#.10... Doing hard things

I know you have been anxiously awaiting one of the biggest things I have learned this season. And it’s a big one. It’s going to SHOCK you!

Drum-roll

please……

#.10—I CAN do hard things

Seems self-explanatory, right? But I cannot tell you how many people I have heard say “I could never do that.” But, have you asked yourself why not??

Over the miles, hours and trails I have bled, cursed and cried.

But I pressed on.

I have had great runs, bad runs and everything in between.

But I pressed on.

I have fallen behind and questioned the very reason I signed up to race.

But I pressed on.

I CAN do hard things. And so can YOU.

When I started this season, I had a theme. In everything. I didn’t want to be the version of me I was settling for. Where everything I tried was a complimentary finisher’s medal and everyone gave out high fives. Now, before you puff out your chest about the finishers medal, let’s clarify, do I have a problem with them? Absolutely not. The struggle in running is REAL. But for me, I wanted to EARN it. WORK for it. And to beat the me, I knew I wasn’t. I had (3) young sets of eyes watching- it was time to show them that you can change if you try. More times than not, I heard my sister say out loud "you can do hard things" and how very right she was! 

It’s hard. It’s really, really, really hard. Your internal voice can make or break you. You know the one that whispers all day long? I’m sure most of my training season was spent simply changing that dialogue. From what I ate, to how I looked in mirror and what my finishing time was- it was hard to correct those whispers! Is it perfect now? No. But would I let ANYONE say the things I was saying to myself, to my kids? Hell no. In fact, that would end badly- for them. I have a bit of a temper problem, and confrontations don’t bother me. So why was it ok to say them to myself?

I know this very special woman, and for many years her mantra has been “I can’t” due to many different  reasons she had. And she believed that story, because that is what she told herself on a daily basis. Guess what? Someone finally convinced her she COULD and now she works out 5-6 days a week doing a workout called SHRED. And let me tell you- it’s HARD! I went a few times with her and barely walked out alive! But she believed she could. Then she did. And she still is!

I am sure you can relate- I have heard some of the men and women in my own tribe say the most negative things about themselves. But guess what, in running, those things come out on the pavement. As soon as you say “I can’t do this”—you won’t. 

BUT let me offer this. WHAT IF you said “I can”, just for arguments sake? What if you signed up tomorrow for something you have always wanted to achieve and your inner mantra became “I can do this”? 
(And you better tell me what you sign up for—I am 100% in!)

It was time. I needed to change me. I pushed. I tried a new morning class that terrified me. I gave up VERY important food groups. I was done crying to my husband about the old me, and making changes to be the new me. Don’t get me wrong, my soapbox isn’t so tall that I can’t admit that I still fight the old me- I do- every morning when the alarm goes off. But I have learned if I simply show up, I am miles ahead of who I used to be.

This race will mark the FIRST time I have raced with a mental voice saying I can. This is the first time I have publicly put a goal out there to achieve. And as terrifying as it is to do so, here goes….

In 2011 I ran this race with a finishing time of 3:09:46.

In 2013 I ran this race with a finishing time of 3:09:36.

In 2014 I achieved my best half marathon time (on a different course) coming in at 2:43:57.

Which one do I want to beat?

All. Of. Them.

And when I do it (see what I did there?), yes I will most likely ugly cry. All over my little brother. And he will mildly panic.

Before I jump off the soap box, one last thing. I would like to implore you to find those running (in this race, or the next), and shout out to the mountains of awesomeness they possess. Text them, call them, put it on social media—who cares?! Just do it. This shit is hard. When someone simply says (true story) “Good luck on Saturday, you’ll rock it!” it does wonders for that inner voice. It does so much for both your soul and your soles. Your tribe is vital in many; many ways- show your running friends much love when you hear of their endeavors! And then jump on this crazy bandwagon and join us. If you are reading this and already part of this big crazy world-- you ARE AMAZING and you are overcoming HARD things!! Fist pump to you, my friend.

Tomorrow my crazy sole sisters (and our pacing brother) will embark on a journey of more self-discovery then I can ever put into words. Thank you for being a fan.

Love and Miles,

Ps… I have now gotten off of my soapbox. Safely and slowly. No need for injuries.

13.1 Things I learned this season....

I think it has been a year since I published last! What?! Where did time go? Well, let me tell you! I have three small children that suck every minute out of every day. But yet, somehow my youngest just turned two. The days are agonizingly slow, but the years fly by. 

This year, I trained a bit differently than I have ever trained before! And through the blood, sweat and tears, I just KNEW all of you followers wanted to hear all about it! (Yes, all 4 of you- and that includes my mom)

With (4) days left to my next big race, I thought an epic recount of the season was in order! Without further ado, here is the 13.1 things I learned this season!



