A Breather

Wow.

I think one of my goals for this summer was to blog at least once a day, preferably more.  Perhaps I should've made the goal to blog once a month since that's what appears to be happening.

You know, for this being the first summer I have not worked, it has been by far my busiest.

I spent the first two weeks of June writing a grant for school, and then I headed to a conference in Iowa City for three-and-a-half days.  It was really, really fun: the conference was great, and I loved Iowa City.

Immediately upon my return, a friend came to visit - a friend who has since become my boyfriend!

(Can you believe it?!  Me neither.  And I could not be more excited.)

Anyway, he was here for a full week, and then I left for my soon-to-be sister-in-law's bridal shower and bachelorette party in Chicago.  It was a wonderful five days spent with my mom, my sister, my aunts, and Aly and her family and friends.

As soon as I returned from Chicago, I came down really hard with bronchitis - and who knows what else on top of it.  I was seriously out of commission for weeks.

I went to a two-day concert with my besties, and then we all headed to the Florida Keys for a week.  It was such an amazing vacation with my absolute bestest friends in the universe.

I wasn't even home 24 hours before I headed back to the airport - where I flew to Denver for a week for another conference.  It was my first "real" trip to Denver (other than one night in college for a concert), and it was a great time.  Denver is a pretty cool city.

This week I'm heading to NE Iowa for a funeral (awful, horrible, sad) and St. Paul for a half-marathon with my students.  And then I have one week before I fly out again - but this time to pick up someone special!  :)

And then - right after we get back - school starts!

Whew.  I'm exhausted just typing all of that!

So, let's move on to the meat of this post.

My brother's wedding is in exactly one month.  After trying on my bridesmaid's dress for the 8,000th time, I realized that I need to get my butt in gear.  My body is telling me that three weeks of abusing it with too much good food and tasty beverages and not enough running (bronchitis + altitude + humidity = not ideal) is not good.

(Oh, and now I have TWO weddings to prep for - congrats to my sister and her FIANCE!  Eeeeee!  So excited!)

I obviously have some sort of a workout program in place for the half-marathon that is in less than a week and the full marathon that is just two months away, but I decided I needed to add a bit to that.  So, I worked up an abs workout reminiscent of Fab Abs February and Mad Abs March.  Today, I did 45 sit-ups, 15 crunches, 10 push-ups, a 35-second plank, and a 15-second side plank on each side.  It wasn't nearly as horrible as I was anticipating.

Yesterday, I mapped out my week's meal schedule and hit up the grocery store for the first time since before Florida.

For breakfast today I had my favorite Abs Diet smoothie: the Virgin Cabo Daiquiri:

The combination of mango, banana, and strawberries is oh-so-tasty.

Because the recipe makes two servings, I usually sip on it all morning and count the calories as those for breakfast and my morning "snack."

For lunch, I whipped up a recipe I found and adapted from Pinterest: Southwestern Chopped Chicken Salad:

To adapt the recipe to make it healthier, I nixed the tortilla chips and the dressing and, to make it dressing-like, I added a couple spoonfuls of salsa.

It was a HUGE salad for only 440 calories.  In the future, I may only eat half a serving (I still have three servings in the fridge!) and accompany it with some bread.  For some reason - likely due to years of conditioning - my body just doesn't feel full unless it gets some solid carbs.  :)

To wash it all down, I had one of my new favorite drinks:

The Starbucks Refreshers are made with green coffee extract and offer a natural energy boost.  The Cool Lime Refresher that is made in the store is so, so, so delicious - it tastes just like a mojito!  But this Raspberry Pomegranate one is also super yummy.

For dinner, I whipped up a batch of another favorite Abs Diet meal: Chili Mac with Jack.

As usual, this was super good, and I now have three more servings to last my through the week.  I'm going to be eating this and salad all. week. long.  :)

Now, I'm watching the Olympics and relaxing a bit before (hopefully) turning in relatively early.  It's been so darn hot in Des Moines that I've been sleeping on my couch - closer to the air conditioner.  While my couch is über comfortable, it still isn't the same as a bed - especially after a month.

Here's to cooler temperatures!

Peace out, yo.

Productivity

Today was productive - but a little different than I had planned.

I woke up bright and early to go run with See-Us Run Des Moines.

