I Need to Kick it Up a Notch OR Get a Kick in the Butt OR BOTH!

Yesterday I was reviewing my blog and I need to kick it up a notch there and... 

...EVERYWHERE!

I used to write a post almost everyday, and today I noticed that I only wrote 1 post in July and 1 so far this month, August.  So since today is the end of the month, I thought I better write another post in order to better myself from last month.  Plus, my birthday was in July, and my husband and children gave me a gift of a new laptop.  My other one was about the same age as my son, almost 8 years old, and it was running so very ssslllooooowwwww.  Some of my past posts would take so long to get finished, post, and share on all the social media platforms that I am on, it got very frustrating.

 

So now it's time to kick it up a notch and get back to where I was and beyond... 

I told you in my last blog that I was to run 21KM last Saturday to complete my half marathon training, but instead I ran in the awesome In Running Colour run here in Waterloo. 

Well today I DID IT! 

 

I ran 21KM.  My time was 2:30:43.  So now I have a time that I can improve on.

This past week I kind of fell short on my running days because of family things and getting stuff ready for school.  I know that is no excuse, but that's what happened.  I did, however ride my spin bike again on Thursday night.  And yes, I wore my silver "space suit" again, my sauna suit. 
 

 

But today I laced up my running shoes and hit the road again, it felt great. 

I wasn't sure where I was going to run until last night at around 5:30pm.  My son was going to a sleepover at his friend's house, and his mum was picking my son up after work.  When she came to pick up my son, I asked her "how many kilometres to their home?"  She said it was about 21KM.  My son has been asking me..."when are you going to do the 21K training run?"  And he asked me again last night before he left for his friend's house.  I told him that maybe I would run to him in the morning.  They both thought I was joking.

It was no joke.

After my son left, my husband and daughter were getting ready for a in house movie night while I was getting ready for a girl's night out with some friends.  I had a lovely dinner and great laughs.  I guess you could say that this was my BIG dinner before my BIG training run.  I even had 1 drink and then water.  Thanks for the great night ladies.

I returned home and set my alarm for 7am and another one for 7:30am. 

 7am rolled around but I slept until the 7:30am alarm went off.  I got up, moved around and got ready to go.  As you may know if you have been following my journey, I am not one for eating or drinking much before my runs or workouts.  I figure I ate enough last night to keep me going.  I did consume one of the CLIF Chocolate shots gel packs.  You know me and chocolate...I LOVE IT!  I packed another one in my back pocket in my running top along with my iPhone.  I was ready to go.

So my plan was to run the 21KM to where my son's friend lived, and then have my husband come and pick us up.  That was if I made it there before his friend's mum drove him home.  She had mentioned they would leave late morning, so I was thinking I would get there in time.

I started out and this once Wimpy-weather-runner was kind of hoping for a little rain to cool things down a bit.  But it didn't.  And that was still okay.  Once I was nearing the end of the first road I ran down, another group of runners passed by me.  At first it made me feel slow and out of shape, but then I thought...I'm out here on the road and I am not still in bed sleeping like many others.  I was there and I was going to do it, even if I wasn't a fast as those others runners. 

 

And THAT I did!

The one man had a Triathlon shirt on and even though I couldn't keep pace with them, I always had them in sight until they turned the corner and I was continuing on the road straight.  Along the way besides the other runners and cyclists out on the road, I also spotted a live mouse scurry across in front of me, some squashed frogs, a dead rodent of some sort, a skunk(a dead one, thankfully) and lots of horse crap.  Yes, I was running in Mennonite country.  I was really enjoying this run.  I was sporting my Galactic Spandits! again, my Nike running shoes and had my Nike+ app running, letting me know how well I was doing, and how far I had left to go.

