Why?

Pushing through week 6 of Marathon Training. Keeping my head high when runs don't go so great, and feeling like $1,000,000 when they do.

Yesterday while I was running, I started thinking about why I run. A common question I've been getting lately. Most people think I'm crazy for running- "it's bad for your knees, it's dangerous, it's too hot outside, you'll hurt yourself, it takes too much of your time, it's not worth it..."

So, why do I run? Do I do it just for the exercise? No. An hour on the elliptical would be a hell of a lot easier. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that it's the challenge I face during each run, the feeling of doing something hard, and really pushing myself, and sense of accomplishment after that keeps me coming back. I have never, ever regretted a run.  Sure, I've had bad runs- what runner hasn't? But those bad runs don't stop me from the overwhelming appreciation I feel after every single run- no matter how long or short. Plus, bad runs give me the power to recognize, and appreciate the good runs.

Running is emotional. It gives me time to think, to appreciate my life, my family, nature. To thank God for the ability to run. And to take time, after a hectic day, to appreciate just being alive.

Training for the marathon hasn't just given me strength in my stride and cardiovascular endurance. It's opened my eyes to my soul. I am learning things about myself that I couldn't have learned otherwise. I know exactly when and how my brain will try it's best to convince me to stop. I know how to break down those voices with a single thought or quote or vision. I know that pushing through 10 more minutes instead of stopping gives me more confidence and more appreciation than anything I've ever felt.

And I've still got a long way to go. 14 miles this weekend; surpassing my personal longest distance of 13.1. Am I scared? Hell yes. I'm in uncharted water after tomorrow. But that's the thrill of the game....

Happy Tuesday!

Marathon Training- Week Uno

Well... we're all moved in to our new place. The verdict? We absolutely love it so far! We have SO MUCH space and everything actually has a place, which is a totally new concept to us.

Our babies seem to have adjusted pretty well, too....



What? You think I couldn't handle the move? Please.





I'll just take a quick nap...



This weekend was basically spent moving. cleaning, painting, and unpacking- and man is that a workout! :) 



Lookin gooood





Finished pictures to come soon!

 Saturday started Day 1 of Marathon Training! Words do not describe how scared I am. I have confidence in myself, but seeing those scary miles on the schedule freak me out- I'm not gonna lie. This week has pretty low mileage, but I'm going to try hard to stick with the schedule exactly, even if I feel like I can do more. I believe the running plan is there for a reason, and if I push too hard now, I'll definitely regret it later (like when I'm running 40 mpw eek!!!)

You'll probably notice a bit of a change in my weekly workouts- obviously it will incorporate more running (4-5 days per week) and less weight lifting/cross training. I'm going to really put my focus on running, so any cross training will be light- focusing on low impact cardio, upper body weights, and lots and lots of core work. Not to mention that I'm switching gyms at the end of this month (yep, I'm gonna be a Y girl!) so I can add in some yoga and swimming- pretty exciting! Also, following the running plan, my weeks now start with Saturday long runs and go Saturdays to Fridays.

This week's workout schedule:

Saturday- 5 miles
Sunday- rest day/stretch
Monday- 3 mile tempo/hills; spin
Tuesday- 2.5 miles, kickboxing
Wednesday- AM strength, PM 5 mile interval run
Thursday- 3 miles
Friday- AM strength/stretch

Weekly Mileage: 18.5


This week's quote:

"Sweat is just fat crying." 

---Thought that was hilarious! Have a great week!!! :)



Marathons battle it out...

I have a huge dilemma.
HUGE.

Okay, I'm dramatic.

But, I need help. See, there are 2 marathons I could run in the fall (did I mention training starts July 30?! eep!!!) And I can't decide which to do!

So, being the OCD psycho I am, I made a list....

SAVANNAH ROCK 'N' ROLL MARATHON

Nov. 5th

vs.