For breakfast, I ate a Kind Bar.  Have you forgotten how much I loooooove those?

At practice, we ran one mile for a warm-up, and we followed that by three one-third mile loops with core and strength exercises after each third.  For example, we did burpees, supermans, push-ups, crunches, triceps dips, etc.  And then we ran one mile for a cool-down.  For those of you who are math-impaired, that was a total of three miles.

And it was tough today!  My muscles are still exhausted from Dam to Dam on Saturday, so I was moving pretty darn slowly.  Oh well.

I was planning on going to Y-Pump after the workout, but I had to stay a little after practice to meet with a Des Moines Register reporter who is going to have one of our kiddos blog about her experience training for the marathon.  I'm really excited to see how it turns out.  And don't worry: I'll totally hook y'all up with the link as soon as she's published.

So anyway, I was too late for Y-Pump, and since we had done some strength training at practice, I went home and did my abs exercises and ate some almonds and an apple.

I did not eat the bamboo - but how pretty is that?!  From a good friend on a bad day.  :)

After scarfing down my snack and taking a shower, I went back to bed.

And slept for three hours.

I must've needed the sleep.  (Shockingly, I'm absolutely drained right now, too.  I might go to bed before 9:00, and it's not even a school night!)

I woke up just in time to make lunch: the California sandwich, adapted from Ezra Pound Cake.

Make this.  Now.  It's sooooooo good and sooooooo filling.  I toasted some bread and topped it with a Greek yogurt and chive spread and a piece of pepper-jack cheese.  On top of that was a mixture of tomato, avocado, and cucumber.

It was absolutely delicious, and I'm excited to eat leftovers tomorrow.

I ran up to school for a quick errand and then headed out west for my last pre-paid massage.  After running that crazy race on Saturday, the massage was very much needed.  It was so relaxing, but I could also tell she really worked out the kinks (ouch) - especially in my upper back.  For some reason that is where I carry all my stress.  And, apparently there's been a lot of that lately!

Finally, at 3:15, I hit up Caribou for my productivity for the day.  The grant that I coordinate has a proposal due very, very soon, so I spent a few hours sipping on a white peach berry smoothie and crunching data.

When I reached somewhat of a stopping point, I headed home to whip up dinner: Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Casserole, inspired by Iowa Girl Eats.

Again: go make this.  Now.

First, the portion sizes are huge for not a whole lot of calories (oh, because I substituted Greek yogurt for the sour cream).  Second, it is so freakin' good.

I suppose it's good that it's tasty since I'll be eating it for the rest of the week.  Oh, the woes of cooking for one.  :)

Tomorrow looks much like today did: practice with the kids followed by grant stuff.  And honestly, I think I'm going to be going to be shortly so that I can be well rested.

I am such a nerd.

The Week Ahead

Before looking ahead at the coming week, I want to rewind to last night.  After I ran 12.4 miles and relaxed a bit, my mama came to town!

First, we had celebratory champagne with BFF, and then my mom and I headed to Americana for tapas and cocktails.  I was absolutely starving, likely because I did not refuel properly after running.  I inhaled a small pomegranate salad, and we split the scallop lollipops (duh) and the brie crostini.

Mmm, mmm, mmm.

After, to kill some time before our event, we drove a little of the half marathon route since she (and my sister and my aunt!) will be walking/running it in October.

And then we showed up to Jasper Winery for Uncork Your Passion, Planned Parenthood of the Heartland's annual event.  It was set up beautifully:

And I have decided that in a million years when I get married, I want it to be at this venue and with this minimalist decor - but probably some nicer chairs.  :)

Tangerine catered the event and had an amazing array of food.  Turns out we didn't even need the tapas from Americana.  There were sliders, Cuban sandwiches, fruit and veggies, different crostini options, Thai noodles, desserts galore, and more.

And...there was an open bar.

A dance party definitely happened.

I am so thankful my mom was able to attend this event with me.  Planned Parenthood is obviously something I wholeheartedly support, and I attribute so much of my passion for social justice, equality, and community involvement to my parents.

After we left Jasper Winery, we weren't done for the evening: we headed to - wait for it - Star Bar.  And of course, fueled by a glass of champagne, an Elderflower martini, and a few glasses of wine, I had to add to my cocktail attire - with my Dam to Dam medal.

