Race Thoughts

I've been neglectful in my blog lately. We've had a ton of stuff going on and, honestly, I just don't have the mental power to put anything together these days. I feel like posts should have content that are meaningful to someone, even if that someone is just me. Today may be one of those "just meaningful to me" posts. So, go ahead and skip it if you don't feel like reading a self-indulgent post. :)

The Indy Mini is on Saturday. Each year since I've been blogging, I've put together some pre-race (and post-race) thoughts into a post and this post is that post for this race.

I'm nervous. I know I always get nervous and that energy is probably a good energy to have, but still I'm not very used to it. I am not typically a person who competes in any type of athletic event. Ever. It's a foreign feeling to have these intense butterflies in my belly.

This is a cool race. I found a video of the race course. (Yes, you do pass by the elephants at the zoo. I may miss the Brick Yard every year, but I always catch the elephants!) While it is definitely not a pretty course, it is SO flat. :) And, the crowd is great. I love the milestone of arriving on the track around mile 6 and leaving it around mile 8. It makes those three miles fly by.


I realized while re-reading my other posts that each race has it's own set of circumstances leading up to the big day. In 2011, I had knee problems two weeks before the race. In 2012, I had sprained my ankle in February, then got bronchitis and strep throat two weeks before the race.

This year, I've been injury and sickness free. {Insert Knock on Wood here.} I've felt relatively good on my runs even though I haven't fit enough in this time around. I get angry with myself because I think I could actually throw down an even better time if I would put in the effort to push myself.

I missed my long run last weekend which I think is really throwing off my mojo and messing with my confidence. I did squeeze in 7 on Monday, but per my training plan, I was supposed to do 13. Honestly, that was probably too much anyway, but I still don't like missing those long runs. Then, today, I choose to do only 7 instead of the 11 called for on the plan. 11 just didn't seem like enough of a taper. Plus, Tom made a good point that anything I do this week will probably not directly help me next Saturday. I'm past the point of improving so I just need to stay limber and not hurt myself.

So, while I don't feel extremely confident, I do feel like I'll be able to finish this thing no problem. Here's what I'll be thinking about this week.

1. I can set a course record for myself. This is totally within my reach. {This is my goal.}
2. I may be able to set a personal best for myself. Some of this will just depend on my feelings for the day, the crowd and the weather. But, it is within reach. {This is my "stretch" goal.}
3. I need to power through miles 10-13. I'll be helping myself along this time with some Gu packs (which is a 1st for this race) and working very hard on the self-talk. I've been working on visualizing the last two miles of my long runs as the last two miles of the race. I'll be visualizing those two miles, and how good it feels, this week as well.
4. Before I know it, it will all be over. And, that is an awesome feeling.
5. I'll be guzzling water like there's no tomorrow. I know I was dehydrated the last two times around. Last May, it was SO hot and I felt it. Then, in October, I felt horrible afterward, which I'm attributing to hydration. Water is on the menu all week.

So, that's that. I'll be back to post my results. In the meantime, here are the results from my previous races.

2009 Mini - Corral ? (Tom thinks it was something like W - whatever it was, it took 41 minutes to get to the start line) - 2:04:50

2011 Mini - Corral ? (I seem to remember something like L - this time it only took 16 minutes.) - 2:02:43

2012 Mini - Corral F (Only 5 1/2 minutes to the starting line!) - 2:03:33

2012 Indianpolis - 1:57:40

2013 Mini - TBD :) (I am in Corral D though, my best yet!)

T Minus 10 Days

So, race day has popped up on my 10 day forecast today. That means we're close.

I haven't run enough. Each time, I say I'm going to train harder. Each time, I'm disappointed in myself for not training harder. But, today, I choose the positive outlook.

I run and I am able to run. There are so many people who can't for whatever reason. So, I try to be thankful for the fact that I can. So what if I don't fit in every run? So what if I don't run faster each time? I'm doing it.

I'm nervous for the race. I'm always nervous. I'll try to get more thoughts out as we get closer. I'd really like to run this race faster than the one in October, or at least get a PR for the Mini. But, in reality, I keep telling myself that a few minutes here or there doesn't matter. What matters is that I'm running and staying fit. And, sometimes, I actually enjoy it.

For what it's worth, the 10 day forecast looks like pretty awesome race weather. Hope it holds. :)

Today I...

