I'm a high maintenance runner

This weekend, for the first time in a very long time, I did back to back runs. No, not like real people who run in the morning and again in the afternoon (crazy), but 2 days in a row. I signed up for the North Hills 5k on Saturday and had 5 miles on my training plan for Sunday.

It was still crazy humid this weekend but I knew I needed to man up and get my runs in. November 2nd will be here in no time and I need to build my base back up.

This is the 4th year I've done the North Hills 5k and I have a love/hate relationship with it. I love that it's 4 miles from my house and their shirt is seriously my favorite race shirt. I wear the ones from the last 2 years all the time. I hate the hills. There's one enormous hill and literally, most of mile 2 is on an incline.

This race usually starts the race season for me and it's the first one I'll do after spending most of the summer not running in the hot and humid, which means I'm always crying about how out of shape I am.

This year ran it in 36:15 which is better than last year and a little worse than 2012. Honestly though the humidity was killing me. I didn't feel that my fitness was off by all that much, but slogging through 99% humidity was awful. I don't know that I've ever been that sweaty before in my life.

Sunday morning I knew I had to get in 5 miles for my "long" run. I kinda blew off last week's 4 miler long run and I had to get on the wagon. I waited until 11am to head out since it was supposed to get a little less humid. Thankfully it did, the longer I went, until it was positively pleasant when I was standing in the Whole Foods parking lot... I should have started an hour later.

As I was getting ready the last 2 days I was thinking about how I'm NOT one of those pull on a pair of shoes and head out the front door kinda runners. For me, all the stars and moons have to come into perfect alignment for me to make it through.

I have a few must haves that I can't leave home without. Let's be honest, it's more than a few.

1. My shoes. I can't just pull on whatever shoe I have laying in my closet. I've tried several brands and styles and I'm a Saucony gal. Saucony, neutral support with inserts. I ran my 2nd half with the Ride 5s, my third in the Ride 6s and I'm currently training for #4 in a pair of 6s but might end up at the store to try out the new Ride 7s. They're the only shoes that don't give me knee issues.

2. My tunes. I can't be by myself with my thoughts for any length of time, I need something to listen to and distract me from what I'm putting myself through. I like running in my lulu capris because the butt pocket is big and stretchy enough for me to fit my iPhone. I don't like those arm bands, they never stay up on my arm and they get all sweaty and gross. I'd rather put my phone in a baggie and shove it back there.

BTW - I'm super excited to be a new Swirlgear Ambassador and their running pants also have a butt back pocket. I'll be sure to post my thoughts as soon as they arrive!

3.  A head band. Like I mentioned before, when I run, I'm a sweaty gal. I need something to keep the sweat from running into my eyes. Biondi bands are one of my favorites because they're big enough for my enormous head and they'll sop up a bunch of head sweat.

4. My Garmin. I'm type A and love numbers. Love all the numbers so much. I can't just go off and not worry about my time. I need to know how fast I'm going, how fast I should be going, how far I went, all that fun stuff. Kev bought me the Garmin Forerunner 10 2 years ago for my birthday. I love it. It's pretty affordable at $130-ish and it tells me what I need to know without a lot of BS.

5. Water. I get thirsty and I get really dehydrated and am a mess when I get home if I don't have something to drink on my run. This applies to all weather, all distances. Also, I need a place to stick my key and my chapstick and a few dollars in case I have to stop and bribe a small child for a beverage.

I have this one and it's OK. It only holds 10 oz and I had to refill it a bunch of times during my last half. I like that the big pocket holds all my stuff. but I could so with a few more ounces of water.

I used to have one that held 16oz and it was awesome, but Cleo ate it. :(

6. Sunglasses. If it's sunny, these peepers need a cover.

I'm sure people run past me and think, "Damn, girl, that's a lot of stuff!" Yes, yes it is. #sorrynotsorry.

Don't forget! There are still a few days left to enter my giveaway!

What are your running "must haves"?

#BeFearless - How to Successfully Complete Couch to 5K

Today Fitness Blondie issued a challenge for each of us to share a story of how we live fearlessly. As soon as I saw read about it, I knew I had to participate. I love the concept of #BeFearless, it's about not being afraid to try something new, to make a change and most importantly to love yourself regardless of your size. I think it's something that we all struggle with. If only I could lose these last 10 pounds I can stop stressing. When I loose 20 I'll let my picture be taken when we go on vacation. The next thing you know, years have passed and you're still hiding away. 

I'll confess, I'm terribly guilty of this way of thinking. I place a lot of pressure on myself, especially when my clothes aren't fitting the way I think they should. It's something I struggle with every day and I know I can't let it control my life. That's what #Be Fearless is about. 

It's also about tackling your fears and rising to the challenge, which is why I wanted to share my Couch to 5k story. When I think about the one thing in my entire life I never thought I would be able to do, it was running. I wasn't an athletic kid and hated gym class. But I always thought it would be cool to run. Just throw on a pair of shoes and go. When I did go, I would be doubled over and heaving with a 6th grade side stitch. You know what I mean, that pain in your side that you always got after running around like a lunatic at recess? I would get those after 2 minutes of running. Yep, two. But I decided to tackle the challenge. My brother runs, heck, I can run too. 

How did I make it though?

Schedule your work out times. The program is 3 days a week for 8 weeks.  Schedule them in advance! If you aren't regularly going to the gym or engaged in an exercise routine, it can be really difficult to get started. 

Find a Distraction. I did my training on the treadmill (which I probably couldn't do now). If you do, find something to distract you. I watched movies on my iPad and had my phone with the app running next to it so I knew when to run/walk.  Now I watch Netflix when I'm on the treadmill. Seriously, I've watched Spirit of the Marathon 4 times. If you need something to motivate you, that will do it. 

Run outside if you can. There's more to look at. If you have parks or greenways near you, utilize them!

Don't go out too fast. However fast you think you should run, slow it waaaaaay down. When I tried to run in the past I would go too fast, get a cramp and quit. If you start breathing too heavily and feel like you might die, slow it down.

Make an awesome play list. I can't run with just me and nature, I don't need tome alone with my thoughts. I need tunes. I'm a huge fan of 80s hair metal and have an all Bon Jovi play list. It's amazing.

I might have had this poster on my wall in the 80s.

Week 5, day 3 is going to suck. Be aware that it's coming. That workout is where you jump from running 10 minutes at a time to 20. I know a lot of people who haven't been able to make it over that hump. Slow way down and trudge through it. 20 minutes seems like forever but it's not that bad after you make it through and you'll feel AMAZING.

Get fitted for real running shoes. The right shoes make ALL the difference. Once you start running you can get knee and hip pain from the wrong shoes and some people quit because they think they have bad joints. More often than not it's the shoes. It took a while but I LOVE the Saucony Rides with an insert. It's perfect amount of support for me and I wouldn't have found the combo if not for my running store. Fleet Feet is where I get mine. I love them.

Learning to run is something that can change your life in more ways than one. There's absolutely nothing better than crossing the finish line at your first race. Give it a shot! #BeFearless