DISNEYLAND

So, I have decided that it is time to conquer my fear and cross running a half marathon off of my bucket list. Knowing myself the way I do, I knew the half marathon I decided to run in was going to need to be pretty extraordinary; so the Disneyland Half Marathon it is! Bryan was excited that I actually wanted to run it and I was surprised that he agreed to the Disneyland half marathon due to the amount it was going to cost us to get there. So, we are officially signed up and our hotel and flights are booked. So, here goes nothin'.

I had already been running for a few weeks thanks to the Susan G Komen race and Bryan being in Eastern Europe. So, up until today I was doing my unofficial training. Which all things considering is probably a good thing, considering two miles was seeming impossible due to knee and shin pain. Oh, and I can't forget the two days I was convinced my calf muscle was going to pop right out of my leg. But, I got thru this pre-training period thanks to my trainer/tormentor/supporter/running partner/annoying "I'm a running coach" advice giver husband. As I posted one night on my facebook page after a particualrly terrible 5k Webster-Kirkwood YMCA Connection run, I was "Laying in bed with ice on my knees, watching a running movie with my husband. What has happened to me?!" SIDENOTE: After I posted this and re-read it to myself I pondered two things: Should I go back and let people know I was icing my knees from running earlier that day and not some other form of physical activity that would land me in bed with my husband this way, and should I let people know just how bad my pain actually extended and that before the ice packs got on my knees I was rubbing, yes rubbing, an ice cube, that cold block thing normally used to cool your beverage on my bare shin. I decided against changing my post to include the above, because A: it's nice to leave things to the imagination B: I was just too tired and C: the running movie was getting pretty interesting.
So, back to the present of today and my first "official" training run. Today was two miles (no big deal for me, I've been doing this for two weeks now) but I had to do it without Bryan since he decided to try to fit running camp, summer running club, his own training run, summer school class, and tutoring all in one day.

I have realized I am a morning runner. I like to get it out of the way so I do not have this "I still have to run two miles today" rain cloud over my head all day. I have also found I need to lay in bed and psych myself up for my run until I get almost restless and like I need, no MUST, get out of bed to run. Don't you worry, though. This feeling only lasts untl I get out of bed. Then I move in Matrix-like slow motion. I put my hair in a ponytail, wash my face, put my contacts in cuz I have to see where I am running, brush my teeth (I seem to have to do this no matter when I run. For me, minty fresh breath is a MUST when running), turn on the TV to check the weather (I can't have some surprise tornado or snowstorm ruin my big run), locate my running shorts, shirt, sports bra and smell them to make sure they are not too smelly already (hey, I try to save the environment and water, so I try to get at least two wearings of my "runnng outfit" before it goes in the wash), dig thru my sock drawer for my awesome running socks that have eucylyptus and aloe in them and apparantly when your feet sweat it reacts with the sock and cools your feet. These are a must for me, because when I run on asphalt and it is hot, my feet get hot to the point I have to keep looking down at them because I am certain they are going to burst into flames at any given moment.

After I am dressed, I stretch. This is important so I can avoid any injuries. I mean up until today I was "unofficially training" and who wants to get hurt during "unoffical training" much less during "official training". Plus, I am pretty sure with the money we plunked down on this little adventure, no injury I sustain will keep me from running these 13.1 miles. I say this not because I am that motivated, but because I am convinced that even if I lose a body part during training and have to c-r-a-w-l the entire way, Bryan will get my butt on the plane to Anaheim and will have me run this half marathon. No refunds, people.

Once I am stretched it is finally time to put on my shoes and running watch. Then I re-do my ponytail. Ok, now I am ready to go. I just want to point out that there used to be one more step and that was putting on makeup. Yes, I used to put on makeup to run. I guess I thought while out running some famous photographer would stop me as I am running through Vianney High School's campus and tell me I am beautiful and to stop this stupid running thing right now and we need to do a photo shoot for Vogue, right here. Fantasy over. Helllooo Liz! Not gonna happen because photographers for Vogue do not hang out at Vianney. Just wait until my longer runs at Grant's Trail. I am sure that is where the photographers are, so we will revisit the makeup then. Once I realized the above and that it was making me breakout and that it did not matter if I put makeup on because my face turns beet red when I run, I stopped wearing it.
So, I am finally out the door and running. I have a two mile run that is not too bad except it has a hill at the end of mile one/beginning of mile two and I have to run mile one on Big Bend and then Geyer, which has stoplights, which means peole sitting at those stoplights in their cars watching me ever so slowly, huff and puff, and run past them. When I am sitting in my car at a stoplight and I see a runner I quickly glance away so they have one less pair of eyes watching them. You should think of doing this, too. It could be your good deed for the day. The good thing about people watching me run, is it makes me run a tad faster than a snail because I do not want them looking at me. As a result of this today, I came thru my first mile at 9:06. So, for mile two, I had to remind myself to slow down as I ran my favorite one mile loop that I call "the Vianney loop". Yep, you guessed it, because I run through Vianney, luckily where, as pointed out ealier, there is no paparazzi to snap my makeup-less face. I guess because my first mile was so fast I really had to mentally push myself to get thru this second mile. When I was almost to the end a golf cart carrying a maintanence man and a Vianney summer help student, followed by a truck with another maintanence man and another Vianney summer help student passed me. Just as they passed me, the summer help student in the truck yells, "Don't stop!" Why thank you summer help kid. I needed that encouragement. Although I do not know if you were being a smart-ass or genuinely cared about my training, but either way I am gonna use it to push myself to the end. I finished mile two at 9:36 for a total time of 18:42. Go me!

Once back inside my house I stand over the A/C vent to cool off, drink some water, then jump in the shower to get ready for my day. And today seems great. This must be because of the runner's high they always talk about. I am sure it will go away soon, but I hope it doesn't.