Where in the world....

That's pretty much what I've been saying for the last couple of months, where have I been? Well, I finished my 1st (of this year) half marathon in AZ being RnRAZ. It was a fun, painful, interesting race. Let's just say that I've never ran with that much pain in my calves before..yet you wouldn't be able to tell by my race photos!!  My parents had come down from WI to watch me run and then enjoy the warmer weather with me.

 After my parents left, things in my life sorta fell apart. I'm totally used to only seeing them about every 3 months or so but this time it was different.  After they left, it's like they took my training with them. Phoenix was warming up (yay??) so I could ride outside again and run in the morning and not be so cold (its relative I do realize).  Yet I was also faced with having no job-no new travel assignment had been found yet and my contract was up at the end of January.  My job hunt was included calling my company on a daily (if not 2x ) for updates and then I decided to just apply at Mayo Hospital in Phoenix as a last ditch effort.

Terra without plan and without an upcoming job=stress x10. That rolled over into migraines and lack of wanting to training. I would wait to run til almost dark and waste my days off on the most beautiful days in Phoenix. I had gone to 2 different job interviews at Mayo's by Jan 24th and had nothing as a travel job.  Coming up this week was the running clinic in Estes Park, CO.  All I have to say is, it set me straight.

Thank you to @Coachprs and Active at Altitude. Thank you to Cindy (@knittingrunner), David (@DP_Turtle), Glenn (@mcdanielg), Jon (@jonjay500), Cheryl, and Megan (@meganMnelson).  This clinic helped me put confidence in my running and just being around teammates during this time really helped me. It broke me of whatever I was stuck in -maybe it was the cold Colorado air and the Rocky Mnt high...

Returning from the clinic I found out the next day that I got the job at Mayo-permanent job...me?? And I start end of Feb 27th and by the way, you have to do this and that and......STRESS!!!

Fast forward to today. Today I am back in WI (home) where I am finishing packing up my belongings to send back to Scottsdale for good. This is a huge deal for me. I keep asking "Am I doing the right thing" and I keep getting yes otherwise things wouldn't be working out. This is true. Everything works out for a reason. For reasons, I am meant to be in the Phoenix area for now.

What does this mean for my schedule?? I don't have one right now. I have a list of races that I can race locally and just noticed that HITS HIM Lake Havasu will be in my own back yard (bonus!) and I'll be able to volunteer for IM AZ again in hopes for a spot at IM AZ 2013 with @meganMnelson.

Til next time-Be Safe and Train like you mean it

Rockin in St Louis

Back on the #RnR series, I picked up this race on whim. When I asked my coach if I could do it, I could hear her mind punching numbers...thinking I was crazy especially when I was planning a marathon on Nov 6. "It's possible" and that's all I need. (I think she knew I would do it anyways, just had to figure out how without getting injured.

I actually had already bought airfare and had a hotel on reserve so it was just training. I had presented this to my coach in Mid august. I'm living in Phoenix where the temps still at 5 am are 90* and she forewarned me about the double training cause this training would be during my triathlon training.

I managed to get it all down and was doing a run/walk at various time lengths due to IT band issues. So that was the plan for the race: run/walk it as I have been and if I felt that I could run the last couple of miles..DO IT.

Step back..taper week. My coach wanted the long run done on Sunday than flat out rest remainder of week. Um...yeah...My week actually went: Run Sunday, work Monday, Tuesday (13 hours cardiac RN) Wednesday (nada), Thursday work, and Friday fly to STL. Not really a taper since I've figured out that I walk 5-6 miles daily at work.

Catch an early flight out of Phoenix to St Louis and get to the hotel to sleep a bit. Did a short run in the "cold" weather and checked out the expo. A friend was suppose to be staying and racing with me but had a family emergency so it was just me this weekend.

Saturday I laid low. Had a slight cold so I was taking cold medicine, watching football, and sleeping. It was after all a vacation for me.  I got out all my race gear, laid them out, got my gear check bag situated and fell asleep.

RACE DAY:
The bonus of race times at 7:30, you don't have to get up until 6am. YES!!!! So I did, got all bundled up and walked to the starting area. I could already feel the energy. This was St Louis's 1st #RnR and they did a pretty good job.  Dropped off my stuff, ate another half banana, and found where I was suppose to be.

#RnR are a blast. Bands every mile, cheer squads, and there is always Elvis. I really enjoyed this race. I didn't like all the hills I had to conquer but I tried to keep on pace. I probably would have hit my goal had I not walked up 2 hills but I really didn't feel like dying over them. I stuck to my plan up to mile 11. I had to dig deep to keep going. Right around mile 6, I hit a mental wall of "what were you thinking". Mile 11 passed, then 12 and all I kept hearing was the "you're almost there" or "the finish line is right there"  I kept saying where, where cause I was cramping bad; luckily I ran by a med tent with salt tabs grabbed 3, downed them with a little water and pushed on.

I managed to pick up a runner who just stopped running; got him up and running to the finish line. He thanked me-I was his first half marathon. I sure hope he had a blast.

I love the #RnR series. I may run with my ipod but I still hear the bands, crowds. It's an experience that I keep coming back to.

So what's next? #RnRSV half (yeah I changed it), #RnRAZ 2012, OD in Feb, and HIM end of April.  I can't wait.