Because you know what I am?  Classy.

We listened to live music and watched some hippies dance around for a while, and then it was time to head home.  After a nice chat on the living room floor (what?!), we headed to bed, only to wake up bright and early for breakfast at Waveland.

I love, love, love my mom and am so happy that she was with me this weekend.  I so wish we lived closer.

And now with absolutely zero transition, I bring you to my weekly meal and workout plan:

Creating this plan actually made me a bit sad.  One of my besties - Mags - left for Chicago this morning, and she's not going to be back until August.  She and I have dinner quite regularly during the week and have been working out together fairly often as well.  And now she's gone.  :(

I'll fill you in on my food plans day by day, but I thought I'd give you a preview of the weekly workouts:

Monday: running with the kiddos, likely about three miles, followed by Y-Pump and 20 reps of #1-5 of the Fitnessista's 10 Ways to Crunch.

Tuesday: running with the kiddos, likely a speed workout, followed by 20 reps of #6-10 of the Fitnessista's 10 Ways to Crunch.

Wednesday: Y-Pump, followed by 20 reps of #1-5.

Thursday: running with the kiddos, likely about three miles, followed by Y-Pump and 20 reps of #6-10.

Friday: spin class, followed by 20 reps of #1-5.

Saturday: running with the kiddos, likely about six miles, followed by 20 reps of #6-10.

Sunday: 20 reps of #1-5.

It seems ambitious, I know.  But I can.  And I will.

Best Dam Race

For 33 years, Iowa has sponsored the country's largest 20k: Dam to Dam.  It is a favorite race among many Iowa runners, and since this is the first year I participated, I would have to agree.

Before I get into the details of the race, let me tell you that I have gotten to be quite the pro at pre-race planning.  I mean, just check out the gear:

There is A LOT that goes into running: shoes with time chip, vaseline (that didn't seem to help, but I'll spare you those pictures, GU, ear buds, the backpack with number affixed for bag drop, the Garmin, blister-resistant socks, sports bra that actually holds the girls in place, "One Hot Mess" headband (that I couldn't find at first and was obsessively freaking out about), Immodium (that did the trick, thank God), earrings, bracelet that says "miles to go before i sleep," tank with bib attached, capris, long-sleeved top for pre-race, rubber hair tie, Spibelt, and I think that's it.

One thing I still haven't figured out, however, is how to properly eat prior to a race.  I have the hydrating part down (finally).  I was guzzling water - more so than usual - all week.  The day prior to the race, I ate a bagel for breakfast, Jimmy John's for lunch, and salad, pasta, and bread for dinner.  I just don't think the particular pasta I ate sat well with my stomach - or maybe it was just too meaty and not enough pasta-y.  I don't know.

But anyway, race day:

I woke up bright and early at 4:30 a.m. so that my two friends and I could head downtown and grab a bus.  Note to self: get there earlier next year so that we have more time at the actual start.

A school bus at 5:15 a.m. is quite dark.

The first thing we did when we got off the bus was drop off our bags.  We had to strip down to our race clothes and throw our string bags into designated (by bib numbers) garbage bags.

Then we headed to the porta-potties.  And stood in line for 25 minutes.  It was ridiculous, but we knew that it was a definite necessity prior to starting a 12.4-mile run.

After taking care of business, we started the half-mile trek to the start line.  

The race starts on the dam at Saylorville, and being absolutely surrounded by water (obviously) is a breathtaking view.  Plus, we could see downtown Des Moines (the finish line) from up north:

Looks kind of far, huh?

While we waited for the Star Spangled Banner to be sung and for the fast runners to take off, we took some requisite pre-race photos:

My training buddy, KW.

KW, me, Amber, and Alexson - I love this photo.

About ten minutes after the gun went off, we started running (we were back with the 11:00 pacers, and there were quite a few people in front of us).

Kiara took off, and Amber, Alexson, and I stuck together for about the first mile, and then Amber - training with the Jeff Galloway method - took her first walk segment.  Alexson and I continued to stick together, which was really, really nice.  I was a bit nervous at first because I know that Alexson doesn't take walk breaks (and I pretty much don't care: if I'm tired, I'll walk), but we kept it up.

The first 10k were through rural Iowa: we saw a lot of cornfields, soybean fields, and gravel roads (which many runners used for potty breaks).  It was an absolutely gorgeous, overcast day, and being in the midst of the prairie made me love my state even more.

