World's Sweatiest Run

Well, I'm back in Phoenix. In the dry heat - and let me tell you, i prefer a dry heat over humidity!

On Monday morning (our last day in VA) i went for a run. I decided to go "au natural" - no Garmin, no iPod. (This is very foreign to me.) I was feeling bummed that i had to leave my family and thought a run would be good to clear my head.

Well, it definitely took my mind off things because GOOD LORD. THE HUMIDITY. How do you people do it?! Five minutes into the run and i am sweating from my eyeballs! I wasn't even exerting that much energy and this was definitely the sweatiest run to date. Yech. All ya'll that run in those conditions definitely have my respect.

Tomorrow calls for 3 miles - all i know is that while it may be 103 degrees, i know i won't be sweating as much. :)

Oh, humidity.

Hello from Virginia!

Can we talk about how i do not miss humidity? My lanta...it's definitely a sick feeling. We went to Busch Gardens today (love rollercoasters!) and I'm pretty sure i was dripping with sticky sweat 5 minutes after we arrived.

Haven't ran yet...i need to get in 3 miles at least while I'm here. It will definitely be a night-time run and dealing with the humidity is sure to bring some extra fun :P

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So you may remember my friend Kathy from my second half marathon race report. She's definitely got an entrepreneurial spirit and has come up with a new idea to display your race medals and race bibs. She decided to create something that reminds you of your running accomplishments every time you reach for your Garmin.

Kathy eventually wants to expand her site with other running product type ideas and her musings she thinks of when running. I'd really appreciate if you'd check out her product and leave her some feedback on her idea. What do you like/not like, think of the cost, suggestions, etc.

Her site is The After Hours Athlete and just click on "See what people are saying" to leave your comment. THANK YOU!

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Stay tuned for my adventures in running in Virginia post... ;)

Columbia Sportswear Spring Field Test!

So a few weeks ago i got an email from the Columbia team asking if i would like to participate in their Spring Field test. Um, heck yeah i would! Yesterday, i got the Cool Rules Short Sleeve Top to try out.

This shirt is made out of their new Omni-Freeze material that is designed to cool you down when it's really hot and to keep you dry and comfortable.

Let me say, they picked the right time to send me this shirt because this was the temperature when i headed out for my run tonight:

It's a "dry heat"

I really enjoy this shirt! It's no gimmick - it really does keep you feeling cool. There are little vent pockets around the edges & that helps the air circulate. It's really lightweight & i hardly felt it at all during my 3 mile run. The fit worked well for me too. It didn't ride up during my run, which is a blessing because trust me - no one needs to see the catastrophe that is my stomach!

Size large in Oxide Blue.

Um, ignore my chicken neck please.

My only complaint is that it's a little pricey. ($45) I received this product for free from Columbia for testing purposes - and if the price comes down a bit, i will totally purchase one!

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Ok, so as i mentioned before it has been HOT here. Yes, I am crazy for running outside in this heat. But i wait until the sun is setting and I promise you it's not that bad.  Sure, when a breeze comes through it feels like a hair dryer, but we have very little humidity & that helps a lot.

Anyways, i ran last night & tonight. One word for Tuesday night's run: Oof. I felt really sluggish and heavy and it was just gross. Tonight's run was a bit better. I worked on pushing myself more, even though my time was still slower than i wanted it to be. Eh, i'll blame it on the heat. :)

Turtle Times
Tuesday: 3 miles, 41:55
Wednesday: 3 miles, 40:26

Well, at 11:50 tonight I'm on the red eye out to Virginia to visit my family!! So if i'm a bit quiet the next few days, that's why. :)

Adorable Blog

Thanks to miss Laura Belle of Beers, Dogs and Getting Healthier for nominating me!

Ten things about me...here we go:

1. I was born pretty much dead. I came out with the cord wrapped around my neck & blue. Luckily, Dr. Barry Gross (true name) was able to bring me back to life. ;)

2. I have two younger sisters. Back in the day when they annoyed the ever living you-know-what out of me, i took a cue from the movie The Labyrinth and told them the Goblin King was real and would come take them away if they didn't leave me alone. It worked for a little while.