#13- Training with others

This season, I did something very different, which I have never done before. I was inspired by a dear friend of mine to find at least one person to run with. Someone that would push me and make the time fly! Seeing as my sister and I looped in our sister-from-another-mister to go on this journey with us, she was a given addition to our running group. We completed our group with my younger, yet MUCH FASTER, brother.  And at first, I wasn't sure how it was going to work. But as the weeks went on we found a groove, a rhythm and our happy place. Well, as happy as you can be when you are running. 

#12- Find the beat
Did you know that you can buy a song based on the beats per minute? Matching them to your cadence? That way you can pace simply by the beats on the tunes your cranking??? WHAT??!?!?!?! I had no idea!! Maybe listening to sappy romance novels while running wasn't actually helping my pace- just my boredom! And it's been FABULOUS!!! Who knew??? Not to mention my MOST fabulous karaoke skills were blasted for all of my neighborhood to hear- you're welcome. I should have charged for the show.

#11- Early is always worth it
If you are anything like me, otherwise known as a normal and sane person, you like to sleep. And sleeping in is even better! But as our group formed, the only time everyone was free happened to be between 5 AM and 8 AM. AM People. When sane people are still sleeping. When you need a flashlight to see and are thankful criminals are most likely sleeping (ya know-- like you want to be). When you see more wildlife than you ever have before and the moon is the one to greet you on the trail. Every single Saturday (sometimes Sunday) I grumbled when that 4:45 alarm went off. I had 300 reasons I didn't want to go. But here is the thing. Once you're done, you're done. Your day is still available to you! You don't run in 90 degree weather and a 32 ounce coffee is easier to justify (stop judging). I still run short distances in the evening, don't get me wrong, but for those lengthy runs- we meet up, we conquer, we complain, we guzzle coffee and then we enjoy the rest of our day!


#10- Register on time
If you know me, you know I am one cheap bastard. I mean I have buyers remorse over groceries. It's bad. Races tend to bump up the price every 1-2 months just to encourage you to sign up earlier. Wouldn't you think that someone like me would sign up as soon as it's released? You would. But then you would be wrong. For real. I would like to put this in the "lesson learn-ING" category. Committing is so hard, like signing your favorite child away (don't act like you don't have a favorite-ish)! But if you're thinking of racing- SIGN UP TODAY. Trust me. I have no one but myself to blame for the extra $40 I spent.


#9- Cross training

Never before have I both cross trained and completed a running program. Crazy, but true. I was most certainly of the mind set that you only HAD to do one! It turns out adding in something else, besides running, is the best thing I did for myself. Now of course I should have known- it would be hard- you don't become a bad ass doing easy things. The class was called "Cardio Camp" for goodness sakes- what was I thinking- however it was worth it! My stamina increased, my muscles were actually defined (say WHAAAAAAATTTTTTT????) and I felt better on the beaten path. Don't worry, it was also at 6:00 am (seriously people), but once I looped in my dear friend, got to know my workout companions and fell in the love with the workout- going each time got easier, believe it or not. 

Driving his hubcap

#8- My brother 
If you know my brother, then this will make total sense to you. He is a character. Not only can he host an entire conversation BY HIMSELF while you're dying for your last breath, he collects every single thing he sees on the trail. Sometimes its a roll of plastic chain, or maybe a hubcap! You NEVER know! But he will carry it- the entire run- have a conversation with you all while making you pace faster than you ever have! He makes sure no (wo)man is left behind and finishes the run like he is ready for another. And no matter when we take our group photo- he cannot simply be in it- you have to find him. In all his fabulous glory. 


And if you're behind him? He will leave you a motivational message! I have (6) siblings, and so it is hard to connect with each one- but running with my little brother consistently for months? So many memories Ill always laugh, roll my eyes and shake my head when I think of them. 




#7- Rain Running

That one time I found out
that jogging shorts and
rain do NOT mix. 

In the mid-west- you NEVER KNOW what the weather is going to do. 

The best thing that can happen while you're training is that it rains. Seems odd, I know. But knowing what your bra is going to do when it's full of water is actually quite vital.

Soaked to the bone, flashlights out.. Trying not to die!

