Colds Have The Best Timing

My first runDisney race in a few years is less than a week away and of course I'm fighting a cold.  That is how life works, isn't it?


Luckily I know it is just my sinuses so I don't need to be on hard meds this week.  However, my lungs hurt, my body is tired, but my legs are feeling strong.  It's ironic, my legs feel like they are ready for the races, but the rest of my just wants to curl back up in bed.  This happens almost twice a year, whenever the weather tries to change.  When ever the wind blows, the humidity drops, and Florida's attempt at fall arrives, my sinuses and allergies go nuts.  It's just been a while since I've had to contend with that and a race at the same time. 


I know I won't quit the race though.  The last few days of run/walking have been an overall slower pace, but still significantly under the 16 min pace.  I just have to listen to my body and know when I should be walking and when I should be running.  I have only ever had to drop out of a race, and I never want to experience that again.  I am still regretting dropping out of the race almost 10 years later and I do not need another non-finished race to be added to that list.  I'll get through these races... possibly painfully, but I will get through them!


They have started to put the medic tent and water stop signs up around Disney World which means this happening... and soon!  5 days and I'll be running... 7 days and I will be sore and feeling it, but done with hopefully 3 new medals to add to my collection!

Post-Hurricane Training

Hurricane Matthew was a little less impressive than expected for some of us in Central Florida.  By the afternoon, my roommate and I were definitely a bit stir crazy and ended up doing separate strength workouts.  Mine felt pretty good and I was feeling it in my shoulders and legs a little bit the next day.

Yesterday, the first day after the hurricane, you couldn't even tell a storm had gone through.  Around town there were some branches down, but nothing big.  It was like a regular storm had come through and that was it.  Life was back to normal almost instantly.  It was so completely back to normal that I ended up going into work, but I was able to work with a super nice family and it was a great, sunny day.

Today I was able to get out and let my legs really start working.  I was a bit sore and my feet weren't happy since I walked so much yesterday in some flats that aren't very supportive.  It's amazing how much every day shoes can affect your running.  I thought I would struggle to get 3 miles in, but instead I was able to push it and reach 4 miles, with a little bit of walking for a nice cool down at the end.

My strength is definitely coming back and I was able to hold a faster pace for longer when it came to the running intervals.  Walking was interesting as it was originally a struggle to get to the right pace, but by the end my walking was doing great while my running was getting tired.  I always have to remind myself to just get into the mind set of letting my body do this.  It knows what its doing and I'm just there for the journey.

Lumiere's Challenge is just less than a month away.  Still nervous, still unsure of how I am going to finish, but I am...

Training Through A Hurricane

I have managed to live in Florida for 5 years without any serious hurricanes.  Sure there have been some tropical storms, but nothing too major.  Finally, I have had to deal with my first major hurricane.  Hurricane Matthew decided to take a trip up the Florida coast yesterday and today.  I'm lucky enough to live in central Florida so I am dealing with winds and rain, still nothing like those living on the coast.

Growing up in California we had to deal with wild fires and earthquakes, sudden things that you can't always prepare for.  The thing about hurricanes is that you can prepare.  So of course we got food, batteries, water, etc... Yesterday we knew we had all day to prepare so I woke up, saw some clouds but also sun so I decided it was time for a run.  I figured that was on my hurricane prep list... get one last run in.  

I got a rough 3 miles in.  Running has just not been my thing lately, but I will push through it to hopefully have a decent race in about a month.  Luckily it's not a true race... it's a get to the finish line event.  The weather was nice.  It would be hot, then some wind would come through, it would be dry and then some sprinkles.  No hard rain, no nasty gusts.

Now I do love running in the rain, but between the rains and this lovely curfew that has been placed in our county, I will be staying put inside.  At some point I will be getting a strength workout in, but for now I'm watching the rain and wind from the comfort of the couch.

I think the hardest part of this hurricane has been not eating and drinking through the entire thing.  I've been doing so well this last week on my diet and yesterday was definitely not a good day for that... it was a good day for my taste buds though.