Group Run or Solo Run?

When I first became a runner (about 10 years ago), I was scared. Scared of running long distances, scared of crowds, scared of running alone, scared of running in groups - the fear of the unknown was real here, y'all! Plus, I'm a huge chicken in general so yea...

In my race planning process though, I knew that I likely wouldn't be able to motivate myself enough to train for my very first half marathon on my own, so I went WAY out of my comfort zone (I mean WAY) and joined a local running group. I still remember those first few group runs - I was too shy to talk to anyone and everyone seemed as if they had already formed their own groups. So, I would show up every Saturday morning, meet up with the large group, then when everyone would break off for their runs, I would run it solo. (I don't want it to sound like I didn't speak to a single person there. My coaches were wonderful and I made "friends" while there, but I just didn't have anyone to run my distances with.)

It took an entire five or six months of this process before I started being invited to run with a group - I finally made real friends there and I'm so very glad I stuck it out. By the next season of our running group, I was no longer a solo runner, but I had my group and it was wonderful! This went on for another 8 years and it was seriously one of my favorite times of my life!

Sadly, our running group disbanded a couple of years ago and although some tried to stick together and run for a while, it definitely began to fizzle out. Sad times.

Now, I have my little running buddy (Brayden) who loves to go for a run with me as well as Orangetheory which is definitely more of that group type setting that I love. As a people person (I'm a nurse and love working with people), I crave that group type atmosphere and I'm so glad that Orangetheory gives that to me.  My oh my what a change from the shy person 10 years ago who didn't want to step foot out of her front door because she was scared!

So, do I consider myself a group runner or a solo runner? Maybe a little of both! :)

What about you? Do you prefer group running or solo running? Today, I'm also linking up with KookyRunner and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics! 

Goodbye, GoRun

As many of you know, Saturday was supposed to be the last group meeting of the running group I've been a part of for the past 8 years. We've had organized group runs every Saturday with water and Gatorade stops along each course, a running coach who planned out our training schedules, and lots of support along the way.

However, mother nature had another plan for Saturday and we weren't able to meet to say goodbye. With a ridiculous below-freezing cold snap in South Louisiana, much of my town was frozen over and we woke up Saturday morning with a "feels like temperature" of 14 degrees F. (That might as well have been below zero to me.) So, the decision was made to cancel our group run. While I understand the reasons, I'm not gonna lie...I was a little sad. You see, change isn't easy for me and I like closure. I was looking forward to meeting up and saying goodbye to everyone. This upcoming Sunday is the Houston Marathon and though many from my group are running it, I'm not this year.

Since we weren't able to say goodbye in person, I decided to put together a little memory of my time spent in GoRun.

My journey with GoRun began in 2009 after returning home from the Walt Disney World Marathon. I was there to spectate for a few friends who were running the race and I decided I wanted to train for the half the following year. NEVER in my wildest dreams did I think I would run anything more than 3 miles at a time...like ever.

When I returned home, I began looking for local groups in my area and that's when I stumbled upon GoRun. I initially thought I would only be a part of the group for a year because I mean....once my half marathon was finished, that was it, right?! Yeah...right. What was initially supposed to be one season turned into eight years of my life.

Throughout those eight years, I've learned a lot about myself as a person, I've grown mentally and physically, I've accomplished things I never thought possible and obtained PR's and goals I've set for myself, and I've made lifelong friendships...all because of my running group.

I've also done things I never thought I would ever do!

Take Goofy's Challenge for example...
 

 
Or how about the fact that I've completed 5 marathons and 25 half marathons to date! (Had you told this to me in my early 20's, I would have told you that you were cray cray!)

What about the time we ran underneath a parked train?! (OMG I still can't believe we did that!)
 

 
Or ran as superheros through town on Halloween?

I've seen gorgeous sunrise after gorgeous sunrise...

...I've also overcome an injury and had an amazing physical therapy team because of my running group.

My favorite of all? I met one of my best friends...

....and made many other friendships along the way because of GoRun.

Sure, all of these things didn't just happen, it still required me to get out of bed early on Saturday mornings and put forth the effort to train...but despite it all (ridiculous heat and humidity of the summer, crazy cold of the winter, even a tropical storm!) my running group has been there through it all.

I can't say enough thank you's to my running coach and all of the friends I've made along the way. These past 8 years have left a huge stamp on my life and I know I'm a better person because of it.

Here's to new challenges and future adventures! Goodbye, GoRun. I'll never forget you or the impact you've had on my life! Thanks for the lifetime of memories!!

