Taking It Back To Where It All Began

If you’ve read through my journey, then you know all about how I started running, why I became a runner, and the motivation that got me to the start line. However, I never shared more about the weeks and months that followed my decision to begin running.

As I ran up and over and up and over a very steep bridge with my running group on Tuesday evening, my mind drifted to “the early years”. I began thinking about where I started in my running journey, who I started it with, and how far I’ve come ever since I began running. I had to laugh at the headwind of what felt like hurricane force that was blasting me in the face – seven years ago, had you told me that I would be running laps over this bridge in the not-so-distant future, I would NOT have believed you. Actually, I would have thought you were crazy.

My wandering mind then brought me to my very first 5K, a mere 5 weeks after I began my running journey.

The race was held in 2009, I ran my hardest, and I crossed the finish line with a time of 32:10 and a pace of 10:23. I was so proud of myself for accomplishing that goal, I didn’t think I’d ever beat that time.

However, with a little bit of hard work, I broke the 30 minute barrier just a few months later…and boy was I surprised! (I’m saying to Jason here…OMG, look at the TIME CLOCK!!!)

Now with countless 5K’s under my belt (and many years of training), I’m going for 24 minutes in the 5K distance…and I’ll get there, it just takes time – and I have to remind myself on a daily basis….progress takes time!

Then my thoughts drifted to the half marathon distance. Rock ‘N Roll Mardi Gras of 2010 was my second half marathon and the first where I ran my hardest and gave it my all.

I finished this half marathon with a time of 2 hours and 28 minutes and I truly felt as if I could never run that fast EVER again.

Fast forward to December of 2010 - after running hill repeats and training hard all fall, I crossed a half marathon finish line with a time of 2 hours and 12 minutes……a sixteen minute PR! I was so excited, I ran up to one of my running coaches screaming with glee!! The funny part….she jumped up and down and did a happy dance with me! To me, that’s the best part about running , we are ALL in this together (and no, I’m not talking about High School Musical…although I do love that movie)!

Again, I thought my 16 minute PR was it, I’d officially achieved MY half-marathon time and I was done…set for life.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

In January of this year, I accomplished one of my life-time goals as I crossed the finish line of my 19th half marathon – breaking 2 hours in the half marathon distance.

Am I super fast? NO, I’m not. Breaking 2 hours in a half marathon was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life….while others breeze by that 2 hour timeline like it’s nothing. We are ALL on different journeys – it’s good to remember that sometimes!

To the new runners out there, don’t get discouraged. Set a goal and focus on the baby steps until you get there – because you WILL get there if you stick with it, sometimes it just takes a little bit of time.

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Setting goals are super important, but celebrating each step along the way is key…


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Its all about the baby steps and being proud of yourself along the way!

So, what’s my next big goal? Breaking 4 hours and 30 minutes in the Full Marathon – but that won’t come for quite a while and I’m OK with that.

Some might scoff at the goals you set for yourself but you know what? These goals are YOUR goals….they are goals you can work hard at achieving and ones you can be PROUD OF when you accomplish them!


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It’s amazing to look back over the last six years and see how far this running journey has taken me. I’ve made some amazing friends and explored incredible destinations all because of running.

I never thought the running bug would bite me like it has, but I’m so grateful it did! Where would I be without running? It’s my stress relief, my afternoon companion, my goal, hopes, and achievements all wrapped into one!

I’ve said all of that to say…..if you’re just starting out on your running journey or you’re discouraged where you’re at, don’t give up! You NEVER KNOW where running will take you or where this path may lead! Who knows what exciting possibilities are in your future….you CAN do incredible things, just believe in yourself!!

How far has your running journey taken you?

Achieving a Sub-2 Hour Half Marathon (A Few Tips)

While training for this year’s half marathon season, I did a lot of reading on achieving a sub 2 and I studied the steps that others took to reach that goal. Today, I’m going to share with you a few of the tips I used and what worked for me!

(Please know that I’m not trying to come off as if I’m bragging or praising myself in any way, shape, or form in this blog post.  I debated on writing this post, but I’ve decided to share it anyway, in hopes it will help someone with their half marathon journey! )

Prior to this half marathon season, I was so close to a sub 2 hour half…and it remained that way for three years (my best time was a 2:01). Every year, I tried and tried to reach my goal but it never happened. From IT Band problems to sickness and crazy weather, it just didn’t seem possible for me.

