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PR. Chicago Allstate 1/2 marathon

Movin' it with Michelle

I started this race with high expectations.

My last half was an uber fail, and I refused to repeat what happened 3 weeks ago.

So today, and the weeks before, I prepared…more so mentally than anything…

I’ve taken it “easy” the last few weeks, while mixing in my short and long runs.

I’ve made sure my shoes were the right fit.

I’ve updated my play list…because I love getting lost in the music…

And today, at 0345 my alarm went off, and I knew I was ready…

Tazo tea in hand with an apple ready to eat,

I drove to Carolyn’s house, just a few minutes away…

We hit the road running, and were excited for our race.

Sadly we weren’t able to get into the same corral, but we hugged,

Wished each other luck, and made our way. 

I started the race to the new American Idol’s song, Home…

And as I looked at the scenery surrounding me, I knew I was right where I should be…

I lost myself in the music and made sure this race was my own. 

“Love Lockdown” hit around mile 4, and I was in the zone…although I saw runners coming back, I knew the corrals were spread out. 

I didn’t let the runners passing me, or the runners I passed phase me…

I held steady, and I ran…

Mile 6 I took 2 Advil, and kept trucking…yeah, I had this…

“Hollaback girl” hit around mile 7, and I was thankful for the towels the race committee provided…I kept it wet and around my neck…NO one was stopping me now…

Around 8.5 miles I hit a GU chew, and realized I suck at math…crap; I still had a ways to go…

But “Don’t let me get me” by Pink played and I was rejuvenated around mile 9…

Mercy Me crept in around mile 9…”Move”…and hell yeah I was moving…I bypassed the 2:20 pacer, and I felt great….

Journey, “Don’t stop believing” hit me shortly after…and with the text messages from my best friend Jen cheering me on, I knew I had this…

Just…keep…the…pace. 

“For the first time” by the Script hit around mile 11…and this song speaks to what my husband and I have been through, so of course I picked up the pace….

Mile 12…”Bleed it out” by Linkin Park…yeah…I was giving it all I had and no one could stop me…bobbing and weaving in the pack I made my mark…

Mile 13…”Scream” by Usher…a song my husband and I love, and enjoy being silly to…

I came around the bend, and kicked it up…this truly was MY race…and it was amazing. 

I may have physically run it alone…but I wasn’t by myself for even a second…
So proud of my dear friend Carolyn for finishing strong!

An amazing day…I…am…truly blessed. 

Love and blessing to those who whole heartedly support me.  xoxo

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Tuesday, tapering, tid bits and triumphs…

Movin' it with Michelle

I have spent the better part of 6 months training to become a runner again…

This hasn’t come without falls, heartbreak, or trials…

But this week starts my tapering, and I am giving myself extra days to recoup while allowing my knee to rest. 

I will run tomorrow for National Runners day…GO US! 

I have hit road blocks in life…

But this week I feel like I am taking steps forward. 

My children are now 1st and 7th graders…really?

I will run this race Saturday with the best of my ability….

IPod in tow, and I will let the music and scenery take me where I need go…

I will continue to ice my knees, relish in my family and friends,

And focus on the finish line. 

I may not always finish strong…but I ALWAYS-FINISH. 

May Mother Nature give me a break…her 90 degree forecast has me nervous already. 

I spent nearly 30 minutes today on my new hammock, a gift from my husband…

And I re-found my peace amidst the breeze, the trees, and the birds singing. 

He may not read these blogs, but may he know of my love for him…

My life is truly blessed. 

My Tazo tea is prepared for tomorrow, and I look forward to another day of hard work,

Dedication,

And striving for my goals…

Thanks, for all of your support…
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The most mentally mind challenging run to date-here is my recap

Movin' it with Michelle

Race Recap

Pre-race night I officially was nervous, but I did my best to relax by just reading and icing my knee.  I went to bed at 9:45 p.m. which is unheard of for me, but was awoken at around 2 am by my youngest, and 4 am from storms…but I got up bright at early at around 4:45, dressed, and then fought to get my Pandora bracelet off for 10 minutes, LOL…those of you that know me know this is one of my most cherished pieces of jewelry that reminds me daily of the love I am blessed with by my best friend, Jen, and husband, Brian…but I feared I would maybe lose it so ran without it today.  (Note to self, don’t take it off again-needed my Mati). 

