A Y

Oh my word! Friday evening it dawned on me that I mentally was a week past my race but I hadn't yet ran it. That's not where you want your brain to be the night before a race. I didn't know what to do so I just told myself I'd give it what I could the next day and let what happens happen. 

Friday night I had steak, potatoes and broccoli because you all know what happened last time I ate pasta before a half marathon.....(insert eye roll). 

Saturday morning was chilly (40'ish degrees) but I had layers and knew I'd be okay. At the starting line I started to get nervous, which is a good sign for me. I had ran this course three other times so I knew what to expect. I knew where the hills were, I knew mile 1-5 were straight out, that miles 5-8 were through a neighborhoods with a ridiculous hill around mile 7/8 and that miles 8-13 were straight back. 

We started out and I decided to pace a little slower than last year because last year I took off and come mile 10 I was out of energy. Miles one through three just were really horrid. My legs felt heavy, I didn't feel like running and I thought I should just quit and get a "Did Not Finish." That's a great way to start out, right? However, I told myself that I'd warm up and start feeling better and I did! After mile three I felt really good. I ran miles three to seven just fine and then that big blasted hill came. I prayed really hard and asked God to just help me through it and I really know He did. I walked a little bit of it but it was so much better than last year. 

Around that big hill I saw another guy wearing a Team Beef jersey and we started chatting. I literally told him this was my tenth half marathon and that I was hanging up my jersey after this race, and I truly meant it at that moment, but not so much now. Anyways, my new Team Beef friend's name is Scott and he was a hero and ran with my from miles 8ish until mile 11ish. At mile nine I hit a wall and just wanted to be done. At mile ten I think Scott saw it in my face and he looked at me and said "Don't let it get to your head" and he was so right! I just kept pushing. There are two really big hills on miles eleven and twelve and I am pretty sure I walked a bit of those but Scott really encouraged me to just walk for 30 seconds and then to to pick it back up. At mile 10ish I looked at my time and knew if I kept running I could get a PR. I told myself I could do anything for a few more miles. 

This is Scott. Also, how do people look so nice post races? I look like death. 

At mile 11 Scott said bye and he took off. As I saw him run away I was just so glad he helped me push for those few hard miles. I looked at my watch and knew it was time to keep pushing but I also knew I had a PR! I ran that last mile fast and when I saw the finish line I sprinted and finished that beast. I cried when I crossed that line. All that training paid off and I was so so so thankful and glad. 

Here are a few numbers for all of you who like numbers. I think they are fascinating. 

It's funny because before the race and during the race I told myself this was my time to get a PR because this was my last half marathon. Oh us runners, always saying crazy things. But here are my thoughts ... if I ran a 2:09:59 in hilly Kansas City what can I do in a flat course in Wichita? Can I break 2 hours? I think I can! It will take more heart, sweat and training but I think I can do it.  

My short term goals are to PR my 5k in May and to bust my rear at Crossfit and to continue to improve there. I don't just want a 10 second PR either. I want to shave minutes off that race and I have about six weeks to do it. 

Lastly, last year I told you that a runner collapsed at the finish line and passed away. I thought about him a lot this year and prayed for his friends and family a lot too. At the start of our half this year they did a really nice tribue to him. A lot of his family and friends ran this race and I was proud of them for doing that because I know it was not easy. His family and friends also started a run in his honor and the benefits go to various charities. It is in Kansas City on May 19th. If you want more info on it you can check out their FB page right here. 

My 9th Half Marathon - Where the Real Prize was Not Pooping My Pants

A couple of weekends ago I completed my 9th half marathon. It was the worst one I'd ever done but it's okay because I plan to do another one this Spring and hope to get a PR for my 10th one.

My training started off really well. I had goals and was on track. Then I had a week of health issues that forced me to sit out and then for some reason I got lazy and didn't run one week. Thankfully I did complete a ten mile distance run and it went really well so I knew I could still do a half marathon. I've also been going to crossfit and that is a big help in running.