Worked on potty training Jack. Unsuccessfully. Three accidents. Two times making it to the potty. I'll try again another day.

Got all laundry done and put away. Normally, this would be enough to call a day successful in and of itself.

Finished prepping our taxes. Procrastinate much?

Went to lunch with my two favorite guys.

Snuggled with Jack while he watched cartoons.

Watched the kids play outside. In the sunshine!!!!

Organized the kids clothes and toys. And, rearranged furniture in all of their rooms. Once again, everything has a place. And that makes me happy.

Watched the kids have a dance party.

Ate grilled cheese for dinner. At 10pm.

Had a much needed day at home. Thankful.

Seaside - Photo Dump!

We took another trip down to Seaside, Florida with my mom and dad! You probably don't remember, but we went last year too. This year was MUCH busier, including trying to find a hotel on the way down, but still fun. It was also quite a bit cooler! The kids didn't seem to mind too much though as the pool was heated and they don't spend a ton of time in the ocean anyway.

{Note to self for next time - it is in fact NOT fun to stay at a rest stop with the three kids in the middle of the night. No one sleeps, including mom and dad, and it would be better to just reserve a hotel the night before heading south. This is probably obvious to most, but somehow slipped the mind of this  otherwise uber-planner.}

I have a few other photos on my "real" camera. Maybe I'll get to those too. In the meantime, these are all from my phone and some are the Instagram version.

I have no idea when this was taken. Probably after the night of one hour of sleep on the way down. Really, as always, the kids did better on the trip than the adults. :)

Passing through Pintlala, Alabama. Who need a Walmart?! 

The first night when we arrived, it was storming and pouring down rain. We ordered pizza and then Jack requested it for breakfast the next day.

I'm sure I took these two photos last year too. I love walking over the dunes to the beach. It makes the beach seem much more peaceful and quiet.

Jack absolutely loved the sand this year. Last year, he didn't want anything to do with it and wouldn't even get off of the chair. This year was a different story!

Jack's a mer-man!

My girls! 

Did I mention he loved the beach?

He was not as much a fan of the pool and didn't enter it once on this trip. He did venture to the baby pool once or twice with Gram and Pop. 

Heading out to dinner after our first full day. You can't see it here, but the girls got totally sunburnt. I should really keep track of all of the Mother-of-the-Year awards I'm accumulating. 

The first day was a little cool (maybe upper 60's?) but the second day was downright cold! I think the high may have reached 50 that day. This is a shot of Seaside from the record shop in town. 

We spent a lot of that afternoon playing on the iPads and playing cards. 

Jack and I - I swear he only makes silly faces for photos these days. 

I fell in love with the teal porch swing. So Florida and so NOT Indiana. :) 

One morning, we rode our bikes into Grayton Beach State Park. It was beautiful! The water reminded me the Caribbean! 

Gram and Pop soon realized that Jack loved jumping into holes on the beach. So, they started faithfully digging him a hole each day. I swear he jumped in and out of those holes for two hours straight. 

You can kind of see in this photo that I have my legs covered up with a towel. 55 degrees with strong wind was more than a bit chilly. The blue skies more than made up for the chill though!

The girls with their new shovels. 

Two of the pools were heated so the girls swam every day I think. 

Tom and Jack. 

Gram and Tessa.

I love blue umbrellas against the blue sky.

Last day was warm! And sunny! So, Gram and Pop dug another hole. :)

Josie and Tessa worked hard to dig out sun tanning chairs in the hole. As if the sunburn from the first day wasn't enough. 

Jack was as sweet as can be for almost the entire trip. He may have had one "moment" at breakfast one time. But, for a two year old? I'll take it. 

Finally, it was time to head home. The trip home was actually pretty nice. It never fails though, the kids will get slap-happy. I remember that from when I was a kid too. 

I bought the girls dry erase boards from the $1 bin at Target for the trip. At a gas station, the girls were giggling non-stop. The only thing that can make that happen? Toilet humor. Tessa wrote a little story. All on her own. {For those of you who don't understand kindergarden grammar, she wrote, "I saw a Unicorn pooping out." Then, she proceeded to draw a picture.} I'm so proud. 

I rode for 14 hours like this. It wasn't as bad as it looked but I was happy to be home. Thanks to an awesome Tom who drove both directions. The whole way. 

Fantastic trip! So happy to have made the trip and created life-long memories for the kids. And for us!