10 - The Plan

Today marks my official "DAYS TIL" countdown to Chicago. For the next 10 days you will receive a post from me with the official countdown and all that is swirling through my head in these final days before the big run as I attempt to curb Taper madness...

First topic at hand is "The Plan"

Everyone keeps asking me what my "Plan" is. Well here it is:

• Thursday 10/8: I leave for Chicago; Upon arrival the cousins and I are going out to dinner to celebrate our birthdays!!! (We Morgan's are all Libra girls)
  
• Friday 10/9: EXPO!!!! B.o.B is meeting Michelle & I there and we hope to meet up with other bloggers/runners. After expo we're having a girl's night out! Yay!
  
• Saturday 10/10: The rest of the fam gets into town; B.o.B., Michelle and I head up to the city to the check in to our hotel and then they are off to paint the town red whilst I attempt sleep.
  
• Sunday 10/11: RACE DAY!!! Run, Cry, Run, Cry, Run, Cry... for 26.2 miles, fall into a blubbering mess at the finish line and then be dragged somewhere to eat glorious food of which I fully intend on consuming; steak, carrot cake and a Shock Top in no particular order.
  
• Monday 10/12: Walk 2 miles... become one with cousin's couch.
  
• Tuesday 10/13: Carpool w/ Spike back to the homeland to spend the rest of the week visiting the Michigan Fam. (If I come up missing please alert the authorities of their prime suspect)
  
• Wednesday 10/14: Family bonding - Attempt first post-marathon run; 1-2 miles
  
• Thursday 10/15: 3 miles - Continue Family Bonding - Celebrate Birthday
  
• Friday 10/16: Recover from Birthday; So much bonding
  
• Saturday 10/17: 6-8 miler body depending; Camping/Getting drunk with Fam (the best kind of bonding)
  
• Sunday 10/18: Back to O-town (Home Sweet Home) upon arrival go out to dinner with friends to celebrate birthday and marathon

Oh wait... ya'll meant my RACE plan.

Well to be frank... That's for me to know and you to find out. (Yes, I am still 10 years old.) But seriously, after that freak out I had awhile back it got me thinking... why am I putting unnecessary pressure on myself when this is my FIRST marathon? I mean, it's a guaranteed PR and I'm not trying to BQ... So that was when I made the executive decision that my race goal is:

TO FINISH.

Initially I had an aggressive time in mind but after reading so many marathon recaps that ended with carnage and disappointment, I have since taken a step back and decided I'll worry about my time the next go round... this one is for ME. I'll never have another first marathon and I want to make it count. I want to look back and fondly remember the experience, the finish line and conquering the 26.2.

So that's the plan man. Not the juicy details ya'll were hoping for but what can I say... I'm a tease.

Florida Fall Update: At 6am when Therese and I started our run it was 70 degrees and little to no humidity! I attempted testing out the Zensah sleeves but made it one lap before they were too hot. Oh well... bring on the cooler temps! YAY!!!

T-MINUS 10 DAYS TIL CHICAGO!!! I swear I'm so excited I might spontaneously combust!!!

Tuesday Trial - Recovery Socks

Welcome to another edition of Tuesday Trial!

A couple of weeks back I finally got a coveted pair of Recovery Socks... in SHOCKING FUCHSIA.
(I heart Pink so you know I had too...)

Test Run #1: I first tried them out after my 18 Miler in NSB, if you recall, this run involved beach and boardwalk running (not exactly your typical running surfaces). I put them on after the ice bath while I elevated and then proceeded to wear them over to breakfast. (I opted not to wear them to breakfast as I didn't want to embaress Tall Guy Surfing) After breakfast they went right back on and I wore them back to O-town. Come Sunday morning my legs were not nearly as dead as they normally are after a hard run and even felt somewhat springy. My recovery run that night went well and there was marginal marathon shuffle at the beginning.


Test Run #2: After my 22 turned 18 in Brandon Saturday I squeezed those puppies on much to the entertainment of the B.R.A. I got quite a few "ooh's and ahh's" and even more snickers. I limped around in them as we cheered everyone in and even wore them to breakfast. (I'm not sure the Panera patrons knew what to think of them but I digress) Come Sunday, my legs felt much better than normal and again, my marathon shuffle was hardly there when I knocked out my recovery run with Robin.

Survey Says: Redhead Running gives Recovery Socks the Rock Star vote! I highly recommend snagging a pair STAT! I intend to wear them on the plane next week and they will be packed into my recovery bag for after the marathon. (11 MORE DAYS!!!)

Before I sign off I just want to announce that at 6am this morning it was actually under 80 degrees! Florida is finally getting it's first taste of Fall!!!

Tunnel Vision

...otherwise known as the beginnings of Taper Madness...

Now... GET OUTTA MY HEAD!

That is all.

Proceed about your day.

A Final Long Run & Commencing the Taper

First things first... 2 weeks til CHICAGO!!! I AM READY!

Alright now on to your regularly scheduled long run recap...

We last left off I was headed over to B.o.B's to rock a final 22 miler's @ss before calling it a training plan and commencing Taper... so over to B.o.B's I go for another action packed Friday night of Jeopardy watching and playing with Lloyd the Attack Terrier before hitting the hay... at 8pm. Oh we are a crazy couple of gals huh?!?

