Running Updates

Note: I'm going to take a break from posting about the girls for a bit and instead I'm going to try to get to blogging more about food and fitness events I'm participating in. 

December was a busy month for fitness. Running has become my new passion and I love more than anything being able to say "I'm a runner." I've been running consistently since August and it already feels like something I have been doing all along. I have three half marathons lined up for this year (ING, Disney's Princess, and Miami Beach), a few 5Ks, and a few mud runs/obstacle races. Let's just say I'm hooked on this whole being fit business.

Last month, I participated in two 5Ks. The first one was in Austin: Color Me Rad 5K. What made this event really special was that I did it with my sister and this was her fitness event (I'm trying to infect everyone with the fitness bug!). Because she had her baby two months ago at the time, we went at her pace and ended up finishing the 5K in 45 minutes. To be honest, the slower pace was awesome because it meant more color!!! I was colored from head to toe and felt like a walking rainbow. I really liked this run because I got more color, it was laid back (no long lines to wait in), and the swag bag was awesome (pink glasses and a super soft cotton v-neck tee). Did I mention all the color? The best part really was doing this run with my sister. I've missed her so much since she moved to Austin and it was great to bring her into something that I'm currently passionate about.

The second run I did was The Jingle 5k in the Bradenton/Sarasota area. The funny story with this race is that I didn't tell Alex that I was participating in it until the day before the race. Alex had an interview in the Tampa area and we had planned for me to go with him and then for us to go to Orlando for the weekend without the kids. Around the time we decided I would go with him to Tampa, Active Advantage was giving away an entry to the race and it just so happened the race was on the same day we were in Tampa. The best part was that it was a night race (I love night races). The bad part was that the run was a good 45 minutes in the opposite direction of Orlando. Thus, I didn't tell Alex about the run until the day before because I knew he wouldn't be too happy about having to drive extra after a long day of interviewing. Alex must in some way be used to my craziness because he went along with it, thanked me for not signing him up too, and waited for me at the finish line despite the cold temperatures. This was my bet 5K yet: I completed it in 30 minutes flat. Go me!

Last month I also ran my first unofficial half-marathon. More than actually physically doing it, I wanted to mentally do it; to wrap my mind around running that far and for that long. I did the run by myself with my favorite musicians singing in my ears and it felt great. The first hour of running is always the hardest for me, but after that I feel like I could keep running for days. After I stopped running, however, I felt like my legs were going to give out on me. The next day I felt better and I was up and running again two days later.

My next fitness event in The Superhero Scramble next weekend and I am nervous. I have never done an obstacle race and I am starting to worry I haven't done enough to prepare for it. In particular, I'm afraid of having to climb a wall with the little upper body strength I have. Oh well. I just hope I won't have to do too many spins or burpees!