 So picture this-- it was 5:30 am (every time I type "am" it hurts my heart knowing how often I have NOT slept in), anyways.... back to the story. It was 5:30 am, and we were running on my brother's path up north. The goal for the day was 11 miles, and it was cold! The problem with the cold is you dress for 10-15 degrees warmer than what it actually is. So you freeze for the first mile, but warm up as you go. On this wonderful morning, as soon as we got out of our cars, the wind picked up and it began to sprinkle. OK, no problem. Just as our Garmin trackers dinged that they were ready IT POURED. The wind was so bad-- the rain was sideways. Within 10 minutes every single one of us looked like drowning rats. Except my brother, who found a sign on the trail and carried it over his head. He looked a bit odd- and like he was marketing his "I Buy Houses for Cash" business- but he was most certainly dryer! But ya know what? We finished- everyone was in tact, a bit chilly and my SFAM was squishing as she walked. But now we know.

#6- There is always pain
I don't think any of us have come out the other side of this season unscathed. Under arms, heels and inner thighs were rubbed raw(how that happened with my running shorts? Who knows). Sideways ankles from walnuts, rocks and the sidewalk drop off. Not to mention the actual pain that incurs when you run for hours at a time. We all got REAL familiar with our foam rollers! So much so, that in my house, my youngest knows how to do it. Yes, it hurts. But it's worth it. And if all else fails, my sister runs with Kleenexes. Dry your eyes and press on.



#5- Take the dog

If you know me personally, you've seen all of my pictures on the path with the dog. Although one may assume this is for safety reasons -he's not- he meets no strangers and thinks he weighs 5 pounds. It turns out, and this may come as surprise, he is faster than me. And after a few runs he not only loved the one-on-one attention but he remembered the pace. So on days when I'm NOT in the mood, he is. And he runs. And he weighs more than 5 pounds. So most of time, he is running me. But we make our goals, and we both enjoy it. So if you don't have one, you should get a dog. So many life lessons you are learning here- I hope you are taking notes!

#4- Take out the headphones
Whatever your centered pull to this world, or another is, sometimes you just have to turn off the beats and run. Listen to the madness in your head and sort it out. I've spent more runs doing this, chatting with my Creator, than I thought I ever would! And MAYBE a few times it was because my headphones were dead, but let's not focus on that. Just try it. You might be surprised how many world sized problems you can sort just by running through them. There really is beauty everywhere- spend some time and notice it.

#3- I am a shorts runner
I'm not sure whether or not I should apologize to my neighborhood for the early stages of this discovery. There were a few runs that, shall we say, displayed more of my.... assets than I had planned. For instance, I had a pair of running shorts that would simply flip up in the front any time I ran. Imagine trying to fix the front of your shorts, hold the leash, your water and maintain pace. I looked like a running circus! I also ran in a pair that were spandex, and too big, so when I really got started they would just creep right up my thigh. I was running in large panties, essentially. Awesome. Never had I wanted to sweat so badly so they would stay in place! Don't worry, I realized that with a splash of water they would stay put! So yes, I stood on the sidewalk and sprayed water on my inner thighs. You're welcome. But, with the right pair, I was FREE! I was so comfortable and everything was so vented!! Oh my word why did I wait so long??


#2- Put your shoes on

One of the hardest things about running, is in fact going for a run. Life is crazy busy and putting it on the schedule doesn't make it happen. Great start- but following through is hard. I've learned just putting on your shoes gets you out the door. Put 'em on. Start. I have never regretted going for a run!







#1- Get faster
I started running when my first daughter, she is now 7, was born. I needed something for me. For 6 years, I was the same pace. I could not get faster, and so I settled. I figured that's where I was going to stay. This past year I adopted a new way of thinking. And when I started to train, I knew the only person I had to beat (besides my sister), was in fact... me. I knew that when it was too hard, I would give up. I knew the internal talk that would cause it. The finishing time I would have because I didn't try harder and gave up. And I was OK with it. Not happy with it. Just OK.  Not any more. I researched, and found a plan. I was going to be faster this year. I was going to beat that internal dialogue, that settling feeling and me in general. I would be better. And so I was. I wrote goals on my hand and BEAT them. I ran sprints (so stupid). I ran hills (I almost died). And I paced my short runs as tempo runs (of course this was the pace the dog chose). But guess what? It worked. I got faster. Everything came together just like I read about (writers are so freaking smart)! You CAN be better. You CAN beat you. But you have to work for it. You have to sweat and bleed for it. But YOU CAN DO IT.

#.1...... The hardest, and most important part of a half marathon! So important that it has it's OWN ENTRY!!!! Stay tuned-- trust me it's worth it.


I love running, seeing personal records beaten and hopefully encouraging others as they laugh along with me. Thank you for reading! Please feel free to email, share and comment on this post! I love hearing from you! 

I am almost done with the next entry and cannot wait to share it with you! Until then... Get out there. Be the best version of you that you can- and then beat her!

Love and miles
XOXO

Katie