Less is More: 89 Days until the Prairie Fire HALF Marathon

It has been a while since I have updated my blog and a lot of things have changed in my running world.  I have made the decision to not run the Prairie Fire Marathon, but instead focus my attention on the half marathon instead.  It was a hard decision to make but for me it was necessary.  First of all I am not certain that an average runner like me can handle doing more than one marathon in a calendar year.  I completed the Oklahoma City Marathon in late April and on some levels I do not feel fully recovered from it.

The Crew after our 10 mile run

 Joni had invited us to run 10 miles with her in the country a few weeks ago and I was looking forward to running in a different location.  I did not sleep well the night before that run as I had gotten the news of my Uncle passing on.  It brought back all the memories of what it is like to lose a parent.  The stubborn runner that I am decided to "suck it up" and meet with the crew and run anyway.  Big mistake, HUGE!  I could not keep up with them.  They were holding a 10:30 pace which is normally what I once was able to do.  At first they were just a 100 yards ahead of me and then it turned into a half mile ahead of me.  I was alone and able to really think and contemplate my training plans.  I AM SLOWER, AND I HAVE MY PREVIOUS MARATHON TRAINING TO THANK FOR THAT!   In order for me to run and complete a marathon I did have to slow down and that has me VERY disappointed. Even hella tired (before OKC training) I could still maintain pace and keep up with the group. Bottom line is that I want the speed that I once had back and I think I can do so with a half marathon.  Another thing that I have to honestly admit is that if I want to get my pace back again, I am going to have to lose some weight.

The camera does not lie, I need to lose about 10 pounds!

 I have easily put on 10 pounds since the Oklahoma City Marathon. This past weekend at my Uncles funeral we were able to take a bunch of family pictures, I was stunned!  Pictures don't lie, I am soft especially in the middle. Typically August and September are hard for me with going back to school and it seems that every year becomes harder than the last year.  I am anticipating much more stress in my profession.  Due Process has been eliminated for teachers in my state. In some Texas school districts they are going to stop paying teachers for their Masters degrees.  These things do frighten me because I am one of the higher paid

Mona and I after a 3 mile run

teachers.  I NEVER thought in my profession that I would be concerned with losing my job, but it is a realistic fear.  I just know because of this stress that 26.2 is out of the question.  Another reason I have decided to "cut back" has to do with the physical changes my aging body is going through.  Officially speaking I have finished menopause but have I?  The hot flashes are miserable and running in July has been brutal and I am sad to say that I feel old.  All the more reason to scale back to 13.1.  I am going to use the intermediate half marathon training plan that Start to Finish gave us volunteers.I will now be working with the beginners and intermediate group.  Looks like we will run 10 miles this Saturday.  I talked to coach Fernando today about my change in plans and he told me he would help me out.  He said that we will be running relays tomorrow night at FU (Friends University for my friends that might think I am instead saying FU to track night) track night.  This Friday will be Diva Night at GoRun East.  As one of the Moving Comfort Ambassadors I will

My cute outfit for Diva Night Fashion Show

be a part of the fashion show.  Brad and Fernando helped me pick out a cute outfit and cute shoes for the fashion show.  I also bought a new pair of Brooks Ghost running shoes which should take me through the remainder of 2014.  I have not listed my workouts for the week because I am not feeling that great.  I have sleep issues as many of you know and when I travel I need to take Ambien.  Sadly it gives me intense migraines and takes a while to come out of my system.  The last one I took was on Friday night and I am still feelings its presence in my body.  Tomorrow I will run 4 miles in the morning (if better) and for sure attend track night.  

Run Happy and if you need to change your goal, IT IS OK!