Let's get to the race, shall we?

Three of my friends and I drove up to Lawrence, KS to run the Kansas Half marathon. We had pasta the night before, coffee, etc. Prior to races I normally have steak and potatoes but I opted for pasta, which I'll never do again. My body just does better with protein. However, my body usually does fine with whatever I eat so I'm not sure what happened.

On race day morning we found a parking spot and immediately I got diarrhea cramps! WHY? I was so annoyed. Why couldn't my body have done that 15 minutes ago at the hotel when I used the bathrooms? Anyways, I told my friends I had to immediately find the porter potties so off I went. They were no where to be found but someone finally pointed them out to me. I quickly walked over there and then saw the dreaded line of people. I had about 10 minutes until race time and the big D cramps so I knew I was in trouble. I finally finally finally made it to the porter potty and after using the toilet looked over to see that they had completely forgotten to put toilet paper in there. There wasn't even like the cardboard rolls because I would for sure have used those. What did I do? Well, I used my headband and threw that thing away. A girls gotta do what a girls gotta do. Judge me.

I made it to the starting line 1 minute before the race started! Hooray! I took off and started to feel pretty good running. I was running with the 2:05 pace group and then around mile three diarrhea cramps hit again. I was so annoyed. I figured they would go away so I kept running and even met up with my friend. Around mile 5ish I knew I needed a porter potty and asked the attendant where the nearest one was. She said she didn't know but would call someone. I was told it was 'right around the corner' and let me tell you, it wasn't. At mile 7 there finally was one but I couldn't go. Stupid body! I ran until mile 8 where there was another restroom but felt okay then mile 9 came and I thought I was gonna poop my pants. I was crouched on the side of the road and asked the attendant where the bathroom was? He said I could run back a mile and I looked at him and said there was no way I was running BACKWARDS in a race. FINALLY at mile 10 there was a porter potty and I was honestly just so relieved I made it in there and didn't poop my pants. Living in Asia and running distance races make for some interesting prayers. =) Miles 10 - 13 went great and I sadly finished with a 2:30ish time but I'm happy to say I didn't poop my pants.

I honestly can't believe my race recap is about poop but if you are a runner you know we all have a race like that at some point in our lives. Next year I'm going to for sure watch what I eat before a race and try to have a better plan.

Other than the stomach issues I really loved the Kansas Half. Lawrence is beautiful and they did such a great job running you through the city, the neighborhoods, the country and by the river. It was a good mix of flat roads and hills and I hope to run it again next fall with a happier stomach and a faster time.

If you are a runner have you ever had a near poop experience like this? Please do tell, I'd love to laugh at with you. 

Rock the Parkway - 1/2 Marathon Recap

Two weekends ago I ran my 8th half marathon! I hadn't ran a half marathon since fall of 2013 so in a way it was like starting over.

I still remember in Myanmar when Pam asked me if I thought getting back into crossfit and fitness would be hard and I said I didn't think it would be. ha ha ha ha! It was so hard! When I started running again last fall I was at a 12ish minute mile and my legs felt like tree trunks. Then I threw in crossfit into that mix and that added another whole new dimension of difficulty! But you know what? With time I got stronger and faster and it paid off because I ran 13.1 miles.

I want to give an overview of my training and the details on how the race went.

Training: 

For this training plan I used my running book to look at their half marathon schedule. I used that as a base to get ideas and then tailored it to my specific needs. I decided to run three times a week with runs consisting of a tempo run of either 3, 4 or 5 miles on Monday or Tuesday, speed drills and a long distance run. I also added in crossfit and some intense stretching into the mix as well. I did well with crossfit for the first few weeks but after traveling to New Mexico twice and then taking a 13 day vacation with Dave I pretty much fell off the crossfit wagon for the last half of my training, and I'm okay with that. I am really proud of myself for how I did with my training.