Around mile six, I realized that this was the furthest I had run - ever - without taking a walk break.

(Okay, I took a 10-step walk break in order to GU and water since I couldn't figure out how to do all of that while running.  I timed it better for my second GU and was able to do so without breaking stride.)

And I was feeling GOOD!  Rarely do I feel amazing during a race, but I felt just fabulous during Dam to Dam - and I attribute so much of it to Alexson.  We were trekking right along, chatting, listening to music the whole way.

Then came mile seven.

As you can see from the first picture in the post and the elevation chart at the bottom, I was dreading mile seven:

It's really hard to snap photos while running, but this is a hill.

Actually, it wasn't that bad.  Alexson and I just kept on running, taking it one step at a time, offering encouragement the whole way.  It's hard to tell from the photo, but both sides of the hill were lined with American flags with the sentiment to "remember those who've served."  It was really, really neat and honestly gave me goosebumps.

Alexson and I passed loads upon loads of walkers and made it to the top of the hill and started winding through the city: the second 10k was all urban, looping through neighborhoods and downtown.

Around mile 8.5 or 9 (?), I was so surprised to see my good friend Cindi, her husband, and three of their children.  It was the exact boost of motivation that I needed: running 12.4 miles is hard work, and it was really nice to see a friendly, familiar, encouraging face on the course.

Shortly thereafter, Alexson and I ran into her husband, and that was another nice piece of encouragement before we hit the trail to wind alongside the Des Moines River.

This is when it got tough.  Around mile nine, Alexson started really hurting.  Around mile 10, I really started hurting and honestly wasn't sure that my legs could work any longer.  But, we kept telling ourselves that we really only had one mile left since the last mile was filled with live music, the Isiserettes, other fun entertainment, and throngs of people.

But still: it was really, really hard.

Finally, we reached the chute.  We saw the 400 meter mark and started taking longer, faster strides.  It felt so good to know that we had run over 12 miles and had not walked at all.

And then the 200-meter mark came.  And I had to stop.

I was literally choking back vomit and dry heaving into my hands.  There was nowhere to "let it out," as the chute was surrounded by spectators.

I thought I was going to puke into my hands - or, what I thought might be a better option, down my shirt.

WHO WALKS ACROSS THE FINISH LINE?!


This girl.

And honestly, I was too sick and too sore and too oblivious to my surroundings to care.  I had someone (who?!) cut off my timing chip while someone else (who?!) shoved a medal into my hand.  And then I found a trashcan.  And then some Powerade.

Alexson and I about ten minutes post-race - after we could motivate ourselves to stand back up and stretch.

It was an absolutely beautiful race, and I am so extremely proud of myself for finishing in 2:27.  That is by far the best "dam" race that I have ever had, but it is also by far the worst I have felt upon finishing.  Not only was I nearly throwing up, but my muscles just pretty much refused to work.  No amount of stretching, walking, stretching, sitting, stretching, or anything would help.

After trying everything (and eating a banana and drinking some chocolate milk), I met up with Amber, and we decided to just head home.

I am very, very proud of myself.  I pushed myself harder than I ever thought possible, and while I'm definitely a hot mess today, it was all totally worth it.

I can't wait for next year.

Off the Ledge - Mostly

I feel like I need to do a quick update after Tuesday's ridiculously melodramatic posting.

First, as expected, Thursday was just as horrible as I expected it would be.  I hope I never, ever, ever again have to experience a visitation for a baby - let alone three children.  Horrible.

But those babies are now somewhere beautiful.

And while their parents and their families and their friends will never heal from such a horrific loss, hopefully the love that their babies gave - and the love that they gave in return - will comfort and protect.

Second, as I alluded to (or, okay, straight-up mentioned on Tuesday) it's tough when friendships end, when people part ways.  It is even more difficult when the expectations were so darn high.

As most of you know, I am an extremely positive, cheerful, upbeat, happy person.  And as I've said before, I'm pretty hardened: I don't let a lot get to me, especially when it involves boys.  Sometimes, though, the tough facade cracks - and while I'm slowly but surely mending that break, sheltering myself again behind the mask, I was (or, okay, am) still letting it get to me quite a bit.

