Missy's preface

December 31, 2011

            Well I am of course, a little late in writing my introduction.  I am not much of a writer, but I would love to share a little about myself. 

            I am 31 years old and I have never felt so alive for many reasons.  I have been married for 9 years to my soul mate and best friend, John.  I am so blessed to have such a wonderful husband. Our relationship has evolved into such a splendid thing, especially if I look back to where we started. 

            I have been a 2^nd grade teacher for five years now.  We are planning on trying to get pregnant soon, so I am not sure how that will change things, but we will see.  I love to spend time with friends and family, dance, run, read, watch movies, and learn new things!!!

            I never thought of myself as a runner.  I was not athletic growing up and I was never involved in any sports.  I was always too self-conscious and shy to do anything like that.  I always wanted to “work out” to stay fit, so I started working out when I was a teenager and young adult.  My work out regiment included a lot of indoor elliptical machines, stair steppers, and weights.  Then, I met Courtney and we joined a gym together.  We started to take group exercise classes like spin class, yoga, abs, and weight lifting classes.  We did this on and off for years.  Then, January 2011, I overheard Abbie and Courtney talking about how they were running.  Within seconds, I was in!!!  I wanted to run so bad, I could taste it.  I have never been a runner.  I always hated running, so I am not sure what came over me, but Abbie and Courtney inspired me!!!  J So, on January 30, 2011, I started running (which was 10 days after Abb and Court started running). 

            I still remember how we started out.  We could barely run a ¼ mile.  We would wake up super early and meet at 5:45 a.m. to run at a local park that marks each ¼ mile.  We would call out different things to run to: “Ok, run to the 2^nd light pole!”  “Ok, now run to that bench” and then we would walk.    Then after a few days or week or so, we decided to run a whole ½ mile.  Wow!!!  I vividly remember running it.  Now picture this, the sidewalk is marked with every ¼ mile.  So, we are running along in the early morning and it is really cold.  We pass the ¼ mile and it wasn’t so bad.  Then, we keep on running and it is starting to get really hard for me to keep going, but I press on.  I know the mark for a ½ mile is coming up, but I can’t quite remember where it is.  I am so tired that I am not thinking straight.  I just want to stop.  Then, very dramatically I either say it or think it (I honestly can’t remember which one), I say/think “Where is the half mile mark!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”.  Then, shortly after I said/thought that, there it was.  It looked so perfect in my mind because it meant I got to stop running and walk again. 

            This memory is very humorous and heartfelt to me.  It reminds me how far we have come and it reminds me where we started.   You have to start somewhere, so whatever it is that you want to do or accomplish, go ahead and start; you might surprise yourself!!!

            Courtney, Abbie, and I have run several 5k races and one 10k race now.  We have grown so close through running together.  I love having my running buddies and wouldn’t be running without them.  We are very supportive of each other in running and in life.  I have learned a lot about them and myself from this experience. We plan on training for and running many more races together.  We are about to start training for our first half marathon and I am so excited!!!

Courtney's Take On Our First 5k

Our first 5k. I remember it well. It was the third annual Allen ISD Eagle Run,benefiting the Schools in Allen.

We spent much time training for that run. The place we chose to train was a marked mile and a half run. So we had to do it twice. Like Abbie said running is very much a mental mind set. And for me running around that course two times right in a row was enough to take over and make me want to give up.
I suggested that we run across the finish line and then turn around and go the second time backwards.

Don't be silly you know what I mean. We ran the course from finish to start we didn't actually run backwards.

We did as suggested and that is still how we do it.

We trained and trained on that course. Fartleking,working up to our three mile goal. Pretty early on I began having an ache in my right shin. Just a dull throb. I noticed that as I ran the ache would subside and only come back when I stopped running. The first few steps I could feel it and then it would just go away. I was running in some old shoes that were not made for running so I blamed them. I went to Academy and tried on pair after pair of shoe until I found a pair that didn't hurt when I took a step. I bought them and was proud that they were pink.

I kept running. Working past the first few steps of pain,reaching our goal and then celebrating at the finish line by saying ouch a lot and trying to make the pain in my shins (it was both at this point)go away.

I noticed that there would sometimes be some red streaks running up the front of my shins but I kept on running.

I began reading on shin splint injuries. Started doing lots of extra calf stretches all though out my days. I iced them and elevated them after runs and pressed on. We had a 5k coming up and I had work to do. I started wrapping them during the day in ace bandages as tightly as I could or I couldn't really walk. Putting pressure on my legs meant shooting pains in my shins. I knew it was there but I just thought it would get better as I continued training and became a better runner.

When we ran we quickly fell into what in my mind I called the triangle. Abbie and Missy out front talking,me the point of the triangle in the back rocking out to my ipod.

One day Missy and I were on the second half of our course and she was pretty far ahead. She had increased her speed to cover up a knee pain she was dealing with. I told myself to "Speed up,just get this done. It will make the pain go away too." when I fell. One minute I was speeding up the next I was on the sidewalk.

I felt an intense pain in my right hand that was under me,I imagined all my fingers were broken. I rolled over and looked at it and saw one whole entire fingernail was gone. Well,it was there the tip of it jabbed into the end of my finger but it wasn't connected. My right knee was scraped up as were some of my other fingers.

