Jason Mraz and a Bachelorette Party!

This weekend has been an absolute whirlwind. Wowza. It's not even over yet, but it feels like I've had 3 separate weekends. It was wonderful, but man o' man... I am EXHAUSTED.

So, what did I do all weekend? Well, this may take a while. Let's just start with Friday to Saturday.

Friday morning kicked off with an early morning at the gym.

Definitely not the most exciting workout, but at least I had a Running Times to keep me a little entertained. 50 minutes on the elliptical. It had to be done. 

Friday I had a big event for work, so I was there by 7:30am and moving (in heels... bad choice!) til I left early at 1pm. My feet hurt SO bad and my legs were achey. Boo.

As I said, I left at 1 and headed down to Indianapolis where I met one of my best friends to see Jason Mraz in concert! 

We got to the arena around 6:45pm. We had GREAT seats! We were dead center, though we were pretty far back. Since we got there so early, we saw the entire opening act-- Christina Perri! LOVE her!! She was amazing! After she wrapped up and a set change it was time for the one and only Jason Mraz!!

JASON MRAZ!!! He put on a great show! My bff and I had a great time. We got in some great girl time and got to see my (other) husband sing! Fabulous night.

We stayed in a CRAPPY hotel in Indy, but it was only for 1 night and cheap, so what are ya gonna do?!? 

My friend had to take off WAYYYY too early Saturday, so after saying a sad see-ya-soon to her and getting a bit more shut eye, I finally got up, ready, and checked out around 10am. 

On the way outta town, I made a few pitstops...

My very first trip to HomeGoods and my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season (even though it was an iced version... def not the same... though still delicious!). HomeGoods is awesome. I didn't get much, but definitely a great store. Next time we move, definitely hitting up HomeGoods. After HomeGoods, I made a super quick stop at Trader Joe's. I didn't have a cooler, so couldn't stock up tooooo much... but, got a few pantry items... cereal, canned goods, quinoa. TJs=Love.

Then, it was time to hit the open roooooad.

I hate to drive. HATE. But, I must say... it was a BEAUTIFUL day for a drive. Gorgeous.

2 1/2 hours later, I got home to this surprise from the Hubs! FLOWERS! 

Beautiful, beautiful flowers. Best Hubs ever. Poor guy wasn't even home... he had to go into the office on a Saturday. Boo!! But, I enjoyed the lovely flowers, had left overs for lunch, and took a quick nap.

After my way too short nap, I was up and ready to hit the town for a friends bachelorette party! You know what that means....

SHOTS! Wine! Beer! Waaaaay too much food. I tried not to go TOO crazy, as I knew I had a long run to get in Sunday morning. But, I definitely had fun, too! I left a little early and got home and into bed just before 1am. I won't share anymore pictures... what happens at a bachelorette party stays at a bachelorette party! ;)

I swear, Friday alone felt like 2 full days between work, driving, and the concert. Then Saturday felt like 3 days! It was just a crazy 2 days!

Stay tuned for Sunday's recap... {Spoiler: I kinda rocked my long run!!}

Dirty, Dark Marathon Training Truths

Truth: Every time someone asks me about marathon training, I panic.
What if I've talked up this thing and I DON'T FINISH.

Truth: I tell myself I'm ALLOWED to eat as much or anything I want right now because I am SOOO hungry from training.

I mean... I know in my head that's WRONG. I know I can't just eat evvvverything. I know that's where marathon weight gain comes from, but I can't stop.

 

Truth: Every time someone says "Oh! You're running the Chicago Marathon? How awesome!" I respond "Well, I'm going to try to run it!"

I am legit nervous I won't actually be a marathoner at the end of the day on October 7. I'm worried SOMETHING is going to happen and I won't cross that finish line. I don't ever say "Yes, I am going to run it!" because I'm SO scared I won't actually do it.

 

Truth: I'm worried about what I'm going to do post-marathon.

Let's say I finish... or I don't... either way... then what? How many rest days do I take? When do I start running again? And, even then... how much do I run? I have no races post-marathon on the books. I have no NEED to train or make certain milage. So, wtf am I going to do?

 

Truth: Every time someone says "WOW! You ran 20 miles this weekend?? That's crazy!" (Or however many miles) I respond "It's not that hard/bad... you could do it to if you trained right."

Why? Why do I sell the process short? Why do I sell myself short? I mean... it IS freaking hard. It hurts like a B. It burns. It's brutal. Why do I down play it?

