allergy hell

I'm living in allergy hell at the moment. I was probably one of the few people in Oregon that was happy that summer came around late. We had a rainy start to June, and because of it my allergies were put at bay. But now the sun has come out to play, and don't get me wrong I love the sun, but whatever it is that my body doesn't like is out to play too! My eyes are miserably itchy and red (thank god for Patanol), my nose won't stop running (constant drip, drip, drip...) which then causes me to have this constant sore throat. All this gives me absolutely no motivation to do anything but stay in somewhere cool. Give me a cold wet towel to throw over my eyes and I'm good. Unfortunately I can count in one hand how many times I ran in the last 2 weeks, and that's no bueno!! I wanted to go for a run today, at least a good brisk walk, but I woke up finding that I am having breathing issues. Ahhh, yes, that's right I get allergy induced asthma!! Lucky me, all of my inhalers have expired and so now I have to focus on my breathing and keeping myself relaxed until I can get a hold of my doctor. That means no running (or walking for that matter) for me today. How am I going to survive camping next week? Time to go blow my nose...

...and so things have changed

As I knew my life was headed towards change, I didn't expect it to change within hours of my last posting. Yesterday I was offered the job I was after, and I happily accepted. This new job brings a lot of excitement and some frustration. The positive aspects are better pay, more hours (which could also be a negative), health benefits, paid vacation, weekends off (that's a first for me), and a change of pace. The frustrating part is that I had to back out of the Cascade Lakes Relay Race, and although my teammates are very supportive of my new job and very understanding, it doesn't rid the disappointment I feel of not being able to participate in the relay. After completing my first 10k, I was all pumped up and ready to take on this relay. I suppose now I will just have to wait until next year. And now that I will be working more hours, there will be no getting out early in the day which will effect my afternoon/evening workout sessions. In fact, I will no longer be able to attend Nia on Monday nights anymore...eek! Thankfully Kelly M. is flexible and so our core workouts will stay intact, but I will either have to start getting up early in the mornings to run, or settle for evening runs. The goal is to not fall off track, is to stay focused and continue with my training. Different aspects of my life seem to be coming together nicely, I am curious to see how the next few months will pan out...

change is coming

I do my best to stick to a regular schedule to ensure that I stay on top of my trainings. Typically my week goes like this:

• Monday- Run & Nia
• Tuesday- Core
• Wednesday- Walk & Tri-D or Run
• Thursday- Core
• Friday- Run (sometimes Nia)
• Saturday- Run
• Sunday- Rest (or makeup day)

But as life would have it, I don't always get to follow this schedule and so I have to rearrange things to make it work. For the most part though, I tend to get everything in and I feel pretty confident that I am doing well enough at the moment. The key words being "at the moment". See, I've been in the process of finding a new job. The downfall to leaving the job I currently have is the freedom, the ability to be able to fit everything I want to do in. I work an average of 32 hours a week, which usually means I'm out fairly early and have a ton of time to play, but I don't get paid enough. The downfall of getting a new job is that I will have to be wiser with my time, as I will most likely be working a normal 40 hour week. The plus though, weekends off, benefits, and paid vacation!! On the other side of the spectrum, I'm also learning to balance my active lifestyle with my personal life- so far I am managing well. Change can be good, but change can be challenging... sometimes very challenging. I think I'm up for that challenge...

in need of help

Now that I was becoming a more serious runner, and was going to begin training for the Cascade Lakes Relay Race- a 216 mile race that involves 12 runners running three legs- I was going to need some serious help preparing myself! So I jumped on the interweb again and did some research. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for but I knew that somewhere out there in the world wide web I'd find it, and I did! I found myself a Professional Running Coach, Jennifer Burningham. After meeting up with her and learning about what she has to offer, I instantly knew I was headed in the right direction. She's been a constant source of positive reinforcement, and has been there for me every step of the way (no question is ever too stupid). Because of her I was able to tackle on my second race, the Drop Top 10k. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would run for more than a mile, then I did a 5k. But I honestly never envisioned myself doing a 10k, and that had to be one of the hardest things I had ever done in my life. Jennifer got me on track, between meeting with her one to three times a month and constant contact through email/text/call, she helped me be prepared. (I highly recommend her!!)

Next goal:
Cascade Lakes Relay.

• Leg One: 3.9 miles (slight uphill)
• Leg Two: 3.3 miles (slight downhill)
• Leg Three: 2.6 miles (flat/picturesque) 

With Jennifer's help, I think I can do this! Hell, I did do 6.2 miles already... 

an introduction

Welcome to my running blog!! This blog will be so much more than just about my running, but about all things that contribute to it, change it, and whatever else life decides to throw my way. Here I will brag about my personal bests, vent about my struggles, share my learnings, and hopefully educate some. At the end of my running career, I would like to be able to look back at this blog and remember all that it took me to get to where I am (will be). So sit back, get your reading glasses on... and enjoy!

A brief history: I started running back in August 2009 as a way to start losing weight after plateauing. In the beginning it was the most frustrating thing I had ever took on. Before now, any attempt in running was futile and so not for me. I jumped on the interweb and started to research on what to do and what not to do, but it wasn't until I found dailymile that I started to really learn, thanks to all the great people who befriended me. To this day, I rely on my dailymile friends to get me through all of my running obstacles. Six months in I was approached by a friend/co-worker (Robin H.) about being a part of her relay team. I had never really put any thought to actually racing, especially since I had a habit of progressing too quickly and burning myself out. But after some thought, I figured having something to train for could help me, so I agreed to join. I then became a new member of the Herbs and Spices. We will be running our first relay race at the Cascades Lake Relay Race in late July 2010. Seven months in of learning to run (which means, learning to breathe, moving my feet correctly, learning to stretch, etc etc) I participated in my first race, the Shamrock Run 5k. I was fortunate to have a friend, Krystle S., keep me company during the race. She ran when I ran, walked when I walked, and urged me on when I wanted to give up. But there are no words to describe the feeling of crossing that finish line, especially your first time! And so the addiction began...