Fast forward to 3:15am, we are up and at 'em and ready to rock! We head over to the usual B.R.A. meet up spot and I fall into place with R & H for the planned 22 miler. Right off the bat we all notice how hot & humid it is... we're talking when we started at 4:30 am it was already 83 degrees out and what felt like 200% humidity. Ugh. The pace is great, the convo is flowing and its a rather uneventful first 5 miles... then a frog attacks my calf and I may or may not have screamd like a girl... Stupid amphibians!!! We trudged on amidst the rising humidity and temps and then right before we brought it in to the 9 mile point I stepped on a rock and rolled my ankle. I recovered from it without falling but once we started back out on the course after the pit stop I was feeling some pain. I trudged on to the midway point and decided that I didn't want to chance it so I fell back with P-Funk & T to take it a lil slower. We rounded out to the 13 mi point and I was getting some shooting pains up my leg but other than that I was ok. I ended up leaving P-Funk & T behind and pushed ahead on my own for a couple miles but by 17.5 I decided that I'd rather be safe than sorry and called it a day. I rounded out to 18 and then B.o.B. and I headed down to cheer in the rest of the crew finishing up their 22's.

Major props to all who finished up their runs, that humidity was killer, I've never drank so much water in my life on a run! Coach EK was a running machine and never stopped running once as he was testing out a theory... Speedy Jess kicked major butt and finished strong for her final 22 miler before taper. I def see a BQ in her future at Chicago!!! Special shouts outs to P-Funk & V... these women are truly an inspiration as they both gutted out those last 4 miles of the 22 solo at their respective paces. Talk about having heart!

At breakfast there was lots marathon talk as the B.R.A. is headed up for MCM on Oct. 25th. Lots of race strategies and pace time talk, etc... Oh and I was very excited to be voted an honorary member of the B.R.A.!!! When it was time to go I left with a warm fuzzy feeling inside as everyone wished me well at Chicago... I'm so lucky to have gotten a chance to meet all these wonderful runners and train alongside them a few times. I def look forward to many more runs together in the future and I know they'll all do great at MCM and as I'm finishing up at Chicago I am more than confident Speedy Jess will have already acquired her coveted BQ!!!

Back at B.o.B's I ice bathed it up and then trekked back to O-town... where directly upon arriving Ebs & Jamily wanted to hit the pool so the nap was pushed back as the sun awaited... It was 98 degrees and the humidity felt like it was up to 300% by now so needless to say we didn't make it long at the pool before we opted to go grab lunch instead. Can I just say I'm hopelessly addicted to Jason's Deli these days??? Mmmm

Finally I was able to squeeze in a nap mid-afternoon and then Jamily coerced me out for a late appetizer & coffee (aka I drank water) We got gussied up just for the fun of it (see new profile pic) and had a lovely and much needed little girls night out. When I finally got to bed last night I was relieved that my recovery run in the morning was pushed out to 7 a.m. Yay for sleeping in!

This morning I headed over to Lake Eola to get in a recovery run / blogger meet up with my Bloggy Orlando running mom - Robin of Running Circles around the Turtles!!! So exciting to meet another Orlando runner/blogger and especially to meet my virtual mom! LOL! She always keeps dibs on me and we've been trying to meet up for weeks now. We had a great run around the area and decided to push it from a 4ish mile run to a little over 6ish mile run. It was the first time Robin had ever run with anyone, so I felt so special to be the one to break her in! She did great and just so you all know, she really isn't as slow as she thinks.

(Just before we started our "run" LOL!)

So that is that... COMMENCE TAPER! Looking at my training schedule for the next two weeks I have decided I'm going to be soooooo bored. So with that being said I'm going to go catch up on my reader, finish watching "Spirit of the Marathon" and maybe get in another cat nap before work. I hope ya'll had awesome weekends, races, long runs, etc...

2 MORE WEEKS!!!

3 Things Thursday

1. My Zensah arm sleeves came in the mail on Tuesday... I wore them around for the rest of the evening and then decided to hold a dress rehearsal for Chicago. The Brunette proclaimed that if Chicago held a contest for best dressed, I would win. After that I proceeded to run in place in front of my bathroom mirror and practice my hard core runner faces and poses... I may not be fast but dang it all I'm going to look adorable running slow!!!
   

2. Saturday is my final long run before Chicago: 22 Miles! In honor of this final long run I have decided to spend it with those that were there for the first 22 Miler... B.o.B. and the B.R.A.!!! I couldn't ask for a better way to end my training or a better group of people to share it with. With that being said, I will officially begin TAPER on Sunday. Yes for those of you keeping score I have decided to forgo the usual 3 week taper and have opted for a 2 week taper instead. After countless long runs with weak finishes and after consulting Coach EK, I decided this was the best approach for me to take to go to Chicago feeling confident and strong.
   

3. B.o.B is coming to Chicago to cheer me on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Obviously I am bummed for her that MCM isn't going to happen but I also can't help but be ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY EXCITED that my boo is going to be there to watch me finish in Chicago!!! YAY!!!
   

Have a great weekend ya'll! Rock all those races and long runs! I can't wait to read all the recaps! Extra special shout out to Maddy who is running a 15k here in town... Good Luck girl, you've got this!!!

Catch ya'll on the flip side!!! 16 more days!!!

