Willpower....do you have it?

Willpower - noun - control of one's impulses and actions

Willpower is a funny thing because a person's level of willpower varies greatly depending on the situation. For example, I have developed a lot of willpower when it comes to running. I successfully control my impulse to sit on the couch, curl up in the bed, do anything that isn't running when I know I should be running. This is great considering my current situation.

Today was a real test of my willpower. I felt tired all day, it was a struggle for me to even get out of the bed. I'm sure I hit the snooze button at least three times. Once I made it to work and had my breakfast and a cup of coffee I was STILL tired. I just wanted to go to sleep at my desk but considering that I have no WALLS and everyone in the office would see me asleep I thought it would be best that I tough it out and stay awake. *I miss my office!* I would also like to note that I demonstrated lots of willpower when I didn't kick a hole in the stupid printer that breaks once a week. I think it is evil and is out to get me.

The place where I lack willpower is when it comes to food. I just can't pass up a cookie or ice cream or pretty much anything that contains sugar. If I go out to eat and I have two choices on the menu: juicy burger or healthy salad - I'm going to choose the burger EVERY time. I know I should eat the salad, I'll even go as far as to say I want to eat the salad but I just can't order the salad. I'm trying to do better though...I really DO want to lose this gill.... I've found if I limit my options I can do pretty well. I eat the same thing for breakfast every morning and that works well for me. If I bring my lunch then I can also stay in line. Where I get in trouble is if I have to make a choice, if things aren't already planned out then I'm going to go for what I want and not what I know is best for me.

Oh well, all I can say is that it is a good thing I at least have the willpower to run, otherwise who knows what kind of shape I'd be in!

Pack Mentality

Iron Pill...check. Midol....check. Immodium...check. Alright, so I'm all drugged up and ready to run! Today I THOUGHT we were going to be doing a 14.5 mile run, well it actually turned out to be a 16 mile run. Even though I had only mentally prepared myself for a 14.5 mile run, I made it and it is nice to know that I can do 16 miles with out keeling over. Pam stayed with me up until about mile 15 which was very sweet of her. A good thing too because the cue sheets were wrong (surprise!) so I'm sure I would have been hopelessly loss without her. You would think I (we) would learn to check the cue sheet against the map from now on. Even with the minor detour the run was a nice one and I felt good afterwards.

What was the biggest treat of the morning is that Marisa invited a wonderful yoga instructor, Sage Rountree, to come and do some yoga with us after our run. Check out her website: she has free podcasts demonstrating yoga based stretching routines. Oh yeah, and that really is her real name. It was nice to lay out in the park and do some easy yoga poses that really stretched out our muscles. I don't feel nearly as sore or tight as I usually do a few hours after my run. I think I will have to make sure to incorporate these moves into my post-run routine. Speaking of Marisa, she's doing the Wisconsin Ironman today. As I type she's biking away, if you're interested you can track her here. Her bib number is 1982, so keep her in your thoughts. She's amazing and definitely one of my role models.

An interesting thought/feeling occurred to me around about mile 5 of the run today. At this point there were four of us running on a trail through the woods. We weren't talking so there was only the sound of heavy breathing and footsteps. It felt primal and animalistic (if that's a word), at one point I even felt this tingle of electric energy pass over my body. It was kinda weird but at the same time very satisfying. We were a pack. This made me even more excited about my marathon. Even though I won't know the people I'm running with, we will be a pack, all running after the same prey - the finish line!

Rest and Relaxation

Today was an "off" day for marathon training. That is a good thing. I'm tired....my legs are sore so a day off was much needed. I was also reading in my Runner's World magazine that it is a good idea to take a day and try to stay off your feet. So that's what I've been doing today. Just a little cleaning around the apartment but mainly I've been hanging out on the couch watching movies and playing PS3. Today will give my legs a good rest before I punish them with a 14.3 mile run tomorrow. I'm excited about tomorrow - one step closer to my goal. I will need to get to 21 miles before the actual marathon. If I can run 21 then I can run 26!

Tonight I'm going to load up my ipod (in the event that I can't keep up with Pam I don't want to spend 3 hours in silence) with some tunes to keep me pumped during the run. I like to keep the songs I listen to upbeat, something I would dance to. Here's a list of some of my favorite running songs:

Bombs Over Baghdad - Outkast
My Humps - Black Eyed Peas
Pump It - Black Eyed Peas
Clothes Off - Gym Class Heroes
You Give Love a Bad Name - Bon Jovi
Here It Goes Again - OK Go
S.O.S. - Rihanna
Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne
Ring The Alarm - Beyonce
That's Not My Name - The Ting Tings
If I Never See Your Face Again (feat Rihanna) - Maroon 5

That's just a snippet of my running playlist. I tend to switch up the songs but almost always include the above songs.

To all the other runners/exercisers that are reading, what do you like to listen to when you workout? Let me know in the comment section!

