skunks, creeps and shin splints... OH MY!

Over the past week I have been running here and there every day but only two days were really notable.


day one of the creeps and the skunks...

Jogging along, half asleep.. which is my personal favorite way to jog. I was pleasantly awaken by three baby deer who let me get so close I almost touched them. Typically as soon as you get close to a deer, they run... this was one of those odd situations where I was actually more afraid of them than they were of me. Very cool.

As I determined it was best to continue my jog half asleep, I was just getting into my rhythm when a creepy car drove past me, stopped and reversed. I freaked and sprinted around the corner. No sooner had that occurrence happened then another creepy guy was lurking around his parked car. Just about this time I determined it was wise for me to stay awake for this run.

I finally thought I was in the clear when I see a skunk scamper across the street. It was at this point I completely gave up on my run. The problem with this scenario would be the two creepers chilling in my neighborhood. By now I'm sure you have figured out I made it home safely but have determined the streets of suburbia are not ones to be reckoned with.


Shin Splints

A phenomenon I never actually believed in. Back in High School everyone would complain of shin splints... I thought it was their way of getting out of practice and chopped it up to them being a bunch of wimps. Well let me tell you shin splints will get 'cha. I continued jogging on my wounded legs and after a few days determined I should probably trade over to the bicycle. Wise choice - as I found out that if you have an injury you are more prone to shin splints. So what was my sprained ankle turned into shin splints. Go figure.

Another recent discovery.. Michael Jackson "Thriller" is probably not the best song choice when running alone on a path in the dark.

Personal Favorite Songs of the Week:

• Avril Lavigne - Holding On
• Keith Urban - Stupid Boy
• Eminem & Rihanna - Love the way you Lie
• Blink-182 - Rock Show

a little bit of inspiration from me to you.

So, after what may have been the best weekend of my entire life I have been unable to force myself to get up and go for a run, thus, nothing to blog about. Well, I think we all know I love to chat and just couldn't go another day without spreading my wisdom. So, I've decided the best thing to do is write about what I think. Why I run. And what motivates me. Not saying it's right or it's wrong - just some thoughts.

While reading my running magazine today it dawned on me that people run for all reasons - they run for autism awareness. They run to raise money for our parks. They run for the health benefits. And some just run to be a part of a group. The great thing about running is the common bond all runners share. Those experiences and moments you have when you are the only one on a trail. And those you have when packed into a start line at a race. The stories are endless. I think one theme people find with runners is the positive can-do attitude. I definitely notice it within myself. I not only feel better about myself but I have a much better outlook on life after a few days of running.

Now, some may ask - as my mother does on a daily basis - why I am running a marathon all the way in Jacksonville when the Marine Corps Marathon is less than 30 minutes from my house. The answer is two-fold. One, the Marine Corps Marathon is only a month or two away and I can currently run no more than 4 or 5 miles on any given day. Two, ever since I was little my parents encouraged us to volunteer. One Christmas instead of asking for toys and clothes, my sisters and I received Livestrong bracelets. Although at the time I looked at it as though I was just shorted my new Britney Spears c.d. the thought has stuck with me for awhile.

That same thought carried with me into high school where my feature stories were about the benefits of donating to charities.  Then one year I decided to spend a weekend volunteering for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It was such a powerful experiences - men, women, mothers, daughters, sisters, brothers - all gathered, sporting pink I might add, to raise breast cancer awareness and take over the district. This experience led me to organizing Breast Cancer Awareness month at my high school and the ongoing search for a cure continued.

It continued right into college when I was searching for the perfect sorority. I liked them all and just couldn't decide. The girls were all nice and involved in tons of activities. The turning point came to the last night of rush, I turned to my roommate completely split between two sororities. She looked at me and said, "Christy, the girls are all nice. You will get along with anyone - look at where you think you can make the biggest difference." And that made my decision entirely too easy. The next day I became a part of Zeta Tau Alpha and got the chance to spend the next four years raising money and awareness for the cause.

Now that college is over, it is on to my next challenge. Next item on the "Bucket List" - run a marathon. And what better way to do it then being surrounded by positive, amazing individuals who are running for a cause I have always been passionate about. This next chapter of my life is so exciting - I just hope I can survive the ride.

Passionately Pink,
Christy

11 & 12

DAY ELEVEN

Woke up this morning to go for a quick run. While running I spotted a frog. Questioned if it was the same one my best friend, Tracy, had stepped on a few years ago. Ended my run early.

Had a brief conversation with my Dad when I got back, it went something like this:

ME: Dad, I'm starting to get a little nervous about this whole marathon thing... last night I filled out my planner with the distances I should be running every day for the next few months and it dawned on me, that for example, I am supposed to be running 11 miles on New Years day. Well, lets be honest, that will never happen.

Dad: Yeah, I got to be honest the whole marathon thing has me thrown for a loop. What are you going to do run the first mile than drive the next 25? Seriously, my daughter who ran cross country struggled with it...

ME: well, it's not like I have ever lost anything in my life.

Dad: well I'm not expecting you to win it..

ME: come on Dad, dream big.


Song of the Day: Barenaked - Jennifer Love Hewitt

DAY TWELVE

I debated not going for a run today but then I remembered the conversation Tracy and I had last night. Apparently, she finds it very amusing that the majority of my blog posts go something like this.. "I was going to go for a run today but I was too hungover." And after finishing a bottle and a half of wine with her last night I was definitely not going to let that be held over my head.

