Last long run--two weeks to go!

Well hello there blog-readers!

If you can believe it, yesterday morning was our last long Saturday morning run. What?! It was a beautiful cold, crisp morning and I had a great running partner in Rachel--so all in all, a good time. My left calf kept tightening up, so I had to walk the last mile or so, but hopefully I've worked that out with a lot of stretching and some massage.

So, folks, two weeks from today I will be limping around Vegas after 13.1 miles of pure CCFA Team Challenge excitement!

I'll be tapering for the next two weeks, and of course it's Thanksgiving. Shorter runs, faster intervals, good times.

Have a great holiday!

My first honest-to-goodness race.

Yesterday was the Veterans Day 10K. I got my butt up at 6:15 on a Sunday morning (what!?), headed down to West Potomac Park, threw on the very cool chrono-track timer, and pinned on my bib for a morning of running with about 2900 other people. Fun.

I was one of the last finishers, but I don't care. It was fun, and felt good--I ran the whole thing and got to experience what a race will feel like and how that will effect my mood/adrenaline/etc for the half-marathon.

Kudos to my teammate Alexa for coming up with the idea and being a partner in crime for this early morning Sunday adventure! Today, my legs get a little break. 20 Days til Vegas!

10 Miles. You knows it!

Hey all!

So, I did TEN miles yesterday! What? Down from my house, to the Lincoln Memorial, up the Mall to the Capitol, back down, then up to Federal Triangle to get my race registration for tomorrow's 10K.

The last mile or so was semi-painful... but I got through it. The worst part was after the run was over--had to climb two flights of stairs and I thought I might cry.

Now I am relaxing with two of my favorite peeps, in from out of town for a visit. Putting my feet up feels great. Just a few more weeks til VEGAS!!

Also, new favorite motivational playlist song? "Any Way You Want It/Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin" from last season's Glee soundtrack. No joke. It's amazing when you're about to break down. Thanks, Glee!

The crack of dawn, my new weekend friend.

So, as the days get colder and shorter, waking up at 6:30 am for an 8 am run becomes more and more odd. This morning, I woke up and it could have been 2 am. But it was not. Oh no. The talk radio blaring out as my alarm told me differently, and I only allowed myself to hit the snooze button once (erm... twice.)

It's also super-cold. I've been rocking the new Brooks Vapor Dry2 pants (yes, they have fleece on the inside of the derrière) and that has been great, but I'm lacking in appropriate shirts/tops. Luckily, a few of my Team Challenge-ers and I went to Potomac River Running yesterday to use our Groupons. I am the proud new owner of the coziest cold-weather running shirt in the history of cold-weather running shirts. It wicks, it temperature controls, it has thumb holes and a fun little pocket on the side--yes, it's fantastic.

I will soon have a fun running hat (complete with ponytail opening for the ladies!) and some gloves, and my winter training wardrobe will be complete.

Oh, and we did a nice, short, 1 hour run this morning. Felt great. Next weekend? Long run on Friday and 10K on Sunday! Plus great out-of-town visitors!

We're getting closer and closer to Vegas!

30 Days!

Yes, that's right. We're one month out from VEGAS! I can't believe how far I've come and how much farther I have to go... but I'm getting there!

The weather has begun to cooperate--it's fall-y and chilly and I love it. Yesterday, however, it was pouring rain, and I went running anyways. Nothing like coming home looking like a wet rat. Gotta love it!

Group run tomorrow, and I'll go for a short one on my own today. So there you have it!

Have a great weekend, everyone!