Rock and Roll 1/2 Marathon RECAP

Yesterday was my first Half Marathon. If you recall, I decided one day to train for my first 5K before my 40th birthday. Running was NOT something I ever did. EVER. At the time, I had a 3 and 6 year old. I worked full time. I was just getting into the swing of things juggling those boys and my life. I never, ever thought that one day I would be running a 1/2 marathon.

Well, this year, I started running with Black Girls Run, my running group. These women were so much fun. They were encouraging. They pushed me to keep going further. I went from 1 mile to 3 miles. From 3 miles to 5 miles. One day, I ran 7. Then, they signed me up for my first ten mile race. I conquered the Broad Street Run. I started training with a crew of ladies who were training for their first half marathons. Team 13.1 is what we started calling ourselves after the number of miles in the race.

Every morning at 5am, we trained hard. Some mornings, we ran hills. Some mornings we did boot camp. Some mornings, we did speed intervals. Once a week, we ran a long run. We did this for about 12 weeks. Finally, two weeks ago, one of the ladies asked me if I was running the 1/2 marathon with them. To tell the truth, I was scared that I couldn’t do it. It just sounded so crazy. In my head….I DON’T RUN HALF MARATHONS.

Finally, I realized the deadline had passed for me to register without paying a gazillion dollars. One of the teammates, pulled out of the event due to injury and I ended up with her race bib. Suddenly, I felt like the universe was conspiring to propel me to run this race. I drank the Kool Aid and got ready.

Saturday night, my stomach was killing me. I was so anxious. I think I got four hours of sleep.

I woke up on Sunday morning and started getting ready. When I got there, I found my training crew. We were all anxious but we had run the distance once before. We hugged each other and encouraged each other.

PRE-RACE laughs with my training crew….

During the race, we talked and felt good. We passed miles and enjoyed the race waving to friends and family all the way. We saw an elderly gentleman running in a POW-MIA shirt while holding an American flag on a long flagpole. It brought tears to my eyes. Around mile 7, one of my co-workers who had been reclaiming his health ran up and hugged me. He was running his first race too. We high fived and joked that we would see each other on the finish line.

Our running team had cheerleaders at every mile marker. They were awesome. They had signs and cheered for us by name. They were so uplifting. I cruised into mile ten feeling good.

THE BEST PEP SQUAD EVER!

Right around mile 10-all smiles

At mile 11 1/2, my body started to hit the wall. My breathing was not labored thanks to all of my swimming and endurance training. For an asthmatic, I used to worry about gasping for air but I have great breath control now. However, my legs were starting to feel it. My body started talking to me.

My knees said “Look here. Didn’t we have a talk not too long ago? Didn’t I tell you to sit your old azz down and rest? Why do you have me out here doing this?”

All of a sudden, I looked over and saw one of our coaches. This woman. WHEW. She was not running today but she knew that on training runs, we had all started to struggle at the end. She positioned herself right at that mile 11.5 marker and what did she yell out to us? “There you guys are. I have been waiting specifically for you.” Then she ran into the street and started yelling (with love) MOVE IT LADIES, THIS IS THE HOMESTRETCH. YOU ARE 2 MILES AWAY. LET”S GO! She then started to run next to us and push us. I told her I had to go slow at this point cause my legs were shot. She told me to “stop making excuses and keep moving.” LOL…gotta love it.

She ran the remaining two miles in with us before turning back to go run in with more of our team. BGR had almost 60 runners in the race. Amazing. She helped run in most of us. What an angel.

CROSSING THE FINISH LINE WITH OUR COACH NEXT TO US (she is on the right with no race bib on)

What was great was that we stayed next to each other for the entire race. We all finished within seconds of each other. Here we are right after we all received our post race medals. Minutes after finishing.

POST RACE PHOTO

I really did it. It is now starting to sink in.

It was a great experience. On a personal note, I also got to compete and train for all these weeks with my sorority sisters. We love each other and pushed, coached and held each other up. We all purchased special shirts to commemorate our 13.1 miles. To find them in pink and green was perfect. We showed up to our post race brunch rocking our AKA pearls and our shirts.

TEAM AKA/TEAM 13.1

Yup, Thirteen point freaking one…your girl is a RUNNER.

Thirteen Point Freaking One Plus!

I have been running with Black Girls Run for a full year now. When I started, I could comfortably run 3 miles. I never had a desire to push myself to do more. Hell, I was training for a triathlon and my distance in the race portion was 3 miles. Why run any further than that? Who actually LIKES running?

Well, since running with BGR, something has happened to me. I have allowed myself to make friends with actual runners. Cool right? Well, not really. See what happens is they start to push you. They encourage you to go further. You start to drink the Kool-Aid and lo and behold…I found myself going from running 3 miles to completing ten miles this past May in the Broad Street Run here in Philadelphia.

