Bumps, burns, brusies and broken headphones

All is well with my running but not with my body. At my first attempt to ride a bike in 20 years I bruised my shin. No big pain just the ugly green yellow bruise. I also have some weird bumps on my belly.. too confusing to tell what they are but I am not enjoying the looks of them either. The burn is on my wrist from the steam of the rice cooker- this hurts! The worst is that my bose headphones aren't working and I wanted to scream when I had to run to the music at the gym. However despite my tragic life style, last week I completed my goal of running 4 times a week.
All of my runs felt great and I was able to modify the first week of training runs a little but still keep the speed work in. I managed to run about a little more than 14 miles. With the heat wave in dc I had to run inside on the treadmill. While my runs may have been brutal on the treadmill with my glasses flying off, earphones breaking and a fun burn on my wrist I felt I had great strides and breathing. I felt after each run I killed it and I had tons of energy. I kept thinking I really can do this and felt encouraged about finally making the decision to do it. Sometimes for me it’s the decision process is harder than making the actual decision. Its funny to me it took me this long to enjoy running but a friend of mine who runs marathons told me she didn't start running till her mid 30s. It feels good that I don't feel to old before I start. I think I do this a lot I think at 27 I am already too old for things. Funny to amuse myself with those thoughts.
This week  is week 8 of my 8 week training to the race! I treated my body to a massage and a shopping spree to prepare. I am thrilled to rock my new lululemon shorts, hat, running belt and shirt. I also got a hot new gym bag and earphones . Everything is bright pink, purple or yellow of course. I love the lululemon shorts they really are amazing. Last night I did my first 30 min Easy/Moderate run last outside and I did 3 miles. I felt good with my pace and my body felt at ease. Tomorrow I will do my 45 minute speed interval run in the morning outside, hopefully this will be nice and not super hot. Ahh the heat wave not sure if the heat or people talking about the heat is more annoying. Either way walking around in the air that feels like hot soup all day is not the end of the world.  Jeremiah and I are going camping this weekend so I will have to run Friday morning since we will be hiking Saturday and I have no desire to hike and run on the same day in the campground! My goal is to feel just as positive and energetic as last week. I just hope my body holds up and next week I am not complaining about tons of mosquito bites!

Preparing for training week and enjoy last week of unofficial training

Unofficial training this week is taking it easy but learning to increase my runs to 4 days a week. It is a big shake up in my routine as I need to keep at least 1 day of no activity and true recovery. I love my yoga, hip hop, weight class and softball so it is going to be an adjustment having to put all of my focus on my running. My 8 week plan is divided into 4 runs a week. 2 endurance runs and 2 speed runs. Very detailed and thankfully Jeremiah printed it all out and put it on the calendar/fridge for me to see.

Yesterday Jeremiah took me to get fitted for running shoes. After an hour of talking to the sales person about my high arches and all the differences between my feet and Jeremiahs I found a pair. They say your shoes get around 300-500 miles till they really start to break down. I was in need of a new pair as my last pair was bought 2 years ago. I also learned some running lingo while in the store. Apparently runners call half marathons " half"- so I should say " Yea I am running a half" . Also it was brought to my attention that I am a recreational runner. I guess runners feel the need to clarify they are not competitors if they don't run to win. Well good to know- I will now go forward telling people I am a recreational runner training for my first half.
I went for a run after 8pm in the heat weave last night with my new shoes. It was the first run I did since I signed up for the half, and first run outside in a month. The heat has kept me bolted to the treadmill. I felt great, I felt I had lots of energy as it was only a 30 minute run, but I had to remember my body is going to endure lots of pain so such enjoy it when its easier.
My biggest issue is having to get more running socks, as the sock genie stole mine, a visor as I sweat way to much and can't see, a running belt that fits me ( Jeremiah's is way to big), more summer running clothes and I need some more jams to run to as well. I think this can all be solved with a shopping spree this weekend.

Really a race?

