Email to Running Store

I just sent an email to a running store asking about their Sunday morning beginning runners group. I told her my story and asked for more information. I am curious to see what she responds with. Here is the email:

Kim,

I found your name on Berkeley's website and figured I would shoot you an email. I'm not sure if you are still doing the Sunday morning beginners runs. I just wanted to tell you a little about myself.  I am a 29 year old transplant from the Twin Cities. I started running/jogging September 2010. It's been an incredibly slow process and I haven't reached the milestones I thought I would have by this point. I initially started running as part of a group of bloggers, mostly from the Twin Cities area, that were on the road of weight loss. After watching my younger sister compete in a sprint triathlon, I was determined to set my goals high and I signed up for the Iron Girl Duathlon the following year. My blogging group set a goal for themselves to run a 5k distance on Memorial Day weekend 2011. The night before that race, I was amazed to hear numerous worries about the race the following day. Having walk/jogged a few 5k races, I knew what to expect and I couldn't really understand what these friends were really that worried about. I finished that race in just under 40 minutes, about half way back in the pack. It was a small race of only 200 participants.

After completing the duathlon in September, I heard about the Twin Cities Marathon being run a week later.  I was encouraged by a fellow blogging friend to join her the following year for her first marathon. I really thought she was crazy. In January, I gave in and signed up for the marathon. I still wonder how I am going to be able to cross that finish line in October. I spent most of the winter months, what we really had of them, running on the treadmills at Golds Gym in Fitchburg and most of the last couple of weeks out hitting the pavement. I had a big eye opening experience when I ran the Shamrock Shuffle 10k two weeks ago. I ran that a lot slower than planned and finished in 1:20, waaay at the back of the main pack.

After talking to my sister, a twice Iron Man WI finisher, she recommended I find a group of people to run with. She said those long weekend runs get really boring if I have to run them alone. That was weeks ago and I still haven't found a group. My fear of being the slowest runner and holding people back has maybe kept me from doing so. On a whim tonight, I typed in running groups in Madison and the Berkeley page was one of the first pages listed. When it comes down to it, I am really looking for more information about your Sunday morning beginners group. I am currently using Hal Higdon's marathon training plan. I usually run a 12-13 minute pace.  I am hoping to run in a half marathon on May 6th in the Twin Cities and it scares me.

I realize that I've been typing for too long. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing more information on the Sunday morning group runs.

Thank you,
Amy


I hope to hear back from her in the next coming days. I think it would be great to have a group of people to do my distance running with.  I'll keep you update. 

Epiphany!

I just found myself doing the strangest thing. Like I said the other night, I've been reading Women, Food and God. Well I really came to an epiphany today during my lunch period while I was reading it. I actually had such an issue putting the book down that I accidentally went over my lunch time by ten  minutes. I'm impressed with it. I will share more on that in the future.

Anyway, I did a little yard work and a little TV time. Around 9pm, I got up off the couch and went looking for the book, knowing well that I made a point of making sure I brought the book home. I looked everywhere: where I put my purse down, in the kitchen, the bedroom where I went to change out of my work clothes and into yard clothes, the car, and back up to the bedroom to check again, just in case. It wasn't anywhere! Ugh! I must have left it at work.

My first thought was that I hoped I didn't leave it on the counter where the cleaning people would surely take it (although I know it would still be there in the morning). My second thought was that I could drive the 10 minutes to the branch and the 10 minutes back to pick it up. But it was already ten after nine and by the time I got back it would be after 9:30 and why waste the gas when prices were so high.

My third thought was "This is stressing me out, I need something sugary". Really!!?? Where the hell did that come from!? I'll admit, I ignored the rational thoughts and went for the cupboard. There wasn't anything sugary in there! I spotted a bag of salad croutons that I swear only had crumbs left at the bottom. Somehow a craving for sugar changed into a craving for salt.  I ate one of those before I realized we had a bag of homemade Chex mix in in another cupboard. It took me about two handfuls of the snack mix before I realized what I was doing. I took another handful before I actually ripped the bag from my mind and put it back in its place. 

Was I really stress eating over a book? Am I crazy?! And over a book about losing weight! I knew it was something I had to write about. Women, Food and God talks about breathing and feeling my center, ie my belly. So here I sit, with my now full glass of ice water, feeling my belly from the inside out trying to focus. And it's working. I can't believe I would binge over something so trivial.

I need to take moments like this and recognize what I am doing. I don't want to eat so mindlessly and filled with emotion. I am going to treat my body with the respect it deserves. I have been put on this planet for a fraction of a relative moment in earth's history. I don't want to be so cliche and say my body is a vessel but I am going not be numb anymore.

I am emotional right now and I could just write about this for hours and write about how I am going to make these changes. I want to finish the book first. The book that put me here in the first place. I'm going to bed with my glass of ice water, happy and satisfied and I will write more later.

Women, Food and God Update

I've been reading Women, Food and God. I'm about half way through. I don't want to write a review about it until I am completely done with it. I am impressed so far and it has really gotten me to think about some things. I want to start applying these thoughts.