Today, one of our team members decided to host a 1/2 marathon in honor of her daughter who is leaving to attend college. Yes, both mother and daughter run. How fab is that? Well, I have had it in my mind that I want to run in the Rock and Roll 1/2 marathon coming up in Philly. I have been following a training schedule but have kept it quiet. See, I hate failure and I am uber competitive. I have been so scared of the distance. 13.1 miles. *sigh*

Well, I had a 10 mile run scheduled for today but got dragged into doing  decided to join in on the 1/2 marathon. Last night, I couldn’t sleep. I was up at 4am just laying there. I was sweaty and anxious. Even though it wasn’t a real race, I was concerned because my pace partners are REAL RUNNERS. I kept hoping I could keep up without falling behind. I laced up my sneakers, ate a peanut butter on wheat and headed out the door.

When I got there, everyone was so excited. The ladies warmed up with some stretches and calisthenics. As we broke off into groups, my stomach was doing flip flops. Everyone was geeked. Me? Not so much. I laced up. Took a few deep breaths and said a silent prayer. “I Can Do ALL THINGS through Christ, Who Strengthens Me.” It was time to go.

Not only did I manage to keep up, at certain points, I was the rabbit and helped set the pace for the group. At one point, they told me to slow down. LOL

Today, I did something I NEVER thought I could do. I completed my first half marathon distance. Not only did I run 13.1 miles…I finished at 13.47 miles.

I called one of my fellow tridivas and she made me smile. She reminded me that I couldn’t swim and I conquered that. I was not a runner and now, I can do a half marathon.

When I look back on how far I have come in such a short time, I am amazed at myself. However, I know I have succeeded because I worked hard, I stayed focused, I believed in myself and I had the support of my family and my fellow athletes. Who knows what new challenges lie in wait for me? I am excited to tackle them all.

I don’t do these things for any other reason than the fact that I wanted to reclaim my health and set an example for my children. There is no quick fix, it starts with baby steps. From drowning to swimming. From walking to running. Believe that you can because it’s true.

13.47 miles later and look at me…..I am ready for that next race because I too, am a REAL RUNNER.

Changes

Alot has happened in the past week. A job became available in my company doing exactly what I do now but focused on selling a different territory. Currently, my efforts are focused on accounts based in the Philadelphia suburbs, up through Allentown, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh, PA. This new territory would cover the large corporate accounts focused in Center City Philadelphia.

I was approached to post for the job and after considering it…I decided to go for it. It would be the exact same job just changing where my accounts are (translation=less driving and a 15 minute commute downtown). Same job, more money (due to the accounts being downtown) and less driving/flying to see my clients.

After a crazy week of posting on Friday, an interview on Monday…I was told on Wednesday that the job was mine.

I am excited because I will be primarily downtown. Love the suburbs but I missed being in the city. I missed being near the restaurants, my friends, stores, people…..LOL. I am also representing the hotels where I worked for the last 8 years. All of the GM’s have been emailing me and they are so excited that I will be out there pushing accounts to their properties like in the old days. It’s like returning home except I still work from home Best of both worlds.

I woke up that morning ready to just go to work. I wasn’t expecting to get a phone call but when my opportunity came knocking, I was ready. I start next week and it’s gonna be a doozy of a transition. My current accounts are going to have a heart attack when they hear I am moving.

I do have to say, this job is coming around and I really enjoy what I do. I love the freedom to plan my days. It’s a lot of work and I stay busy but it gives me the time to incorporate school trip chaperoning, training for races and balancing my home life. This change has been scary but I am starting to see the light at the end  of the tunnel and starting next week, my tunnel leads back to the city.

When doubts creep in, drop kick them.

Triathalon update:

I was able to secure a great swim coach however, I can only meet her in a 7pm timeslot Monday through Friday.  I am one of those people that works out early in the am. If I am not done working out before 4pm, it usually won’t get done.  I like to be settled in my house once my boys are home and enjoy family time. I like to help with homework, make dinner and relax. I love my couch and I love useless tv at night. I can’t lie.

Now with this new coach, she is practically free (most coaches cost over $200 for lessons) and I get to work with her one on one for a straight hour (most lessons are 45 minutes). Again, the main drawback is that my time slot is at 7pm at night. I don’t get back home until around 8:30pm.  It’s still cold and dark. I’m leaving there wet and tired. Can you see how I may not always be motivated?

All day yesterday, I b*tched about having to go. I worked from home in the afternoon and whined to Mr. 1969 every fifteen minutes. I think I was hoping he would say “don’t go” so I would feel better and stay home.

