13.1 Thoughts During My First 13.1 Mile Run

1. I am so nervous! I've never run this far before. Can I do it? How long has it been now?...gotta be going on 3 miles. {looks at phone} .5 mile?!? 

2. Ooh-I love this song! It reminds me of my 9-year-old son. Everything IS Awesome!

3. What a beautiful Spring day! Sunshine...blossoms...is that a hailstorm ahead?!? Should I turn back? No. This will make me hardcore. Oh, but I HATE wind.

4. Here comes another runner.  Should I wave?  Will she wave? Here it comes, I'm going to wave.  Why didn't she wave?  She doesn't know how many miles I'm doing today- I should have flashed her a gang sign of the number 13.

5. Literally everyone is passing me.  That little boy taking his first steps toward his mother JUST passed me.

6. Imagine Dragons really get me.

7. I hit the halfway mark! I'm going to run a little further before I turn around so the way back seems shorter. 

8. This is so hard! If it weren't for texts from my hubby and BFF, I would have given up long ago!

9. Here comes another runner.  He looks sketchy with his dark sweats and hoody.  I'm going to check him out from head to toe in case I need to identify him in a line-up.  I'm ready.... Great-my neighbor just caught me checking him out.  Now he's going to think I'm in love with him.

10. I am going to eat all the things today.

11. Ooh-I love this song!  It reminds me of my 4-year-old son.  But how exactly does one feel like "a room without a roof?"

12. If my feet weren't literally about to fall off, I could run forever. I LOVE running!

13. .1 mile left..I've got this!....This is the longest .1 mile I have ever run.  When will it end?? I HATE running. 

.1. Ouch!! Oh yeah- FOOD!

How and Why I Started Running in 250 Words or Less

Today I am joining a link-up with other running bloggers, and sharing how and why I started running in 250 words or less.  So don't worry, this will be short and sweet.  To read others' stories, click the picture below:

How and why did I start running?  Where do I begin?  Let's start with why.

Why:

I always feel like a hypocrite when I think about this subject. I never had a strong desire to be a runner.  I couldn't even run to the end of my block without getting winded.  And I was just fine with that.  But one year ago, I just strongly felt that I needed to run.  It has been such a therapeutic, and often spiritual experience for me, that I never even question why anymore.

How:

As I mentioned before, I could not run long without crumbling to the ground, gasping for my last breath getting winded, so I literally started running 1 minute on, 2 minutes off.  Gradually, over a 7-week-period, I ran a 5K without walking.  

It has been a slow ride over the last year, but I am happy with my progress.  Just this last Saturday, I ran 10 miles-the most I have done so far.  I am training for my first half, and I love seeing the miles rack up!  I wonder how far I can go?

Pretty Much Forest Gump

Half-marathon training is going great!  This morning I did 9 miles at a steady pace.  I was so nervous for many reasons: weather, trail condition, um...9 miles!  But it was a great run!  No accumulation until about mile 8 (which has never bothered me before), and only a couple icy spots the whole way.  I kept it on the slow side, and about half-way through my knees really started to ache, but I pushed on.  Somewhere after mile 7, I got my second wind and booked it until about mile 8.6 where I hit a wall.  Thank goodness I only had .4 miles left.

I am starting to think I can really do this half!! Today the endorphins were abundant and I felt pretty much like Forest Gump...minus the shrimp boat.  

My Half-Marathon Training Has Commenced

I will be running my first half-marathon in May, and this week I officially started training.  I have been running at the gym all winter, because I am a serious wimp, and can't stand the cold.  Also, I don't like to run in the dark, and that's basically the only time I can run.  I have just been doing about 6-10 miles a week, which I know isn't much-especially compared to the mileage I will be racking up soon.  But have you ever tried running 3+ miles on a treadmill??  It's mind-numbing.  Each second takes an eternity.  You're positive you've been running for 20 minutes, then you look down to see you've only been running for 5.

I had my first "long run" this last Friday, which was only 6 miles.  (I say "only" because it's not much compared to 13+ miles.)  It was a pretty nice day, so I hit the trail.  There were a few icy spots, but it was SO NICE to be outside.  And those 6 miles were way shorter than 3 on a treadmill.  I guess there's the perk: treadmill running makes you mentally stronger.  At least, it does for me.  