I Should be Okay on Sunday

With the scary looking rain clouds looming above me I decided to go ahead and head out for my run. No use in postponing the necessary and besides, maybe I could finish the run before it actually started to rain. NOT!! I get halfway into the run when the rain starts to come. At first I don't mind, I was burning up so it felt nice and plus, it was pretty light. I had been having a great run, I actually was probably running a little too fast but it felt good. I start back and it starts raining harder, it is at this point that I also realize that the run back seems to be mainly uphill. Hmmm didn't quite seem like I was running downhill on the way there. Why is it that the up always seems steeper than the down???? That kills me every time. It is also on the run back that I begin questioning my choice of outfit. My pink running shorts have become transparent and are sticking to me. My white shirt has also become extra clingy and transparent, it didn't help that now the rain has gotten kind of cold. My poor choice in runningware became even more apparent when some guy yelled what I can only imagine was some lewd comment out of his window. Oh, the joys of running outside.

Anywhoo, I'm stoked that I ran a 5 mile run at a 9:30 pace. This just goes to show that I can run relatively fast when I want to. Yeah okay a 9:30 pace isn't "fast" but I usually run around a 10:30 pace so knocking a minute off the pace is good in my book. That being said....I feel better about my chances of being about to hang with Pam on Sunday!

Punching Bag

OH MY GOODNESS! My body feels like someone has been using it as a punching bag. I can't figure out why my body has begun to feel so sore these past few days. Perhaps it was those hills we did on Tuesday or maybe it is just the accumulation of all of this running and my body is really feeling the effects. I think the pain is affecting my sleep. I read somewhere that exercise can help you sleep better but this definitely is not a benefit that I am receiving! I wake up in pain, my muscles throbbing. I think I just need to get over this hump, get my body in the shape it really needs to be and then it will be easier and less painful. That's what I hope will happen anyway.....

Today's run was a fairly easy hour long run. I was okay with not pushing it too much today since we have a 5 mile run scheduled tomorrow and then a 14-15 mile run on Sunday. I'm going to try to stick with Pam on Sunday so that will definitely be pushing it for me!

"Stop Trying to Hold My Hand"

Today was Hill Day...uhhhggggg (that is the sound of me and my body groaning). I really don't mind hills....I love the way my leg muscles look as I'm pushing it (read: struggling) up the hill. And even though my legs felt like lead weights after 6 looooooooooong hill repeats, nothing beats the feeling of when you reach the top of the hill. Plus, "hills make you a better runner". I know this will all pay off on Nov. 2nd so I won't spend too much time complaining, although complaining is kinda fun.

Sometimes I think, if someone only heard bits and pieces of the conversations that take place between Amy and I when we are running then they would think we are crazy (oh wait, we are crazy). Whenever we are cooling down and walking and our hands hit (which is quite often) we accuse each other of trying to hold the other one's hand. You'd have to be there to get it, LOL, but I'm laughing just thinking about it. Anyway, having a great running partner is what keeps me going up the hills. She CLAIMS I was setting the pace but every time I would get even a little in front of her then here she comes trying to speed past me. Some people are just too competitive for their own good (yeah I'm talking about you!).

I'm getting more and more excited and nervous about my race - 2 months away! Soon I will have to start my daily countdown. Today before our run we were discussing not being able to sleep the night before a race. I usually can't sleep the night before a Sunday long run because I'm always paranoid that I will oversleep. I had problems in high school sleeping before a big meet as well so I KNOW there will be minimal sleeping done the night before my marathon. I am just going to have to make sure I get a lot of rest that week because I'm going to need all the energy I can store up to make it through!

6 Unspectacular Quirks

I've been "tagged" by one of my running group members who is also a blogger and writer extraordinaire, Dena. I have been tasked with listing 6 unspectacular quirks of mine.

Soooo....it took me a while to think of something to write but here we go:

1. I hate for my bare legs to touch while I'm sleeping. Therefore I usually end up sleeping with the sheet tucked in between my legs which annoys the heck out of my husband because it results in me pulling the sheet off of him, haha.

2. I like to put ketchup on each of my individual fries, one at a time, as I eat them. Weird, I know.

3. Yogurt makes me gag - there is something about the texture that I just can't handle.

4. I am a horrible singer but that doesn't stop me from singing as much as I want when I'm in the car with other people - but only those I feel comfortable around.

5. I leave cabinets and closet doors open. Why close them when you are just going to have to open them the next time you need something.

6. My shoes always end up in the middle of the floor. I don't know how, they just do.

Those are my quirks, unspectacular, but me! Now here are the rules from Dena:
1. Link the person who tagged you.
2. Mention the rules on your blog.
3. Tell about 6 unspectacular quirks of yours.
4. Tag 6 following bloggers by linking them.
5. Leave a comment on each of the tagged blogger’s blogs letting them know they've been tagged

Nikki, Jennifer, Marisa, Umm apparently I don't know 6 bloggers so I guess 3 will have to do. TAG! You're it!