What does it feel like?

I walked in my house, plopped on the floor and started to stretch. My body was tingling and I could feel my heart beat through every inch of my body. My muscles where tight and started to cramp. I lay on the floor enjoying every bit of it. Did I mention the pool of sweat? Never mind...

I ran a total of 20 miles this week! I am so proud of myself. This week has been the easiest so far. I feel like I could have done better...No matter how far I go or how many days I run, it will never be good enough. I will continue to challenge myself everyday.

"Methinks that the moment my legs began to move, my thoughts began to flow."
- Henry David Thoreau

Yesterday and today...

Josh and I got up yesterday morning for a run. We did not get very far because of the fog, it was really thick. You couldn't see 10 feet in front of us. So we decided to sprint around the neighborhood where it was a little safer. It was no more than a half mile but still felt good.

Today I ran my 5. I didn't want to go but couldn't come up with a good enough excuse not to run. Besides, it is really nice outside today, sunny and warm. I had to get out and enjoy it. I had a little bit of stress to relieve due to my Phillies loss to the Dodgers. Ugh! I am feeling much better now.

So far this week I have run 15 miles. Tomorrow I will add another 5 to make 20. 20 miles a week sounds pretty good!

"If you want to become the best runner you can be, start now. Don't spend the rest of your life wondering if you can do it." -Priscilla Welch

It's raining :(

Running cloths, shoes, hat and Ipod. Stepped outside and ran right into the rain. Totally bummed. I guess I could jump on the elliptical, but that's boring. I'll just mark this as a day off. 10 miles so far this week isn't bad!

If it's not raining where you are, get out there and run ;)

"Mental will is a muscle that needs exercise, just like the muscles of the body." -Lynn Jennings

Phive for the Phillies

I set out to run 2 miles so I could get home to phinish watching the game. But I decided to run phive for the Phillies. I got home in time watch the Phillies win. YAY!

I didn't want to run today. I made myself. I am so glad I got out there. My 5 mile route takes me down a really cool old county narrow road between farms with a view of the Timps. Beautiful, especially when the sun is setting. That's motivation.

"Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself." -William Faulkner

Phive baby!

Running has been easy. Getting out and doing it has been difficult. Life gets busy and sometimes I have no time to fit in a run. Is that an excuse or does life just happen?

Today I ran 5 miles. I ran it with NO ipod. It died 50 yards into my run. I asked myself if I would be able to run 5 with no musical motivation. I did it, not sure how? It feels pretty good to know that I can run that distance. I convienced myself that 2 miles a day was good enough. I was full of shit! 5 miles feels so much better. I have the NIKE 10K coming up in a couple of weeks. I am going to focus on my pace, need to step it up a little.

We all know how it feels to accomplish your goal. Why deprive yourself of that? Just do it!

"You also need to look back, not just at the people who are running behind you but especially at those who don't run and never will... those who run but don't race...those who started training for a race but didn't carry through...those who got to the starting line but didn't in the finish line...those who once raced better than you but no longer run at all. You're still here. Take pride in wherever you finish. Look at all the people you've outlasted." - Joe Henderson

Yes!

Today I asked myself if I could give more, and my answer was yes. I started out running with 2 miles in mind. 2 miles lead to 3.2 then to 4. I ran 4 miles today. YaY! The best part was soaking in my accomplishment when I got home. That's why I love running.

Shit! Writer's block...

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start." -John Bingham, running speaker and writer

2 times...

That's right. I ran twice today. The 1st time I went out I ran into a blizzard. So I turned around and ran home. I only got in 1.5 miles. I wasn't happy with that. The weather cleared and I headed back out and ran another 1.5.

I decided that I'm not going to commit to a time of day to run. I was so set on mornings but that hasn't been working out for me. Getting away in the evening for 20 minutes is easier than I thought. We'll see what tomorrow brings...

I am running the Nike Human Race 10K October 24th. If your in the area and want to join me, just let me know...It's easier to get in the grove when you have something to train for.

"Ask yourself: 'Can I give more?'. The answer is usually: 'Yes'." -Paul Tergat, Kenyan professional marathoner

Where have I been?

Lazy! Absolutely no motivation, no determination...nothing! I have had no excuses. I just didn't want to run. But now I do ;) Although I did not really want to run, I thought about my disappointment everyday.

Today I am going to start out with a fast 2 mile walk. Tomorrow I will RUN. I am also going to enter myself in some 5K runs. Hopefully (with this weather) I can find some. That way I have a reason to train, a view of a finish line...Anyone around the area is welcome to do it with me.

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that." -Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

Day TEN

No run today. Josh and I are leaving after work for Jackson Hole...Yay! Had to finish packing for us and the girls. (That sounds like an excuse ;0) Maybe I'll get out of the car and run along the car for a couple of miles...LOL

"I always loved running...it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs."
-Jesse Owens

Day NINE

The the big question of the day was - How far will I run today? Well, I only ran 2. My alarm went off early enough to get in 5, but I decided to sleep in.

I'm starting feel the obsessive drive in me to run. If I could go now, again, I would. Maybe when Josh gets home tonight I'll head out again.

Yesterday, I was surfing the web looking for motivational running quotes and found a few that really touched my soul. I decided that I will share one of these quotes at the end of each blog....