Tuesday Trial - Nutrition Edition

Recently I was able to try two products that I had never tried before, Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt & Luna Sport Moons. Being my creature of habit self I was hesitant to test these new products as I live by the rule "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." I happily enjoy my fat free Publix yogurt and my Cliff Shot Bloks just fine... but I'm not gonna look a gift horse in the mouth so I picked up the yogurt using the coupons Kristina from Stoneyfield Farms sent me and I packed up the moons in my sports bra Sabrina sent me and took them both for a test drive...

• Oikos Organic Greek Yogurt has a whopping 15 grams of protein per 5.3 oz. serving, (we all need more protein) which is a great snack to fuel your training schedule. Oikos Greek yogurt is also unique because it’s organic -it's made from organic milk produced without the use of toxic persistent pesticides, chemical fertilizers, antibiotics, or artificial growth hormones (rBST). They feel that organic is not only better for you, but better for the planet as well.
  
  
  The Brunette and I cracked open a tub and dug in... it was very rich and weird tasting to me, having never tried greek yogurt before I wasn't ready for the difference in taste in comparisson to my lowly regular yogurt. After a few spoonfuls I decided it definitely wasn't my cup of tea but The Brunette LOVED it and our fridge has been stoked full of it ever since!
  


• LUNA Sport Moons offer three great-tasting flavors that come in moon-shaped, bite-size pieces that have a soft, but not too chewy, “bite.” LUNA Sport Moons come apart in your mouth quickly so they can be swallowed easily—a real asset when you’re on the move. Lastly, one packet of Moons chews provides 100 calories, so it’s simple to keep track of calorie intake during long outings.
  
  Mineral salts such as sodium chloride, potassium, magnesium are known collectively as electrolytes. These electrolytes allow electrical impulses to travel properly throughout your body, allowing for normal bodily function. When you sweat you start to deplete yourself of these electrolytes. Similar to dehydration, electrolyte depletion will first lead to performance declines and then onto more serious health issues. Each Moon provides sodium and potassium to help counteract the losses in your sweat.
  
  I have used these in place of my beloved Cliff Shot Bloks a few times now and I am in L-O-V-E with them, first off, they are quite tasty and second off I can store the package a bit easier than I can the Shot Bloks. I feel like they break down easier than the Shot Bloks and I love anything I get to eat more of. At 100 calories per package, I get to enjoy 6 yummy moons guilt free! Yay!

So while it was a 50/50 success between the two, I highly suggest trying both products for yourself!

Before I sign off, here's a few things ya'll should check out:

• First up it's Lauren's Birthday over at Team Giles, she is doing a sweet giveaway with Zensah so take a second and go wish her Happy B-day and then do some shopping! If you read my post yesterday you'll know that I just recently picked up some running sleeves from them and I can't wait until they arrive so I can test them out!
  
• Speaking of Zensah and giveaways, Chic Runner is also doing a Zensah giveaway! Two for the price of one! Get on it!
  
• Next up you only have 1 day left to enter for your chance to win a $100 gift card to Dick’s Sporting Goods. You may remember I did a giveaway awhile back with them and one lucky reader scored $100 courtesy of that giveaway.

In case you haven't yet, here's how you enter:
1) Log on to Twitter ASAP (or sign up for an account)
2) Follow @dickssportcmo on Twitter
3) RT @dickssportcmo with an answer to this question: What would you get at Dick's with $100 and why?

Wow so this post might be the most boring post I have ever written... *snore* sorry guys!

How about this... last night I popped into my DVD player the Chicago Marathon Finish DVD that Tom over at Runner's Lounge so awesomely sent me and proceeded to become an blubbering mess. In less than 3 short weeks that is going to be ME! I am going to be running that same marathon, going through that same finish line and all this hard work and dedication are finally going to come to an end. Less than 3 weeks people! 18 days to be exact! I'm going to run a friggin marathon. 26.2! My poor family... they are so going to have an emotional wreck on their hands after that finish... and my poor Brunette... who came home to me curled up in a ball crying on the couch watching that DVD. I am such a friggin' girl...

All this *ish and not a thing to wear...

Someone take my debit card from me, I have been on a shopping rampage. Since Friday I have bought:

• Another Halo Headband (Black)
  (Will be sharpie'ing over yellow logo... HATE yellow...)
  
• Zensah Arm Sleeves (Black)
  (In case it's cold in Chicago; this girl's blood has long thinned out from her Michigan days!!!)
  
• Another pair of Balega Socks (Pink)
  (You can never have too many pairs...)
  
• Enough PowerBar Gel's to cover the next 3 weeks
  (I like to start off with Raspberry Cream and then finish with Green Apple's)
  
• Another pair of Rider (Gray) Sandals to use with my Recovery Socks for after the marathon
  (My other Rider Flops won't work with the socks)
  
• A new green sports bra & top from Target
  (Target is the only place I can find bra's small enough to fit me)
  
• Officially registered for the Halloween Halfathon
  (SOOO excited to run a half again and on Halloween at that! YAY for Halloween!!!)
  
• And finally, a knee length pair of Nike running shorts
  (...again, in case it's cold)

All this *ish and I still don't know what to I'm going to wear to Chicago. I bet guys don't go through this...

*sniff, sniff*
"Hmmm this smells clean... SOLD! Packed and ready!"