My dear friend Carolyn picked me up promptly at 5:45, and we were off to the race.   We made it there without a hitch, and passed my sister in the parking lot so no worries on finding each other!  Bobbi went and picked up her race packet while I hit the porta-potties and we got ready with sunscreen and some water!  We were ready!  One last stop at the pottie and we headed toward the start.   I was lucky enough to get stretched out by one of the stretching groups in a tent, and then we found the pacer we wanted to stick with at least the first few miles (10:05), and settled in.  A huge hug from Carolyn, and the race had begun…

Thankfully it didn’t take long to settle in and spread out, and I felt pretty good despite the sun beating down on us the first nearly 3 miles.  Once we crossed the highway, and hit the actual trails I thought to myself, “Ah, now I feel home” and we were cruising.  Average of about a 9:40ish pace, we ended up passing our pacer. 

I started to really feel the sun baking me around mile 5, so we quickly stopped for water and a pee break, and that is where I started to fall apart.  The sun was in full force (come to find out it was around 88 degrees), and the shade breaks were so minimal I found the mental mind game killing me.  I wanted to cry, stop, quit around mile 7-8…My goals of sub 2 were let go long ago due to my knee, but I really wanted to hit 2:10…that sadly was gone by the wayside too, and I felt crushed.  I worked SO FREAKIN HARD for a good race.  While working and being a single Mom these last 4 months I managed to get my runs in EVERY week.  And for THIS? 

But my sister’s encouraging words and hugs kept me going…trotting…walking…and sometimes running.  From point to point, we trudged through the miles.  And around mile 9ish I started to feel a bit better, but after hitting around 11.5 miles I knew I was done.  Stick a big blunt object in my eye…But she kept me going…didn’t let me quit, and as I saw that finish line my eyes filled with tears as we picked up the pace finding energy I thought I had lost-and we crossed the line holding hands. 
I can barely look at this picture without tearing up…you can see the pain in my face, and Bobbi talking me through it…

I nearly fell into Carolyn, and sobbed as she hugged me…I turned to my sister, and thanked her as I hugged her hard, but I don’t think she knows what this means to me…
But we finished!

Already planning for a redo here in the next few weeks…<3

Crazy thing, is my knee didn’t give me any problems at all!  Tight hammy, and toes that were crying, but the rest of me felt great.  Sadly the heat literally sucked the life out of me, and I just couldn’t catch my breath. 

But…there is always next time!  J
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Friday Fun Facts

Movin' it with Michelle

Friday Facts

Two days til my second ½ marathon! 

My Garmin is charged….

I am tweaking my play list…

I pick up my race packet tomorrow!  WHAT??

I have broken off most of my nails in anticipation…

I have had the hardest, yet most eye opening week to date since I have retired from the AF…I will take this information and strive to get stronger. 

I took an extra rest day to nurse my knee, and am happy for this decision. 

I should clean tonight, but I read for a couple hours instead, and just finished my pre-1/2 marathon pedicure…done by yours truly. 

I was able to have a heart to heart conversation with my husband tonight…he’s been gone for over 4 months now, and our time “together” has been limited…this is just what I have been needing. 

Ultimately, as I have said in the past it is about the lives you touch, and the lives that touch you that make the moments we turn into memories. 

Praying for a great race with my sister and my friend Carolyn cheering me on. 

I truly, could not ask for more in life…
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Tuesday tapering and tidbits

Movin' it with Michelle

I ran 271 miles since I started pre-training/training in January. 

I have learned that I can push through almost anything, be it pain, emotional distress, or physical turmoil. 

I have found my comfortable pace…and I am enjoying being quicker than I was 5 years ago.

I have realized that people will always want to compete with you, but your race is yours alone. 

I have found that people will support you, and stab you in the back all in the same breath…hold on to those who pick you up…the rest will find themselves laying breathlessly on the floor with a knife in their hand. 

I did this…all on my own, with the help of my eldest daughter and my wonderful gym that has a daycare to watch my youngest so I can get my runs in and regularly. 

