I need a hit!

Tonight's co-ed slow pitch softball game was fun, but I failed at getting on base again :(  We've only played three games so far and I've only been on base twice - both in the second game.

Starting up the season, I was so nervous about striking out or missing the ball at first base and I've been a steel trap on first and haven't even swung and missed!  So that's good, but I barely ever get on base.  I think I'm just used to swinging level from fast pitch for so many years that I'm having a hard time being patient, waiting for my pitch and swinging up. 

Today, I grounded out to the pitcher on my first at bat, then flied out directly to the pitcher's mitt three times in a row!  Can you believe that?

I don't want to be one of those girls that the other team brings their entire outfield in for, just cause I'm a girl.  I'm not dainty and don't want to be an automatic out for my team.  

Ahhh it's just so annoying.  Other than the lack of base running, it's been a really fun season.  I was so nervous about joining the team at the beginning but it really is a lot of fun playing and hanging out with my colleagues.  I highly recommend it to anyone thinking about it.

Any tips for hitting it out of the park in slow pitch??

Back from DC and Half this Sunday

DC was so much fun!  I wasn't sure if I'd enjoy myself at all, being one of ten chaperones of our 7th grade trip, but our kids were so well behaved that I had a blast!  My favorite part was the Newseum, which I had never been to before.  The basement exhibit included the Unabomber and Oklahoma City bombing, both of which I remember vividly.  I was in the 7th grade when the OK City bombing took place and seeing the news articles about them really took me back to that moment.

It didn't dawn on me until we were at the Pentagon memorial that our kids were only 3 years old on September 11, 2001.  For me, that's one day I'll always remember exactly where I was and what I was doing and our kids have really only read about it.  The memorial was beautiful and very creative (of course I forgot my camera that day). 

We also visited the Air Force Memorial one morning.  I've always noticed the three large 'antennae' on the drive from the airport to the city, but never knew what it was until now.  They were enormous in real life. 

Even with a 12 hour bus trip out there and 10 hours on the way back (lots of bus issues from MI-DC), it was a great time.  I really enjoyed myself with the kids and other chaperones and am so glad I went.

However, I did not get in any running on the trip.  I knew I wouldn't so I didn't even pack any running clothes.  With a 6am wake up call and 'lights out' room checks until 1030-11pm each night, I was taking every minute of sleep I could get. 

So when I returned late Wednesday night, I met the girls for a 6 miler Thursday evening.  It was hilly, but good to be back in the swing of things.  I hadn't run since the previous Friday and that's the longest I've taken off from running in over two years!!

The eight miles for our long run this Saturday were timed perfectly between rain storms and I think I'm ready to run the Dexter-Ann Arbor half this Sunday.  I registered for this race forever ago and can't believe it's finally here :) 

It'll be hot and hilly, but I plan to run it conservatively and have fun... ie. not PR another half this year!  Anyone else racing this weekend?

8 weekday miles!

I just rocked out 8 miles with my running besties tonight and it felt great!  I've NEVER run that much on a weekday before, even in the height of marathon training!

The huge group ran 6 miles and then Amanda and I added on one more 2 mile loop for the even 8 :)  We even had negative splits:

Mile 1  11:03

Mile 2  10:51

Mile 3  11:11

Mile 4  10:49

Mile 5  10:25

Mile 6  10:06

Mile 7    9:57

Mile 8  10:02

I'm heading out of town to chaperone the 7th grade trip to DC this weekend and will miss out on this week's runs, but I'll get back on track when I get back.  I'm not too worried; there's plenty of time before the Grand Rapids full and I'll be walking a million miles each day :)

I'll be running the Dexter Ann Arbor half on June 3rd and then will focus 100% on marathon training.  I ran my first full last October in Detroit and my goal was just to finish.  I did, in 5:28:22, and felt great.  This time around, I want to train harder to break the 5 hour mark.  That's kinda ambitious, but why not??

Hope you all have a great week!

