How I'll Be Running My Last Mile

I have finally decided how I will be ending my journey and running mile 999 in less than 46 days!!! It's probably not the healthiest or smartest decision I've ever made, but it's going to be so fun and I can't wait. My good friend Brett will be joining me and I encourage anyone else who wants to come to Austin and be retarded with us to participate. 

It's called The Beer Mile. 

What is The Beer Mile you ask? 

According to their website (yes, there is such a thing):
"The most common format of the beer mile requires a single participant to drink a full-sized beer, run a quarter mile, then repeat the process three times. This results in the consumption of four beers and the running of four quarter miles (hence the beer mile). The entire process is timed. The total time is often used as a measuring stick of competency."

There is a complete list of rules on their website and you must follow them in order to submit your results to be included on the list of over 17,000 entries from around the world. Apparently I'm not the only idiot who thinks this is a wonderful idea. 

Now the question is, what kind of beer do I go with? 

I have 134 miles left and 46 days to do it...Let's go! 

11/15/2013: Miles run - 866 of 1000. Miles remaining - 134 of 1000

Running With The Time Change

Now that the time has changed and it's becoming darker earlier, I've had to adjust my normal running routine. My regular trail is not lit up at night and it's safe to say there are hobos that sleep on benches there. The trail is also a little rocky and uneven, so even if it was sans hobos, I would still skip it at night. 

So I've had to come up with some alternate options... 

One option is the treadmill. I hate it so it quickly got x'ed. 

My other options include running after work in my neighborhood with street lights or getting up early and running in the morning before work. I tried both out within 12 hours of each other. 

Last night after work, I rushed home, changed my clothes, and hit the pavement by 5:35. The sun sets by 5:45 and it's completely dark a little after 6. I figured I'd have about 30 minutes of some light and then I'd rely on the street lamps to guide me home the rest of the way. 

Let me just say, I'm not scared of the dark because I'm afraid I'll get attacked and kidnapped...I'm more nervous of tripping on the sidewalk and busting it (which I've been known to do before). Thankfully, my neighborhood has a bike lane, so I ran the majority of my 5 miles in the street to avoid the sneaky little sidewalk cracks. I also made sure to run against traffic so I could see any cars coming my way. 

It was a very cautious run for me and there were parts of it where the street lamps were spotty, so I was scared/nervous at times. This made me think about the morning run option, so I tested that out earlier today. 

I woke up this morning at 6:30 to see how I'd do for my first morning run in forever (it was only about 50 min. earlier than I normally get up). I can't remember the last time I ran in the morning (a 10am run on the weekends doesn't count as a morning run for me...I'm talking SUPER early morning). I checked out my weather app and it read 45 degrees. Much colder than I'm used to so I went with the following attire:

I never wear a hat on runs but I was feeling it, and it kept my head warm. My hands were freezing for the first mile or so, but I quickly warmed up. Then I realized I forgot my tissues...so mad! I'm getting over a cold this week so my nose is already runny...the cold weather didn't help and I was definitely upset I didn't have a Kleenex. 

There were a few times during my morning run where I felt a little light headed. I'm not sure if it's because I'm not used to morning runs, the cooler air, or the fact that I didn't eat anything beforehand (maybe it's a combo of a few things), but I'm hoping after I get used to early runs, I won't have those symptoms much longer.

Side story - While I was worried about getting hit by a car last night in the dark, I coincidentally almost got hit by one this morning in broad daylight. My heart rate was up the rest of my run! 

With all of that being said, I really did prefer the morning run vs. last night's run. Even though waking up a bit earlier and getting out in the cold can be tough at times, it was a great feeling completing my run for the day and having the entire evening free (to watch the Baylor game)! I also think I have more energy (despite getting less sleep) and make healthier eating choices throughout the day as well. 

11/7/2013: Miles run - 833 of 1000. Miles remaining - 167 of 1000

Month 10 recap

Today marked the end of my 10th month in working towards my goal of running 1,000 miles by the end of 2013. 

Almost there! 

See October recap below:

I completed 118 miles this month. This was by far the most mileage of any month this year. I knew I was a bit behind and had to step up my game. 