I know, that I shouldn’t look at what I don’t have, but feel blessed with what I have accomplished. 

My race is Sunday…may not sound like a race to some who have done several marathons.  But this is a race/run to me, and I will give it my very best effort. 

Lastly, I will give kudos to those who have truly supported me.  I can’t wait to run this race with my sister. 
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Unspoken blessings–T-7 days until my race…WOW

Movin' it with Michelle

I had wondered when I started this journey would I be able to finish?  Crazy knee, IT band, hammy issues all chalked up to 30 years of running have taken their toll on my body. 

But I have worked hard…through long days at work, to kids needing my attention, and even to holidays like today where I’d have much rather been chilling with my girls-I RAN.  Some weeks were better than others, but here I am at the tail end of training for my second half marathon and I couldn’t be prouder.

My girls literally made my day by waking me up with their make shift breakfast of bacon and lemon water for me…I came down stairs and they even put a Happy Mother’s Day sign up for me.  My husband although not here physically, sent me a beautiful locket to remind me how much he appreciates me…/sigh!

I finished the day with my last long run before the race…and it went amazing!  Thanks to my dear friend Carolyn for keeping me going!  These last 4 months have been tough, but I am blessed to have made new friends that help me keep going even when I want to quit!

I do so much on my own, but I am thankful for my amazing cheerleaders on the sidelines.  Ya’ll rock. 

Xoxo

Chelle
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Wednesday WOOP WOOP

Movin' it with Michelle

Wednesday WOOP WOOP

I drove to work today knowing tonight was my first “run date” and I couldn’t help but to smile.  Was I smiling because the air was crisp, and the sunrise was beautiful?  Quite possibly…I drove along the expressway jamming out to Linkin Park, and I just felt, well, good. 

We all have our aches, pains, and injuries, but I still couldn’t help but to feel giddy knowing tonight I wasn’t going to run alone. 

And the run was everything I had hoped for and more.  I met my friend just past 6 p.m. by the bridge in Geneva, and after a nice welcome hug and hello’s we took off on our run.  For the first time I left my headphones in my Jeep!  My Garmin shit the bed, so we stopped at the quarter mile mark and started my phone app so we could track our distance and pace.  I put my phone away in my shirt pocket, and didn’t take it out again until we hit our turn around mark.  It was nice to just run, chat, and not worry about pace/time/distance.  Did my knee bug me?  Yup…but I adjusted my form and we continued on with our run.  We stopped around the 3.5 mile mark to walk and catch our breath, and in the end I felt wonderful!  I now know why I was so jealous of seeing people run together…not only did I feel the bliss of being out in the beautiful weather, I now had a friend to share it with tonight!  My only regret is we forgot to take a picture together!  But we have a run planned for Sunday, so we hope to make up for it!  Thanks, Carolyn for catching this shot!

I hope to get more miles in Friday, but am taking things slow and easy because my ½ is just NEXT WEEKEND.  Holy shite!  LOL

In the end, isn’t this is what life is all about?  Embracing our lives, passions, and the people who inspire us?  Even on my hardest day I smile through it all because I have come so far, and am beyond blessed with amazing memories, people, and everything in between! 

May you all feel as blessed as I do at this very moment. 

xoxo
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Sunday Success

Movin' it with Michelle
What started out as a rough weekend, well, ended up turning around. 

I wanted to feel sorry for myself, but then realized life is just too short for those feelings.

I made up for lost time by hanging out with my friend next door last night and watching her son perform an amazing role in his high school musical.  He was amazing!  We finished the night with a cast party at her house, and I even indulged in a couple glasses of wine.   

This morning I woke up a little late as a result, but I put on my running clothes immediately so I wouldn’t have time to talk  myself out of today’s long run.  I did some research, and found a good trail to run for my planned 10K.  I PR’d this 10K at 59 minutes, and just wasn’t ready to turn around so I kept going-with a goal of 5 miles out-and back.  I needed to see if I could run 10 miles, and the weather was downright perfect minus the wind that I fought with on the way back…But I didn’t quit, and although my knee started to feel the effects of the miles around the 7 mile mark, I refused to quit!  10.01 miles complete at 1:35!!  A 9:29 pace, and I was darn stoked.