My blogging friend Anne, at Twelve-in-Twelve, wrote a great entry about this book in 2010. Take a look at it here.

Ack!

I'm freaking out! I know I haven't written in a while because life and training has just gotten in the way. Why am I freaking out? I worry that I'm not going to be ready for the marathon in October. I'm having some doubting moments. I dont even know if I will be ready for a half marathon sometime this spring. (I am still looking for a half event. I want to do one in MN but I want to do one in WI with my running partner.)

On a brighter note, the weather is starting to turn warmer. I've been running on the treadmill for the past three months. I was so happy to be making distance strides on the machine (8 miles last week). When I attempted my first outside run on Wednesday before work, I was hoping for 5 miles. I only squeaked out 4 and I really hurt the next day. Speaking of which, I'm really hurting today. I went to Body Flow at the gym yesterday. It's the first time I've made it to the class in over a month and it probably will be at least another month before I make it back. The Pilates part of the class killed me yesterday and my abs are remembering it today. I'm taking advantage of the weather later this afternoon and doing a 5 mile run with my running partner Kinsey. Its supposed to get into the low 60s today. It's hard to believe its still the first half of March.  It's supposed to be nice all week and since Daylight Savings officially started this morning, it's going to be lighter later into the evening I hope to get some time in running outside this week!

I have my 10k Shamrock Shuffle next weekend in downtown Madison. This will be my first 10k race. I'm hopeful that it will go well. Its supposed to be another day of 66 for the high. It sounds like my parents may be making the trek down to Madison to cheer me on. That means I get to clean the house this week. It needs it!

Now to motivate myself up and off the couch. I need to get that cleaning started and a trip to Joanne Fabrics.

2 Gomers

Have you heard of the 2 Gomers? Last weekend when I was mentally trying to overcome the nervousness of running 7 miles, I was looking for something motivational to get me through. I've heard about people watching movies. Other people read books (I have no idea how they do this). So I was thinking about buying an audio book to listen to on my run...but I couldn't find anything I was really wanting to read. Most of the books I want to read are already sitting on my book shelf waiting to be cracked open.

While I was roaming around iTunes, I stumbled over some Podcasts. I looked for some running pod casts and looked at a few before I found 2Gomers. I was really intrigued and looked more into it. These two guys are great! They started out their journey a few years ago by making a goal to run a half marathon. Their first season of podcasts covers their struggles with training. Then they trained for a full marathon.  Now they are training to run faster.

I really enjoy listening to their episodes (I'm only on episode 5 of season 1). It was great listening to their weekly recaps of how good they did that week and how crappy some weeks were. These guys don't know much about running but they are working through it week by week.

When I started listening to these on Sunday, I had no back ground on the guys. Through the first few episodes, I figured out they were actually raised in southern Wisconsin and I later found out they are from Madison area. Being a transplant here myself, it was amazing to know they were from this area. They both now live outside of the state of Wisconsin but get back here every so often to visit friends and family. Last summer, I even heard that they did a group run while they were here. I'm hoping they are planning on doing it again this summer. Maybe?

So yea, I like the 2 Gomers. I think it is great to listen to two ordinary guys go through the same thing I am.

Who do you follow regularly?

One Foot Infront of the Other

I ran 7 miles today! It wasn't all running but only walked 2 minutes at a time and I finished 3.1 miles in my fastest time ever! So yea, it was a good run. I went into this run not doing a long run day in two weeks. Two weeks ago is when I did 6 miles and had horrible blisters from my old shoes. I was disappointed in my time that day so I was actually nervous about this weeks 7 mile run. Next weeks 8 miles is now scaring me but I will just have to get over it.

My training this week was lacking by one day of running but I did get some bike time in. My running time last week was sooo hard. I just wasn't feeling it at all. I was just putting one foot in front of the other. Do you have days where it's just hard to stay moving forward?

Todays run just wasnt like that. Today's run went really well. I ate a bagel about an hour before my run and just kept plodding away on the treadmill. I was super excited about getting 3.1 miles done fast and I was shocked when 6 miles this week was faster than it was two weeks ago. So yea, today was one of those good days that makes me think 13.1 miles isn't that far fetched.

9.75 Inches Less

Even though the scale has only moved seven pounds in the last year or so, the inches have moved more. About a year ago I took measurements of my body so I had another way to measure my success. I took my measurements again this week and was somewhat shocked by the numbers. I've lost 9.75 inches over various areas of my body. The biggest loss was in my waist where I've lost 3.5 inches!

I mostly feel these changes in my pants. Last May I bought a couple of pairs of jeans that were a smaller size than what I had been wearing. Those jeans are on the edge of being too big now. I've been thinking about looking at a smaller size but I guess I'm still a little scared. Maybe I need to wait another bit of time so that I wont be disappointed if the next size down doesn't fit.

Overall, I'm happy about the changes. I also like that I HAVE to wear a belt to keep my pants up. :)