A Healthier Version of ME and YOU: My Journey to My First Half Marathon

Back in the spring of this year I set out a goal to run my first 10K race. I started training and one night I ran and ran, and I ended up running almost the full 10K. After returning home that night I felt like I needed more of a challenge. So that night I downloaded an app on my iPhone for a 21K trainer.

Before starting it, I looked it over to see if it was doable. And what I mean by "doable" is that I needed to know if it would fit into my life without changing things up too much. Don't get me wrong...I think change is a good thing, but I needed to HOW much change in my daily schedule was needed. I didn't want to have to go out running for hours, night after night between rest days. But the training app seemed very doable and would fit in perfectly. So I began...

I have really enjoyed this new journey. Yes some days were harder than other days to get out there and run. And yes some days I didn't make it out there at all. Once I was out running, whether it be on the road, a trail, a beach or taking part in some races, I loved it. The only time and place I did not enjoy it, was on a treadmill...blah...that's not for me. I prefer to run outside. Even through the rain.

My running even inspired my children to run races of their own.

A year ago I would not have been saying any of this, but I have enjoyed running very much since starting this training. I know I have mentioned this before in a previous post...I actually enjoy my long runs more so than my short runs. Once I get that first 25-30 minutes out of the way, I could just keep running. I'm not the fastest runner out there but at least I'm out there trying.

After 69 runs, this is where I am with the Nike+ app.

Lately, I am finding that it helps to motivate me if I "run with a purpose" and not just the purpose to train. What I mean is, that I have been running to places where I have to be. Like I run to my children's swimming lessons, while my husband drives them there, I run and meet up with them at the pool. Last week I even ran home again.

My second run which is the top one, was slower but longer. But at least I got my mileage up there.

Last Saturday, I had to pick up my Color Me Rad race kit in Kitchener. I decided I would run there to pick it up.

So I got suited up in my totally RAD running pants by Maus Wear and headed out on the road.

More news on these workout pants to come...stay tuned.

I told my husband that I would text him to pick me up somewhere along the way after the kit pick up. Well...I ran to Duke and Victoria in Kitchener, ON, which was just over 10km from my home. I picked up my kit and I was on my way again. I took a different route home and I made a stop Uptown Waterloo to check out some Zombies doing the Time Warp.

AWESOME!!!!

I only stopped for a few minutes and then I carried on with my run. I ran along the water's edge through Waterloo Park and then made my way towards the University of Waterloo. I was running the paths and then I wasn't sure which way to go so I decided to stop and walk to a point where my husband could pick me up. At the stopping point I was at 15KM, I figured that was a good long run for the day. I probably walked another 3KM before I met up with my family.

"How did you feel?"

I felt great!

I didn't actually run in the Color Me Rad 5K. My husband had to work and the kids were with me. We went down to City Hall in Kitchener to check things out. I felt kind of sad that I couldn't take part, but I had fun with my children at this pretty RAD event.

After checking things out at the start line, we made our way over to the park to cheer on some of the people making their way across the finish line. Then...we made our way over to the stage where the party was going on. My kids are always in for a good party. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Yeah! You don't need to run to get covered in colour. My daughter threw it right into my son's face. Well...I had to break up a fight that they started getting into.

At the end of this movie is when the purple colour bomb exploded onto my son's face. I was trying to shut the video off on my iPhone while trying to get them from fighting. That is not shown in the video. LOL

Last night I got out for another run to rack up some more mileage before the 20th of this month.

It was only a short run, but I was glad that I went out.

Tonight was a rest night and that is why I was able to write this post. I hope to keep writing to you rest day or not. I know things are going to get busy for me over the next few weeks but I hope to keep you posted on what is going on over here with me.

Today I started a challenge on my Nike+ app. It's called, "Marathon Month". Starting tomorrow, October 8th to November 9th, the challenge is to run a Marathon. No you don't have to run the whole thing at once, but rather rack up those miles to equal a full marathon by November the 9th. I hope you will join me whether you have the Nike+ app or not. You can do it! We all have to start somewhere and we might as well start now. I would say start TODAY, but the challenge doesn't start until tomorrow. For some of you, tomorrow is already upon you, so get out there and run!

I am going to leave you with something totally unrelated to my journey and fitness and all of that.

This afternoon at my home, after putting the daycare children down for a nap. I heard the screams of my daughter and another older daycare child out in the yard. I went to see what was going on and before I knew it they were both in the house and could barely speak. I asked what was going on and they said..."there's are raccoon out there". WHAT?!?!?! I went to check it out. They were right. There was a raccoon on the other side of our fence in the neighbours yard. It kept walking back and forth wanting to come into our yard. Here are a few pictures of the little guy in which the girls named him Chester. The little guy, Chester, came into our yard and right up onto the deck to the back door.