Race Sign Up and Running Again!

I was amazingly lazy on Sunday. We had freezing rain pretty much all day long, and I spent most of my day researching races, reading blogs and watching tv.

Freezing rain is dumb.

Buddy was terrified while Tom cooked dinner, so I threw his blanket on him. He stayed like this for about an hour.

He has such a rough life.

The result of all my race research is that I'm now officially signed up for 3 half marathons!

West Point Half Marathon - March 29th
Rhinebeck Hudson Valley Half Marathon - May 16th
Walkway Half Marathon - June 13th

The Rhinebeck and Walkway races are new, it's the first year for both of them. I think I have run more races in their first year than I have run established races. I have never been signed up for more than one half marathon at a time, it's weird for me to be planning my entire year of racing at once.

I'm almost 100% decided on a marathon, but registration doesn't open up for most fall marathons until April, so we'll see if I'm still stuck on the same one come April.

I ran today!

I haven't run since my painful, aborted tempo run last Thursday. My ankle has been feeling a lot better, and I took it slow. I did a legitimate warmup (which I don't always do) and stopped to stretch (and do some mountain climbers for the #NoExcuses challenge) every mile. I ended up running 3.13 miles in 30 minutes. I'm just happy that I got to run!

And yes, I iced after I was finished.

Hopefully this means I can get back to my training plan this week.

Buddy did as much adventuring as his leash would allow this afternoon. I think he was just happy the temperature was above freezing.

Do you plan your race schedule for the year all at once or do you like to play it by ear?

Shorter Hair and a Scary Elevation Chart

I finally did it. I made an appointment and got my hair cut.

I know you were all wondering. ;)

If I had waited another two months, I would have gone 2 years without a haircut. That's a little extreme.

I managed to not get it cut as short as I sometimes do (I tend to get it cut to my chin and then I hate it after a day or two).

My hairstylist was disturbed by how long I had gone without a hair cut. I was disturbed by the half hour she spent blow drying my hair.

She would have been absolutely horrified to see it an hour after I got home. I had already shoved it up into a ponytail while I let Jillian Michaels yell at me some more (30 day shred this time) before I ran a few easy treadmill miles.

I'm really trying to keep up the strength training (you know, since I've done it twice this week). I know that I need to push through the first few days of feeling sore (really sore) and that if I just stick with it, it will get easier. Thinking about how that added strength will help my running is my main motivation.

It's especially helpful to think of the hills I'm going to face at the West Point Half.

Did I show you this yet?

That's in meters, not feet!

I think I need to go do some more squats or something.

Buddy was trying to get to the sunshine and got tangled in the curtain today.

Good thing he's cute.

Do you run mostly flat races or hilly ones?

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Looking back and Looking ahead

A few weeks ago, I actually won a blog giveaway! I was really excited because I pretty much never win anything. I know everyone says that, but it's totally true.

Anyway, I won a bunch of smoothie making goodies from Jamie and Puritan's Pride and it came in the mail today!

Hooray! I know what I'm making tomorrow!

It feels like this every year, but I can't believe it's the end of December already! (Also: I just typed September...)

Everyone seems to be doing some kind of running year in review post, so I thought I would join in.

In 2014, I:

• Bought a treadmill - best decision ever
• Joined Rivertown Runners - my Saturday group
• Ran 3 half marathons - the most I have run in a single year
• Improved my PR at each race
• Broke 2 hours at the Fall Foliage Half Marathon
• Took 18:21 off my half marathon time - between March and October
• Had my first DNS - because of the threat of snow and my own laziness
• Ran over 1,000 miles! - I'm currently at 1,022

As far as 2015 goes, I want to:

• Run my first full marathon - which one is currently up in the air
• Run at least 2 half marathons - 3 was a good number, but I'm not sure how it will play out if I'm doing a full
• Actually strength train - I say it every year, it's gotta stick sometime!

I'm also thinking about running a few shorter races next year, but don't hold me to it.

It's hard to plan too far ahead when we have some big changes in the works. At some point in the near(ish) future we will be moving and remodeling a house, and I'll be starting a new job (more on that later).

Are you happy with your 2014? What changes are you going to make in 2015?

1,000 Miles in 2014

This morning I watched my absolute favorite Christmas show.

Growing up, I had a Christmas tape with several different shows (Garfield's 9 Lives, A Snow White Christmas, a snippet of Fat Albert, Care Bear's Nutcracker and A Muppet Family Christmas). At some point in high school, I sat on the vcr remote and RECORDED OVER my Christmas tape.

It was not a good day.

The best of those shows was A Muppet Family Christmas, it had the Muppets, Sesame Street characters, the Fraggles, and had a Jim Henson cameo at the end - plus it had all the excellent 80s commercials. It originally aired in 1987, and because of poorly thought out song rights (they only secured them for airing on television) all the versions available to purchase are seriously edited (and obviously don't have the awesome commercials).

I managed to find someone online who had the original version (commercials and all!), so now I have it on dvd.

It's pretty much the best.

I did it! Today I broke 1,000 miles for 2014! It's definitely the most I have ever run in a year. I ran 4.5 miles and called it good. I may cut back on my mileage now that I've hit my 1,000, but I'm kind of in the middle of the Runner's World Holiday Run Streak (at least 1 mile a day Thanksgiving-New Years) and I don't really want to stop.

My falling injury is looking better, mostly. There are some good colors in the bruises.

I got fun mail again today. Jan sent me some KT tape for my ankle, and also some really tasty looking corn salsa and some treats for Buddy.

He was pretty excited to get the mail too :)