I came home, showered, and the girls and I hit up Red Robin to celebrate.  I wanted a nice yummy burger and fries, but instead had the Cobb salad and it was delicious!  We ran our errands late, but were able to pick up my Epsom salts, groceries, and headed home.

Meal prep for the week is now complete, and I will hopefully sleep well tonight despite my knee hurting. 

I completed 78 miles in the month of April.  78!!!  That is a personal best for me, and I only pray I continue strong in my training. 

Thank you to everyone who supports me on this journey…It truly means so much!!!
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Thursday Thoughts.

Movin' it with Michelle
I ran my fastest mile today.  After what could have been a horrible day…but I ran, and I pushed. 

My Jeep died right after I dropped my daughter off at daycare.  Today we were slammed at work, and I knew it from planning ahead-and I just HAD to get to work…I cried, slammed my hands against the steering wheel, and buried my face in my hands while not being able to get my Jeep to GO.  I texted my handyman, Jason, and he came to my rescue.  I was beside myself with gratitude.

I made it to work, and was overwhelmed with the amount of work we had today to accomplish.  But I work with a great team, and we made it happen.

I drove home, tired, groggy, and just wanting to lie on the couch.  But I didn’t do just that…

I came home, changed clothes, and fed my kids.  Kissed them gently and headed to the trails.

I put all my energy into this run.  The first two miles were ‘ok’ and I worked on finding my true focus.  I thought about my past, present, and future.  All of the friends who have supported me, all of the people who have truly been there for me through yet another stint away from my husband, and all of the things that truly make me joy.

My race

My feet

My pace

My beat

My trail

My run

My sail

My sun

My light

My goal

My sight

My soul

Bring on the weekend guys…xoxo
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Random facts for Wednesday

Movin' it with Michelle
1.       I look back often on where I have been, and where I am now.  10 years ago I lived in a trailer home on Scott AFB.  This home cost me less than a car costs now a days.  But I loved that home, and showed pride in how I kept this home as it was a new start for me and my first born child. 

2.      I thought I would struggle for a long time after I retired from the Air Force last year.  I wondered “what hat” I would wear each day and where I would be without my uniform.  Yet here I am, learning new things every day in my civilian career, and I feel more blessed than words can describe despite the plethora of hard work. 

3.      When I was 18 I never thought I would graduate college.  NEVER.  Yet I now possess an MBA, and pray I get to use the knowledge in the future.

4.      I will never grow tired of the smell of fresh cut grass, the air after rain, or a good run just before sunset. 

5.      Just yesterday I ran my fastest mile in 20 years.  I found inspiration in my daily struggles, and I kept pushing knowing I could break a sub 9 minute mile. 
My new Kicks!

 

6.      Sometimes we would rather have people accomplish things FOR us, rather than DO things ourselves…yet I have found a new found passion for planting my own gardens, improving my home, and entertaining my children. 
Our new deck, in progess!
7.      One of my happiest times of the day is driving my youngest to school.  She smiles, sings, and dances to the music at the wee hours of the morning.   I may loath mornings, but she takes away the painful urge to crawl back into bed with her gorgeous smile. 

8.      My eldest is becoming a lady…she’s growing up before my eyes…nearly 13 years old she is almost as tall as me, and can give me the warmest hug just when I need some comfort.

9.      I love to write…I love to learn…and I love to share my past with others so that just MAYBE they can learn from my mistakes. 

10.    I am on a new found path of health and wellness.  It’s been 2 weeks with (almost) no alcohol or caffeine.  I did fall off the wagon the other night, but I have crawled back on and am being smart with my health again.  (Please, hide the chocolate!!)

11.  You can’t help those that don’t want to be helped.  You can’t fix other people’s problems unless they want to help carve their own path.  But you can take every experience, and you can learn from those in your life. 

12.  There are days when I feel overwhelmed, stressed, hurt, and emotional.  But all it takes is a phone call from a good friend or family member to turn things around…

13.  Life…is short.  I’ve loved, lost, and been hurt more times than I can count.  But I will continue to plant my own garden, build my own future, and run my own race. 

May you all feel as blessed as I do each and every day.  Our past may lay the stones for the path on which we walk…but the decisions we make today will pave the path we choose to travel.