My biggest problem is weather. I have more than enough gear for HOT but nada for COLD. If only I could get an idealistic day with clear skies and a high of 65-70. Better go feed the goat another $10 spot... But seriously, I have been running around half naked for months now and all the sudden I have to worry about clothes?!? I mean... I don't want to be too hot but I also don't want to freeze what's left of my boobies off so how do I pack?!?!

How do you pack for destination marathons where the weather could be anything?!?!?

18 Miles in NSB...

Opening Statement: Thank you Running Gods. I needed that...

My 18 miler was quite possibly the best run I have had to date... the locale, the company, the pace but more importantly THE FINISH. This run marks the first time I have ever finished 100% strong. Not.one.walk.break.at.all!!! .25 from the finish I even opened it up and sprinted through til the end. I could have kept running. I have not felt this good before, during and after a run EVER!!!

2:30 am my alarm goes off and I'm out the door and on I-4 headed east by 3 am. Heading out to New Smyrna Beach I think about how many times I've made the trip out there to party it up with my NSB Boys; Tall Guy Surfing and Harold... back then I would have never guessed I'd ever be trucking out there to run an 18 miler... back then I would've laughed at you as I chugged another Coors Light if you had said that. My how times have changed...

I arrive a little too promptly (Read: Zero Traffic that early on the interstate) much to the surprise of TGS & Tucker the Toe Licker McF*cker (TGS's dog; who ALWAYS licks my toes...). After stretching out and gearing up we head out right about 4:30 am... our route starts on the mainland, crosses over the intercoastal to the beach and then an out, back and around an amazing boardwalk area repeat. I couldn't have asked for a better route, it was absolutely GORGEOUS!!! Mind you most of the run was in the dark... but towards the tail end of the run we got the most amazing sunrise... but I jump ahead...

Around the 6ish mile we hit a Sevy for our (my) first pee break... the Sevy holds a special place in our hearts because back in the day, at closing time when Flagler Tavern spewed us out onto Flagler Ave after an insane night of boozing it up and dancing like a bunch of idiots we'd head back to TGS's house, hit up the "closet o' fun" and masquerade up the street to the local Sevy where we'd buy the place out of Taquito's... dressed like this... (Don't ask...)

At the Sevy
Circa 2007

Running to the Sevy
Circa 2009

As I said, things have changed. The Sevy guy "Hammy" was in awe of our awesomeness and after he snapped this pic for us, said, and I quote; "Dude you guys are going to live til your 100!" Classic. LOL!

After this we hit the beach and it was glorious! The stars were beautiful, the breeze from the ocean was refreshing and I was feeling amazing! My knee was twinging a little the entire run but not so much as I noticed after awhile; in fact besides running a bit slower than norm out of apprehension of pushing the knee too hard, I have never felt so great As we got past the 10 mile mark he dug up our reserves... yup I said dug up...

He dug a hole the night before and buried our water/Gu's!!! LOL!

After that we hit the boardwalk that runs thru the dunes and TGS told me the history surrounding the area which was pretty cool. Then it was back to the beach in time to catch the sunrise...

As we headed back up Flagler Ave TGS started falling off; we had officially gone farther than he had ever gone and he was feeling it... so I started singing him chants and rooting him on, he had it in him, he just needed to find the MOTIVATION-MO-MO-TIVATION!!! I told him to "chase the pony tail" as Jamoosh might and this helped him get thru the remaining mile to the 15 mile mark. (TGS: I bet you're loving beating a guy running right now huh?)

After a final Gu I hit the road to finish up my remaining 3... but as I neared the boardwalk again I noticed a truck had turned around twice in the time I had been running, once beeping at me ,and as I got into the park he was now parked. Sometimes being a girl running just isn't all that it's cracked up to be... When I got to TGS waiting for me I asked him if he'd mind running with me thru the wooded part of the boardwalk because I was nervous. I felt bad asking, as I knew he was wore out from the 15 but SAFETY FIRST so we hit the walk and rounded out the final 1.5... What an amazing feeling to finish that strong and to feel like I could run further!!! Was it the peanut butter & banana toast I had*? Was it all the rest & pampering I did all week? Was it the inspirational run on the beach? Maybe I had channeled my very own BEARK run?!?

Feeling like we could conquer the world (cuz we had) we headed back to TGS's house were I promptly hit up the tub for an excruciatingly cold ice bath and a refreshing serving of Joint Juice...

(I'm wearing bikini bottoms you perv's!!!)

After a bit of recovery we got cleaned up and headed out to eat small children... I mean grab breakfast and then it was back to O-town for me...

THANKS TGS FOR AN AWESOME RUN & CONGRATS ON 16.5!!!

Closing Statement: Bring it Chicago... BRING IT!!! 3 MORE WEEKS!!!

*I never used to eat before my runs, lately I have incorporated a banana but that's it.

Jamoosh - I hope you don't mind I jacked your format for this post...

3 Things Thursday

1. Knee/ITB Update: I have been R.I.C.E'ing like a mutha 3-4 times a day, we're talking before work, going home on lunch break, in between jobs and then before bed, and progress has been made!!! I am feeling much better after two successful "test runs" and a visit to my smoking hot Chiropractor for a much needed adjustment and over-haul... things are starting to look up! (Special thanks to The Brunette for joining me this morning, I'm so proud of her... she did her first Brick! She biked 3 miles along side me, then ran .25 around the lake before getting back on the bike and rounding out the 5 mile route.)
   