Simply put my athletic skills have increased dramatically since moving to DC. I have always enjoyed the gym, yoga, pilates, boxing, rowing, and my hip hop dance. But training and running have been a very different experience. College is the time I would say I actually started to care about my health and weight. I had access to the gym and went with my roommates, had fun it was never anything I felt I had to do but I simply just had fun, and it also became much easier to work out when I quit smoking. During my engagement was about the time I actually would run a mile as I was unemployed and didn't always have access to a gym. Running at that time did great things for my body and I think I looked great on my wedding day but it wasn't something that brought joy,pain and endurance. I remember Jeremiah was living in Laural and I would do sprints with him on the hot suburban streets of maryland and I wanted to die. It was a constant struggle. I felt like I kept saying " what is the point of running or working out its just something to do to get by and stay healthy". Of course I have stayed active and Jeremiah and I would run around our house.. but always no more than 2 miles. The reason I never did more than 2 is because I didn't think I could, but my desire to do more was.
 Being in DC and living near the Mall you see runners non-stop all day long. The first week we moved here I kept saying " lets run to the monuments!" forgetting thats not possible .. but the desire was there. After Jeremiahs summer of injury where we did lots of nature walks around our house, he choose to train for his triathlon. I thought since we have ran many times together and I want to be able to run to the monuments I should just train with him and see what I am made of. I ran every mile with him side by side until his race day. We would run along the potomac up the canal and we also ran to the monuments. The first time we ran to the memorial bridge we watched the sunset and ran down the steps we both felt in awe. We knew this was my goal and I had completed it. We ran to the Washington monument right before our 2 year wedding anniversary and that felt like we had completed this other goal, of running further and further down the mall. Our longest run in the training was in Virginia along the Potomac down to the 14th street bridge. It was beating hot and we were out there for an hour and a half but we did it. At that moment I said I believe I can run a race. We did squeeze in a a 5K, but I felt like it wasn't that big of a deal because at the time I was running 10-12 miles a week. It was more exciting to just run a race and know that I could run a longer one. My fear was running with tons of people, but I was able to just focus on myself as a runner should. Training with Jeremiah taught me running for endurance is really running endurance. I had to train myself to start slow, keep the pace, breathe right, have the correct posture and most importantly I met brooke the athlete. I pushed myself beyond my mental capacity and really focused on my athletic skill rather then how I looked. I had to learn to fuel my body before during and after my run. I had to learn to have active recovery days and not overwork my body. I learned to see what my body was made of.
Knowing about this half marathon has been the running chatter for the last month. I have been thinking I am keeping my endurance up but I want to celebrate in a run. A run of my accomplishment of how far I have come since Febuary, and even those college gym days. I feel I can do many things now. They say when you train for a race it transpires into other parts of your life. I have seen that in the last 7 months and I am proud to say this is my race now. I really am running a race. Scared Brooke who in kindergarten cried herself off the soccer team because she didn't want to sweat, is running a race.

First a runner and now a blogger?

Yup I am blogging. I thought this would be a good way for me to document my journey into the "running world" as I am training for my first half marathon in less than 9 weeks. Blogging may be just be a keepsake, a joke, a simple log of events in training or something inspirational to others. I hardly read let alone write. I am also not known for my spelling and grammar skills, yet I have a voice and feel inspired to share my experience.
The title running chatter speaks to the long conversations I have with myself while running.  Chatter that motivates me, stresses me, encourages me, and even walks me through fears. I guess that is why I have such clairity in my long runs, as I feel I experienced lots of chatter between myself and at some point it all comes to an end. Sure there is the physical relief but for me it really has been a time of getting to know myself in a way I never knew. I have always enjoyed my "alone time" and being outside on a long run pushing myself and being comfortable in my own skin is a feeling that simply keeps me running.
  I can say that running has provided for me an outlet of competiveness within myself that has changed my self image forever. Believing in yourself and doing something you thought you could never do will always change you forever. It’s hard not to share your excitement with others when you experience such a physical and mental break- through. I should know as my husband trained for his first 2 triathlons in the last 7 months. I heard his chatter oh his excitement often.Watching my husband complete his goal while pushing himself physically and mentally has been very moving for me. I started his official training with him February 2nd and we ran for 5 months together. Our lives are forever changed as we have high hopes of racing for a while. On the other hand I never wanted to blog, and don't understand why people do. Then again a few years ago I didn’t understand why anyone would run more than 3 miles. I guess I am a true first time runner and a first time blogger.