Instead, my awesome husband told me he would go with me and swim with the boys while I practiced.  Instantly, I felt better. Despite having a friend doing the tri with me here in Philly, we live in different neighborhoods. She belongs to her gym and I belong to mine. She takes swim lessons at her gym and I go to my person. We try to take a spin class together every Saturday morning so we have at least one day of training together but training for this race is pretty much a solitary effort. I have to motivate myself. I would definitely recommend that anyone interested in doing one of these, signs up with a team. It is easier to get up and go when you have a team holding you accountable.

Most days, I stay motivated but I do have my moments when I am just tired. Thank God for Mr. 1969, my boys and all of my Facebook friends that sent me words of encouragement yesterday. As soon as I got in the water, I felt great. She also corrected so many mechanical issues I was having with my stroke and my breathing. By the end of the lesson, I had mastered breathing on every stroke and the breaststroke. All in an hour. Imagine what I will be able to do if I go on a regular basis, come race time.

(me, swimming in the lane…Coach D watching over me)

Training for this race is one of the most physically demanding things I have ever done. My body is always sore but I keep pushing myself. I know that this race is mental. I refuse to fall for the doubts in my mind. I can do this and I am so thankful for the support and inspiration that comes from the most unexpected sources.

I know that God is pushing me to do this race and I believe that I will finish. I can do this!

In Mysterious Ways

I guess I should warn all of you that you will probably be reading a ton of posts about training for my triathalon until June. I know, you want to hear about the Tali’s, the Wu-Tangs, the Hotel Chronicles but I am kind of consumed by work, family life and training right now. I promise to not talk about it too much but hey…..I’m focused man.

Last night, my race buddy The Good Doctor and I worked out together at my gym. She lives in downtown Philly and I live in the Burbs so we usually workout at our own gyms. Well, we decided to kick off our swimming together. We jumped in the pool and started doing laps. We need to do 32 laps to equal the 1/2 mile that we need to swim in the race.

The Good Doctor starts swimming with this graceful, easy stroke…lap after lap like it was nothing. I jumped in and although I made it to the end. I probably stopped and took a break after every single lap. My technique and breathing were a hot mess. Did she fail to mention that she was a lifeguard? Uh yes, she forgot to tell me that when I agreed to train with her for this race. *sigh*

I only felt better when we got out of the pool and decided to bike for 30 minutes. I did that with ease and she was struggling. I guess we will balance each other out come race day.

I now know that I have six months to improve on my swimming or ya girl will be found floating in the Schuylkill River come race day. I can’t lie, I was scared when I got home. I just felt defeated.

However, I had mentioned to one of my clients last week that I was training for this race. My client works for a company that gave every employee bikes as a Christmas gift. She already had two bikes so when I showed up for our appointment, she gave me her bike. I couldn’t believe it. I was just talking to her last week about what type of bicycle I should purchase in March.

I took that as a sign from the BIG GUY that He wanted me to do this race and that I needed to believe in myself. God is good and I stay blessed. There is no room for self doubt in these races, I have to know that it’s mind over matter and I can do anything. I feel refocused on my goal and I am more prepared than ever to get the help I need and overcome my fears.

Happy Friday.

Giving Your Best

I went to church this weekend (yup, I dodged the lightning) and the message for the sermon was regarding “Giving God Your Best.” I am not one to put a religious figure up on a pedastal but my Pastor put his foot in this message and it resonated with me….. So much that I am still thinking about the concept days later.

He not only talked about being the best Christian you can be but also about life. He asked the following questions “Are you giving your children your best? How about your relationship with your significant other? Your job?”

Basically, we each have been given gifts and talents, are we living up to our full potential? Are we giving our best selves to the people we love and to ourselves?

I can honestly say that right now, I am not giving anything my absolute best. That’s the truth. I may be at 75% in some areas and 90% in others. I am a firm believer that we get messages exactly when we need to hear them. Sometimes we ignore them. Sometimes we hear but we table our responses for a later time hoping the message will go away. Then there are times when we hear it but totally think it can’t be OUR message. Heck, you know I’m perfect right? LOL

Well, as I sat in church, I realized that it was a direct message for me. A reminder that doing too much and not doing any of it well is not a good thing. I needed to stop and refocus my efforts. Take stock of my long term and personal goals.

Just wanted to share that message with you today. Are you in a place where you are spinning your wheels? Are you giving the people you love the best you that you can? Are you taking care of yourself? Are you focused at your job? What can you do to better utilize all of your gifts and talents?