2. Can I just say I could not believe all the people that came out of the woodwork for my 100th post?!?!? I have a reader in India! OMG! How awesome is that?!?! Thank you all so much for coming out of hiding and dropping me a comment!!! I was also cracking up at all the ab envy; my secret is crunches, planks and good genes... (but before you go hating just remember I was also cursed with a J-Lo booty, midget height and lack of rack.) As for who wins the care package, that would be Rachael over at The Beginning Runner's Blog. She's a newbie to the running/blogging world and I absolutely crack up everytime I read one of her posts. I def recommend you stop by her digs and show her some luv when you get a chance, you won't regret it. Rachael - please email me your address so I can get your care package out to you!
   
   


3. Saturday's long run is as much a field trip as an adventure... I'm headed out to New Smyrna Beach (NSB) to visit my friend Tall Guy Surfing (TGS). He has been training solo for the Disney Marathon and has been going out of his mind on his long runs so the adventures of Redhead Running are going on tour to the opposite coast! I'm getting up even earlier than normal to head over and run my 18 miler on the beaches, boardwalk and sidewalks of NSB with TGS as he rocks out his first and furthest mileage yet, a 15 miler! So excited for the field trip and to run with an old friend! Be prepared for lots of fun tales and pics!

Have a great weekend ya'll! Rock those training runs and races!!! I know this is 3 Things Thursday but I have just one more thing that needs to be shared before I catch ya on the flip side; look what came in the mail yesterday...

(Obviously I did a bit of Redhead Running Photoshop'ing to jazz this up)

Happy Birthday to Aunt Sharon & Kabob

Today is the joint birthday of two of the most important people of my life; My Aunt Sharon and my brother “Kabob”.

• 
  
  I was born ALMOST exactly 10 years my Aunt Sharon’s junior, from the start I was her “live” baby doll and the daughter she never had. She is, in one person; my best friend and the mother I wish I had. She has always believed in me and encouraged me to pursue all my dreams; when I wanted to move to Florida she was my #1 supporter and although she misses me, she has never once suggested I move back. Words can not express how much she means to me nor can I ever repay her for everything that she has done for me over the years. I have always looked up to her as a role model, she is a strong, independent woman and an amazing single mother... she is truly an inspiration and I hope someday to be even a slice of the woman that she is.
  
  
  


• 
  
  My brother “Kabob” came screaming into my life just shy of my third birthday... and ever since we’ve been best friends, worst enemies, partners in crime and co-owners of a million family secrets. Together we’ve had the happiest of times and trudged through the darkest of days... the bond that we share has been tested more oft than not but through it all we have always stuck by each other. When I see the man he has become I am so proud... and yet when I look at him, I still see the little boy who was skinny as a rail, covered in dirt, chasing me around with snakes...

It has been a year since I’ve seen my Aunt and a year and a half since I have seen my "Lil’" Big Bro but in less than one month not only do I get to see them both, but they will both be waiting for me as I cross the finish line at Chicago. To have them both there, for one of the most important days of my life thus far, means so much to me and is one of the many reasons why I will run my heart out in Chicago.

I love you both so much! Happy Birthday and see you very soon!!!

PLEASE NOTE: IT IS NOT MY BIRTHDAY... MINE IS 10/15

Tuesday Trial - Halo Headband

When I first started seeing reviews on Halo Headbands I was intrigued, but skeptical... I mean I'm not doubting ya'll sweat a lot or anything (lord knows ya'll have the sweaty pics to prove it) but there aren't many of you that live in 100% humidity 24/7 like I do. So after doing some more research (Read: Scored the website, read all the reviews, etc) I hit up customer service and laid it out to them; I hate wearing things on my head but I hate sweat in my eyes worse, is your product really going to hold up in Hades, also, I have a small head... is one size fits all really going to stay on my midget head? They replied; Yes, Yes and You're going to love your product!

A few days later I received my adorable Pink Halo II - Pullover

Test Run #1 was the 16 miler adventure a few weeks back; Not only did it basically get put through a 4 mile sprint but then it endured a direct sunlight tail end of a 12 miler... of which I spent most of the time explaining to Elsa how great it was working! Quite frankly if they could just work up a way to prevent the sweat mustache I wouldn't even need my wrist rockers anymore!!! SOLD!

Test Run #2 (to be sure it really was as fantastic as it seemed) was my Wednesday run with Therese last week where again, it held up marvelously and I sang it's praises.

Test Run... oh let's be realistic here... I friggin' love my headband and am about to get every color so I can accessorize accordingly...

But here's the best part, the headband is made out of an “Odor-free” VisaEndurance Fabric: a microfiber polyester that has been embedded with silver ions that prevent the growth of bacteria. No bacteria. No smell. I've washed my headband a few times now and there is zero stank left over... unlike my wrist rockers that still come out of the dryer funky every time. (Well that is until X-Country2 shared her odor killing secret)


Survey Says: Redhead Running gives Halo the Rock Star vote! I highly recommend snagging a Halo Headband STAT!

Centennial Blog Post!!!