There have been too many tears shed over someone who (apparently) does not deserve them.  And I do not deserve to feel like that person has made me feel.  (Correction: my feelings are my own, no one else's, and I choose those emotions.  This person's actions, however, have aided in my decision to feel sad and crummy and upset and frustrated.  And those are feelings that I would like to avoid.)  So, I. am. done.

(And now, I promise I will try to be done talking about this subject.  First, it's boring.  Second, it's pathetic.  And third, there is way more to me - and I am far better than - than this sort of obsession.  The end.)

Third, this was a great weekend.  On Friday, I had an unexpected afternoon/evening of way too much fun with people that I don't hang out with enough.  It was a much-needed respite from the emotions of the prior week.

On Saturday, I (shockingly) woke up for a five-mile run with See-Us Run Des Moines.  It was a great run.  My girl and I felt so good both during and after the run.  After, I slept for quite a while and then headed to graduation.  Talk about an emotional week: first, having a student lose her child; second, being one of two teachers invited to the ceremony and then attending the graduation of a student who "wasn't supposed to make it"; third, watching one of my all-time favorite classes graduate; and fourth, noticing two very important people missing from that ceremony.  But enough with the emotions again: I am so proud of my kids and know they will do amazing things.

After the ceremony, I scarfed down dinner with some friends and then headed to school for the senior party.  I somehow got roped into sitting in the dunk tank.  And it was a lot of fun.  :)

On Sunday, I spent the morning doing absolutely nothing because I was exhausted from working until 2 a.m., and then I joined BFF on our favorite summer patio for "laying out," and then the two of us headed to another friend's house for a somewhat impromptu barbecue and playing of sapo, an amazingly fun Peruvian yard game.  We went home fairly early, largely due to exhaustion from an entire day outside, and I watched TV before crashing on the couch.

Today, I woke up early for a 9.5-mile run.  We didn't wake up early enough, so it was quite the scorcher.  After a million cups of water, a huge jug of Gatorade, and some breakfast, I was pretty much down for the count.  I ran a couple of errands with BFF and then slept the day away.  I was out so soundly that I didn't wake up for dinner until BFF called me (30 minutes after I was supposed to be at her house).

Oops.

I have had several good runs this week.  They have been hot, they have been long, and they have been hard.  But they have been good.  And I think there is a reason for that:

As is commonly said among runners, "Running is cheaper than therapy."  And, I believe, it's quite a bit more beneficial.

This was a week I so desperately needed to run.

A Bad Day

First, I promise a recap of the Gladiator Assault Challenge that I completed on Saturday, but I'm waiting for more pictures.

Second, I promise more regular posting starting June 4th (i.e. the first real day of summer).  Also, the "more regular posting" will be back to the "boring food and exercise" posting that you know and love.

Third, I had a not-so-great day today, and I feel like writing about it may be beneficial.  So, if you would prefer to avoid partaking in my pity party, now would be the time to stop reading.

Today was rough because a horrific tragedy concerning one of my students - and the enormity of what I would have to face (alone) in a few days - finally sunk in.

Today was largely spent sobbing my eyes out - mostly due to the aforementioned tragedy.

Today was also a day when I really needed a friend - someone who would give me a hug, someone who would tell me it would be okay, someone who would provide what little comfort could be given.  So, I turned to someone who I thought would be there for me - someone I had been there for so often, someone whose back I had countless times, and someone I had supported through quite a lot.

Someone who I thought would be there for me because, had the situation been reversed, I would have been there for him.

Unfortunately, that was not the case - and that really, really hurt.


I am having a very difficult time understanding this.  Perhaps I am absolutely delusional in thinking we were friends.  Perhaps I am imagining a relationship (a friendship) that never existed.  Perhaps I am just too caring and too giving and too selfless and expect that others will reciprocate the very, very few times I need them to.

And interestingly enough, I am having an extremely difficult time articulating this.  Normally when I am upset or sad or trying to work through my discontent, my irritation, my confusion, writing helps.  Writing has proven to be extremely therapeutic and has really allowed me an outlet to work through various issues, but for some reason, it's just not doing the trick this time.

I truly think it's because I straight-up don't understand.  I just don't get it.

I am so tired of being the strong person.  I am so tired of being the independent woman.  I am so tired of taking care of everyone, of having everyone's backs, of supporting everyone, of being a listening ear and a loving hug for everyone, of caring too much about everyone.

