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?

Running Through Soup

On Saturday morning, my friend Heather and I attempted our longest run all summer. Over the past few months, we've been sticking to 6 mile runs and haven't really pushed beyond that.

Saturday was different, though. Our new Fall training schedule began increasing the mileage gradually and as I inspected it on Friday night, I saw that we did indeed have 8 miles on the schedule this week.

The only thing I wasn't expecting was that we would run all 8 miles through what felt like a bowl of hot, thick, steamy soup. Lovely.

I even commented on Friday night to Heather that if the weather stayed the same as it was that evening (cool, no humidity, beautiful night), we would have an amazing run!

Well, it didn't stay the same.

The humidity must have been lonely because it came back in full force! YUCK!

Ah well, we made it through all 8 miles without any issues and had a great time along the way! For the first time in a while, I actually felt REALLY good...my knee didn't bother me, my legs felt light, and I felt as if I could run forever. Saturday's run was just what I needed to begin boosting my confidence for this half marathon training season!

How was your weekend? Did you run this weekend? Participate in a race? Hope you had a great one!

Running and Shopping and Organizing

Happy Monday! I hope you all had an amazing weekend! Mine was filled with running and girl time and de-cluttering. Perfect weekend for me! :)

On Saturday morning, I met up with my BRF and our running group for a 6 mile run. We are keeping our long runs to low mileage during the summer months because its just so dang humid and hot.

After the run, I enjoyed coffee from my Princess mug! Happy registration week, by the way!

On Saturday, Kenzie and I drove out of town to pick up our bridesmaids dresses for an upcoming wedding. We also ate at Shoney's for old time sake!

Other fun adventures included snow cones and dancing fairy wings in the Dollar Tree. Yes, that really happened and it was amazing.  Those poor shoppers, though....

The purpose of our fairy wings? The Tinkerbell Half Marathon! We are planning a girls trip to Tink in Disneyland in May and I am so excited!! More on that later. 

The remainder of my weekend was spent de-cluttering my house. So far, I've gotten through everything in the guest bathroom and the guest bedroom. It feels SO good to throw things away. It's incredibly therapeutic to me!

I managed to create two bags of trash from this room and I have a box of things to give away! YAY!

On Sunday after church, I ate lunch at Jason's Deli with my parents. I love their salad bar!

Last but not least, I gave my niece her first pair of Minnie ears this weekend! She saw them and said "MOUSE! EARS!" It was adorable! This is her "cheeeeseee" face...hehe!

Sunday evening ended with a gorgeous sunset!

Another weekend filled with many fun times has come and gone! I hope you had a great one, too!

How was your weekend? Do you like to de-clutter and throw/give things away?

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Don't forget about my KatieDid Productions Non-Slip Headbands giveaway happening right now! Contest ends Thursday at midnight so enter now for your chance to win TWO non-slip headbands of choice!

The Power of the Group - Tips from Jeff Galloway

Today's tips from Jeff Galloway center around group running. I've been a part of a running group ever since I began running and have made lots of friendships along the way! I love it and still think that joining our local running group was one of the best running decisions I've made.

The fun of running with a group pulled me into the sport 57 years ago.  Running and training with my friends Steve Prefontaine, Frank Shorter Bill Rodgers, brought out the best of running in me—while we became good friends, and Olympians.  As I travel the US this season, for our Galloway training program kickoffs, I see the same fun, support and friendship development.  I hope to see many of you at our free clinics.  Here are the ways I’ve observed runners of all abilities improve more and have more fun when in the right group.

 

1. Great friendships

2. The miles go by quicker—telling stories, sharing life experiences

3. Guidance in running with the right group for you, with the appropriate run walk run strategy

4. Because the group is waiting for you, you will stay motivated and get out there more often

5. You’ll learn about some interesting races, places to run, fun running experiences

6. On the really tough workouts and races, the group will pull you through

7. Access to tools for management of nutrition, fluids, motivation, aches/pains

8. The right group leadership can fine-tune the pace of each workout, avoiding injury/exhaustion

9. Helping others who are struggling bestows an amazing sense of achievement

10. Sharing the empowerment of finishing a long run can change your life
 

Most groups, like our Galloway programs allow runners to try them out for free.  Together we can celebrate fitness and inspire others to improve the quality of their lives.

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Jeff makes several valid points from helping others to others helping you! The accountability part (#4) is what really keeps me going on Saturday mornings - I know someone's out there waiting and that really helps keep me going!

What do you think? Are group runs your cup of tea? 

Memorial Day Weekend 2015

In  memory of those who fought so I could be free, I thank you for your service and your sacrifice.




Happy Memorial Day!

We had a crazy but fun three day weekend! Friday after I got off work, I took an amazing nap then my dad helped put together a playhouse we bought my niece for her 2nd birthday.



The party was Minnie Mouse themed and she had a BLAST!




Her swing set and playhouse in the backyard were the “big” surprises and boy was she excited!



We also had mickey party favors! Haha!



Love this sweet little girl!

On Saturday, I went for a six mile run with my BRF, Heather!



I forgot to stop my watch at water stations…again. Whoops.

Madalynn and I also went for a walk where we got SOAKED!



Despite the rain, we had a great time anyway! The crazy part about the rain is that it stopped as soon as it started – but while it was raining, it POURED. Since we were already wet and Madalynn wanted to keep walking, we decided to have fun with it!! She chased squirrels, ran in ditches, saw turtles…it was so much fun! She didn’t care for the bath she received after the walk, though! Whoops.
On Sunday, we went to church where I worked in the coffee shop both morning and night service. My friend Kim runs the coffee shop and needed help so I volunteered. It was actually kind of fun!
We had the thought of going to see Tomorrowland sometime today, but I’m not sure what we’ll end up doing – we’ll see!

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As part of their Memorial Day celebration, Spartan Racing is offering a discount on their races through May 27th.

Use code MEMORIAL at checkout and you’ll receive the above discount on your race!
Stay tuned this week for a Spartan Racing Giveaway that will be hosted here on the blog!
Speaking of giveaways, don’t forget about the JournalMENU giveaway happening NOW! It ends Thursday night at midnight! Don’t miss out on your chance at winning! 

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What are your Memorial Day plans? Have a great one!