This past fall, I did a lot of reading from a google search and I came across a Jeff Galloway runDisney plan. I noticed that his plans from past rD events utilized a strategy I didn’t think was necessary. (Sounds funny, right?! How silly I was…) On all of his training plans and on the longest training run days, he had runners train at least a mile over the distance they were trying to achieve on race day. For instance, I turned two of my 12 mile training runs into 14 mile training runs last fall. What good did that do? Well, I noticed that my legs weren’t as fatigued during the race and I felt like I was able to run 13.1 faster! 

(Side note here – While participating in the events for the Castaway Challenge, I was able to thank Jeff for his advice and share my accomplishment with him. He was SO excited for me it really made me feel great – he’s such a standup guy and a class act. I respect him even more now than I did before!)

Ok back to the reason for my post…

I also cleaned up a my diet a bit about 2 weeks before the race. Yes, I should have started earlier but it was right around the holidays and lets face it, I wanted to eat all the delicious things!

Mid December (for my mid-January race), I broke in a new pair of running shoes. I always perform better when my shoes are at the front end of their lifespan, not the back end.

I had two half’s on the schedule for January of this year and I knew I wanted to try and sub 2 in one of them. I’d run both courses in the past and the Louisiana Half was the flattest from what I could remember. If the weather decided not to cooperate, I figured I’d try the following weekend at Rock N Roll New Orleans instead. Rock N Roll NOLA became my back-up plan…just incase!

Last but not least, I found a pacer to run with for the half marathon. (Not all races have them, but most do.) I know that all of my efforts prior to race day, plus the assistance of the pacer is what helped me achieve my goal. The pacer kept us right on target and I’m definitely glad I chose to run with him and the 2 hour group because I couldn’t have done it on my own!

So, to recap….

• On two occasions, I ran a mile longer than my planned race distance.  (These were not back to back weekends, they were about six weeks apart with the last one being three weeks before my half marathon.)
• Cleaned up my diet – no processed bad garbage, I tried to “eat clean” for two weeks and reduce sugar intake.
• New-ish shoes (but still broken in)
• Picked a race and had a back-up plan
• 2 Hour pacer to run with during the race – he was essential!

Want to read a recap of my version of the Louisiana Half Marathon? Click here. This is such a great race – if you’re debating on running a race in the Louisiana area, it’s a fantastic one to choose! :)

*Please note, I’m not a coach nor a training expert, I’m just sharing a few of the things I did to help myself achieve my goal of a sub 2 hour half marathon.

What is/was the best tip you ever received on obtaining a running/race related goal?

2015 Louisiana Half Marathon Vlog

I know it’s been a while, but I finally got around to making a vlog from the Louisiana Half Marathon I ran last month.

This race was especially difficult for me as I was sick and attempting a PR. Even if I accomplished my goal or not, I decided to document the journey through video and enjoy the ride!

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I love this race! From the expo to the  flat course, the crowd support, the scenery, and the post-race party….you just can’t beat it!

Missed any blog recaps? Check them out!

• The Louisiana Marathon & Half Expo
• The Louisiana Half Marathon Recap

Here’s a vlog recap of the Expo and race itself. Sorry for the shakiness of the clips during the race – we ran the entire thing without stopping!

Thanks for watching!

Are you a fan of local races or do you prefer to travel for races?

The Louisiana Half Marathon Recap - 2015

This past weekend, I set out to do something I’ve been attempting to do for three years – PR and break the 2 hour mark in the half marathon distance. Prior to Sunday’s half marathon, my PR in the half distance was 2:01 from 2011 – an IT Band injury also accompanied that half marathon and I’ve battled with the injury off and on ever since.

When I initially registered for the Louisiana Half Marathon back in the fall, I had in mind that it would be my “goal” race.  I ran this race in 2013 and loved it. Since I was familiar with the course and the overall atmosphere of the event, I decided to make this one “it” with a backup plan of Rock N Roll New Orleans…which happens to be this upcoming weekend. I also didn’t plan on running any full marathons this year so I could give my IT Band a break and focus on this one half marathon goal.