Here is a more detailed look at my runs:

Tempo Runs:

For my tempo runs I often would try and beat my previous run of that same distance. For example, one week I would run 4 miles and then a few weeks later when I had a 4 mile run again I would try and beat my previous time. It was a good challenge, kept things interesting and I think it helped me shave off time from my mile.

Speed Drills: 

For speed drills I tried to change it up every week. One week I would use the plan from my running book but shorten it a bit. I also used these ten minute treadmill drills that I found on-line and I really liked them! Those drills also majorly paid off because the race course had a lot of hills. The majority of my speed drill runs were done on a treadmill and for some reason I like treadmill drills. It's kind of sadistic but I like that I can set my pace really fast and can't slow down unless I manually push a button.

Long Runs: 

The long runs mentally got easier over time but oh my word, they were torture in the beginning. My first long run was 5 miles and I thought I would die. Actually the first three long runs were really mentally hard and then it started getting better. My longest run was 11 miles and I did that at Pensacola beach (paved sidewalks) midday. Not the brightest idea I have had but it was really pretty scenery. I also did an 8 mile run in Little Rock, AR by the river and that was beautiful. I missed one long run and shortened one and still did fine in my race. I tried not to beat myself up over missing a run but I also tried to get every long run in that I could.

Here is recap of some runs:

Fastest 5K - 27:57 (side note - I just beat this time TODAY by 4 seconds! Hoooray!)
Fastest Mile - 7:57
Longest run - 11 miles
Total Miles Ran During Training - 106

Here is a look at some of my plans written out in my journal:

Our run was Saturday morning so we headed up to Kansas City on Friday afternoon. For dinner we ate at the Cheesecake Factory and I did not have pasta but I did indeed eat a big fatty steak with lemon cake for dessert. It was the perfect pre-meal.

Race day morning we got up at 5:45am. For breakfast I had bacon a few bites of bread and some coffee. Before any big race I get extremely nervous and want to cry - so weird.

The race course was very hilly and we started up with a three mile hill incline. It was brutal but somehow Shenel and I ran the first four miles with a sub ten minute pace. I think it was adrenaline and I also think those speed drills on the treadmill paid off right there. Shenel and I ran together for the first 6.5 miles and then I was a bad friend and ran ahead of her. =) I honestly ran without stopping until mile 7.5 when all I could see was a never ending hill and I had to walk up a little bit of that hill. At mile 10.5 I called Dave and told him I needed motivation to finish this race because I was done and he said he would buy me flowers. The race course said the last three miles were all down hill and that was a big fat lie. Mile 10 and 11 were super hilly but mile 12 to the finish line was a steady decline which was awesome!

Here is a breakdown of my miles:

Mile 1 - 9:41
Mile 2 - 9:52
Mile 3 - 9:53
Mile 4 - 9:49
Mile 5 - 10:08
Mile 6 - 10:00
Mile 7 - 9:28
Mile 8 - 9:32
Mile 9 - 10:45
Mile 10 - 10:26
Mile 11 - 11:35
Mile 12 - 10:45
Mile 13 - 9:34

My total time was 2:13:09 with an average pace of 10:09 minutes miles, which I think is awesome for hills, water stops and a few minutes of walking! I'm already thinking about signing up for another half marathon this fall to see if I can shave more time off. BUT before I do that I have started training for a race over Memorial Day weekend. It's a race called 'Get your rear in gear' and it honors those who passed away from colon cancer. They have a 5k run which I'm hoping to do in 26 minutes and if you aren't a runner they also have a mile walk. It's on Sunday evening at 7:30, which I'm so excited I don't have to get up early for this run. We have a team set up in Dave's Mom's name, Carol A. Johnson, and we will run it in memory of her. If anyone is interested in joining our team you can do so here. 

Lastly, I don't say this to scare anyone, but one of the runners on the course of our half marathon in KC collapsed after he crossed the finish line and passed away. You can read the article here if you are interested. I have thought about him and his family every single day since I heard that news. He was 34, an avid runner with no apparent health problems. I don't even know how to respond to that kind of news I just know that you have to be ready to die at any moment. Please pray for his family if you think about it.


