I completed a half marathon?!?!

yes, i did... i know it sounds unbelievable...especially if you know me, but i have the finisher's medal to prove it...

let me start at the beginning. last night i had a race day nightmare... i was heading to the start line and realized i had no where to store my wallet, so i had to run home and drop it off...but that wasn't the worst of it...then when i finally got to the finish line, everyone had already taken off and the race officials were gonna make me pay! I had to jump 5 feet 7 inches in order to start...so here i am, jumping like a fool, trying my darndest to get where i'm going and finally i can go... fade to black (i wake up).

I'm up now. Its race day. I can do anything. Oh yes i can. Atleast this is what i'm telling myself after the nightmare last night! So i get up, shower and get dressed. My shirt reads: SUADI in the front. Thats an acronym we made up quite a while ago....Shut Up And Do It. *this phrase will get me far today*...on the back i have my name with a crown, cuz i'm a queen, but thats entirely different post lol

So we're off.... speeding down the highway because we're a little late. We get to our location and park in the parking garage...i dont even want to TALK about that hassle....

So we line up, we're walking to the start. Go Us! We're going to do this! Well truth of the matter after about the first mile and a half...Chantyl was on her own. They were gone. So i turned on the radio and went to task. Wow, this is not so bad i thought when i got to the 5 mile marker. Hmph, who wuddathunk it could be so simple. I took heed to Betty's advice, start off slow and then slow down..... Not to much sooner i caught up to the girls who were taking a restroom break. At this point I was really really really jamming. They were doing the top 40 countdown. My jam "billionaire" came on and i was off again.... i hung out with the girls for a while and then something happened around mile 8. My hip starting hurting like nobody's business....

Slow down Chantyl. Thats a 12 yr old injurt screaming at you. You cannot afford to mess yourself up again.

SO once again, i'm alone. But i'm not worried. I'm gonna finish this race. Even if i have to crawl to the finish (who-da thunk that was going to be intriguing a little later).

Somewhere between mile 10 and 11, i get a glimpse of one of the girls...sure my hip hurts but i think i can meet up with her, so i pick up my pace (and trust me that's a super duper slow pace lol)..... boy was that a bad idea

I got a ton of simulataneous cramps in my right calf....so here i am with a sore hip and i dont think i'm gonna make it. i pull off the path to stretch (and say a little prayer). Its not helping. My calf is done.

Maybe i need to be done. I think i need to be done.

A race staffer came to my aid to see if i needed to end this journey. I told him i was fine.

So The last 3 miles or so were the slowest i've ever walked. The crowd still cheered me on "come on chantyl" "lookin good chantyl" "you can do it chantyl"

So i said, I need to SUADI. Once more, I channeled my inner LCF's Betty and Gina. Gina has a saying about what "winning races". And i took that to heart.

Now the sign says "1.25 miles to finish". Woo hoo...Woo hoo. My feet are burning, my calf is still cramping, my hip is saying "YOU WILL NOT FINISH THIS"

i wondered if i could drop to the floor and just roll to the finish. Maybe i could channel my inner baby and crawl.

SUADI Chantyl. I walked across that finish, they crowned me with my finishers medal and this huge sense of accomplishment came over me. I was hurting. I was in pain. But i finished. I won.

I Shut Up AND DID IT!

Of course, at this moment i'm too aware of my soreness to say another half marathon is in my future, BUT i'm sure there will be other races!

-Chantyl

Failure for a real runner..for ME..VICTORY!

Well, i woke up after a 30 min long snoozefest to go and run. Today, though, i was doing something different. Last night i went to family dollar and bought a cheap am/fm radio with headsets. I was not going to be left up to my own devices. Nope. Nope. So...off i went to the park.

On the way in, 3 cars. Woot. No runners remorse for me...or at least not yet... lol... so i plug in my headset, listen to kiss and set my garmin goal for 4 miles in 1 hour. That would mean a continuous 15 min mile pace. Not too shabby i thought...

So i did the unthinkable...i ran slow...really really really slow. So slow in fact that not only could i carry on a conversation, but i could SING...and i did! It was an awesome run. I was so wrapped up in the music that i ran the entire first mile without bothering with my run/walk ratio. I kept running and finally walked...and i also walked really really really slow. So slow, in fact that my garmin said i was walking an 18:32 pace LOL. too slow...oh well... its my long run, i can take it easy....

Well then that runner remorse kicked in....CRAP..my shoes are about a half size too small. My toes feel scrunched and i don't like it. I need to get new shoes. So i will have to put in for my mileage check to i can get fitted again. CRAP!

Oh well...Lady Gaga gets me back in gear. Oh man telephone comes on, boy do i love that song. I ran and ran...Beyonces part comes on and i go wild...next thing you know i'm running a little too fast, can't really sing my favorite part so i get slower and slower.

