here we go, here we go, satellite radio

Ran four miles this morning on the track at the gym... thankfully, last year, KU expanded its rec center to include a 1/4 mile track--woo, 16 laps! Much easier on the knees than treadmilling-it.

I know running marathons/half marathons is hard (for most people, I'm not counting the super-human DEAN KARNAZES who ran a 135 mile "ultra marathon," and 50 marathons in 50 days... but otherwise, yes, running is difficult). When I was getting tired this morning around lap 12, I convinced myself to only run 1 one more lap, pretending that I would be done at that point. After I ran that lap, I told myself if I ran one more, I could skip doing abs for the day. Lap after lap, I bribed myself. It's working for now, but when I get up to running 8-9 miles, self-bribery/motivation may not be as effective... but I really don't know what to expect, I've never run that far.  Cute boys on the track also help to motivate my spirit.

The reasons why I want to run this half-marathon are similar to the reasons why I want to be an architect: Slightly vain, yes, but these are my reasons.

RUNNING REASONS:
1. To say, "I did that," forever after the race.
2. To get a slammin' bod.
3. To see how far I can push myself, how much endurance I have, how much I can take. And to become a more effective human athlete.

ARCHITECT REASONS:

1.  To point at a building and say "I did that."

2.  To help people.

3.  To see how far I can push myself, how much endurance I have, how much I can take (as it relates to the hells of architecture school). And to become a more effective human designer/worker bee.

The Black Eyed Peas seriously help keep my pace.  I should right them a fan letter.

-C

bee's knees

i just had an awesome run - 4 miles, 40 minutes with the first few minutes of that warming up with a brisk walk.  even though i had to do it indoors, on a treadmill (bleh...would rather be outside.  but NOT when it 13 degrees, like it currently is) it was just a super-enjoyable way to cap-off a semi-stressful thursday (two words: copy error.  this may mean nothing to you, but I had just dropped off a print order for 1500 ads when my professor called me, noticing something whas slightly wrong - despite the six-person proof/edit team.  it all got fixed, but it took a 30 minute run-around, me acting like a crazy person to get the situation under control. sigh).

this de-stress, relax, wind-down will continue this eveing - 30 rock & real housewives.  heaven.

more of the same tomorrow - work/meetings/yadda yadda - but here's to hoping my run is as great as today's.

ALSO - i realized "bombs over baghdad" has a great beat to set my pace to.  i played it on repeat three times in a row and probably could've run the whole time to outkast.  what other songs have that tempo?  i must investigate....

-a

Imma be

This past week I have kept my schedule of running/working out/yoga-ing, and it feels fantastic.  I strained some muscle in my forearm from a weight lifting conditioning class the other night, but other than that I haven't been lacking in motivation.

I am definitely beginning to see how running is all mental... today was difficult.  I hit two miles and I was spent, so I did weights for twenty minutes, stairmaster for five, abs for fifteen... anything to avoid the track again.  Major attention deficits this morning led to a choppy workout, if you mapped my path through the rec, it would probably look like it was my first time indoors.  So after my tour of the facilities, I ran another mile.  Reluctantly.

Training is fun, but every time I leave the rec I think to myself, "guess I'll try again tomorrow..."

I don't know why I have that thought, but I hope by the tomorrows in April I will have the endurance to run 13.1 miles without breaking to switch to abs, weight machines or stair climbing.

Imma be Imma be, Imma Imma Imma be a runner...

-C

and so it begins....

I will not bore you with the mundane details of my beyond busy, jam-packed week.  Work, class, PR-campagin planning, volunteering, and getting that whole post-grad job defined the last five days – all stressful and exhausting.

But today's run was a nice break.  3 1/2 miles - 33 minutes.  Good exercise and a good mental break = exactly what I needed.  But my lovely little jog is the tip of the proverbial iceberg that is training for 13.1 miles.  Oye.

There's a lot going against me - I'm only going to get busier this semester.  It's cold in Indiana (Lame). I'll be in Japan for 10 days only five weeks before the race, and I don't think I can run the streets of Tokyo (Do Japanese people run for exercise the same way American people do?  Something to look up....) I am not a natural athelete.  So why am I throwing myself into this whole challenging endeavor?

Running a long distance race is on my bucket list.  I've never been to Nashville.  And more than anything, I'm excited for the friendship-strengthening experience that will be our "training together apart" and raceday side-by-side fun with one of my best best best friends Corey Beth Gray.

So I'm down.

-A

Let it begin.

Feeling it coming in the air,
Hear the screams from everywhere,
I'm addicted to thrill,
Its a dangerous love affair,
Can't be scared when nickels down,
Got a problem tell me now,
Only thing that's on my mind is who gonna run this town tonight,
Who gonna run this town tonight,
We gonna run this town.

-C