If you have any questions about my training, race, etc. please let me know in the comments below.

My Bullet Journal

Have you heard of bullet journaling? 

A friend of mine posted about it on IG a couple of years ago and it really intrigued me. I started to research it and decided this year I would give it a go. So far I have really loved it and wanted to share with you all what it is about. If you are considering bullet journaling than this post is for you! 

There is an entire website called Bullet Journal that explains everything in detail. The basics are this: "The Bullet Journal is a customizable and forgiving organization system. It can be your to-do list, sketchbook, notebook, and diary, but most likely, it will be all of the above. It will teach you to do more with less." 

I like bullet journaling for several reasons! First off, it allows me to create my own planner just the way I like it. I can add as much as I want to it or as little as I want to it. Another big draw for me is that it allows me to be creative. I have been hand lettering this year and I thought the bullet journal would be a great way to practice that skill while I create my own planner. I plan to use my bullet journal as a yearly planner, a place to jot down special things I did through the year and a photo book.  I love that it is all in one book and I don't have multiple projects going on. I'll show you below how I plan to implement all that. 

Before we get to the inside of the journal I want to share the supplies I am using: 

Supplies

- Leuchtturm 1917 Notebook - This notebook comes with 121 pages and all the pages are numbered. There is an index in the beginning of the book if you want to index your pages. You can even pick what type of ruling you want in your journal. I picked dotted so I could encourage my OCD by drawing perfectly straight lines. ;)

-Staedtler Pens - These are the ones in the pink roll up pouch that you will see in my pictures. I actually got these from Korea in 2012 but you can purchase them on Amazon. 

-Micron Pens - These pens have a fine point and make really pretty lines. They can be purchased at any major craft store or on Amazon as well. 

I should note that the pens listed above do not bleed through. I love Sharpies but those bleed through so I don't use them for bullet journaling. 

Inside Cover 

I wanted the inside cover to be something pretty. I made this floral wreath and included Psalms 115:1 in there. 

Right after the inside cover there are index / content pages where you can number what will be on each page. I did not do that because I wanted the freedom to go over or under pages. 

Content

In my journal I plan to have two pages dedicated for each month to write in a monthly calendar, a Bible verse I want to memorize that month, monthly goals and then I will add any fun memories from that month to those pages as well. 

After the monthly overview I am using two pages to plan out each week. I am putting a daily to do list on there, how many cups of water I drank, how many steps I took, a weekly weigh in and then I'm jotting down any fun memories from that day.

Next month I plan to put 7 days on one page as I felt there was a lot of empty space in January but with bullet journaling you have the freedom to change it as you go.

At the end of the month I have a couple of pages where I plan to put pictures in there. I want to be better about printing some pictures and I thought this would be an easy and fun way to do that.

Here is a sneak peak at February. I'm really loving February's journal so far! My daily boxes look like little valentine cards but I didn't make them until after I took these photos.

In my journal I have two other sections so far. One is my half marathon training and the other one are goals for my photography business. I plan to add a section for crossfit but I haven't gotten that far yet.

My half marathon training starts next week so I thought I would share what I did for that. I saw an inspriational post on IG and wanted to do something similar to make my training plan at least look fun.

My training is 10 weeks so I put a box for each week. I plan to run three times a week and attend crossfit 2-3 per week. I know I will need to give myself grace because that would mean 6 super intense workouts a week and that might not happen every week. 

I plan to track all my runs in here along with pace and distance. 

Lastly, I made a box for each mile and when I run a mile, I will color it in. I have seen other people draw various sorts of things to represent a mile and for some reason this fun idea came to mind. I really love it!!!

 And now I can only hope that my training will be as much fun as creating the plan was. ha ha!

Here are a few more thoughts on bullet journaling:

-You can make it as complex or as simple as you want it to be. I have free time right now to color and draw so this is not only a planner and journal but a way for me to be creative. Lots of people don't do any art in their journal and that works great for them.