THUNDER ROAD MARATHON

Nov. 12th

Savannah Pros
1. FLAT (162' elevation)

2. BIG race, crowd support, bands every mile

3. Good excuse for vacation

4. Beautiful scenery

5. Shae is running the half!

Thunder Road Pros

1. Close to home

2. Majority of running team is running- moral support!

3. No hotel or traveling (can get ready at home)

4. Family can come watch the race

5. Cheaper race registration

Savannah Cons

 1. Out of town; unfamiliar sleeping arrangements= added stress/less sleep

2. Won't know many people running the full

3. Cost of hotel/travel

4. No family support

5. More expensive race registration

Thunder Road Cons

1. HILLY! (1168' elevation) !!!

2. Not as big of a race/less crowd support

3. Less interesting scenery

4. HILLS

5. HILLS

6. HILLS

(I think you get my dilemma)

Help! :(

PS- My mantra

Work it out

Monday- AM strength training; PM 3mile run, spin
Tuesday- 5mile interval run: 800m fast, 800m regular pace x5
Wednesday- AM strength training; PM Boot camp
Thursday- 4m tempo run
Friday- AM strength training
Saturday- 6-8mile run

Quote of the Week:

"There's a difference between interest and commitment. When you're interested in doing something, you only do it when it's convenient. When you're committed to something, you accept no excuses; only results."

5/23- 5/29 Workouts

Monday: AM- Strength Training
                PM- 1.5 mile speed run before Spin class

Tuesday: Rest Day (Cory has the day off, may go on a walk/swim)

Wednesday: AM- Strength Training
                      PM- Boot camp

Thursday: 5 mile run

Friday: AM Strength Training

Saturday: 6-8 mile morning run

Sunday: Pi-Yo

This Week's Quote:
"It's never too late to be what you might have been."
      -George Elliot

3/16-3/22 Workouts

I'm a little late posting this, this week!

Monday: Day after Half Marathon- Complete Rest Day
Tuesday: Rest day #2 + stretching (Hurt my foot during the race and it is still very tender & swollen)
Wednesday: AM Strength Training
                      PM 60 mins on spin bike (Foot still swollen and hurting)
Thursday: 4-5 mile run
Friday: AM Strength training
Saturday: 6 mile run
Sunday: Yoga

The workout page and recipe page have been updated!

Weekly Quote:

"With the proper motivation, that is, a good reason for wanting to do it,

 your mind can overcome any sort of adversity."

 -Franz Stampfl, running coach

RACE WEEK WORKOUTS

My second Half Marthon is this week!!!  Here's my schedule for the week:

Monday- 3mi recovery run, Yoga
Tuesday- 1m warm-up, 3.5m tempo run, 1m cool-down
Wednesday- AM PT, Boot camp
Thursday- 3m easy run
Friday- AM 2m easy jog; leaving for VA at noon!
Saturday- Complete Rest/stretching/foam rolling
Sunday- Fredericksburg Historic Half Marathon!!!

This week's Quote:


It's a long, hard road and it's going to have its bumps; there are going to be times when you fall and times when you don't feel like going on anymore, times when you're just crazy tired but it takes focusing on that one step you're taking. That's what I'm trying to do with the marathon; I don't think about the miles that are coming down the road, I don't think about the mile I'm on right now, I don't think about the miles I've already covered. I think about what I'm doing right now, just being lost in the moment.
-Ryan Hall on running a marathon

Half Marathoner!

I did it! I'm officially a Half Marathoner!

This past weekend was the epitomy of jam packed! But, I loved every second of it! I got to do all of my favorite things- run (duh), spend time with my sisters, enjoy a beautiful wedding of one of my best childhood friends, shop in Charleston, and lay out in the sun. What more could a girl want?!

Charlotte Racefest Half Marathon Recap

This was my first Half Marathon and technically my 6th race ever! Who knew last August when I was preparing for my first 5k that 8 months later I'd be competing for 13.1?! I get kind of emotional just thinking about how far I've come.