With the bad-itude in check, let's do some celebrating shall we?!?!? Post #100!!! *Cue the confetti!!!* *Cue the marching band!!!* *Cue the acrobatic midgets!!!*

When I started this little blog back on Feb 9th, I was 19 days away from my first Half Marathon and just wanted to document my training and the race. That's it. No plans for what I'd do after and not a reader in sight. I didn't even tell a soul I was writing it. I never would have thought it would turn into the outlet that it has. I also never would've thought I was going to go on to train to run a marathon either. It's funny what can happen in a few months huh? I decided to jack Aron's format for noting the milestones and give you 100 random things about/of Redhead Running. Enjoy!

10 Reasons why I Run:

(1) To finally have calves! (2) To sleep better at night (3) To look & feel healthy (4) Bragging Rights! (5) For ME time (6) To INSPIRE others (7) Can't beat the runner's high! (8) To get faster & run further (9) Cute running gear! (10) To eat carrot cake guilt free after a Long Run

10 Foods I don't eat that will make you gasp in disbelief and call me un-American:

(1) Lettuce (crunchy water just doesn't do it for me), which means I'm also not a fan of salad (2) (although I have found that if it's baby spinach based I can dig it) in fact I hate all things salad; i.e. Potato Salad, Macaroni Salad, Taco Salad (except Fruit Salad, minus any kind of melon (3) including but not limited to watermelon, cantelope, etc...), I think it's because I also do not like condiments or dressing (yup I enjoy my food naked) (4) which go with that whole salad thing. I also do not like broccoli (5), coffee (6), tomato's (7) or bacon (8) (Cut me a break here, I grew up on a pig farm... have you ever eaten your pets???). Everyone's favorite recovery drink Chocolate Milk? (9) I'll pass! And finally, pop or soda (10) or whatever you call it... wasn't allowed to have it growing up so I never got addicted to it like all you Diet Coke fiends out there.

10 Running Confessions:

(1) For whatever reason I always wear the same pair of underwear for my long runs (yes I wash them in between) (2) I loved my Rider sandals so much I went back and bought all the other colors (3) I don't really understand all that heart rate monitoring mumbo-jumbo (4) I wore my old Asics to work one night because my foot was bothering me and continued to do so there after (I know it's a sin! I repent! I repent!) (5) I trash talk all the guys I pass in my head because I love it when I run faster than a guy (6) I religiously lay out all my gear and triple check it the night before a Long Run (7) As much as I want a Garmin, I am scared of becoming obsessed with my pace and there by losing sight of the joy of a good run (8) I really don't care if I ever make it to Boston (if it happens, SCORE, if not, no worries) (9) With speedwork a continual source of pain I question whether I'd ever be able to run fast enough to qualify anyway (10) There are only three things left on my "Being a Classy Runner" list and I pray it stays that way...

20 Fav Running Songs: (Yeah that's right 20! I do what I want!!!)

(1) Pump it - Black Eyed Peas (2) Flannigan's Ball - Drop Kick Murphy's (3) Body Movin' - Beastie Boys (4) Keeps getting better - Christina Aguilera (5) Lollipop Porn - Crazy Town (6) Hella Good - No Doubt (7) Flathead - The Fratellis (8) Break Stuff - Limp Bizkit (9) Wonderful Day - O.A.R. (10) All Mixed Up - 311 (11) It's just a ride - Jem (12) Firecracker - Josh Turner (13) Zero - Smashing Pumpkins (14) Times like These - Foo Fighters (15) Sideways - Dierks Bentley (16) The Warriers Code - Drop Kick Murphy's (17) Just a Girl - No Doubt (18) The Distance - Cake (19) Ching-A-Ling - Missy Elliott (20) Boom-Boom-Pow - Black Eyed Peas

I have a pretty eclectic taste in music so there's a little something for everyone there... Anything by Drop Kick, O.A.R. or BEP are my fav's though.

10 Fav Places I've Visited:

(1) San Fran (2) New York (3) Vegas (4) Boston (5) Denver (6) D.C. (7) Mackinac Island (8) Keywest (9) Chicago (October 11th!!!) (10) Stiltsville: (Prob the most amazing place EVER!)

10 Things I couldn't live without, Running related or otherwise:

(1) Chapstik (2) Cell Phone (Even if I never answer it) (3) Body Lotion (4) A good book (5) Body Glide (6) "Wrist Rockers" (7) Water (8) Clif Shot Blocks (9) My running shoes (10) The most important of all: My Friends & Family

10 Random Facts about ME:

Home

(1) I was born & raised on a PIG Farm (Read: Glamorous Life) in Jackson, MI (2) I have two younger brothers & two younger sisters but technically I'm an only child (READ: Very screwed up family tree!) (3) I absolutely LOVE Flamingos and will totally have a yard Flamingo for my house someday (4) I was once a bit of an artist (5) I was held up at work last year and have become a bit morbid ever since. I'm the girl the points out all the places my body might get dragged along my run route. (6) I have pretty much worked two jobs my entire employment career, not even out of necessity but boredom. I NEED to have something to do. (7) I was diagnosed with chronic insomnia when I was 5 (8) I was busted for a minor in possession of alcohol when I was 16 (Read: Wasn't always such a nerdy runner girl) (9) I moved to Orlando, FL all by myself when I was 18 to attend college and didn't know a soul (10) Pink & Green are my happy colors if you couldn't tell...