26.2 Plan and DC

I've been busy this week trying to put together a training plan for marathon #2 in October.  The plan I used for my first full in October was very basic and got the job done.  All I wanted to do was finish upright and not hate running :)  I succeeded and think I should raise the bar for this one!

My friends have some training weeks of 55+ miles on their plan and it kinda freaks me out.  That number is just insane, especially if it isn't on your 20 miler week.

Any suggestions for a good, non-exhausting, 4 day/week marathon training plan?  I should mention that I didn't cross train or strength train for my first full...  probably should do that this time around.

The other craziness in my life is I'm going on our 7th grade class trip to DC this weekend :)  While I've been in charge of many kids for a million things, I've never done an over-nighter.  We leave at the crack of dawn Saturday morning and return late Wednesday night.  It's going to be interesting.

I LOVE DC and have only been there twice my entire life.  So I'm really excited to see everything with all the guided tours :)

BUT, I'm kinda bummed it'll screw up my training.  I've taken this week to take a deep breath, look at the 5 months til the marathon and realize that it will be okay.

Everything will be okay. 

I have my next half on June 3rd and then will commit myself 100% to this marathon training cycle.  My running has been great this year and I'm ready to take it to the next level.

Any ideas about a plan would be helpful and I'll be reading plenty of running books on the 12+ hour bus rides :)

Adult Softball and Marathon #2

I've been a lazy runner this week.  Well, lazy everything outside of work.  It's been a busy week and I've let everything else fall to the wayside.  Paying my mortgage included, whoops!

I had to skip my usual Tuesday night run with the group for my first adult beer league softball game.  My school put a team together for the first time and jumped at the chance, but I was SOOOO nervous the entire day leading up to the game.  Like butterflies in my stomach!  I played all through grade school and high school, including summer ball, but that was 10+ years ago!  I was so worried I would strike out and embarrass myself.

So I worried about it all day and thought everyone would be better than me... and finally game time came and it was SOOOOOO MUCH FUN!!  Everyone made mistakes, we all goofed around, and we all had a blast!  Most importantly (to me at the moment) is that I didn't strike out!  Now, I didn't get on base all game, but I didn't K, so that's good enough for me :)  We'll see what this week brings.

In terms of running, I knocked out a hilly 5 miler with the group Thursday night and was sore all day Friday from it.  My quads were just about as sore as after the marathon.  Insane!!  I don't know if it is the fact I took four days off from running, or the fact that I sprinted faster than I've ever run in my entire life (sub 8) to meet the group since I was 25+ mins late...  Either way, Friday was painful. 

This morning we knocked out 14 miles and even though I was nervous about it, I started slow and felt fine the entire time.  I got pretty hungry about mile 9, but other than that, I was good.  It's weird how a few weeks ago I ran a half marathon with no fuel and felt fantastic, but this morning I felt like crap at mile 9 with starving hunger pains.  Weird.

Other than that, three of my running bffs have decided to run their first full marathon this fall!  WOOOHOOO!!  So Amanda and I will join them for our second :)  I'm so excited!  We've decided to run  Grand Rapids this year since we rocked out Detroit last year (it's the same weekend in October).

Marathon training is officially on!! 

Some left over Let's Move thoughts

1)  Why do so many people run with headphones, especially in races?  I barely did when I ran by myself and now that I run with the group we don't at all.   But I'm a talker and like to chat it up with other people around me.  During the race last weekend, almost everyone had headphones in and I had no one to talk to :(

2)  I mentioned that Let's Move was not as fun as Martian was mostly because I didn't know many people running it and therefore had to focus on my own race.  Not that it is a bad thing, but just like numero uno, I'm a social person so I like looking for and talking to other people I know.  It's good to focus on yourself though, as this is now my half marathon PR race :)

3)  For the first time ever, my garmin time matched finish time exactly.  Could I now say that I'm perfect?  haha far from it :)

4)  Why do they start the shorter distances earlier than the longer?  Don't they want those who will be running the furthest to start first to beat the heat and get out of the way of the shorter distances?  Let's Move had two 5K waves at 8:15 and 8:30am.  Then two half waves at 8:45 and 9:00am.  What's with that?