The day before the big race I started prepping. I decided to skip my AM workout and use Friday as a complete "rest day". I ate my regular breakfast of 2 egg whites, a whole wheat english muffin and a cup of coffee and chugged water like it was goin outta style. I ate a pretty large lunch in efforts to carbo load, since I wanted to eat a lighter dinner.  I had spaghetti with ground turkey, fresh tomatoes and a little grated parm cheese. When I got off work, I went home to start getting things ready for the weekend.

I had wanted to eat an early-for-me dinner... but after picking up my race packet and running around I ended up eating around 8:30. I had a quick tuna sandwhich on whole wheat at Mom's- delish!

Once I got home, I laid out all my gear for the morning. Who knew runner's need SO.MUCH.STUFF. to...well, run??! Before I started seriously running, I thought all you needed was a "good pair" of tennis shoes (meaning the cheap ones on sale at Dick's) and you were off to hit the pavement! Oh, how young and niave I was (ahem, 8 months ago).

My packing list:
-Running Shorts
-Granny panties
-Extra clothes for after race
-Sports bra
-Racing bib/safety pins
-Running Team tee
-Water
-Garmin 305
-Prewrap (to go under my Garmin)
-Camera
-Spi Belt
-Gu, Gu Chomps
-Chapstick
-Body Glide (Chafe prevention!)
-Deoderant
-Running shoes (Ascics GT-2160)
-Nike Visor (to keep the rain off my face)
-Wicking socks

Quite the list!

After getting everything together, I was snuggled in bed, praying for a sunny morning by 9:45pm. Suprisingly, I slept pretty darn good and when the alarm went off at 4:50am I felt well rested. I got up, checked my email and was RELIEVED to find this:

Yesss!!! I got PUMPED after that, dressed quickly, checked and re-checked my bag, made a quick whole wheat english muffin w/ peanut butter + banana and threw it in the bag for later (planned to eat around 6:15am). Mom picked me up to drive me to a local Starbucks to meet my running team so we could caravan to the race.

After arriving, we did a quick warm-up and stretched. Thank goodness we used the bathroom at Starbucks! It was a good 30 min wait for the port-a-potties! It started raining promptly at 7:15; just enough time to soak us down before the race even started.

Miles 1-3 were kind of a blur. There were 3,300 runners and the 10k and Half started together; so naturally it was insanely crowded and hard to run without fear of falling and being trampled over by a gazillion crazy adrenaline-induced runners. I chased after one of my teammates, weaving in an out of the crowd until we finally got some breathing room.

Splits:
Mi 1 9:56
Mi 2 9:33
Mi 3 9:41

I passed up the water stations, mentally deciding to take water around mi 6 or 7 when I'd take my Gu. I was feelin pretty good, despite the constant rain, and decided to try and keep my pace around 9:30.

Miles 4-7 were nice; stayed mainly on one road with flat to rolling hills. The crowds of runners started to space out and I was trying to soak in every second. By this point 2 of my teammates and I were running together, although not making a point to stick side by side. By the end of mile 5, I decided to speed up and ran alone for the remainder of the race.

Splits
Mi 4 9:20
Mi 5 9:20
Mi 6 9:17
Mi 7 9:15

Look at that sexy hair!

Mile 8 was killer. There was about a half mile hill and my legs caught up to me. I took water at the aid station and my Gu and started feeling better- it was all mental from here. During all my long runs, my teammates and I would talk so I'd never bring music. Without thinking, I assumed it'd be the same on race day and didnt' bring along my iPod- MISTAKE!  I was so bored with myself and was letting my mind get the best of me.

"What's my pace? Where's the next hill? Why's my ankle hurting? Is that a side stitch coming? Where's that girl I was running behind, did she get way ahead of me? Am I going too fast? Can I do this??!"

Bad news. I wish more than anything I'd had music to take that damn voice out of my head! I'll know for next time. I recovered and got back to speed by mile 9 and took it easy on mile 10; I was starting to feel it!