3. I have never driven a stick-shift. Never even attempted.

4. I have thick hair. Well it used to be a lot thicker when i was younger. Somewhere in my crazy 7 year old brain, i became a self conscious freak about it and would come down to the breakfast table with a towel over my hair because it "looked ugly" when i woke up in the morning. My parents still laugh about it.

5. Also along those lines, obviously my mom was the only one who could do my hair. On the rare chance she was gone and my dad would have to put it in a ponytail, i would make my mom put it up before she left and would sleep sitting up so as to keep it perfect. 

6. My second car was a 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse. Oh how i LOOOOOOVED that car.  My sister got it when i went to college where she promptly totaled it. :(

7. I have never broken a bone. Or needed to get stitches. Knock on wood. 


8. When i was about 8, i was chosen to be part of the Sea World act with Shamu. (at least i think it was Shamu, i can't really remember. One of the big fish ;) ) i got to put on wading boots and stand on the platform with the trainer. Jokingly, he said that i needed to jump in and he was going to count to 3. I distinctly remember thinking "Ok, that is a far jump and it looks pretty deep, but if he says so..." He counted to 3 and you bet your ass i was ready to launch in the air. Luckily, he stopped me - and a pretty hefty lawsuit, I'm sure.

9. I have two tattoos. Both are on my feet. My first tattoo was a shamrock on my right foot (I'm Irish) and my second tattoo was three stars on my left foot. (To symbolize me & my two sisters.) They freakin' hurt.

10. Lastly, I'm pretty sure Spencer was the cutest puppy ever. Try not to disagree. :)

I tag:
Running + Ridiculous
The Almost Runner
My Daily Inspiration

Have fun!

Week One = Complete

Well if i can keep this up, training should be a piece of cake! (famous last words.)

I decided to do my Saturday morning 3 miler on Friday night. And folks, it was a good run! One were I felt strong and didn't have to take a short walk break until the third mile.

I did get up bright & early Sunday morning to run another 3 miles. And you know how after pounding out those first few steps, you can tell it's going to be a struggle? Yeah, that was this run. It was more of a walk with running breaks the first mile and a half. But my legs decided to be nice and loosen up for the second half of the run.

Now, here comes the fun part. Let's compare Friday night's great-feeling run with Sunday's not-so-great feeling run:
Turtle Times
Friday: 3 miles, 39:30
Sunday: 3 miles, 40:49

Well, hell. It's kinda disheartening to see that a run i struggle with was not even a minute slower than a run i felt good about. I guess running is funny that way.

I leave you with this super sweet picture of my Spencer. He's not a big cuddler, but I managed to capture him in the act the other morning:

Day Two in the Books

Originally day two of half marathon #3 training was supposed to be Wednesday night, but i pushed it to Thursday since it was supposed to be a bit cooler. (by like, 3 degrees.)

This time I was smart, and waited until the sun had set before heading out for my two miles. It was still insanely hot (99 degrees), but not having the sun beating on me definitely helped. It was a decent run and about a minute faster than Monday's run. But don't worry - I'm still in turtle time.

I was trying to point to the sweat on my forehead,
but it looks like i'm shooting myself. Both are
applicable.

Saturday and Sunday both call for 3 miles. Which means I'll be waking up early to tackle these - which is ok, because I've been doing that for the past few weeks. Run, lay by the pool, come home & nap has been my schedule. :)

Thanks for the headphone recommendations. Hopefully I'll remember to purchase a new pair this weekend!

One day down...

21 more weeks to go! (ha)

So Monday marked my first official day of Half Marathon #3 training. Schedule called for 2 miles - nothing to get too worked up about. Besides the fact that when i set out for this run it was NINETY NINE DEGREES, it was a relatively decent run. I did need to take a break to walk for a bit - due to the fact that steam was rising off my body.