Anyway, I've been a little sick this week, so didn't get as many miles as I should have.  But, I'm determined to do my 7 long miles this weekend.  Wish me luck!

My Top Ten Songs of 2013

Since music is pretty much my favoritest thing ever, I decided to make an annual list of my favorite songs of the year. This list does not mean that the songs came out that year, just that they were my favorite during that time. I will also try to give some brief explanation of why each song was important to me. As you can see, Imagine Dragons is a definite favorite of mine. I also discovered a band that has been around for a while, but I never really heard of - Muse. It's probably my next favorite band, even though their song got number 1. Okay, here goes:

 10. Counting Stars - One Republic 

This song basically just has some lyrics that I really like, and a really catchy tune. 

 9. Some Nights - Fun. 

This song starts with amazing harmonies, and that's what hooked me. I really like the voices of this group. 

 8. Demons - Imagine Dragons 

This song is on all the time, everywhere I go. And most people I talk to absolutely love it. I think the reason (at least for me), is because it reminds me that I have my own "demons" and makes me think of how I am going to conquer them. I also really like the music video. 

 7. Feel This Moment - Pitbull ft. Christina Aguilera 

This song is one of my most favorite to run to. It helped me through learning to run a 5k, and adding on even more miles. It definitely keeps me motivated. And I don't know why, but I have a special place in my heart for that old "Take On Me" melody. 

 6. Love Don't Die - The Fray 

I just love the music in this song. And the lyrics are really good too. 

 5. On Top Of The World - Imagine Dragons 

This song makes me happy! When I listen to it, I think of all the fun times my family and I had over the year, and remember how blessed we are. 

 4. It's Time - Imagine Dragons 

This was one of the first songs I put on my Running playlist. Whenever I did a race, it would be the first song to come on. "It's time to begin..." would get me motivated for my run. Now it is a tradition, I guess you could say. Every time I race, it is - and will be, the first song I hear. 

 3. Roar - Katy Perry 

Okay, I have to preface this by saying that I do like Katy Perry, and this song is really catchy. However, the lyrics are completely plagiarized. I can name about 7 different songs that use each phrase. However, it is fun and my kids love it. And as corny as this may sound, the biggest reason I love it is because it reminds me of my best friend. End corniness. 

 2. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons 

This song is incredible. I don't even know why. Their voices, the music, etc. I just love it. It's amazing. The music video? Worst ever. 

 1. Madness - Muse 

There are so many reasons I love this song. The style of the music and feel of the song is awesome. When I listen to it, I HAVE to put my earphones in, turn it up loud, and close my eyes so I can hear everything. I don't know why this song speaks to me, but it does. Maybe it reminds me of all the "madness" that I went through over the year. The "mist of darkness" that I walked through, but have stayed strong. It's beautiful.

Out With The Old, In With The New

I have never really been one to make New Years resolutions. But I did have a couple of conscious goals for myself last year. I am happy to announce that I completed them: reading the entire standard works, and running a 5K! They each made me grow so much and I am so happy I did them. My friend encouraged me to make a list of resolutions for this year. It was really fun to think about how I really wanted to better myself and think about goals I wanted to accomplish. Here are a few from my list: 

1. Run a half marathon

2. Play more games with my kids

3. Hike to Ben Lomand peak

4. Study the Book of Mormon

I have my complete list by my bed, so hopefully it will keep me motivated. Wish me luck!

Where I've Been

I haven't written lately.  It's not because I had nothing to write though.  On the contrary.  I have had so many thoughts in the last few months that I never even knew where to begin.  And I've decided this isn't the place to write them.  But I will say this:

This past year, I completed my goal of reading the entire Standard Works; the Bible, Book of Mormon, Doctrine & Covenants, and Pearl of Great Price.  I noticed throughout the year, the adversary working against me-stronger than I think he ever has before.  So this is basically what I mean when I say my head and even heart have been on a wild ride.  I have also noticed how strong my roots are -aka my testimony- and although I have been pushed and pulled, my foundation is strong and unwavering. That is a peaceful feeling.

On another note, I have run hardly at all this month.  I developed a minor medical situation that makes it very painful to run. Waaahhh!!  I really miss it- EVEN the treadmill!  Hopefully I can get it taken care of soon so I can start my half-marathon training which is scheduled to commence at the end if January! I have good intentions of keeping track of my progress. I guess we'll see how that goes!