I'm just tired.

But, I'm also Emily.  And I know that even though it's exhausting, I will still be the strong person.  I will still be the independent woman.  I will still take care of everyone, I will still have everyone's backs, I will still support everyone, I will still be a listening ear and a loving hug for everyone, and I will still care too much about everyone.

I just wish that certain people would realize that sometimes - very rarely - I need that compassion returned.

Before I stop Sob Fest 2012, I must thank three people:

• My mama: when I locked myself in my classroom and bawled my eyes out for 20 minutes, she listened to me and talked me off the ledge, even though she was exhausted and nauseous and in the middle of a nap.  I love my mom more than she will ever know, and I am so thankful for her always being there for me, for talking me off the ledge, and for being my rock.  (And great: the waterworks start again.)
• My bestest friend in the whole wide world, KW: she knew I was a hot mess, called me on the way home and talked me through everything, listening to me cry and explain for the millionth time that I just don't get it.  And then she took me to dinner and wasn't even embarrassed when I started crying in the middle of the restaurant.
• Mags: when I went to see her after school, she listened to me, told me everything would be okay, and then gave me this article, highlighting numbers six and 15.  She is such an amazing friend.

I love my girls.

A Run

So, it's been a while - about three weeks to be exact.

Oops.

What can I say?  I've been busy.  I worked, I traveled to Los Angeles, and oh, I ran a half marathon.

Yes, the 35th Annual Lincoln National Guard Marathon and Half-Marathon was this past weekend.  And let me tell you: I was a ball of nerves leading up to this race.

First, despite being a Nebraska native, I have not spent any time in Lincoln.  Sure, I went there for my fourth-grade field trip to the capitol, and yeah, I went to the training facilities when I was in the Olympic Development Program for soccer.  But I have not been there as a grown-up.

Therefore, I had no idea what to expect for the race.

Give me any route in Des Moines, and I'll know exactly what the hills look like, exactly how far I'll be running, etc.  Not the case for Lincoln.

So on Saturday, my mom and I headed to the expo to pick up my packet and drive the route.  It was so cool being among all the Nebraska regalia - since I've lived in Iowa the past eleven years.

The course was marked really nicely.  At every mile, there was a giant flag and a mile marker.  Maybe I was delirious, but I don't remember this about Des Moines.  (It also helped my mom and I a lot on Saturday try and figure out what the route was - on Sunday, it wasn't that big a deal since I just followed the thousands of runners.)

After driving the route, my mom and I headed back to Des Moines to catch a movie (The Five-Year Engagement) since we figured I shouldn't be on my feet too much and then headed to Spaghetti Works for a salad bar and all-you-can-eat pasta.

We headed home early and set out everything needed for the race in the morning:

• Tennis shoes: I went with the tried-and-true Asics as opposed to my minimalist Sauconys.  It might be time for a new pair, though, as this was their second half marathon, and I've put countless miles of training on 'em.
• Socks: I found a pair of blister-resistant socks at the Nike Factory Store, and OMG - do they work wonders or what?!  Aside from a blister on the medial side of my big toe, my feet do not look like they just ran 13.1 miles.
• Water bottle: duh.  I've been using this particular bottle my sister brought me back from Estes Park non-stop lately.  I love it.
• Sports bra: I found a new one from Champion (only $15!).  It actually holds the girls in place (shockingly) and doesn't chafe.  Now I need to go buy eight more of them.
• Spibelt with fuel: I packed gummy bears (yum) and sports beans.  More on this later.
• Headband: my mom and I found the "One Hot Mess" headband at the expo, and she bought it for me since it's just about the most perfect sentiment ever.  (Thanks, Mama!)  Also, these headbands that they sell at every expo are amazing: they stay put, and they totally keep the sweat out of the eyeballs - a definite necessity.
• Earbuds: duh.
• Garmin: I don't know what the heck happened, but despite charging it all night long, I started the race with only 29% battery life.  My watch died before the race was over.  I was not happy.
• Pants: I bought a pair of Nike tights that I love.  I swear: Nike makes by far the best workout gear for women.
• Shirt + bib: I did, however, stray from Nike and went with an Under Armor top because it was super lightweight (and super cute).  I need to buy a few more of those guys.  More on the bib later.
• Pace bracelet: I was shooting for 2:30.  Oops.
• Immodium: I take it before every race - just in case.
• Earrings: I have to look cute - duh.