 

Truth: I LOVE running. But, sometimes I feel like I HAVE to run and don't love it.

I think Blogging and being in training and 10,000 other things make me feel like I have to be a running cheerleader 24/7. And, I honestly do LOVE running. I have fallen head over heels for this crazy sport... but, still. Still, sometimes I just do.not.want.to.run. Sometimes I HATE each step. Sometimes I'd rather sit on my ass and do NOTHING. Or spin. Or do some strength. Or go for a walk. I feel like I can't SAY I don't want to run-- ever. Because then WTF am I doing training for a marathon? Do one is MAKING me. So, if I don't ALWAYS love it... why do it?

 

Truth: I feel like i'm supposed to be better. Faster. Stronger. I feel like I'm failing.

I've been in training for how long now and I still can't average 9:00 miles? I feel like I should have made more progress and like I am slower than I should be.

 

Truth: I feel like when people hear I'm training for a marathon they think it's crazy because I don't LOOK like a runner.

I had body image issues just like 98% of the female population. I'm not a small girl. I feel like runners are small. Tiny. SKINNY. I am not. I feel like people think that when they hear I run (notice: I did not say when they hear I'm a runner as I do not consider myself a "runner"-- another issue. I'm fuil of issues.).

Truth: I am unbelievably excited to (attempt to) run this thing.
Like, so excited an instant smile shoots across my face just THINKING of it.

Truth: Everyone says to "trust the training" and I'm worried maybe I didn't train enough.

Why? Why am I so worried about this? I followed my plan, the plan I CAREFULLY and OCD-ly put together after looking at DOZENS of other plans! I did the workouts. I even did the rest days most of the time. Why am I doubting all the experts who say it will be enough?

Truth: I worry about letting all my friends and family who are coming to support me on marathon day DOWN.

I have a GREAT support system. And, they're all coming out to cheer me on on October 7. Friends and family. Some are traveling in just to see me for a few seconds. What if I don't finish? What if I get a crappy time? I feel like I'm going to disappoint people.

 
Truth: I'm worried I'm the only one who ever thinks any of the above.

I mean... that's can't be true. Right? Someone else, somewhere must have had some of those

thoughts. Right?!? I can't be the lone freak... can I?

Runner's World Training Calculator

Gulp.

Based on my recent 22 miler time, the Runner's World Training Calculator predicts my marathon time to be a 4:07:25.

Say whaaaaaat??!?!?!

This seems OMG SO FAST to me. Like, SO fast. BEYOND my capability fast.

Let's dig deeper.

It says I should be able to run a mile in 7:46. Ok, that I can do. Thanks to the wonderful OCDlovers-tracking capabilities of DailyMile the fastest I've done a mile was about 7:33 and that was over 2.75 miles.

I've never time trialed a 5K that closely, though my personal 5K PR that I actually have recorded is 26:08. The RW calculator says I should be able finish one in 25:49. I actually think this isn't that crazy. My 26:08 was from way back in May 2012 and I've gotten a smidge faster since then and think I'm capable of a 25:49 now.

The half-marathon time. Hmmm... not even close. My half PR is 2:06:55. So not even remotely close to a 1:58:40 as RW thinks I can run. Like, not even in the same universe. Buuuut, OK. I have run 13 miles 2:00:XX during long runs recently. Still-- NOT a 1:58:40 for 13.1 miles. Definitely not.

A 4:07:25 for a MARATHON?? That just seems SOOOOO unattainable to me. I get there's science behind it and in theory I suppose it might be physically possible... for someone else. Are they crazy? ME?!?!? A sub 4:08? No. Not even a chance. I mean-- hello. I'M SLOW. This is just nonsense.

So, what DO I think I can run the marathon in? I honestly have NO CLUE. I think I'll be happy with a sub 4:30. I mean, I'll be happy just finishing, if I'm being really honest. BUUUT- I can't lie and say I haven't thought about a time goal. Sub 4:30. MAYBE Sub 4:20. But, a 4:07:25?? COME ON! That's a 9:26 pace. That's a SUB 9:30 pace. What?!?!?!? I mean-- there's just no way.

So basically this little calculator is now giving me a full blow panic attack. Enter freak out. Enter nerves out of control. Enter heart beating way too fast.

Why, RW? Why?

I mean... there's just. no. way.

IMPORTANT Marathon Planning Item - DONE!