10 Things I've learned since Training for a Marathon/since my Half Marathon:

(1) Toenails are overrated, so don't get too attached. (2) Epson Salt soaks are key to relaxing the muscles and your nerves the night before a big run (3) whereas Ice Baths are a neccessary evil and the key to recovery (4) Sleep is a wonderful and food is my friend (5) Running should be an adventure, enjoy it! (6) Being a creature of habit isn't a bad thing when preparing for a marathon (7) Elevate your legs up against a wall for 15 minutes after a hard run (8) The hardest part of running really is NOT listening to the voice inside your head that tells you to give up. (Negative Nancy) As NY Wolve says: Never quit, Never Stop (9) Crossing the finish line is the sweetest thing. Regale in it! Smile big and feel accomplished NO MATTER WHAT. As Jill says: Finishing IS Winning. (10) Running with friends makes the time and miles fly by! Grab a friend or join a running group!

10 Favorite Running Pics:

7/4/08: July 4th Watermelon 5k - My first 5k - Wearing cotton everything. I've come a long way. I seriously wanted to die.

10/19/08: UCF 5 Miler - First time ever running 5 miles and I finished in 44 minutes! The other pic is with my Beaker Luv who unknowingly was pregnant and ran her first 2 miler. It was Baby RJ's first dose of running!

12/13/08: Reindeer Run 5k rocking some candy cane knee highs and a Santa hat. SO much fun and SO cold (for Florida anyway)

1/23/09: Seasons 52 5.2k - The "I gotta pee again face."

2/8/09: Jacksonville Winter Beach Run 10 Miler - With Race Buddy, we had such a blast running on the beach!!!

3/1/09: Gasparilla Half Marathon - 2:02

3/14/2009: CNL 10k - 51 Min! Is it just me or does it look like I'm skipping? LOL!

5/9/09 - Muddy Buddy - Absolutely the most insane fun ever! I can't wait to do it again next year!!!!! (I'm the muddy girl on the right bringing up the rear)

7/4/09 - July 4th Night Run Adventure with B.o.B - My one year anniversary of running spent with one of my best friends... who could ask for more?



Well if you made it this far you are more than likely a regular to the blog and I thank you for your time, your love and for reading/enjoying my crazy antics... so as a reward I'm doing a little giveaway to you... No big announcement about it, I want this giveaway to go to my loyal readers, the ones that stop by every day or every week and leave a little love. I will randomly pick one lucky reader to send a care package too with a few of my favorite things. (*Cue The Sound of Music*) Just a little something from me, to you, to say thanks. Ya'll have no idea how much you've come to mean in my life and there are many days that you give me the motivation I need to push on. Just leave me a little something in the comment section, a hello, your favorite post so far, words of wisdom for the marathon, quotes that inspire you, hate mail, tips on how to score a boyfriend, whatever tickles your fancy...

Thanks again everyone, for being a part of my journey... here's to another 100...

Assessing the Situation...

Enough of this wallowing around in self pity, time to suck it up and get back on track, 4 weeks til go time and that leaves zero time for this Negative Nancy bullsh*t. I'm not the only one who had a crap weekend, in fact between Lindsay and NY Wolve I don't know who had it worse... I mean, collectively we didn't even reach a 20 miler! Ugh. I've had ample time to reflect on The 20 Miler that wasn't and assess exactly what went wrong, how I could have prevented it and what I need to do to be back on the road ASAP.

• I mentioned having a great week of running prior to this weekend... it was so great in fact that on Thursday's Tempo Run of 8 miles I laced it chuck full of Fartlek's otherwise known as speed work. Well if you remember, I divorced speed work last month thinking the track was the culprit for all my knee pain... well surprise, surprise speed work in general must not work for me. So despite feeling great at the time, this was the last work out I did prior to my long run attempt as Friday was my rest day. Culprit identified. Speedwork is officially struck from training schedule indefinitely.

The pain I am experiencing is total deja vu so thankfully I have the knowledge and tools to treat this. I have been stretching, foam rolling, icing and popping anti-inflammatories like a motha... R.I.C.E, R.I.C.E Baby...

My next scheduled run isn't til Wednesday, an easy 6 miler, so I will be resting and continuing the regimen above with maybe some xtraining if I'm feeling up to it.

FYI - Consuming an entire bag of granola does not fill the void of a 20 miler... just saying.

I still have 2 more long runs before taper so the goal is to focus on getting back on track and rocking those. Can I do it? You bet your @ss I can! Nothing is going to stop this redhead from crossing that finish line in Chicago!!! "Let's go Morgan, let's GO!"

I am the epitome of a fiesty redhead this morning, I am chuck full of spunk so if you need a friendly smack on the @ss to get you moving hit me up! I'm so fired up in fact, that I might even post twice today... wait for it...

The 20 Miler that wasn't.

Yup, you read the title right. The 20 Miler didn't happen. It wasn't for lack of trying, I tried 3x, it was however an evil plot of mother nature and my IT band joining forces against me. I leave you with the 20 Miler that wasn't...

Friday I headed over to B.o.B's basking in the after glow of a week's worth of great running, being excited about my one month countdown and my cuz scoring us a hotel for race eve and of course excitement to see my girl and the B.R.A. for another running adventure. Upon arriving B presented me with my very own wood courtesy of Coach Tom!!! YAY! (Once it's painted I promise to show you said wood...) We spent the night being our usual party animal selves... watching TV, making a trip to Publix to get random items of interest, my stretch routine much to the entertainment of B and her roommate, epsom bath, etc... before calling it a day.