Well.... before i know it, i look down and only have a quarter mile left. Damn. I missed when the garmin went off after the hour? or had I?

I had LOL.

4 miles: 1:08:57.... might be a failure for a real runner but for me...it was VICTORY!!!!

3 mile run...check

Got off of work and went running at the park.

3 miles: 48:46 min

not impressive by normal standards but i'm more worried about getting the miles in than pace.

Runner's World Quote of the Day

I don't train to beat another runner. We are out there together, competing with the marathon, and I train to run the marathon as fast as I can.

Juma Ikangaa, Marathon runner from Tanzania

I also love Gina, my LCF's, approach to winning in racing:

*My definition of win: I didn't quit, they didn't close the course on me, and I didn't throw up*

Just a little motivation!

Wind beneath my wings... errr ummm....

It is a beautiful day in DFW. It started off really ugly with random spurts of heavy showers. But by noon it was absolutely gorgeous. I HAD to go out and enjoy this weather!

So my training schedule said today i should do: 2 miles or cross train. Hmmm...well all the books/websites say cross training might be something like biking or swimming or walking. Well, i don't own a real bike. I'm not even sure if i can still ride a bike....i know...i know... but i don't believe cliches that might end with me face down on the pavement with bruises all over my legs...

So biking was out if i was going to go outside. (I have an exercise bike in the neighborhood gym but its gorgeous outside)....so option 2...swimming...

Ummm...I can't. I dunno how. I was traumatized as a kid when i was learning and never tried to learn again. So no swimming.

So what did i do? I walked! 2.5 miles actually. It was so beautiful i didn't want to stop. I went to the park and was so impressed by all the average joe type of ppl there. Were there "real" runners. YUP! But did they outnumber us? Nope. I blended in just fine. So i walked, no music, just me and the wind beneath my wings...err...umm... no this is not the bachelor. (i digress...my apologies).

But the wind felt great against my skin. I enjoyed it so much. There was one woman however that kept giving me funny looks when we passed eachother. Most just smiled or said hi. She rolled her eyes the first time we passed each other. The second time she looked at my feet and snarled. I had to check myself...do i stink? (casually raised arms and checked)...NOPE... i did look down and realized i was doing a Mo'Nique. (very hairy legs, but is that offensive). Then the 3rd time we passed i saw her stare at my chest before she stared at my feet. I must have food all over me.... NOPE...

I looked down and realized i was wearing my turtle shirt instead of my cupids chase shirt. They are both long sleeved and white. But turtule shirt has the cutest turtle on it and above it reads "Shut the Shell UP". LOLz. Didn't mean to offend her but that sure cracked me up.

I really enjoyed my walk. 3 miles tomorrow (plus strength training):

Meals today:

b: 3 hotdogs with mustard

l: pork chop with macafoni and cheese

d: cinnamon pork crunch. (yum)

Training...

Well folks...training officially starts this week! Training for what you ask!?!?

Ahhhhh....the HALF MARATHON! Am i freaking? Yes. I cannot believe i allowed my friends to convince me that running 13.1 miles was a smart and healthy...and worse yet...FUN thing to do! LOL.

Woke up this morning, about 30 min later than planned. Ya know me and buttcrack time really don't get along. But got up nonetheless and ran my 3 miles. Because i was late i didn't bother going to the park. Just jumped on the treadmill. Let me tell you, it was fabulous. Well not at first. At first i kept wondering why the hell i thought it was a good idea to go running at 530 in the morning, but about 1/2 a mile into my run i felt great. I'm running for much longer spurts which is a big deal for slow nelly me. I have a 2 mile run planned for tomorrow. I think i will save my park runs for the weekends fri-sat.

Anyway...tis all!

Meals:
post workout: strawberry lemonade protein shake
l: pork rinds and water (i know not much of a lunch but i am at a school all day and only have 20 mins)
d: pork chops with macafoni and cheese! yum!

then i'll be off to work AGAIN!

Long time...bloggy

Sorry about the delay in posts. I am still running (albeit slowly...slow enough that walkers pass me).

I regressed this week. I was totally pumped about going to the park to run. I came home after work and got dressed. Snapped on the garmin and headed to the park. When i arrived, what did i see!?!?


A bunch of "real" runners. They were every where. Some shirtless, glistening, running faster than i have ever run. Some with really cool running gear. They were everywhere.

I felt totally defeated. Like i didn't deserve to run with them. So what did i do?!!?

Hopped in the car and went back home. Did i workout still? Yes. In the privacy of my own home. But i didn't run. You cannot make up miles you never run. Ugh!

So anyway, next week, i start official half marathon training. I will be posting more frequently then. I will have to follow it to a T!

I'm not sure if i prefer mornings or evening yet. next week i will start with mornings and see how its goes.

Anyway,

Tyl Lata