The Groove Thing

I absolutely have to start this post with some shout-outs!

First of all,  a very hearty thanks to all who commented, emailed, FB messaged, and called to give me tips for breaking out of my running funk. I am SO grateful for your support and encouragement!
Bonus: I got to find out who reads to their kids. And I will soon be setting up a lunch outing with Becki.
Becki who I have been trying to set up a lunch outing with since last October. 

Secondly, thanks so much for reading (and commenting about) my blog! 

It has been such fun for me to write and I love that you are enjoying it, too! 

So thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

You are amazing and I feel truly blessed.

Now to my running groove that spent last week on vacay. And threw me into a serious funk. 

I'll just cut to the chase and let you know that it's ba-aaack! Hurray!! If you don't want to know how I got my groove back, you should probably just close this page now and return to whatever highly stimulating thing you were doing before needing the distraction of reading a blog. But if you do want to know how I got it back, stay with me. I'll try to keep it short. And entertaining... fun... inspiring?... eh, just short.

Lists are helpful for this. So I'll start with an easy list.

A List. Entitled: "What Works"
1.  I wrote a blog post. It helped me vent. And gave me great ideas. From all of you. This works!

2.  I ate a lot of junk. This works. For about 10 minutes. Then you need more junk. It's a vicious cycle. Breaking this cycle is on my this week's to-do list. I fully expect to be able to conquer it. For 10 minutes of every hour.

3.  I didn't do anything that I normally "should" do. Like dishes or laundry or exercising. Or blogging. This works. Until there are no more clean dishes. Or clean clothes. And people start asking if you ever plan to blog again. I have all these things on my this week's to-do list, too.

4.  I called Amy C. You should know that Amy C is really A-mazing C! She is a life coach and an avid outdoors girl. She also runs. And races. But she runs insane distances. Like 50 miles. And when you've lost your groove there is not a better person to have on your side! You should check out her out at www.expandoutdoors.com. She's a great writer and has a very inspiring blog. Her site is definitely worth a visit.

She is also married to my brother which makes her ultra-super-cool! Here is a picture from their wedding. I was there. I may have taken this photo. I may not have. I don't really know. I just know that my camera was at the wedding, too. Somewhere.

5.  A-mazing C asked some really good and thought-provoking questions and suggested I document the answers. This made me think. And write. And I figured out some really important things about running. And me. This worked for WAY longer than 10 minutes. And I won't have to do anything about it on my this week's to-do list. Yay!!

6.  Using my writing, and following advice from A-mazing C I came up with a strategy.

I'll put it into a new easy list for you.

A new list. Entitled: "My Strategy"
1.  Compile a really great running playlist with songs I've been avoiding for a few weeks so I wouldn't wear them out before race day. This helped.

2.  Go to the pre-race expo and pick up our race packets. I usually send The Man to do this. When I went this time I honestly thought it was kind of boring. But...

3.  ...In the running store next to the pre-race expo I talked to an ultra-amazing 79-year-old woman. (Not boring!!) She was little and fit and didn't begin running till she was 49. She's been told she should stop now, but can't give it up. She runs 10 races a year, most of them half marathons, but 2 of them full marathons. SO inspiring! And the best part? She likes to wear compression socks to run in because they help her old, sore feet, right? But she was worried they would look silly with the running capris she planned to wear on race day. How cute is that? When I grow up I want to be her. I wish I had taken a picture of her. For the inspirational side of my fridge.

4.  When still feeling funky late on Friday night, shift gears and settle on a list of three simple race day goals. This helped. A lot!

Here they are, in another new easy list.

Another new list. Entitled: "My 3-Step Race Day Plan". (Hint: It has three steps.)
1.  I will not focus on my goal time. (I’ll just think about it. As I check my time at every mile marker.)

2.   I will completely focus on enjoying the run and the race day energy to finish strong, happy and uninjured.

3.  I will smile.

(Number 3 was A-mazing C's suggestion. It turned out to be the best advice ever!)

And then I took really pointless (but relevant) pictures. Because I know that blogs are more fun to read with pointless (but relevant) pictures.

Here is my bib number. You wear this on your front side. I always fold mine over and make it smaller. 

I'm sure you're glad to know.

This is the timing chip. You put it on your shoelaces with twisty ties. 

It keeps track of exactly when you start and finish the race. 

It is littler than me. And smarter too. It can probably do your taxes. 

These are my running shoes. I love my running shoes. Notice above timing chip affixed with twisty ties.

This is the BEST race tee EVER! What you can't see in this pic is how it feels. One word. YUM! 

The fabric is insanely lightweight and Oh, So Soft! If it were a buttered roll, I would eat it. 

Bonus: The women's version is cut for... a woman.

So this brings me to race day.

(Did I say something about this post being short? Pretty sure that by short I really meant entertaining... fun... inspiring?... er, nope. Just loooong. I'll make up for this later in the week. Promise.)

Now I will put my race day experience into another new easy list for you.

And another new list. Entitled: "My Race Day"
1.  On the way to the race I wrote on my hand. It was sloppy and looked like this.

If you can't tell, my hand says, "I Got This", "Run Strong", and " : ) ". 

(Last race it said, "Having a baby hurts worse.")

I need lotion. And to shave my hand.

2.  Five minutes before crossing the start line the pump-you-up music started and I was suddenly all caught up in the race day energy that I love so much. And WHOOSH! I remembered why I race! Because I love the race!! And I remembered why I run! Because I love the run! I had no idea that just being there would throw my funk away.

This is me just being there. It's early, and cold, and when I don't normally look that perky. Or blurry.

3.  I ran a really great race. And smiled all the way through. It was FUN! And I loved it.

4.  I reached all the goals in my 3-Step Race Day Plan. I finished strong, happy, and uninjured!

5.  Bonus: I far surpassed the time goal I've been working toward for nearly a year. That goal? To finish a half marathon in under two hours. And I did it! I finished in under 2:00:00. In fact, I finished in 1 hour, 54 minutes, and 19 seconds. Technically, it looks like this. 1:54:19. Doesn't that look good?

*Breathes in. And breathes out a Very Satisfied Sigh. *

The finisher's medal. 

(What the tee gave us in greatness, the medal made up for.)

All in all, it was a mentally tough week with a really happy ending. And I learned a lot about running. And racing. But mostly I learned a lot about myself and my fears, frustrations and anxieties.

One of the most important things this time around? 

Below. In a last new easy list.

Last new list. Entitled: "What I Learned That You Should Know

Because Maybe One Day It Will Help You Out Of A Funk, Too"

1.  Sometimes all you have to do is just show up.

Amy C says that, "Just showing up = Just letting go". I think she might be right.