Around 3:45 am the synchronized alarms were blaring and we were both up and at 'em... and immediately realized that it was STILL raining from last night. Maybe it would pass? We did our thing, got ready and I noticed my knee was twinging... hmmm not good... so I iced it and did some more stretching before we headed over to the spot... amidst even more rain and lightning. You know where this is headed right? I.don't.run.in.the.rain.

There were fewer peeps there than normal and everyone was wondering to run or not to run... I headed over to the Sevy to hit up the friendly law enforcement boys to see if they'd check the radar for us... Diagnosis: RAIN, RAIN, RAIN. That was all I needed, I promptly informed the crew I was out. They on the other hand decided that at the very least they'd try to get in an out and back. So B and I headed back to Compton and hit up the gym for 30 minutes before promptly nestling back into bed.

After our glorious little nap we headed over to Panera to meet back up with the peeps... a few had stopped amidst the storm but the rest of the hardcore crew trudged all 22 miles they had on board!!! I felt like I should bow in their presence or at the very least give them a round of applause. Everyone gave me as much crap as they could for not sticking it out but I still stand by my decision that I would've been miserable.

After breakfast I headed back to O-town in a torrential downpour and hopped on the weather website as soon as I arrived home. There was about a 3 hour window starting just then that there would be little to no rain before we got flooded again so I quickly changed and headed over to Cady Way. Now I never claimed to be the brightest crayon in the box so the fact that I overlooked the other implementing weather conditions of the hours in question or the obvious fact that I live in FLORIDA aka the Sunshine State is classic. When I started my run at 2pm it was sunny skies and 88 degrees... by the time I hit the park around mile 4 I was severely overheated, my knee was buckling and I was starting to see stars. Bravo Morgan, Bravo. Here's your sign. After I regained my composure and refilled my handheld that had long been empty I headed back to my car... cursing my stupidity, the heat, my knee and another failed attempt.

The rest of the night I wallowed around in self pity, being a very grumpy roommate indeed. I made plans to attempt the run again in the morning with Lazy Runner and hit the hay early once again... It was a long night, my knee was aching, I kept waking up drenched in sweat, the Blonde and her boyfriend stumbled home around 2am being loud as f*ck and when my alarm finally went off I hit dismiss instead of snooze and overslept til LR called at 4am. This is not the way to start out a run... while I went through the motions of getting ready my knee continued to ache and ache and by the time LR got there I was far from ready and my spirits were crap. I'm pretty sure he didn't know what to think because he made the comment "I've never seen you like this before a run."

The route I mapped out started at my place, hit downtown, around through Winter Park, Baldwin Park and then back... with plenty of chances to call it quits if one of us wasn't feeling it. (LR is still not 100% from his ITB issues) So we headed out and immediately I'm in excruciating pain. My form is jacked, I'm choking back moans of pain with each step and LR... well LR just finished his coffee and was chanting "Let's go Morgan, Let's GO!!!" I kinda wanted to choke him.

We made it a whole block down the street before I had to stop and try to re-adjust/stretch.. all the while he's playing with the traffic light box and manages to turn the stop light into flashing lights... "Um... run Morgan, time to run, let's go..." Nice. I get maybe a half a block before my knee buckles and I am down on all fours. This wasn't happening. Defeated, in pain, and trying my d@mndest not to cry in front of LR we limp back to my place. We must have looked pretty pathetic because a taxi going the opposite way swung around and asked us if we needed a lift.

When we got back to my place LR demanded Tiger Balm and for me to lay down on the floor where he proceeded to give me the most painful IT band massage EVER. (Let me just say that I had hoped for a far better story to share with ya'll about a guy massaging my leg after months of celibacy but this was def not the case...) Dr. LR confirmed that my IT Band was beyond tight and that I needed to take it easy. So with my leg in euphoric numbness I headed back to bed.

As I sit here now recapping the epic FAIL that was, I wonder if I had just put my big girl pants on and ran in the rain yesterday if I would have made it or not... or if the knee would've gave out like it did this morning and I would've been the worse for the wear, especially with all the puddles and such they said they ran through... but wondering "what if" isn't going to do me a d@mn bit of good. So I'm just going to take it easy today, foam roll, soak in another epsom bath, stretch, stretch and more stretch and hope for the best. This is the first time I have ever missed a long run and I still have 2 more before taper. I also know I have a solid base so I'm trying not to let Negative Nancy get the best of me.

4 weeks til Chicago! I KNOW I've still got this.

One Month...

Maybe I've mentioned this once or twice (or 5 bajillion times) but I'm training for the Chicago Marathon...

I'm going to run a whole marathon...

in Chicago...

on October 11th...

exactly ONE MONTH from today!!!

ONE MONTH. 4 WEEKS. 30 DAYS.

9/11/01 - Never Forget.


Have an amazing weekend ya'll! 20 miler... here I come!

After post edit: My absolutely amazing cousin Michelle, who is my #1 supporter and personal cheerleader for Chicago as well as my place to crash just found us a hotel for race night... downtown... a mile away from Grant Park!!!
SHE IS ABSO-FREAKING-LUTELY AWESOME!!!!!
My day just go SO MUCH BETTER!!!

THANK YOU CUZ!!! LUV YOU!!!