Splits
Mi 8 9:54
Mi 9 9:17
Mi 10 9:35

Mile 11 was brutal. There was a steep but short hill that I had anticipated the whole way. I threw in 2 Gu chomps to prepare and took it like a man. I was SO suprised at how many people were walking; but I refused.  I just repeated in my head "JUST. KEEP. GOING" over and over. I had promised myself at the start that I wouldn't walk at all. Not even through the water stops. In my mind, I wanted to know I "ran" the whole way... and while I know it's still an awesome accomplishment for those that did take walk breaks, it was just my personal preference to run the entire way.

After that hill, I felt like my legs never quite recovered like I had expected. I was breathing heavy, I was soaking wet and I was bored. I remember thinking "this is not fun, I'm so over this right now" but then my optimistic side took over and persuaded my demon side that running faster meant ending faster, so I kept chugging along.

Splits:
Mi 11 9.56
Mi 12 9.40

Once I got to Mi 12 and knew I had just one more to go, I got excited. The rain let up a little and I was feeling good. I knew at that point I was going to be a Half Marathoner. I could feel the energy from the runners around me. I started seeing the crowds and I got butterflies through the pain in my legs. I just kept saying "hold it right here, you're almost there." I wanted to finish strong, I wanted to see my family's proud faces, and damnit, I wanted that metal! I crossed the finish line at 2:05 with a smile on my face! I did it!

Mi 13 9.40
Mi 0.17 1.30

"The miracle isn't that I finished. The miracle is that I had the courage to start."

-John Bingham

After that, it was straight home to shower then straight to Charleston, SC for a wedding and accompanying shenanigans with my two faves (including, of course, indulging on wedding food and BEER!)

I just love these two!

Oh, and of course, sweet pea got some pampering, too!

Lookin' fiiiine, got my huur did!

Hello!

Thank you for (probably accidently) stumbling across my blog! I'm quite a newby at this, but after much coaxing from my hunky husband and many friends, I've finally started a blog!

**Warning: There will be grammatical errors (probably frequently) so.. if that bothers you, I'm warning you now! :) **

First, I'm not great with intros... back in college I'd sit for an hour trying to figure out how to start a paper, only to skip the intro and "start" with paragraph two... I think that's mainly the reason I haven't started a blog 'til now- I didn't know where to begin!

So, when I found this cute and informative little questionaire, I figured what better way to get to know a little about me? You'll probably find out more than you want about me, but that'll probably happen pretty often on here! Alright...so, here goes nothin'...


A. Age: 23, brought into the world on June 30, 1987

B. Bed size: Queen; although most nights it feels like we're crammed into a twin, when you've got a husband and a massive dog to share with



Great, big, scary lap dog!

C. Chore you hate: Dishes! Hate, hate, hate washing/putting away dishes... but I hate seeing them in the sink even more (ahem)... so I'm forced.

D. Dogs: Started my love obsession with Lhasa Apso's in 2005 when we got our family dog, Gabbie (aka Gabberdean, Nadean, Deana, Geebba) and it was all over from there. She birthed the love of my life (um..I mean second love of my life) Lady Annabelle Princess Walser Hinton "Anney" in September 2007. Life was complete.

E. Essential Start to your Day: Coffee! Must.have.coffee. before life can begin. If you have had the unfortunate pleasure of encountering me in the AM, well...you deserve a metal of honor.

F. Favorite Color: Pink! (generic girl color, I know.)

G. Gold or Silver: For most things, typically gold.

H. Height: 5'3" (okay, okay... I'm 5'2"... and a half)

I. Instruments you play: "Played" percussion in middle school. I think I'm the only person on Earth who came close to failing band for "not practicing enough"... I loved it with my heart and soul, you can catch me on Drumline2.

J. Job Title: Day job- Inside Sales for a process equipment distributor (machinery for chemical plants, paper mills, etc)  Night job- Lhasa Mama, wifey, wanna-be cook, maid.

