I heart running

At the end of October, I ran my 2nd half marathon in 2012. It was a great race and I beat my PR with a time of 1 hour 54 minutes. A week ago, I ran my very first 10k. I even got to run it with some friends from way back when. Amanda and I were friends from ages 12-14 (we moved away to Arlington). She actually lives one street over from us now. The crazy part is that we met back up because of our daughters, Cloey and Julia, who are pretty much attached at the hip now. We also ran with Michelle, who I was FHE sisters with at Ricks. She is also married to another one of my old friends who I grew up with. It's so fun running into old friends here since we lived in this same stake when I was younger (age 5-14). Although, in the church, it really is just a small world, especially when you've lived in a lot of places. The other week, Cory and I played in our stake Coed Softball Tournament (which was SO MUCH FUN). After one of our games, another couple from the other team came over to Cory to find out if it really was us. As soon as they said who they were, I totally recognized them. We were friends with them up at Ricks (actually, I think it had just changed to BYU-Idaho when we met in our married ward). AND....she's a runner!!!! She hasn't ran for awhile but I think we are going to do a race together sometime next year. ................................................................................. I seriously think 10ks are one of my favorite races now. It's not far but far enough to still have to push yourself. I finished it in 53 minutes (average pace of 8:10 sec). I am finishing off the year with a 5k in December (I'm doing it with my laurels). I'm hoping to finish under 25 minutes. We'll see how it goes. This morning I ran a mile in 7:30 which I was pretty excited about, especially since there was some uphill in that mile.............................................................................. At playgroup yesterday, a bunch of girls were talking about how they wanted to start running. So, here are some tips I have been thinking of for anyone who wants to get into running.... 1. Sign up for a race and start training. It really helps me to print out a training schedule (that you can get from active.com or many other websites) and hang it up on my fridge. I stole this idea from my friend Jenae and it REALLY helps me. 2. Find the right running clothes. I have learned how important it is for me to run in the "right" clothes for me. I cannot run in a regular t-shirt...I get way too hot. I like the breathable wicking clothing (you can buy anywhere these days...even Walmart). Then, I have to have good socks and supportive shoes, especially because of the arthritis I have in my ankles and knees (it showed up in an x-ray at the doctor's office). 3. Good music (I like to just listen to Pandora stations) or the mormon channel app (I LOVE to listen to conference when I run/bike, but some mornings I need the upbeat tempo of my Cascada radio station on Pandora). 4. A lot of different routes. I change my route every single day because I hate monotony. I like to run and discover new places because it keeps me interested. Or, I like to run to a certain place that I have in mind so that I feel like I'm actually going somewhere. I do NOT enjoy running on tread mills or in circles! 5. Kill two birds with one stone. Sometimes I'll meet Cory and the girls at the park or at home because while they drive, I run. Or, I'll run (or bike if it's further away) to a church meeting (I am so excited to run to mutual once our new building is finished). I even run to the school to drop stuff off that my girls forgot. 6. Find a friend to run with. Lately, I've just been running with my new running buddy, Keeley (our new dog). But, there is nothing better and more motivating than to meet a friend and run together. It is the perfect way to really get to know someone. In fact, some of the closest friends I've had over the last six years have been my running buddies. 7. Challenge yourself. I use the mapmyrun app on my iphone to keep track of my pace and distance. I love to set goals for myself and see how hard I can push it. 8. When I get home, I always drink chocolate milk. Supposedly, it is one of the best recovery drinks out there, whether that's true or not, it is the greatest treat ever after a long run. In fact, I usually let it get a little icy in the freezer before I drink it. 9. Running in the morning is the best way to start your day and it is also easier for me to run without food in my stomach. Another reason why I love mornings is because I have tons more energy the rest of the day and I don't have to stress about when I'm going to get my run in that day. Some mornings I have to go really early (if Cory goes to work earlier) because to me it is a priority. 10. It gets easier. Running is such a stress reliever to me, but it wasn't always. It used to be so painful. But, the longer you do it and the further you go, the better it gets. Still to this day, the first mile (or 3) are usually the worst part of my runs, after that it gets SO much better. So, there you go. Maybe one of those tips will help someone.