-I've also seen some amazing bullet journals with meal plans and grocery plans. If I had a family to cook for I think I would definitely do that.

-Pinterest and IG, like always, have so many fabulous ideas. I have a Pinterest board for Bullet Journaling and Hand Lettering if you'd like to check that out. I also love The Bullet Journal Addict on IG. Her journals are just pure inspirational! Also, this post right here has tons of great ideas and inspiration. It's especially a good one if you are looking into bullet journaling or are new to it.

Are you thinking about starting a bullet journal? If so, I'd love to know! Also, if you have any questions feel free to ask and I'll do my best to answer them. 

If you have a bullet journal what do you use yours for? Is it mainly lists or is it creative? 

Prairie Fire 1/2 Marathon + Running Tips

As many of you know I ran a 1/2 marathon this past weekend in my hometown of Wichita. I wanted to give you a run down (pun intended ... your welcome!) of how it went.

I'll be the first to admit, for this race, I trained the least I ever had. I originally had a written plan of my training schedule and had high hopes to come in under two hours, which would have been a PR. My 1/2 marathon training and crossfit both began in July. After crossfit I just couldn't muster up the energy to run. Then after a month or two I just got lazy with my training (cone of shame moment). I'll be honest, my longest training run for this 1/2 was a whole whopping 5 miles. gasp! However, I did crossfit 3-4 times a week and it saved me on the 1/2. Crossfit builds some good mental endurance and it definitely helped during my run which overall, went well. I loved running through my hometown and Dave was a trooper and ran with me for encouragement. The biggest issue I had was my IT band flared at mile 3 and hurt the remaining 10 miles. I had to stop about 5-10 times to stretch my cramped leg and that darn leg slowed me down. I came in at 2:32 but for not training I think I did pretty well.

Other than giving a run down on how my 1/2 went I wanted to share 5 race day tips with you. This 1/2 marathon was my 7th one and I think I've learned some good lessons along the way.

1. make up your mind - a few nights before the race you mentally need to go through your race, go over how well you trained, and tell yourself you will do it. Mind over matter is true.

2. have all your gear ready - No one wants to wake up race morning and search for their gear. Trust me, I've done it, and let me tell you ... I'm a scrambling panicked mess! After a few of those miserable mornings I made a list on my iPhone of everything I need. I have everything from shoes, my race bib all the way down to underwear and what earrings I'm wearing. Use that list when you pack for your race and the night before have everything sat out and ready to go.

3. food & hydration - 2 days before you need to start hydrating. Also, by hydrate I don't mean drink 5 gallons of extra water (that can be harmful). However do drink a bit extra water, drink juice and I even drink coffee. Also, eat a few extra carbs but don't over eat. You don't want to be at the porter potties on race day with the big 'D' from stuffing your face with a massive amount of carbs.

4. racing buddy - For me this one is crucial. I run so much better when someone is running next to me, especially distance runs. My work spouse ran my first full marathon with me and my husband ran this last half marathon with me. Every long distance race where someone runs with it goes so much better. Friends can provide encouragement to each other as well as give you that extra push to get to the finish line. I'd also recommend discussing how you best encourage each other. For example, the night before this past 1/2, Dave and I discussed that I would think positive and that he would give me positive reinforcement. If you discuss how you are best encouraged that will pay off on race day.

5. race day support - Recruit some friends to cheer you on. I know, it isn't fun to ask people to get up at 6am to come clap and cheer but it makes all the difference and they often enjoy it as well. When I ran my full marathon, my brother and Mom met us on a couple of different spots and my brother called my phone several times to check where I was at and to keep telling me to 'put one foot in front of the other'. This past race my sister-in-law found us on 3 different spots and had the family dog there to cheer us on. My sister was also there as well as several other people. Knowing people will see you on the course will help you stay running (you don't want to get caught walking) and they will motivate you to get to that finish line.

So, there you have it, 5 race day tips. I hope they help. Have you run a half marathon? Have any good tips? I'd love to hear them.