 

I had hit the halfway point and I was feeling great.  I knew I was going to have some tough kilometres ahead of me yet.  For those of you who know the area and the roads that I ran on, you will know how tough this next part was.  I was running into Hawkesville, ON.  Coming up the road to the crazy sharp bend was a bit scary because the oncoming traffic could not see me and many make a tight turn around the corner and I could have very easily been squashed into the pavement.  But I didn't.  Actually the road wasn't that busy and I think only 1 car came around the bend.  After the bend...the Hell Hills of Hawkesville began (I named them that).  The first one was so bad...it was the second one that was the killer.  It was straight up and never seemed to end.  But it did.  And I made it.  It was tough, especially running on uneven ground.  I felt as though I was walking up this hill, but I was still running and I was glad when I finally reached the top of it.  The is an "up" side to these hills, no pun intended, there was a BIG downside once I reached the top.  The hill had an UP and a DOWN.  Whereas some hills you run, only go up, and then straighten out to a flat road, those sometimes SUCK.  So once I was down, I had yet another hill staring me in the face to conquer, and this hill was one of the sucky ones.  It flattened out and then it turned into a steady incline to my destination.  Once I got up that last hill the countdown was on.  I will start at the remaining 4.11 miles.  At that point it was time to have my second CLIF Chocolate Energy Shot.  Now it was just me and the road, oh yeah and more horse shit.  I felt like I was doing an obstacle course at times.  I could see in the distance where I needed to be and then as I got closer, it was no longer visible.  More steady climbing had to be done to get to the side road where my son's friend lived.  It was at the 2.11 mile mark where the road was visible again.  At that point I was hoping that I would have enough road between me and the house to fit in the 2.11 miles I needed to complete yet.  I was running down Ament Line, and as I got closer to my cut off, the male voice of my Nike+ app called out "1.11 miles to go"...YES!  I soon reached the gravel road to which their house was down, I made the slight turn and my goal was soon in sight.  Then...all of a sudden I could smell the scent of...a skunk...NO!!!!!  I think it was just some of the wild flowers along the side of the road, at least that what I was telling myself.  If I would have gotten sprayed by a skunk, my husband would have made me run all the way back home, or at least walk...LOL.  So I picked up my paced just a little.  No skunks to be seen, thankfully.  My judgement of the road was pretty good, I could see the house and the Nike+ man called out ".11 miles to go".  I ran by the house and noticed that both cars were still in the driveway, so I knew they were still at home.  I ran around the bend up to a bridge that had huge puddles of water over it from last night's thunderstorm.  I was thinking of running through but then turned and headed back to the house.  About 20 seconds later the Nike+ app man said, "Congratulations, you have reached your goal of 13.1 miles." 

I DID IT!!!

Just as I was coming up to the house once again, I saw my son coming out the front door of the house with his backpack on.  They were just getting ready to take him home.  I made it just in time.

It felt great!!!  Yes, my legs felt like jelly and I was in need of a drink of water, but I was happy.  I proved to myself that I could actually run 21KM.

Plus, it felt great to complete the 21KM training run with my son at the end of it.  The run that he has been asking me to do.

These next two pictures are selfies on the ride home...

 

Feeling happy and looking good in my Spandits!

 

So as I mentioned earlier in this post, I now have a time to improve on.  I know that my time should be better during the half marathon itself because as far as I know, there are no "hell hills of Hawkesville" along the streets and the waterfront in Toronto, ON.  And if some were to spring up...I will be ready for them.

This coming week is going to be a challenge in a whole new way, well at least one I haven't seen since before the end of the school year in June.  That's right it's back to school time and that means back to routine for my children as well as myself.  My 5:30am alarm will be set and I MUST get my A$$ out of bed at that time once again.  I have slacked off my strength training workouts throughout the summer and it's time to get that kick in the butt.  I know that with getting back to my strength training it will help to improve my running times.  Plus it will help to improve my frame of mind.  Change is here and I'm ready for it.  I hope you are too.

Tomorrow is going to be a fun day with the family which will include a walk and stretch to loosen me up from today's BIG accomplishment.

Until I write again...Stay Strong!

Good night

Trina