"You have to wonder at times what you're doing out there. Over the years, I've given myself a thousand reasons to keep running, but it always comes back to where it started. It comes down to self-satisfaction and a sense of achievement." - Steve Prefontaine

On track - Day SIX, SEVEN and EIGHT

I took the day off on Sunday. Monday I ran 2. Today I ran 2. It was a beautiful morning. There was a lot of cloud coverage except for the crescent moon and Orion's Belt shinning bright. It was very dark, I could not see anything further than 15 yards. Kinda scary, but Josh was with me. My Ipod died a quarter into my run. Music definitely motivates me.

The last two mornings have been great. I feel like I am back on track. The alarm goes off and I'm out of bed. No more excuses running through my head. Yay! I have only missed 2 out of the eight days since I started this blog. It's amazing how much can happen in a week. I've lost 3 lbs! 12 more to go! Apparently you don't have to run 5 miles a day to see results.

Stay focused - work hard - and you'll get results. Remember it's not about your current diet, it's about a lifestyle change...

Day Phive

First, I'd like to thank everyone for their support on my blog. You all inspire and motivate me to keep going...Much LOVE to all you peeps ;)

Today I started out for 2 and ended up 1.2 and walking the rest of the way. Cramps from being dehydrated kicked my ass. At least I got out and did something active. (Thanks Dennis)

I decided today that I 'm not going to be one of those people that sit and wish for something to happen. I'm going get out there and do it. You only have 1 life. Why waste it. Take control and make the changes to better your life. Just do it.

Stronger - Day FOUR

Today I got to sleep in. The alarm going off early and hitting snooze was not an issue. However, I was a bit hungover from the 4 glasses of wine the night before. But I sucked it up and ran 3 miles. I felt like I could have ran longer but had to get home so Josh could head to work.

I focused on my posture while running. I noticed by making a small change it increased my speed. Also, I realized I need new running shoes or an insert to support my arch. I focused on those damn voices I hear every morning and decided to create faces for them...An angel and a demon. Now that's original...LOL. I am not crazy, despite what Josh thinks.

The peace and quite while running allows me to plan the day and focus, even while listening to my ipod. It's amazing what I can get done. I need to remember this feeling every morning when my alarm goes off.

Strong...Day THREE

I woke up this morning feeling like a wimp, but rolled out of bed STRONG. I feel like I'm starting to get back into the groove. It just takes a few times going through the motions for things to connect...I think it would be easier if I was training for something. I'm trying to make this running thing part of life...It helps me focus and gives me the energy to fly through the morning with the kids, and overall it makes me feel GREAT.


I only ran 2 miles this morning. It feels better to say it's 2 more than a wimp. I guess I'm disappointed because I know I'm not pushing myself. 2 is just so easy.

Stay strong, no more excuses, just do it...

(Note to self - You have to get up when the alarm 1st goes off! No snooze!)

Just Do It! Day TWO

I did it. All Thanks to Josh who kicked my butt out the door! Had I got up when my alarm 1st went off, I would have had time for a lovely 5 miles but my laziness got the best of me...AGAIN! So I only got in 2 miles. I guess 2 is better than none, but I am still disappointed. Tomorrow I will do better...

On my run I decided to set a goal of 20 miles a week. 5 miles - 4 days a week sounds do-able? I did it before, I can do it now.

Today was a CRAZY busy day!!! Sorry for the lack of words but the 3 trips to Park City, business meeting and soccer wore me out.

"Running is a big question mark that's there each and every day. It asks you, 'Are you going to be a wimp or are you going to be strong today?'" - Peter Maher

Unofficially day ONE

Not a successful morning. My alarm went off at 6am. Hit snooze. Reset the alarm. I convinced myself that I would find time this evening for a run (yeah right! I have 4 girls = no time). Why did I not run? What were my reasons? Josh was supposed to come with me...It was too dark. I used to run in the dark. Why not now? I even have one of those reflector vests and a small flash light. I know If I get my ass up and run my day would be so much better. More energy. The sweet feeling of accomplishment...

3 months ago I had no excuses. I just did it. I am stronger than that voice in my head the creates these excuses. That voice has been put on mute...JUST DO IT! Sorry Nike, It's mine now!

Inspiration...lost

I ran Cross Country in High School only because I had too. It was either that or cheerleading and if you know me, I am NO cheerleader! The only part of Cross Country I enjoyed was flirting with the boy's team. At the end of the season my team had nicknamed me "Flirt". That was it, Cross Country was over and I never thought about running again.

17 years later, my Brother-In-Law inspired me to start running after he lost over 100 lbs running and eating right. He finished the Salt Lake City 1/2 Marathon in 2 1/2 hours. I thought if he could do it, I could do it. I only wanted to lose the 15 lbs still hanging around after I had my LAST baby.

So, I started running. One mile at a time. There was no time for walking. I perfected the "Mr. Richards shuffle". That's a technique my dad taught me when I was running cross country. It was named after a friend he ran with that ran at a slow pace. One month after I started running, I was up to 5 miles - 5 days a week. I lost 10 lbs and felt full of energy. I dreamt about running and talked about running all day long. If I missed a day running I would mentally beat myself up. I was obsessed! Apologies to all my facebook friends who dealt with all my lame running posts.

Then Vegas happened. I dove head first into Vegas and crashed! Vegas reminded me that I was 33 not 21. It has been almost 3 months since Vegas and I have not fully recovered. I lost the SPARK that inspired me to run. I run maybe 2 times a week. I also gained some of that weight back. Now that's depressing!

Here I am. Looking to be inspired again. But this time I am looking within myself for the motivation. That's where I'll find success. So, I came up with an idea to start a daily blog about my daily struggles and accomplishments. Hopefully I will find that SPARK within my words....