All my love, Karen

Jingle Bell Run 2016

Every year, my running group hosts their annual Jingle Bell Run. This year, it took place on Tuesday night and was basically a little fun run throughout one of the main Christmas light areas in town (it's not a race nor is it a timed event).

Runners could choose between several distances - 2, 3, or 4 miles and the course was out and back.

There were plenty of jingle bells for our shoes....it wouldn't be a jingle bell run without the bells!

Before we began the run, our coach started with the door prizes for both kids and adults. Guess whose name was called first?!

Brayden!

I picked up this cute Christmas bear for him! :)

Both mine and Heather's names were called as well! Yay!

There were lots of goodies to consume, too!

After getting our jingle bells on, we were ready to go!

My running buddy Heather and I decided to go with 3 miles.

I LOVE looking at all of the Christmas lights down this street and the jingle bell run was the perfect way to see them! We will have to keep this tradition alive, even after my running group disbands.

The lights were glowing off the water...such a gorgeous route!

Around mile 1.5, we turned around and headed back to the start.

These trees are always festive, too!

This is one of my favorite group runs and I look forward to it each year! (Here's a couple of recaps from the archives....2010 and 2012 and 2013.) Even Brayden enjoyed himself and didn't make a peep from the jogging stroller!

After I returned home, I surveyed my winnings! Looks pretty good if I do say so myself!

Do you participate in any holiday themed races or events during the Christmas season?

12 Mile Run...& All Kind of Craziness!

Happy day before Thanksgiving! Today, I have half a day of work which will be followed by a bit of baking for our Thanksgiving festivities. I also can't wait for my crew's annual Black Friday shopping shindig! We are going to have so much fun!! :)

This past Saturday, I ran a 12 mile training run with my running buddy, Heather. This training run was our last "really" long run before our December half marathon and was a huge confidence booster for both of us.

Starting out that morning, the weather was incredibly chilly and I had no clue how to dress. I mean, I felt like I regressed back to my newbie running stages where I either over or under dressed all the time. You'd think I would have learned by now! After putting on two different pair of tights (a maternity pair accidentally made it into my tights drawer...whoops), I was ready to hit the road! I might have been late, too...I was incredibly confused by the tights I had on at first and couldn't figure out why they were so big on me. Guess that's what happens at 5:30 a.m.!

After meeting up with Heather and our running group, we began our run. Somehow, it was colder at our meeting spot that it was at my house, which means we spent the first part of our run trying to warm up. That hasn't happened in forever and I kinda liked it! 

Throughout our run, we encountered several "interesting" things...

• A car passed by and saturated us with a very odd odor. Apparently that odor was weed and it was only 8 a.m. Stay classy, Lake Charles.
• During one of our neighborhood loops, we looked over and saw a guy who was urinating behind a restaurant near a dumpster. Yes, he was outside and fully exposed. I could go without seeing that ever again.
• If you've ever had a baby, you will know what I mean by this....well, let's just say that my bladder isn't what it used to be (without being incredibly TMI). Thankfully, I spotted a much-needed port-a-potty somewhere near mile 8 or 9 along our route. As we began running again, we realized that there was NO construction around and pretty much NO reason for said random port-a-potty to be located in that spot. So strange. Hopefully I wasn't being secretly filmed and I won't end up on some random crazy TV show down the road.....!

Needless to say, we had several good laughs during our long run that morning. Out of all of my runs lately, this was by far the best. My knees felt great, my lungs were feeling better and I was finally able to breathe again, and I had good company along the way!

This run ended on a high note and definitely made me grateful for the random bad ones because I was able to appreciate it so much more!

I love getting a ton of steps in before 9 a.m.!

After the run, I stopped by Starbucks for a Christmas/Holiday beverage.

I also had to get this adorable snowman cookie to eat as a snack later on that day. Both the drink and the cookie were delicious! :)

What's the craziest thing you've ever seen while out for a run?

Summer Running

Happy Monday! Today, I'm blogging from my parents house because the AC in our home decided to pick the hottest day of the summer to stop working. The temperature in my house went from 72 to 82 in no time flat (and at night at that)! Insane. Before we could experience oven like temperatures, we packed up all our stuff and stayed at my parents house instead! I'm crossing my fingers and praying really hard that they can fix our AC today and that it's nothing major. Ah well...I'll know more later today!

Onto my long run this weekend...it was HUMID, y'all. Ugh.

My weekend began with a short run on Friday after work. We had a half day and I had a ton going on for the weekend so I really just needed to clear my mind.

I ran around the lake and enjoyed the pretty day. About midway through the run, I decided to check the temps because it felt rather hot outside.

Lesson learned: I will always check the temps BEFORE going for a midday July run!

