Feng shui is everything!

I felt very out of sorts last night working out in a tiny apartment complex gym with 5 machines and one TV. The treadmill was so small that I had to hold on so I wouldn't fall off. After 20 minutes of that, I got really annoyed and moved to the bike which was much much better. I could also see the finale of Project Runway much better from that seat than the treadmill. Stupid poorly designed, non-feng shui gym.

Oh well, at least I got a work out in before shoving my face with newly discovered key lime pie publix frozen yogurt...mmmm. Have a fabulous weekend, everyone!

Yay for pictures, sprinting and fundraising!

First of all, I am so excited to have all the pictures from the race! They came out great and I love the action shots.

Secondly, yesterday I basically sprinted 2 miles, jogged, then sprinted up and down the street about 6 times. Yay for sprinting :/

Finally, I am thrilled that I have raised over $500 for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation. But, being that I'm trying to raise $5000 by January 31st, I need some fundraising ideas and help! Thoughts? Ideas? Experience?

Back on the wagon

My first day of training after my half marathon was actually not torturous at all. It was great. I was on the eliptical, working pretty hard, for 40 minutes. So, I am right back on the wagon and the marathon training continues. Yippeee!

Just like that!

It all started at 3:45 am when I pulled my sleepy self out of my bed. I made my way to the kitchen and poured myself a hearty bowl of cereal and grabbed a banana. Still pitch black outside, I relied on jumping jax and stretching to get my muscles loose. I was feeling good and had gotten enough rest.

5:00 am rolls around and my parents scoop me up from the apartment. We're on our way to the beach and I've got gatorade and shot bloks in hand. We get down there and head to the start line. 6:13 am...we're off!

We start at 17th st. near Las Olas. Weather is gorgeous. Route is awesome. I'm energized and feeling sensational. Miles 1, 2, 3, 4 under tunnels, over bridges. Then we make our way to A1A and run all the way to Oakland Blvd and pass it! Turn around point finally comes! Miles 8, 9, 10 were tough but we breeze through them. Before we know it, there's the finish line and we zoom through it! Just like that, we successfully finished our half marathon in 2 hours 9 minutes 54 seconds.

Every challenging goal seems almost impossible at first. But then you realize, you are capable of amost anything if you throw yourself into it wholeheartedly :)

Thank you, everyone, for all the congrats! And now, only 2.5 months until I will have reached my ultimate goal...running 26.2 miles and raising $5,000.

Morning runs suck

Wow, running in the morning really sucks. I did better than yesterday, but I was still tired, slow and achey. Ryan and I woke up at 7:30 am to go and run 4 miles. We ran along Federal Highway and it was pretty nice, actually. Great weather and some interesting little shops. That didn't stop me from feeling like death though :(

Worked myself silly!

Holy crap, I'm tired. Not only from working out twice in 12 hours, but also from waking up at 6 am this morning!!

Last night, I pushed myself really hard on the eliptical for 40 minutes, getting up to level 13 for a good portion of the workout. Talk about losing water weight...I must have lost 5 gallons of sweat!!

Then, and I know you will think I'm nuts, but I woke up early this morning to run 4 miles. Don't worry...I have my reasons. My half marathon is THIS Sunday and it starts just after 6 am. Therefore, I need to prep myself for waking up that early and for running before I have energy from food. I also need to get used to running before my muscles are loose from a day's worth of walking around.

To sum up my morning run - it sucked. I didn't have nearly as much energy as usual and my muscles and joints were not at all loose. So that means...I've got to do it again tomorrow!

In other news, I am so excited that my dad will be able to run with me on Sunday. He was unsure until yesterday because of a trial he had pending. But, there was a conflict of insterest and he's off the case...woohoo!

Twelve miles...check!

This was one of the weirdest runs I've done so far. I shall explain...

Everything's going great until about 6 miles in, when my dad stops for a minute to walk, which is weird because he doesn't usually need to stop. Right then, I knew he wouldn't make it the whole 12 miles. But he kept on going, even though he felt like crap, until about mile 9 when he just ran out of gas. I felt bad, because I know what it's like to have an off-day. Last Sunday was my off-day, and I guess this Sunday was his.

Anyway, I was feeling really good. I knew I could finish the whole 12 miles and I knew I could finish strong. So, my dad jogged back to the house while I started running my final 3 mile loop. It was about 6:45 and it was really dark. So, next thing I know, my mom and dad pull up next to me in the car and follow a few yards behind me for the rest of my run, which was about 2 more miles. I was running at a pretty decent pace for such a long run, maybe 6.5 mph, and was sprinting every few minutes. I felt great (except for my knees and ankles).

I finally finished my 12 miles...without ever stopping...and with my parents following behind me in their car. I was drenched in sweat and my legs felt like I had been kneeling for about 10 hours. But that didn't matter...the only thing I could think about was that I actually just ran 12 whole miles.

It's weird to think that only a few months ago, before I decided to run a marathon, I was struggling to run 4 miles outdoors, and I had only ever run 6 miles at most (maybe one or two times)...on a treadmill, and with a walking break midway through. Most people who I talk to about my marathon training are amazed that I am running so far. And they also usually say something like "Wow, I could never do that. You're crazy, Rachel." The thing is, I never thought I could do it, either. Four miles used to be tough, but now it's easy.

My point is...you can push yourself a lot farther than you might think (which I learned with help from Ryan and my dad). And if you put enough time and energy into a goal you have for yourself (whether its running a marathon, finding a job, or even just getting an A on an exam), you can definitely accomplish it! And those are Rachel's words of wisdom for the day :)

PS - You all have no idea how much it means to me that you read my blog, ask me about training, and have joined my facebook group. Thank you so much for all your support of my running and of my cause.