The Good, the Bad and the Pepper Spray

I feel like I want to not only document the goods but also the bads. This last few days have been what I say "bad."

I did my first real run Wednesday night (which was my last post) and then Friday night I ran as well (even after ellipticalling in the morning....just call me Kimmy Bentley) completing the same run as Wednesday night. I did it again - that must mean I can really do it. I even gave the Stop sign a high five at the end of my run. I woke up on Saturday morning and took the dog for a walk. (a walk I would have done a month ago and have been proud.) Then I headed to the pool. I made a frozen pina colada and it was yummy, so I had another. At that point, I learned I was heading to the Ravens game at 5pm...let's drink some more. The fun and drinking (back to beer now) continued until about the 3rd quarter (10pm or so). So after 10 hours of adult beverages I was feeling great and having the best time. Fast forward to 6:45am Sunday....run day. I picked some friends up and we headed out to the tire park. Not my favorite route by any means but okay, I can do this....NOT!!! Lesson learned.....alcohol and running are not friends!!! Alcohol and walking were okay but running, ha....I died during my last 3 min run (w3d2). I could barely make it up the hill and out of the park so I just stayed in the park. It was not a good day and I felt like shit! Okay, blame it on dehydration...at least I got out of bed....whatever. Seems like a cop-out.

Yesterday, according to my schedule, was suppose to be my day off. I felt like since my Sunday run was so bad I needed to prove to myself I could still run. I didn't leave the house until 7:30pm....it was so hot!!! (mind you last week was BEAUTIFUL) So I completed my w3d2 AGAIN and didn't feel great. I almost said screw it and went to the car. But no, I started walking the loop, figuring I could just walk it or maybe even run it but I wasn't stopping. I can't believe how much I talk to myself and how I have to talk myself into things....like the loop. I still wasn't feeling the "run" so I started playing games. If an Elvis song comes on before I hit the dorms then I'll run. Apparently Elvis and the running gods were listening because next song.....ain't nothing but a hounddog....ahhhhh....run! I started running at my now "normal start spot." I felt wrong. It was hot, my breathing wasn't as deep. I was complaining to myself and in the next breath saying, stop, you can do this!! I passed my markers....wondering did they extend the loop distance. Were these markers that far apart on Friday Where is that feeling of greatness that I experienced on Wednesday and Friday....I don't know. What I do know is that I didn't make it all the way to the end. I was sure I was going to be laying in a mulch box if I didn't stop, so I did about 60 feet from the finish....damn!!! DEFEATED!!! I so hope I was defeated because of the heat. Whatever the reason, it's a good thing I didn't have the pepper spray with me that Chris bought me and encourages me to take each time....'cause I would have sprayed that shit right in my face to end that damn run!!! I sucked and I felt like hell!!!!

Now, do I get back on track and run tonight? It's no cooler. The weather isn't suppose to get better until the weekend. No, I can't hold off until then. Tomorrow is my 33rd birthday. Do I want to run and risk the possibility of making myself feel shitty? Do I want to run tonight so I don't have to tomorrow and only do the elliptical then? Do I want to just do w3d3 tonight and strength train then maybe tomorrow night just do the loop and run a bit? What if I do a great run tomorrow night and then feel AWESOME on my 33rd birthday???

How bad does the heat affect a run???

I am a runner

So super excited that I need to share my fb status from last night ..... 'tonight I super exceeded my w2d3. At one point during a 15 min non-stop run, I even forgot I was running. Oh my shit, I AM A RUNNER!!!!!'

A friend and I did w2d3 and it felt pretty good, really good actually....which in turn made me nervous for w3d1. We started back on our regular walking route and decided because it was getting so late and dark maybe we'd run some of that too. So we walked/ran and then got to the top of a hill (we run a college campus and it's a loop) So we decided to run down the entire hill....and then I don't know how it happened when we reached the end I just kept going....it felt so good. I kept saying okay I'll stop at x. Then I'd pass x and say, I'll stop at Y. Y came and went and before I knew it I knew I didn't stop until I had come back to the beginning of our route. My friend said, 'OMG, I thought you were going to run home, you just kept going.' We ran just a tad more after that and then did a nice walk back to the house to cool down.

I went yesterday afternoon and was fitted for a pair of running shoes at Charm City Run. When I took the first 'running' steps in them, I couldn't believe it...they felt like I was running on air....with springs in the front. (I should've gotten these shoes months ago....LOL)

On my way to work this morning I drove through the campus. I was looking at my 'run route' and I was AMAZED.

I know I'm rambling but I just can't contain my excitement. I AM A RUNNER!!!!! and I can so do this Baltimore Running Festival 5K on October 16!!!"

Yep, you read rght

Last week while sitting in my comfy desk chair, listening to some pandora radio, in the a/c may I add, I decided that I, Kim Cugle Blair, was so totally motivated that I was signing up for the Baltimore Running Festival's 5K on Saturday, October 16 (of this year :) No I didn't leave out the part where I was smoking crack either. I paid my $45 plus $3 processing fee to RUN 3.1 miles.

Now that I'm registered and have committed with my registration fee (did I mention you get an Under Armour shirt and TWO free beers after the race, motivating I know) I figured I better start more than just walking and ellipticalling (PS, the little E and I are officially dating. We weren't such great pals in the beginning but we are really a good couple now) So I found a Couch to 5K program and a FREE podcast to go with it. I can't even begin to tell you how the first day was....wanting to pee my pants and throw up at the same time just listening to the guy to tell me to run and walk ...and this was while I was driving to the route. Only once did I say I wanted my money back during the run. Not for the podcast but for the 5K. The second day of training I ran in the OCMD Convention Center parking lot. I wasn't mentally ready for Coastal Highway and while in the parking lot running in circles I honestly envisioned myself as Rocky running up all those steps. The last night of week one I honestly thought I was going to die. It was freakin' HOT!!! I saw those black dots that Christine saw so many months ago walking up the UMBC hill and I swear I had blurry, double vision. Crying wasn't an option because you have to breath to cry and I wasn't doing that so well. Tonight began week 2. 90 sec run/2 min walk intervals. Not so bad, better than I expected. (I still get so anxious) My second interval was up a decently steep hill. At just about the top, going so slow I thought I was going backward and then the "techno" type music that plays during the podcast said STOP and I was all about it, not realizing for a moment that it was the music not the guy and I should still be running...oooops!!

I just set my alarm clock for 5:30am because I told a friend I'd do UMBC with her at 5:45 tomorrow morning. Please someone tell me wtf is happening to me. If it makes you feel any better, so you feel like you still know me, I did eat 3 mini doughnuts tonight...duh, they were calling my name. Thank God we didn't have any Doritos or my keyboard might be covered in nacho cheese :)

3.5 months ago I said I needed a change because I was disgusted....27 pounds down and registered for a 5K. Who would have thought? Crazy and amazing all at the same time!!!

Training has really begun...