I know there about 10,000 things I need to do still for this marathon. My marathon-planning to-do list is far too long for my liking. Sure, I've registered and made a hotel reservation, but there are many other things still to consider and plan... where/what to eat the night before, what time to leave for the race, what to wear, what flavor Gu, to wear or not to wear a Spi belt, etc.

One VERY IMPORTANT marathon-planning item that did get checked off the to-do list today?

The post-marathon massage. And, thanks to Groupon and a $5.00 Groupon discount, I managed to score mine for less than I'll likely spend on parking for the race. SCORE.

The to-do list remains way too long... but, at least one (very important!) item is officially checked off!

WIAW - Recycled Edition

Ugh! Another morning of literally having to DRAG my ass outta bed. Anyone else out there just struggling lately in the mornings? Ugh. I need a vacation. Good thing I have one coming up in less than 2 months. Eye on the prize, Meagan. Eye on the prize.

 
Anyway—another weird thing that's been going on... I thought I had the whole vitamin-nausea thing under control. I started cutting my vitamin in half and taking each half about 30 minutes to an hour apart. But, MAN! The past few mornings I have just had a HUGE nausea wave after taking the first half. And before ANYONE even thinks it— I am not preggo. I promise. It’s been pretty brutal though. Today I actually made a dive for the trash can because I was SURE I was gonna vomit. False alarm, thank goodness. But, man—something’s waging a war on my tummy. I think I’m gonna try a different kind/brand of multivitamin and see if that helps.

 
So, it’s Wednesday. HALF WAY THROUGH THE WEEK! I’m actually super excited for this coming weekend so I’m stoked it’s already Wednesday. Friday I’m going to see Jason Mraz (my other husband… shhh! Don’t tell the Hubs!) in concert with one of my very best friends so I couldn’t be more excited for that. THEN, Saturday I have a friend’s bachelorette party. FUN! Oh yeah, and ya know… an 18-something mile long run to get at some point. HURRY UP, Weekend!!

 
Back to the present day… I did manage to someone get outta bed this morning at 5am and made it to my 5:30am spinning class. The instructor is not my favorite. AND she just took over the Monday 5:30am class too. Greaaaat. She’s OK… she just talks too much. Today she was ALL chatty about The Voice coming back to TV and how pumped she was. Um… yeah, I just don’t care. At 5:30am while sweating my ass off—I just don’t care. PLUS, she’s a pop top 40 playlist kinda instructor… which I’m OK with (I love me some pop music!)… but, in the right dosage. It’s like she brings in one of those “Today’s Hits Volume 233534” CD mixes and goes to town. I’m just over it. Hopefully she starts mixing it up more soon or I might have to start adjusting my gym schedule. Ok, rant over. After spinning I did 2.5 miles on the treadmill in 22:01. Shins were a little sore. Likely too sore and I shouldn’t have run, but I just felt like it. Whatever. They’re not feeling too bad right now, so I’ll call it a draw.


This edition of WIAW (thanks to Jen!) is brought to you 100% by old, recycled pics. That’s right… EVERYTHING I ate yesterday I’ve already shown in (at least one other) WIAW before. Wow. I need to mix up my diet. I guess I’m a creature of habit. Oh well. Without further ado…

 

Breakfast…Greek yogurt with cereal (mixed together). Coffee with multivitamin of death.

 

Lunch…Hummus, pretzels, apple, carrots. Diet Pepsi. 

 

Snack... Handful of lightly salted raw almonds. x2.

 

 

Dinner... Brown rice with red peppers and onion. Peppers and onions were sauteed with cooking spray, soy sauce, TJ's peanut salad dressing, and Siracha. These pics also show TJ's mini wontons and, sadly, I didn't have those last night. I figured you could use your imagination to mentally remove those from the pics.

Dessert... Fro Yo. Duh.

A Tale of Two Runs

When my 5am alarm started screaming this morning I did anything but jump out of bed. I was TIRED. I stayed up a bit too late last night (Darn you, Dexter! You're too addicting!) so I was dragging.

But, up I got and out the door and was at the gym by 5:25am. Usually Tuesday's I go to Signature Strength, but since I've decided to forgo strength til post-race, I have Tuesday morning's to treadmill it up now.