At 5:15 a.m., my mom and I braved a torrential thunderstorm and headed west to Lincoln.  Thankfully, the storm cleared before she kicked me out of the car to find a parking spot.

I spent about 45 minutes just milling about.  First, I had to find the porta potties.

Unfortunately, I couldn't poop right away, which really stressed me out.  (I'm sorry that this is TMI, but it's a part of running - get over it.)  So, I jogged around a bit, stretched a bit, jogged around a bit some more to try and jostle the intestines, and finally - about 15 minutes before race time - the "runners' trots" hit me.

THANK GOD.

It was kind of nice just chilling before the race.  I didn't know anyone, so I put on some Mat Kearney and just calmed myself down prior to running.

Eventually, I wandered over to my pace group:

I was shooting for 2:30, which I know was a lofty goal.  In Des Moines, I ran a 2:55, but I figured I could do much faster this time because last time I was severely injured.  However, I didn't take into account a few factors (to be discussed later).

Unlike Des Moines, Lincoln had a staggered start.  So, we all lined up according to our projected pace, and then we were able to start by groups.  I liked this a lot, as we weren't super fidgety waiting to cross the finish line.

Soon enough, my corral was off.  For the first four miles, I did a really good job of sticking with the 2:30 pace group.  Then at one of the water stations, I had to tie my shoe, and it all went downhill from there: I had to sprint to get back with my group, and then I was worn out, and then I just kind of fell back.  But, I was okay with that: running with a bit of walking is more my style anyway.

Around mile eight (maybe?!) another woman who had dropped out of our pace group caught up to me, and we ran the rest of the race together.  It was really, really nice.  We chatted a little bit (but we were also pretty darn tired), and we paced each other nicely: walked a little, ran a little, walked a little, ran a little, etc.

Mile 11 was pretty difficult, but we told ourselves that we were going to run the remaining 1.1 miles if it killed us.  My new best friend's knee was about to fall off, though, and she started walking right when we were passing Memorial Stadium.  So, I became the cheerleader and kept repeating all those darn mantras I tell myself every time I run:

Your body is stronger than your mind thinks it is.

You're almost there - just a little further.

Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming.

And, we made it.  We entered the chute and sprinted to the 50-yard line.

And were projected on the Jumbotron:

And we got our medals:

And then continued through the chute and ran through the tunnel where the Huskers enter the field on game day:

This was my first time ever in Memorial Stadium, and it was pretty freakin' cool.

And, I finished my second half marathon nine minutes faster than I did my first: 2:46.

It was not the time that I was shooting for (obviously), but I'm still pretty proud of myself and recognize the factors that played into the increased time.  Also, I like to make excuses, so bear with me.

• When I ran Des Moines, I was actually training for a full marathon (but got injured) and therefore felt a lot more prepared.
• Due to my trip to Los Angeles the week prior, I really shirked my training and instead had a little too much fun making unhealthy choices.
• I had to take some medicine prior to running that causes drowsiness, so clearly I was not at my full energy level.
• While I ate a good pasta meal the night before, I don't think I ate enough, and I don't think I ate enough throughout the day.
• I need to really work on fueling during the actual race: I have a very hard time eating anything (GU, sports beans, gummy bears, oranges, etc.) while I'm running, and that obviously depletes my glycogen stores, making running extremely difficult.
• Despite driving the course the day before, I didn't know the course.  That's hard.

I had an overall good experience in Lincoln, but there were a couple of things that I didn't like: first, girls had pink bibs and boys had blue bibs.  Don't get me wrong: I love pink.  I just thought there was something a little wrong about that.  Second, I thought there could've been more water stations - and better spaced-out water stations.  Third, GU would've been nice to have offered at some point on the course.  Fourth, there was relatively no on-the-course entertainment (whereas Des Moines has live music at least once each mile).

Don't get me wrong, though: it was a good experience, and I'm very proud of myself for having accomplished it - especially by myself.

Running - especially in races - is truly an amazing thing.  It is inspirational, it is motivational, and for me, it is almost spiritual.

There will definitely be more of these in my future.