76 degrees in January

What wacky weather we are having down here in Alabama!! Today was my half day at work and the same night we have our group run. I had 8 miles planned for the day. I had planned on going early and meeting the group at 5:30 for the final 3 miles. But with weather as nice as it was and I was off work for the afternoon so what better thing to do but run! Why stay inside and clean the house when the sun as out!!
It was a nice run! I was trying to use a piece of advice I just received about training for a marathon. Go Slower! You would think that was easy, it was mentally challenging to try and change pace. It didn't dawn on me to do your long runs at :30-60 seconds slower the race pace until I talked with Alex this past weekend. And when he explained it so you get used to being out there on actually race day your legs won't want to give up. Which makes so much sense after hearing it out loud! So I thought I would try that today on my 8 mile run, and after hearing my 1st split (yes hearing Nike+ gps app on he iPhone) and it was 8:45, I knew I had to work at going slower! Who knew it would be a mental run as well as physical today! But I am going to take this advice with me on Sunday as I have 17 miles to run!
I am happy to keep learning new things as I pursue this journey towards my first marathon that I clearly remember saying I would never do!

Sinus infection, half-marathon, and lighting

A week with a sinus infection...uggg!! I got sick for the 1st time late last week for the 1st time in many years! Looking back, the 17 miles I ran the past Saturday was probably not a good idea! Rest would have been better, but my brain said I could do it! Well...as the week went on the body felt worse and the head was so stuffed! I even broke down and went to a doctor when all the OTC meds were doing nothing anymore. That is where they told me I had a sinus infection and started antibiotics. And from Tuesday on I did something I have not done in a while as well...Rest!! Seeing that I have been running for 2 years now, going more then 3 days with no run was difficult!! But I went 5 days with out any running, I did squeeze in a strength training day at the end of week, when I could actually breath a little better.
But not running all week when there is a race planned for Saturday, I was nervous and not sure I really was up for it! Especially because I told myself 3 weeks ago I was going to race it and try for a PR..1:50. But seeing that I was sick all week, I knew a PR might not happen. Then as it got closer I wasn't even really sure I was all into the run!
So the weekend was a planned Half-Marathon down in Auburn, AL. So a group of us from the Helena Endurance Running Group (HERG's) made the 2 hour drive south on Friday night. We meet for a nice carb loading pasta dinner at a very nice local restaurant... Provino's, which if your ever in the area I do highly recommended!! Very tasty salad, rolls and everyone had empty dinner plates. We finished dinner and went back to the condo we were staying at for the night. And we looked at the weather.....
well...it looked like rain! ok..i could handle that (i think) you see I have never ran in the rain and I used to say i will NEVER run in the rain! But it's a race so...get ready to get wet!

AORTA Medal

Well...the weather made quite a change overnight...I woke up not to my alarm clock but to my Weather App on my iPhone...iMapWeatherRadio with a tornado watch!!! and then the lighting started...So checked facebook and emails and the race had posted the race has been cancelled! Saftey First!! So in a way I was a bit happy, because I was just not feeling it! We did get our packets the night before, so a new shirt! Plus they were nice enough to still give our medals!! So at least a story!!

I did go and get a run in, after all the storms did pass through. First run after being out all week! It was a bit rough, 12.5 miles but the lungs and head were still trying to recover!

Now back to feeling better this week and get my last 6 weeks in for training for my 1st Marathon in Atlanta!