I did 8.25 miles in 1:15:08 for a 9:06 average pace. I started slower... around a 9:30 pace, thinking I'd go slow and call them recovery miles, but I was feeling it so picked it up more and more throughout the run. I felt fast and strong. I was engrossed in Felicity and the miles really flew by. It was one of those great I-LOVE-TO-RUN runs, though it left me feeling B-E-A-T by the end, as I was pushing 8:20s by the end, and of course, I was just grossly, GROSSLY sweaty.

Before I knew it I was running late and needed to haul ass to the showers to get to work on time. After a quick shower and such I was out the door for work.

Work's been pretty busy lately. I'm teaching a class this semester and it's actually a lot more work than I was expecting, so staying on top of all that and my normal job is adding up. But, I loooove it. I'd MUCH rather be busy than bored. Any day. So, no complaints here!

Anyway- during my lunch hour I hit the indoor track for a few more miles.

When I got there, I told myself I'd do 6.25 to make it 14.5 for the day. Within the first mile, I started doubting the full 6.25 were gonna happen. My legs felt like they were filled with rocks and I just wasn't feeling it. I managed to convince myself to gut it out, but they definitely were NOT those wonderful I-LOVE-TO-RUN kinda miles. They were more like GRRRAHHHH-WHEN-IS-THIS-GOING-TO-BE-OVER kinda miles. My overall pace didn't end up sucking, and I'm not really sure how that happened. But overall this was definitely just a very MEH kinda run... at best.

Running is such a crazy thing. How can 2 runs of comparable length completed on the same day feel SO DRASTICALLY different? This morning, I was on cloud 9. This afternoon, I was so over being in my Brooks. Oh, running. Always keeping me on my toes. (Get it, get it! I'm soooo funny, I know.)

No More Signature Strength for Me

<Sorry in advance for the long, boring kinda pointless, pictureless post.>

It's that time. Time to make choice and sacrifices and to really crack down on this whole marathon training thing. Ok, so maybe it's already been time, but I'm serious about it this time.

I've been going to Signature Strength for a pretty long time. A few months ago, I went twice a week-- Tuesday and Thursday morning's at 5:30am. When I started marathon training, I decided to drop it down to once a week so I could get my mileage in.

And, that's what I did. Usually on Tuesday's because it honestly made me SO sore each time I went I couldn't go on Thursday and be fresh enough for long run's on Saturday's. So, Tuesday's it was.

Then, shit got serious. Training got serious. Mileage picked up. I was running more and more and SO tired the rest of the time. If I wanted to go to Signature Strength AND get my runs in, I'd have to go to the class before work, run at lunch, AND likely do a run or spinning or something after work... and, that was KILLING my muscles.

It just became TOO. MUCH.

I tried to fight it. I tried to pretend like it wasn't too much. Like I ENJOYED being so sore it hurt to walk. I tried to talk myself into it and up to it and everything else. It worked... for a while. Yes, I crashed hard every night after Signature Strength. Yes, I was beyond tired and sore all the time. But, I convinced myself it was all in the name of the oh-so-mighty marathon training.

Then, one day it hit me. As I was forced to use my arms to lower myself to the toilet to pee (TRUE STORY... a way TMI true story, but true nonetheless) because my legs were THAT sore. THIS is not normal. THIS is not needed for ANYTHING-- even marathon training. Should I be sore and a little uncomfortable during training? Sure. Absolutely. Should I be THAT sore from lifting classed during training? Nooooo. Not needed. Running is needed. Cross training, needed. Going to classes that consistently make me so sore everything else in the world hurts? Nooooo. No, Meagan. No. I KNOW I'm going to be sore through training. And, I am. But, to be THAT sore the day after every Signature Strength class was just crazy. I know, I know-- just don't squat or lunge that low, just half-ass it. I can't. I don't know how. I've tried. It just doesn't work for me. I'm still sore. SO sore. Signature Strength, I love you... but between the sore-level already going on in my legs from running, you're just too much for me right now.

So, I'm not going anymore. End of the very dramatic, way too long story.

Truth? I miss Signature Strength. I know there's other strength things I could-- specifically focusing on core and arms to give the legs a much needed break. But, I'm lazy. Simple as that. Yup-- marathon training party of 1 who is also lazy? Right here.

I'll be back to Signature Strength post-training. Hopefully back to twice a week, but we'll see. I also have some big Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred plans on my brain. Who knows what post-marathon training'll bring. I guess all I KNOW is that for now, strength stuff is on the back burner. Ya know... to have time to RUN and all. Turns out, you kinda need to run a lot to prep for a marathon. Who knew?!?