On Tuesday of “race week”, I woke up with a sore throat. Just what I needed, right? I can’t tell you how much Airborne and Zicam I took, trying to knock out whatever germ decided to descend upon me.

By Wednesday, I wasn’t feeling better – I spent both Tuesday and Wednesday evenings lying around the house, trying to get some rest. When I started running fever on Thursday afternoon, I knew it wasn’t good. I had so much sinus congestion and pain, I just couldn’t take it anymore. After work on Friday, I decided to go to Urgent Care (which was huge for me because I’m actually really stubborn when I’m sick – I’m a nurse, what can I say?).  Urgent Care was able to patch me up and by Saturday morning, I was feeling a little bit better.

Still, I had so much doubt in my mind about the race. What was I going to do? Just go have fun with it and enjoy the day? Start off trying to achieve my goal and hang as long as possible?

After scrolling through my twitter notification feed, my eyes landed on this interaction and thoughts began to formulate in my head once again:

Pace groups…what did I know about pace groups? Well, I already knew that Nicole and I attempted to stay with one during the RnR NOLA full marathon last year and failed. I knew someone else who once ran with a pace team and told me that their pacer allowed them to stop for water and a potty break, but that was for the full marathon distance. Hmmm…

I decided to sleep on it and determine how I felt in the morning. Well, race morning came around and so did a croupy sounding cough. What. The. Heck. I was down and out on myself but I stopped the negative thoughts right there. I registered for this race to achieve a goal and you know what? I decided to just go for it!  If I had to drop back and slow down mid-race, then at least I tried. In the end, I wanted to be able to hold my head high, knowing that I gave it my all.

Around 6 a.m., Kayla and I met up with my dad in the hotel lobby. Our race was set to begin at 7 a.m. and we had a short 2 mile drive to the start line.

My first plan of action was to find the 2 hour pace team.

I got as close as I could but in hindsight, I should have moved in even closer. As the first wave of runners took off, the crowd moved in and that 2 hour pace sign moved even further away….

See what I mean? Great. I had visions of Rock N Roll NOLA all over again (bobbing and weaving through runners to keep up)…

Luckily, I was able to make my way back up to them not long after crossing the start line! (The 4 hour marathon pacer stayed with us until they split at mile 11.)

Our pace stayed fairly consistent through the first few miles considering the crowds. I remember that my first mile was around a 9:11 and I felt really good and hadn’t coughed at all (which was odd). I also knew in the back of my mind that I was going to have to do some catch-up work because I needed to stay around a 9 minute pace.

We crossed over a bridge on our way out of downtown and I remembered it from 2013’s race. I also remembered that mile 12 was somewhere around that bridge and if I wanted to finish strong, I needed to have enough left in my tank for the end of the race.

Throughout the next few miles, I stuck as close to the pacers as I could. I kept thinking, “if anyone can get me through this, they can!”

I had to laugh a bit when I heard one of the pacers holler “water on the right”! That meant water break, right? NO. It meant grab water and keep going! Okkk…so that’s how this was gonna be, huh? Nothing like a little powerade up your nose! For the remainder of the race, I alternated water and powerade with each stop. Thankfully, the temperature and weather were perfect for this race and I never felt as if I lacked hydration.

It was around mile 3 that I introduced myself to our 2 hour pacer.

His name’s Joe, he’s a fellow runDisney fan, and he’s from the south. Instant friends, right?

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I loved that he had a GoPro on his pacer sign!

We approached Tiger Stadium around mile 5 and I couldn’t believe that I was still feeling great. Our pace picked up a bit and I remember seeing a few miles on my Garmin in the 8:50’s range. I choked down a GU (while running and without water – another first) which wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I’m so used to taking GU while walking and with a glass of water, so that feat was interesting to say the least.

Death Valley!

Surprisingly, I didn’t feel like death…well at least not yet, anyway….

You can see the two different signs for both races here – the half and the full split around mile 11.

At one point, Joe ended up with both the half AND the full pacer signs! Was that even possible? Haha!

After leaving Tiger Stadium area, we approached another favorite part of this race for me…the lake and the gorgeous homes that are around it!

It was around mile 8.5 that my legs began feeling like mush. The ball of my left foot hurt like crazy and I couldn’t wiggle my toes in any way to make it stop. I knew I had to keep going and just keep up the pace. I also reaaaaaaally wanted to blow my nose (I had tissue in my flip belt), but the act of locating the tissue actually took effort and I was way too worn out for any extra effort. A little cough/congestion also set in but I managed as best as I could.