Here are the past month's mileage counts:

70 in September

74 in August

98 in July

90 in June

61 in May

64 in April

89 in March

76 in February 

80 in January

Back in my September recap, I had a goal of reaching 121 miles in October. 118 is close enough, so I'll take it! 

I have reached a total of 820 miles to date. 

With 180 miles left until I reach 1000 and 61 days left to do it, this comes out to 2.95 miles a day. 

I've already planned out my November schedule and have 114 miles on the books. That will leave me with only 66 miles for December. I've done this on purpose because I know with the holidays, family events, football games, etc. my time may be more limited...plus it's going to be a tad cooler in December (and darker earlier) and I refuse to get back on a treadmill to close this thing out. 

I'm still wondering what I'll do with myself once I run that last mile...I kind of want to have someone there with me, so any takers for running my last run in December at my side? 

Thanks again for all of the support and interest in my progress! 

Happy Halloween - I'm off to Denver to see one of my besties. 

10/31/2013: Miles run - 820 of 1000. Miles remaining - 180 of 1000

What I Wore for the Weather on Wednesday

After yesterday's post about the climate change and picking appropriate running attire for it, I thought I'd share how yesterday's run actually went down. 

The rain let up in the afternoon so I was able to run outside. Yay for no treadmills! I still avoided my normal dirt trail because I knew it'd be muddy and opted for another neighborhood (pavement) route. I'll be back on the trail this afternoon...the sunshine is back!

Since it wasn't freezing, I decided to meet myself halfway - cold weather capris on bottom, warm weather tank on top. I usually just run in a sports bra so I thought actually wearing a shirt might help keep me a bit warmer than usual. I stepped outside and was immediately cold for the first mile (as I alluded to yesterday). But after a good warm-up I felt great and immediately applauded myself for my choice in apparel. I started sweating a tad about 2 miles in and I didn't mind it one bit. I actually want to sweat on my runs because, to me, that means I'm working hard. It was a nice sweat though...not like usual, where I look like I just jumped into a swimming pool. 

The weather definitely makes a difference in my pace. The past few months, I've had a slower pace than usual, which I contribute to the heat and not wanting to overwork/overheat myself (aka die). This run was the first 6 miler I've had under an hour since I started running outside again in mid-August. 

40 more miles until I'm under 200 to go! I should hit that by the end of next week. 

10/17/2013: Miles run - 760 of 1000. Miles remaining - 240 of 1000

New Weather, New Wardrobe

Today is 55 and rainy outside. Just like everyone else, I would love to be cuddled up on the couch with a good movie and a cafe mocha (pumpkin spice lattes aren't really my thing). But unfortunately, that's not the case. 

It's supposed to rain all day today and while I don't mind running in the rain when it's 80-90 degrees out, cold and rainy is pretty miserable and not my favorite running environment. 

The change in weather is definitely going to alter where I run, when I run, and what I wear. It's been raining for the past 3-4 days and it actually flooded this weekend in certain areas by the trail I usually stick to. So instead, I've been logging miles in and around my neighborhood. It's a little tougher to weave in and out of streets multiple times to make 6-7 miles work, but I'd rather do that than run in the mud or dodge puddles left and right. 

Along with the climate change, the amount of daylight I'll have after work is about to change as well. In about 3 weeks it's going to get darker even earlier than it already is, which means I'm either going to have to start running in the morning (blah) or back to the treadmill I go. I don't like running alone at night. I could maybe pull off shorter runs during lunch but I don't see that happening all that often. It'll probably end up being a day by day decision depending on my mood. My daily running plan is usually a game time decision.

I always have a hard time figuring out what to wear when it gets cold out. When it's hot, it's easy - wear as little clothing as publicly appropriate (usually just shorts and a sports bra for me). When it's cold, I have a harder time deciding. Usually I start off on my run super cold, so I wear capris/pants, long sleeves, ear warmers, and gloves. A mile or two in, I'm immediately regretting that decision.  It's a catch 22 for me. Be cold at the beginning or be hot 2+ miles in? I know some people do layers and take pieces off as they go, but I don't want to hold those items or throw them on the ground, so I'm stuck. 