K. Kids: 2-3...someday. Me and the hubs are on the "5-year plan" Each time a family member begs us to speed up the process... we add a month. For now, Anney's our love child.

L. Live: Good ole Rock Hill, SC (for those unfamiliar, it's pronounced "Rawk Heel" and it ranks pretty close up there to NYC and LA as far as entertainment/things to do...) Of course when I say "pretty close" I mean complete total opposite.

Someone, please purchase this for me in every color, size S please. You'd make my life.

M. Mom's name: Lebo, Leebs, Leemart, Madgie (aka Leigh)

N. Nicknames: I (as you may have already noticed) have nicknames for everyone. Mine? Kris, Kriech, Triech, Twitch, Cabby, Nitsirk, Krissypoo

O. Operations? None! Knock on wood!!
P. Pets: You've already been formally introduced to my beloved Anney
BUT I'm also mama to Lilly (Willy, Reel, Lillerbug) a lop-eared, sweet little thang the hubs gave me for Easter 2 years ago.

Warning- I appear sweet and super cute, but I'll take that pretty little finger off in one bite.

Q. Quote: "If God brings you to it, he'll bring you through it."

R. Righty or Lefty: That's a toughy... see my parents totally screwed me. I *think* I was born to be a lefty but when learning to write, they cruely forced to write with my right hand. I do everything else a lefty... Thanks Mom! :)

S. Siblings: 2 sissies; one older (Furnace, 26) okay.. her legal name's Jennifer and one younger (Melissa, 20...almost 21 eeep!) and of course, ole Nadean herself.

OKI beach pic, circa 2008
From L-R Melissa, Moi, Jen

Sister #3: Gabber Dean

T. Time you wake up: MWF- 5:01am; TTh- 6:01am (gotta get that extra minute!) S,S- depends

U. Underwear: Every day wear: Thong Work out: Granny's

V. Vegetables you dislike: See, I'm one of those weird birds that actually loves my veggies. Mama musta raised me right! I think all veggies can be good, some just need a little more lovin' to be edible; but most are pretty tastey. My fave? Sweet potato x 100000

W. What makes you run late: Not being able to find my keys... this has got to stop! I'm usually pretty anal about getting somewhere on time and get anxiety if I'm running late! I'd rather sit in the car and wait for 10 mins than be rushing to get there. Someone once told me "If you're on time, you're late" and that always kinda stuck.

X. X-rays: on my ankle with I was 5 and on my back in January (minor lower back injury when my parachute didn't open while skydiving, no big deal... I kid, I kid) it was a work-out related injury that I've (fingers crossed) fully recovered from.

Y. Yummy food you make: I like to think I'm a "Cook in Progress" ha! My sweet hubby chokes down my food without complaint... but, he does claim to love my tacos (though, this is practically the most fool-proof food on Earth and even then? He's probably just being sweet about it). I didn't pick up on those genes like Furny. (Or maybe I was too busy practicing back hand springs and handstands while the cooking lessons took place).

Z. Zoo- favorite animal: I love the monkeys! They kind of fascinate me; how smart and human-like they are... and plus, if I were ever trapped with a monkey for the rest of my life, we could definately be bff's with our shared passion for bananas.

The monkeys from when the hubs and I went to the Columbia Zoo...I said I was the one on the left and he was the one on the right that peed itself...

Although... these guys are pretty cute too....

So, there ya have it! The life of Kristin Elizabeth Hinton written out in the ABC's for the world to see. I've probably lost most of you in this century-long post. But, if not... I'm thrilled! (seriously.) Come back for more... I can't promise you'll read anything of any remote importance, but ya never know! :)

And just because I wanna... Here's a couple pics of my and my hottie on our wedding day:

...And here's what we really look like:

Have a great weekend... and while you're at it, do a little rain dance for me! (I'm running my VERY FIRST half marathon in the morning... and they're calling for 90% chance of strong thunderstorms/wind) Perfect running weather if I've ever heard!