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I love this picture here because it just shows the drive and determination on my face. Music was playing and all I focused on was putting one foot in front of the other. “I CAN do this…I CAN do ALL things” was repeated over and over in my mind.

I took choked down another GU around mile 9 and I was shocked at how fast the miles were really flying by. The funny and inspiring spectator signs also helped the time fly by – one of my favorites read: “YOLO – So Run FASTER”!

I loved having my playlist on my iphone along with me. Need to Breathe’s “Keep Your Eyes Open” (which helped me so much during last year’s RnR NOLA Marathon) came on at the exact moment I needed to hear it. Somehow I found enough energy to keep up the pace. Never doubt the power of good music!

As we approached mile 12 and “the bridge”, I tucked my head  and prayed that God would help me through. I didn’t want to see the bridge, I just wanted to focus on one foot in front of the other. I knew I was on target for my goal and I would be so mad at myself if I stopped. I was reminded of the bracelet on my wrist from Team413 – it simply read “Can Do ALL Things”. I wear this bracelet every time I know I’m going to push myself in a race and the reminder always makes a difference!

This was also the point where I put away my camera. I didn’t even take my traditional mile 12 picture…that goes to show you exactly how bad I felt. Not only did my legs feel like mush but so did my arms. I literally had NO energy left in my body. Somehow, I managed to tell Joe how I was feeling and he encouraged me to keep going. In my mind, I knew I had already been running for over an hour and forty five minutes straight (again, another first) – I only had a few minutes to go and I would be finished. The times were constantly counting down in my head – I started that process around an hour and thirty minutes.

As we turned onto the final road for the finish line, there it was. Only problem – it was about 0.4 miles away. Joe asked how far I started behind him and I told him not far. He told me to “go!” and go I did.

I could hear him hollering as our group neared the final chute, “2 hour half marathoners here! One fifty niners coming through!”

I heard my parents call out my name but all I could do was turn my head to acknowledge them. I couldn’t even muster a wave.

I remember checking my watch here because I felt like I still had so far to go! The official race clock said 2:02 and I wanted to make sure that wasn’t right!

Somehow (I have no idea how), I found enough energy to lift my arms and smile as I crossed the finish line with a half marathon time and official PR of 1 hour, 58 minutes and 56 seconds.

I did it….sick and all - one of the toughest things I’ve ever done in my life, mentally and physically. I couldn’t believe it.

As soon as I stopped running, my body swayed and I thought I was going to fall over. My body had this weird I just ran a full marathon stiff-feeling (which so wasn’t true). I started walking funny and it struck me as odd and hilarious all at the same time!  I also finally had a chance to blow my nose. Ahh…that felt so good!

My next mission after crossing the finish line was to find Joe and take a picture with him. Without his guidance and pep talks, I never would have accomplished my goal.

Sweet, sweet glory. This still feels like a dream!

It took a while (because I was walking funny), but I finally found my parents. We took a few pictures, then walked back over to the finish line to cheer on Kayla.

Giving us a thumbs up as she passed by!

I could not have asked for a more perfect day. This truly was one of the best days of my life, one of my favorite races, and a day I’ll remember forever. This whole experience tops my list of my favorite moments, ever!

Somewhere throughout the journey, Joe asked how many in our group were running their first half – several of them were which was really impressive! Then he asked how many had five under their belt? A few did. Next, ten half marathons – I knew I had more than ten but couldn’t remember my actual number (isn’t that awful?). I counted today – this race was half marathon #19 for me! Crazy how far this journey has taken me over the years and I’ve loved (almost) every step! :)

I’m going to save the post-run party for another day since this is already long enough. If you stuck with me through it, I thank you!

I also thank each and every one of you SO much for your sweet words, tweets, texts, facebook/instagram messages, and prayers. It all means so much more to me than you’ll ever know. I love the community that is the running world and I am so grateful for all of you!!

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"Of course it's hard. It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everybody would do it. Hard is what makes it great."
-- Jimmy Dugan (Tom Hanks), A League Of Their Own

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Have you ever run with a pace group or pacer? If so, what are your thoughts on the experience?