Thankfully, this guy was a lifesaver! I love having this water fountain along my running route!

Despite the heat, I had a great run and enjoyed the opportunity to gather my thoughts before the crazy weekend began! 

On Saturday morning, my running group began their Fall training season! I always love the first day of GoRun - there's so many new faces and everyone's excited about the upcoming year and what it holds!

This time, I checked the weather before I left my house (around 6:00 a.m.) and the humidity level was already at 91%.  The air was so thick, it was gross.

The humidity really slowed me down on Saturday morning and I was drenched by the time it was all said and done. I originally intended on 6 miles but stopped at 5 instead...I just couldn't take it anymore!

This watermelon at the finish was my saving grace! SO good!! 

Hi, my name is drenched. I just joined GoSwim...I mean GoRun!

The most exciting part about my run was the fact that I received a new training schedule for the Fall/Winter! I love having a new training schedule on my fridge...it really helps keep me motivated!

After the run, I helped host a Wonderland themed bridal shower for one of my best friends! The shower was beautiful and completely unique to the bride...we all loved it! More on the shower tomorrow! :)

Have a wonderful day!!

How was your weekend? Did you run? Any races?

Long Run & Flower Beds

I’ve been looking forward to Saturday’s long run for weeks. Why this particular Saturday? Well, it was the day when my BRF (Heather) scheduled her returned after a long break from running due to a knee procedure a couple of months ago!

On Saturday morning, I woke up a little earlier than normal – I had six miles on my plate and Heather was going to go for three and see how she felt. My plan was to run the first three on my own, then meet her for the next three.

Although the forecast promised rain, Saturday turned into a beautiful day and it didn’t rain until Saturday night!

Around a mile and a half, I felt the KT Pro tape begin to lift up off my leg. I tried everyone’s tips/tricks but this stuff doesn’t like me or the Southwest Louisiana humidity, or both. (I had no problem with any version of KT Tape in the winter.)

So, my next step is to try Rock Tape – I’ve heard awesome things so we’ll see. Where does everyone get their Rock Tape from? I checked their online store but they don’t have much of a variety available for purchase.

We had a great run and completed 4 miles together! The miles flew by though because we spent the entire time talking! :) How I’ve missed that!

After our run, I stopped by Panera because I somehow managed to snag a cool special on my Panera card – free coffee every day in the month of April! Score!

My next stop was at  Lowe’s for a few plants/flowers to update the flower beds. I LOVE this time of year! Have I mentioned that before….because I do! :)

By the front door.

The front bed.

I’m loving these blooms this year! The Amaryllis to the back corner of the picture is one of my favorites! My mom gave all of these bulbs to me a few years ago when we first began our flower beds – it’s neat to see how much they’ve grown and blossomed (no pun intended). My grandfather and my mom were both blessed with amazing green thumbs. For a while there, I wasn’t sure if I was going to have the same gift but somehow it’s managing to find it’s way out. I love flowers and planting and new growth!

I spent the remainder of the weekend reading, relaxing, and watching baseball. It was a GREAT weekend!!

How was your weekend? Did you have a race/training run to complete? Do you have any flower beds?

Saturday Long Run

Ever have one of those days when things just don’t want to come together?

That was Saturday morning for me. For starters, I forgot to charge my Garmin. I also didn’t want to wake up on Saturday morning…the temperatures were ridiculously cold (for us) and I was running alone. You want me to get out of a warm and comfortable bed for what? I don’t think so….

Despite all of those factors, I somehow managed to drag myself up and make it to my running group with a few minutes to spare!

The sun was beginning to rise as I reached the first mile and it was a glorious feeling! Despite the chill in the air, I loved feeling the sun on my face! This was my first “long” run since completing the Princess Half a few weeks ago.

(By the way, I personally consider a “long run” anything that’s six miles or greater.)

I stopped several times on the route to speak with friends and for water along the way and didn’t bother with stopping the timer on my phone. I would much rather have my watch!

My IT Band bothered me towards the end of the run, but that’s because I haven’t taken very good care of it since Princess. Guess I’ll be back at it this week (leg exercises and foam rolling twice a day).

After returning home, from my run I decided to use my new Mickey Mouse waffle iron I received for Christmas!

Isn’t it cute? I loved the way the waffles turned out!

This weekend, I’m running in a 3 mile race as part of a hometown “Triple Crown” series (this weekend’s 3 miler, a 5 miler in May, and the 4th of July 4 miler). All three of these races have been around since before I began my running journey – but this year, if you complete all three races you’ll receive a “triple crown” medal at the end of it all! Medal? Bling? I’m totally in!

How was your weekend? Did you run? Race? I want to hear all about it! :)