Runner's World posted a pretty neat "What to Wear" calculator. Just plug in your running conditions and BAM - running gear chosen for you...can I get this for my regular wardrobe please? Oh, and something that also makes my breakfast, cleans my apartment, and does my grocery shopping...thanks. 

http://www.runnersworld.com/what-to-wear

Here are the results after putting in today's conditions:

Side Note: I actually hate running in hats and refuse to do it.

I think that I may stick the treadmill this afternoon, in which case I'll just ignore this and wear my normal shorts and a tank. 

10/16/2013: Miles run - 754 of 1000. Miles remaining - 246 of 1000

Mid-Month Update

We are officially halfway through October! Now that the end is near and in sight, I'm going to try and update the blog a little more often than once a month. 

Mileage update: 
After my I complete the 7 mile run I have planned for this afternoon, I will hit 754 miles. 

With 76 days left in the year (yikes!) and 246 miles left, I will need to average 3.2 miles per day, or 22.6 per week. 

Lately, I've been running 5-7 miles a day while taking a day or two off on the weekends, which has been putting me around 25 miles a week. My short-term goal is to get under the 200 mile marker by the end of the month. 46+ miles in 15 days...easy! 

My knee has been feeling alright lately. I am still wearing the brace and it has yet to prevent me from running. 

The weather is finally cooling off and it is amazing. It's still hot enough to break a good sweat, but I no longer feel like I'm dying when I run outside. It's a great feeling :) 

I would like to say that after I'm done in December that I'll take a break from running to rest my body, but I signed up for the 3M Half Marathon in Austin on January 19, so I definitely won't stop running for a while after this...I just won't be keeping track of it all. 

Running is a big part of my life now and nothing else makes me feel quite as good as I do after a run. 

Evening though running is my personal favorite, one thing I do miss is having the time and ability to switch up my workouts and do other activities. When I worked from home at the beginning of the year, I had time to run and do strength training, gym classes, yoga, Insanity, etc. But now that I work 9-5, my time is limited and I only have time to run and focus on this goal. I can't wait to mix it up a bit and work other parts of my body. 

I do enjoy having a goal and I have started thinking about what my next one will be in January. It definitely won't be to run 2000 miles next year, that's for sure! 

New goal ideas: 
-Complete the entire 8 week Insanity program (I did about 2 weeks back in May and had some decent results). I think doing those DVDs in January & February would be great because it's usually too cold to do anything outdoors. 

-Do yoga every day for 30 days. I have quite a bit of back pain and posture issues, so I know I'd see some improvement with yoga. Plus, it's low impact, which sounds very beneficial for my knees right about now. 

-Train for a mini-triathlon. There are many options out there with various distances to pick from. Swimming and biking are great workouts in addition to running, so I feel like this would be a great goal to have so that I can switch up my routine and not get bored with just one thing. Now I just have to buy a bike! 

What are some goals you've set for yourself? I may steal them! 

10/15/2013: Miles run - 754 of 1000. Miles remaining - 246 of 1000

Month 9 recap - 75% done

This weekend marked the end of my 9th month in working towards my goal of running 1,000 miles by the end of 2013. I am 3/4 of the way there! 

See September recap below:

I completed 70 miles this month, compared to: 

74 in August

98 in July

90 in June

61 in May

64 in April

89 in March

76 in February 

80 in January

A total of 702 miles to date. 

I have 298 miles left until I reach 1000 and 92 days left to do it, which comes out to 3.2 miles a day. 

I was supposed to run closer to 80-85 miles this month, but I blame Waco, football, and my Baylor friends for that fail! I was gone quite a few weekends in September, which is usually when I schedule longer runs. My knee has been acting up just a little bit again, but it's bearable with my brace on.  

*Side story - my truck got broken into a few weeks ago (window SMASHED) and someone stole my old knee brace and headphones (along with other things)...so I had to get a new knee brace, which isn't quite as good as the one I had. Sad day.

But now that things are settling down with my new job, I'm moved into my new place, and the weather is thankfully cooling off, I know I'll be able to knock next month out! 

I have already planned my schedule for October and have 121 miles planned...we'll see how THAT goes *crosses fingers*yikes! 

10/1/2013: Miles run - 702 of 1000. Miles remaining - 298 of 1000