I am so glad that I did go for a run because the weather was perfect. The temperature was incredible for running - not too hot and not too cold. The sun was shining, I could not have asked for anything better.

With this great weather brought out lots of dogs! Specifically, I saw two golden retrievers on my run. For those who haven't heard, I lost my dog Holly - a golden retriever - a few months ago. So as I saw all of these beautiful goldens it made me feel a little closer to her. Dogs are such an important part of your family and it has definitely been hard not having her around everyday. But, seeing all of these dogs made my run so much more special. My run flew by with memories of days spent with Holly at the farm, sporting events and playing field hockey with her.


Song of the day: Destiny's Child - Survivor


Passionately Pink,
Christy

DAY TEN

Went running through the park near my house. Realized the problem with that is two-fold. One - the gnats are awful. I had more up my nose than were swarming in the air. Two - it smelled of skunk and when I turned the corner to see a black and white rat-looking animal I freaked, only to realize that rat was followed by a leash and a woman.

But, let's be honest the benefits of running through a park far outweigh the costs. While hitting mile two I was on my way up a long steady hill and when I started to see over the top all there was to view was this gorgeous sunset. It was heaven.

Song of the Day: Rascal Flatts - Bless the Broken Road

DAY EIGHT

Attempted five times to get up for a run this morning. Initially it was the shooting pain from my ankle that got to me... but after hitting that snooze button half a dozen times my lack of enthusiasm to leave the most comfortable bed in the planet got the best of me.

After work I was determined to release some energy and committed myself to leaving for my run by 8PM. Then decided NY style pizza was a good choice for dinner. Ate - iced my ankle and left for my run.

Man, was pizza a bad choice.

I hate to keep going back to my youth.. but in high school my sports superlatives always had something to do with food. I was one of those kids who could eat a double cheeseburger and then go out for a three hour practice and never know the difference. Not anymore.

Completed 4 miles in 36 minutes. A personal worst. Woops.

This run did help me discover one thing - a good way to pace yourself is through your music. While a pre-game ritual for me may be listening to the dirtiest rap songs I can find. A good long-distance run requires some quality Alternative music. Just a thought.

Song of the Day: Manhattan - Kings of Leon

WEEK ONE... what a bust!

DAY TWO

Woke up at 5 - Dad called me crazy. Realized the last time I was up at this hour I had yet to go to bed. Man, do I miss Blacksburg. While jogging down the same streets I had walked on after sneaking out of my house in high school, I realized how fearless I had been in my youth (hardy, har, har). But seriously, somehow in high school I managed to sneak out every weekend and have no fear of one - getting caught and two - getting kidnapped. My entire run I jumped into the middle of the road at the slightest noise - heck, even the shadow of my pony tail swaying back and forth gave me the heebie jeebies.

The middle two miles of my run were the best... I jammed out to my iPod and then realized that I am not alone in this world and people can see me dancing. YIKES!

The last mile had me questioning if I was ever going to be able to turn four miles into 26.2. This same thought resonated while at happy hour with my friend, Maya, who is running the Marine Corps Marathon this fall. She asked if I ever wanted to go on a distance run.. is that a joke?! I can barely make my standard loop.

Song of the Day: Driving me Crazy - Sam Adams

... The Rest of the Week...

The rest of the week can be summed up as R.I.C.E. Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation. My ankle was so swollen from spraining it last week and attempting to run on it I decided it would be wise to give it a rest. This lack of exercise did not serve me well at happy hour as I spilled an entire drink on myself, dead sober, due to my inability to sit still.

DAY SIX

Went to Potomac River Runners in Reston to buy a pair of shoes. If you haven't visited this store yet - it is awesome. They help you find the perfect shoe by putting you on a treadmill and watching you run. I walked out of the store with a pair of Nike Zoom Structure Triax+ 13, the Nike+iPod trainer and a fresh pair of socks.



Everyone I know that runs marathons swears by their shoes and their socks. Pretty logical if you ask me - two investments I am willing to make to save myself the pain after going the distance.

DAY SEVEN

Today was the first day in my new kicks. I love them. It felt like I was running on air. I realized half my battle in this marathon is going to be the ability to pace myself. I have never been too solid in that area. I once got a B in Gym class because I ran a 7.30 mile and I was supposed to be pacing myself at 9 minutes. Anyway, the first mile I did this morning was at a 7-minute mile pace. Needless to say I have not run that time since I was a high school athlete. After that first mile I had to walk for about a quarter of a mile - then forcing myself to pay more attention to my pace so I could continue running the rest of the distance.

Song of the Day: Sex is on Fire - Kings of Leon



Passionately Pink,
Christy

Day One

The alarm went off at 5am signaling the first day of training for the National Marathon to End Breast Cancer,. Needless to say the bottle of red wine I chose to consume last night had a different plan for me. I stayed in bed and skipped my first work-out, which only meant after my 10-hour workday I had to force myself to hit the road running.

I've always had a knack for endurance running so I assumed this would be a breeze. Not so much, as I struggled up the hill at the half-way point of my run I thought about how easy I really had it. The biggest challenge I have faced over the past few months has been running up this hill. My life is a breeze compared to the alternatives. So, my alarm is set for 5am again tomorrow - and hopefully I will be able to take this same attitude and force myself out of bed and up the hill again tomorrow.


Passionately Pink,
Christy