Monday 4/21 – 2.27 miles, easy pace, 20:36.
Tuesday 4/22 – 2.03 miles, easy pace with hills, 21:33. Yoga for runners video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of2spyCtUkw)
Wednesday 4/23 – 2.03 miles, sprint intervals, 20:18.
Good week so far!
On Boston
I’ve been stumbling around this entry for a few days. I want to say all the correct and thoughtful things, and say why Boston changed my life, without ever being there, without even being in the state of Massachusetts.
The right words never came to my mind. I ran on Monday, I ran yesterday, I ran today, and during those runs I thought about Boston.
I was at work on April 15, 2013 when the bombs went off. Someone came in and asked if my coworker and I had heard what happened at the Boston Marathon. I hadn’t, but I went on my iPhone, found cnn.com, and read in horror about what had been done. All I could ask was why. Why would someone want to take away the glory of such an amazing feat of personal strength and endurance? Why damage all the heart and soul that goes into a race like Boston? What was the point?
There was no point.
I ran that night, just 2 miles, all that I could do at the time. I ran for Boston. I ran for those who no longer could.
Today, I am getting into an intense point at my training. My long runs aren’t yet impossible, but my legs are sore and my hips hurt and I get terrible cramps in my side sometimes when I run. Sometimes I can’t catch my breath. Sometimes I cry. Sometimes I want to sit down on the trail and stop. But I don’t. I still go, because I know that I need to, because Boston changed something inside of me. I need to run, more than I ever did before.
I need to run for the people that no longer can.
I’m back (again)
Sorry for not blogging more frequently, y’all. Shit has been a little crazy here in my part of NJ lately, and my training has suffered as a result. Luckily, there’s still 22 weeks until the 1/2 marathon, so even though I had to slack a little bit, I don’t think it will be overly detrimental to my training.
Today, however, was good. It was a nice warm day (mid-60s) and sunny, so I got out and did 2 miles at an easy pace in 19:06. Obviously not the best time out there, but it was just great to be out again, to appreciate the sunshine, and to move my body, which I haven’t been doing as much lately due to the craziness.
For the record, running is better than any drug out there. Nothing makes me feel better than a good run. Moving among the trees, watching the cars go past, hearing the sound my shoes make on the trail, all of that just gives me such a good feeling. It is calming and soothing while it is also energizing. I can be totally in my head, in my zone, and no one can judge me for being there.
Running is awesome.
Back on the horse.
I’m healthy again! Time to refocus.
I reworked my training plan down so that some of my mileages are less until I’m 100% (still a bit congested), but I’m anxious to be back on the right track.
This is true, right?
Make sure there is extra time in your training plan in case you get sick or injured…
Since Sunday, I’ve been clinging to a giant size bottle of DayQuil severe, just praying for the symptoms to subside.
I am sick as a dog.
I didn’t skip my training run though.
Because I’m a nerd and had a moment of clarity where I needed to run.
I did something bad, to do something good.
I had a horrid day at work. Training newbs + a terrible staff working backup for me = tired, sore Kerry. I already discussed how much I hate strength day, so moving around giant cases of water isn’t necessarily a good time for me. So I skipped my afternoon training run today. HOWEVER…
I GOT NEW RUNNING SHOES TODAY!!!
^That’s them. They are called Nike Vomero 8.
Today was my first time going to a specialty running store to purchase shoes. I felt a little awkward when I got there, just standing around because both of the associates were with other people and I had no clue what I was looking for. So, despite the fact that I am 24 damn years old, I stood there like a geeky teenager for five minutes. Then the fun started.
I was helped by an awesome dude whose name I don’t remember (sorry, awesome dude, but you were awesome!!!), and was very enlightened and surprised by the experience. I didn’t know that there was so many subtle differences between shoes. The shoes I had were Asics that I bought at Dick’s, not knowing that a real specialized fit was what I needed. With that being said, awesome dude measured my feet and then the boxes came out.
I tried on so many pairs, including some Saucony ones, Brooks, Asics, Nike, and a couple other brands. The Nike’s were such a clear winner, it actually was surprising. They feel so comfortable on my feet! Even though I liked them at first feel, I had to run on them on the hamster wheel treadmill. So I did and the cushioning in them felt fantastic. So after trying on so many pairs, I decided on the Nike ones above.
So yes, I skipped a run today. But hey, at least I got something out of it!
And here’s a picture…
This is what I look like hiking up a mountain in Vermont.
A bit about me might be in order?
So I’m sitting here in my sweatpants drinking my iced coffee (yes, at 9pm), realizing that while I am immensely enjoying writing about my training experiences in my blog, I have not yet told you lovely readers about me. Not that there’s so many of you…yet.
My name is Kerry Anne, I go by my middle name when I’m feeling either particularly sassy or formal. I’m named after the county in Ireland and St. Anne, the patron saint of pregnancy or something like that. I’m 24 going on 40 and 6 simultaneously. I work at a convenience store where I get generally annoyed by the residents of the state of New Jersey and dream about training (seriously). I have an associate’s degree in criminal justice, and hope to enter the field of law enforcement eventually.
I’ve been an athlete my whole life, and running happens to be my newest obsession. I always played team sports as a young kid and through my high school days, but as I entered (and exited) college, I found that I needed another way to keep myself in shape and moving. Running was my answer. It’s basically free (minus shoes, Gu, and Body Glide), it can be done alone, and nobody will judge my music tastes since it’s all in my earbuds. But I had a lot of trouble calling myself a runner. Until recently (within the past year), I could never really endure more than a couple of miles before I got bored or just started craving cereal (seriously, it’s my vice) or chocolate. Despite that, I always yearned for the glory of completing some kind of endurance event. And that is how I decided to complete a half marathon.
I know the trip will not be easy, and all the glory and gore will be in the books before I even get to the starting line, but I have not been so excited for anything in recent times.
Wish me luck, and send me good karma.
Namaste 🙂
Because I Can 