Me? I just signed up for my first Sprint triathalon. (We’ll talk more later. I’m still in shock.) I had a meeting with my boss and told her about a few issues I was having and we moved towards a resolution. I plan on spending more time with my boys and I resolve to be more supportive and less evil with Mr. 1969. I also started inquiring about completing culinary classes. I plan on listening to my message and not ignoring it this time.

How about you?

Say something

I am not having a great week. I have had some personal issues weighing heavily on my mind and I am not the type of person to share my problems. I tend to turn inward and try to deal with my situation on my own.

Today, I woke up and ended up talking to someone about things. Not only did they give me great advice, they HELPED ME without my asking. The problem is now completely solved.  This after me beating myself up about it for a month now.

I don’t know why I am so hesitant to reach out to anyone when I need help. I guess I am so used to being there for others that I feel like a failure letting someone know that I need something.

I also feel like I should be able to handle everything in my life all the time. *sigh* Can you say control freak? Why do we do this to ourselves? Why are we afraid to be human?

Just want to say thank you to my dear friend and to God for providing a way out of this situation when I couldn’t see clearly. I won’t forget the lesson learned. My growth process continues.

Men are from Mars

This past weekend, I was watching Little Bill with the boys. In case you don’t know what that is, it’s a cartoon based on Bill Cosby’s life growing up in Philadelphia. So anyway, Little Bill was the ring bearer in his teacher’s wedding. At the end of the wedding the bride and groom kissed. Tali 1 turned to me with a serious look on his face and said, “Mom, I don’t think this is an appropriate show for a kid Tali 2′s age.” *sigh*

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Mr. 1969 and I are working on the game plan for what to do when my Dad and his wife arrive tomorrow night. Since they will be flying in, we’ll probably cook dinner instead of going out tomorrow night. I made the mistake of asking him what to cook.

“Fried catfish, red beans and rice but no cornbread. I don’t like cornbread.”

“Uh hello. That’s what YOU like. What do you think our guests will like?”

“Everybody likes fried catfish.”

See what I deal with?

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This morning, everyone’s favorite curmudgeon could be heard wailing (as usual) in his room. I was in my bathroom getting dressed and he was getting dressed by his daddy (a.k.a. Cold Pants).  Par for the course, our favorite “I hate mornings” child was at it again. Today’s issue was “I don’t want to wear this jacket.” (His gray fleece pullover.)

“What’s the matter Tali 2?”

INSERT WHINY WAILING………………

“I don’t want to wear this jacket.”

“It’s cold outside and you have to wear your fleece okay?”

“NOOoooooooooooo.”

“What’s wrong with your jacket?”

“It’s too hot.”

“You can take it off and put it in your cubby when you get to school.”

“NO I CAN’T!!!!!!!!!!! And it’s tooo hooooooot.”

“What do you want to wear instead?”

“THIS JACKET! (Holds up the identical fleece jacket in navy blue)”

“This one doesn’t make you hot?”

“No.(wailing) It’s cooler.”

*sigh*

And they say women have issues.

I could get used to this…

Today I didn’t have to get to work until 10am since I am staying late for an appointment. What a nice way to start the day.

I got the boys ready without rushing, strolled downstairs and made breakfast for Tali 1 (Tali 2 eats at school) before he left. I left at 7am to go run with my neighbor. Came back in around 8am, took a shower, got dressed and then left for work.

I grabbed a cup of coffee at Bucks County Coffee (shouts out to my peeps at the counter!) , boarded my commuter train and arrived at work on time.

If When I get the new job, it will be a remote position. I will be working from home everyday. With my fast paced and hectic lifestyle, how nice would it be to wake up and not have to rush to get to an office? I could get up and get the boys ready, work out, eat….everything before 8am. I could brew a nice pot of coffee and head into my office upstairs and focus on the days tasks. I would be at home when the boys came home waiting with a snack.

I am sooo ready for this and I truly believe this opportunity is here and God wants this to happen for me. I recognize when a blessing is brought before me. Now I just have to go get it on Thursday morning.

Back to school

The last time I attended a school trip as a chaperone was when Tali 1 was around 4 years old. The trip was to an orchard. It was a very cool Fall day. Picture me out there with 20 four year olds. We are in the middle of a hay ride…it’s cold…it starts raining….me….four year olds…..WET HAY….RAIN…..COLD… crying kids.  As you can imagine, it didn’t end well.

I swore to never attend a class trip again.

Well, sucker that I am, Tali 1 has again approached me to attend another class trip. Tomorrow, I am headed out to an Arboreteum with his class. *sigh* Me and trees. Why don’t I ever get the trips to the Zoo or circus?

He is soooo excited. Me? Meh.

Anyway, I will be sure to post photos of me and the kiddies tomorrow.

Somebody get my post trip cocktail ready…..