Tonight is another 2 miles. Today's high is 107. That's right, 107. I believe I will be waiting until the sun sets before I head out. :P


Let's talk headphones. Some of you may not run with music, but i prefer it. I need that distraction/beats to keep me going. I've been using the standard iPod headphones and they are driving me crazy. The strap is too long and it ends up flopping everywhere during my run, or getting tangled on my arm or iPod or whatever external appendage it wants to attach itself to.

Recommendations for some good headphones please? :)

A post not about running

Instead, it's about my best friend Sarah's wedding! While my time back in Arkansas was short (literally 48 hours), i had a blast. The wedding was beautiful, the reception was a blast and i got to see a lot of friends i hadn't seen in years.

These are the lovely bridesmaids and one of the flower girls. The girl in purple next to me is the Bride. :)

Ah, my little Sarah! We have been friends since high school. I still can't believe she is a married woman!

A great shot of high school friends (plus a few spouses). Some of these faces i hadn't seen in 4+ years, so it was great to catch up.

Oh, yes. They decided to change into their Loudmouth pants for the reception. If you knew this group, you would expect nothing less.

So, i don't dance. At all. Evidently this was after a few glasses of liquid courage. Throwing up the deuces? I have no idea.

Me & the Matron of Honor finishing up the night at the favorite bar of the bride & groom.


Seriously, a wonderful weekend. I'm ready for the next wedding! :)

Ok, and a little running for you: half marathon #3 training starts tonight! Here goes nothing...

Hot in Hurr

Why, yes - i did just reference Nelly. I am just that cool.

I turned down a Happy Hour tonight to go running. Who am I?! Well, partly due to running. I still have done nothing for my trip tomorrow, so I knew i needed to take care of that instead of partaking in tasty beverages.

So, in the heat of 95 degrees, i went for a 2.5 mile run. Besides sweating out my LIFE, i had a pretty nice run. I did have to stop a couple of times to find some shade and catch my breath. (Yeah, I'm a genius and didn't bring any water with me either. Won't make that mistake again.)

I had all good intentions to run this morning in the cooler temperatures, but when my alarm went off at 6am i said to hell with it. Is it just not in some people's DNA to be a morning person? :P

Do you guys prefer handhelds or hydration belts for your long runs? If i could get away with it, i'd do neither because both kinda bug me!

Off bright & early to Fayetteville, Arkansas tomorrow morning, so i'll see you next week!

Pretty nice little Saturday

I don't know what my deal is, but i tend to completely stay away from the computer during the weekends. I guess because i stare at a computer screen for 40 hours a week Monday- Friday?

Anyways, i had a nice 3 mile run Saturday morning. Loaded some new songs on my playlist, which always makes me want to go for a run. No fast (for me) miles this time, but i felt pleased with the run overall. Good thing too because half marathon training starts NEXT WEEK.

This Thursday, i will be traveling back home to Arkansas to be in my good friend Sarah's Wedding!

Since my family no longer lives in Arkansas, i haven't been back there in a couple of years. It will be great to see some old friends & of course celebrate Sarah's wedding!

Does anyone watch Game of Thrones? Tom & I have been watching it and actually i am just about to finish up the fourth book. I guess i shouldn't watch it right before bed anymore though, because last night i dreamt i was arrested for "treason" and they chopped off one of my fingers! Ha.

Due to my trip, workouts will definitely be light this week - planning on a run tonight & tomorrow & waking up early on Wednesday for a little Jillian action. We'll see how it goes. :)

11:52

11:52, what could be the significance of that?

Time i wrote this post? Nope.

Time i went to bed last night? Negative.

BUT if you guessed the time it took me to run a mile last night, you win!

Guys, i know you might laugh, but this is one of my fastest miles to date! I usually hover anywhere from a 12:10-12:40 mile. Imagine my surprise last night when i looked down at my Garmin & saw 11:52!

....and evidently i was pushing it because the rest of my run was much, much slower. Ha.

But i consider this progress! At least I am getting a little bit faster, not slower. :)