Operation: Get Off My Ass

The 2012 Holiday Running Streak. 

 At least one mile a day from Thanksgiving to New Year's.  

Who's with me?

My run motivation has been next to nothing since Tyranena, and even with a race (or two) this week, I can't seem to get my ass on the treadmill.

I expect a certain amount of waxing and waning of motivation and mileage between seasons, goal races, etc., but I am ready to get back on the horse.

Even my mom is in on it!  She may have had a beer or two in her when she enthusiastically committed to it, but now it's on the internets so she has to.  Right Mom?

Oh you think so, don't you?
 

 She's going to be running her third half marathon in May, and what better way to kick off the training?

My mom is cooler than your mom.

As for me, I've never been able to run through the winter (pregnancy, injury) and I really want to set myself up for some great, more aggressive training in the spring.

Run Streak 2012:  Are you in? Have you ever done one before?  I haven't done one, and I'm looking forward to seeing if I can keep with it.  Although I have a sneaking suspicion I'm going to have to fight so that my DailyMile is not exactly seven miles a week.  Ha.

What's the next big race you're training for?  I don't have another big race til April, and I think that is part of my motivation issue.  Running in the USA, here I come.

Ugly Duckling Syndrome

Hey guys.

So, I started a new job recently, bartending at a nice sports bar pretty close to my house.  We need a little extra money, I love tending bar, and I was really lucky to get hired right away.  Win, win, motherfucking win.

But things took a sharp dive into self-loathing when I walked into the bar on my first day.  I was full of confidence (with a  few nervous butterflies), and then I noticed the girl behind the bar.  

I don't want to exaggerate, but this girl was gorgeous.  Beautiful waist length blonde hair, super cute clothes, model-perfect features, blindingly white teeth... you get the picture.

I looked down at my ill-fitting jeans, my running shoes, and my long sleeve t-shirt that a half hour before had been "cute" and "approachable" and now was screaming "schlub".  

Shit.

I haven't exactly "let myself go" since I became a stay-at-home mom, but I was feeling a little like this:

Over the next few shifts, I met some of the other bartenders.  Some were guys, some were girls, all were gorgeous.  Mother of God.

I'm not all "oh woe is me, I'm so ugly" most of the time, but damn.  My inner freshman in high school was coming out as I nervously tugged at my clothes and looked at myself disgustedly in the bathroom mirror.  "wahhh I'll NEVER get elected to homecoming court!!!"

So anyway.  I decided to get my brassy straggly hair cut and colored in an attempt to restore a little self-confidence.  Because really, I can't change this:

That shit is here to stay.

But, with a small fortune and the skilled hands of an expert, I can change this:

Make it better here, and here, and here....

Several hours later, I emerged from the salon with a head of shiny brown, much shorter hair.

Yes, I always look this tired, thanks for noticing.

Pretty hair makes me ANGRRRYY...

Do you have any self-confidence boosting rituals that pump you up before you are forced in to be in the presence of unnaturally good looking people?  In college, my roommate and I would take shots and dance in our underwear to "Get Low" before we went out to the bars.  Classy.

What makes your self-confidence waver? In this situation, I wouldn't feel so down on myself if I was really confident in what I was doing.  But new job = being suckier than everyone else = sad face.

Panty Raiders Half Marathon Reunion

Before I give you the play-by-play of this glorious race and even more glorious drunken debauchery, let me first say:  Run a Ragnar.  

Running Ragnar Chicago was actually a pretty big frustrating mess with bright shiny moments of hysterical laughter and team spirit interspersed throughout.  It was one of those things you don't really appreciate until a few weeks out - far enough out the disappointment doesn't sting so badly, but not so far that you can't remember the raunchy inside jokes and the little things you learn about someone after sharing a cramped, panty-strewn van for 36 hours.

The reason to run a Ragnar, however, doesn't have anything to do with the race itself.  It's this:

Linda, me, Kimba, Amy, some ho-bag, Lisa, Amy Zyn, Falon, Amy Zem

Sigh.  I love these women so, so much.   I can only hope at our next reunion we'll have all 12 of us!

So anyway, the race.

We ran the Tyranena half marathon, which is awesome.  It's pretty small, incredibly well-run, and just beautiful.  The course has rolling hills for the first half, an unofficial beer stop (be still my heart), and enough scenic diversity to get your mind off of the task at hand.

Something I should mention here:  I was SICK.  Sick sick.  It started on Thursday, and when I woke up on Saturday morning, my throat was on fire and my sinsuses felt like they were going to explode.  

I wasn't sure I was going to run, but I got such a boost of energy from seeing my girls and the race hoopla, I lined up with everyone else at the start.

Rachel and I made a quick decision to run together - we both wanted a buddy and I didn't want to be tempted to start racing when I got out there. 

We were only a couple of miles in when I realized our pace would put Rachel really close to a PR.  Hmmm.

She ran an awesome race right up until the end when she surprised the hell out of me with a seriously fast finishing kick.  We held hands (because we're secret lovers) when we crossed the finish line and it couldn't have been cheesier.

OK, we might have held hands at other times besides the finish line.  Don't judge.

We finished around 2:00:30, which was great for a somewhat difficult course.  So proud of Rachie - she fought the whole way.

As for me, the race felt like an easy long run.  At the risk of sounding boastful, I have no idea when a 2:00 hour half became easy for me.  It makes me reassess my running goals for sure.

So that's that.  I'm still a little sick, but hopping back on the treadmill today to try to run the last of it out.  

Have a super Thursday everyone.