I got up told myself to breath and took the shortcut to the finish where Missy sat waiting. She was relieved to see I hadn't been kidnapped. We left my van and she drove me home. We had to wake everyone up,get them dressed and then try to find an open emergency clinic. I can tell you they don't open very early. We had to wait in the parking lot until 8am. I think I was in shock a little. I just remember being very cold and shaky. I just waited in the car looking at that nail,I couldn't bear the thought of someone taking it off.



Warning: Skip the next photo if you get sick looking at things like torn off fingernails. Sitting in the car waiting I decided to document my ordeal using my phones camera.



                                                  

When I finally saw the Dr. I said "Can you numb it before you touch it?" Please and Thankyouverymuch. He numbed it and we soaked it and he pulled it off and wrapped me up.

Here I am all wrapped up. I know! That's is? I didn't get a fancy splint,or a sling or a cast or anything! It sure did hurt a lot for a piece of gauze and a couple of go rounds with some sticky wrappy stuff. 

Missy and Shiloh needed to head to work so Missy's husband John came over for the day and helped me with my kids. With only my left hand to use I was pretty limited on what I could do.

Thanks,friend!

There are lots of theories on why I fell.

Maybe I tripped? No,when you trip you suck in your breath and get startled and say to yourself "I'm falling!"

Maybe the pain in my shins was too much and my body couldn't take it? No,I have a pretty high pain tolerance and whenever I feel pain I do a quick comparison to what I have felt during labor. Had I felt that I would have stopped. And still I would have tried to catch myself.

Maybe I passed out? Probable. I didn't know I was falling. I only knew,now I'm running now I'm on the sidewalk. I must have been taking a step with my right leg because I fell on that knee and my right hand was under my stomach,fingers straight into the ground. But there was no black fuzzy feeling in my head. I've never passed out before maybe there is no black fuzzy feeling?


*****************************************************************


I told all that to say that happened two days before our big run. I couldn't really even put my hand down because of the throbbing but I decided I wasn't going to miss our race. I've never taken so much ibuprofen. Not when my legs were hurting or anything but because I was on it for my finger it also helped my legs and I didn't feel any pain during our run!

This is me just before our run. 'Scuse my hair...I couldn't make a proper pony tail with just one hand.

And maybe because there was no pain or maybe because we ate two cliff bars before our run but during this race even though we still formed our triangle I was the point in the front.

Eat my dust Missy and Abbie. ;) Just kidding. I didn't really even notice until Missy pointed out later that they were having to keep up with me. I was just energized by all the people and the music and the cliff bars and the lack of pain and it felt easy.

We had never run the .1 of a 5k until race day. I guess we were saving it but it was the hardest part I think. We came up a big hill *oof* and rounded a curve and there was the finish line. I sped up and still came in last (of the three of us)but still reaching my personal goal of 'anything under 35 minutes'.

My time was 33.54. I came in 14th in my age bracket,316th overall.

Abbie's time was 33.53 11th in her age bracket,315th overall.

Missy also finished in 33.53 20th in her age bracket 314th overall.

Someone shoved a water bottle at me and I just focused on trying to breath.

We were all so surprised. Our 3 mile runs on our marked course usually took us 40 minutes or more. We realized later how many hills our training course had and shared a giggle for making so much extra work for ourselves.

We snapped this photo just before the run. It would become tradition,trying to get just the right amount of shoe in the frame.

It was a good first race. And the waffles and pedicures after were pretty hard to beat too.

Here is the info on this year's Allen ISD Eagle Run. It is a good course,it makes a big loop and there is only small bit that you have to run twice. They had good snacks,muffins and bananas. There was plenty of water. It's high energy at the beginning with loud music and school mascots acting silly in the street. It's cold though so take some extra time and warm up.

Courtney

A "Running" Epiphany...

1 Corinthians 9:24
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.--

Hebrews 12:1
Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

I have been thinking about these verses a lot lately...they often come to mind while I'm running and it gives me something to think about other than how tired I am :) When we started training for out first 5K we could barely run 1/4 mile without stopping...I have been thinking of that in comparison to life and how sometimes we set out on the race set before us and in our flesh can't make it on our own- we get distracted by the other "runners" or we are weighed down by our own sins and flesh. But one thing I have learned about running- it's such a mental thing... We often have to encourage each other to keep going "you can do it we are almost there" is something we say a lot.. I need to work on
applying that to life and encouraging each other "we are almost there...our goal...do not give up."...In a race or while we run I often times just want to stop..and sometimes in life it's easier to make wrong choices or not go out of our way to put others first...but that's not what we should focus on...our life on earth is just a breathe...so short....a 5K in comparison to a Marathon...can't we put our own wants and selfish desires aside for a short time? James 4:14--whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.

Today I want to go back to the starting line with my mind set on the correct goals in life-
Colossians 3:2--
Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth.

Not on my own- I can't do it on my own- only through Christ who gives me strength (Phil 4:13)

And I'm not saying it's easy- I may stop and need to catch my breathe at times, I may trip and fall, I may need to start the race back at the "starting line" ...just like how I have awesome running buddies to encourage me and keep me motivated- God has given me awesome people in my life to help me stay on course and I am so thankful for that :))

Ready, Set..... GO!

Philippians 4:8
Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.

- Abbie :)

I Be Abbie

My introduction won't be as interesting or as clever as the other girls but I will just tell you a bit about myself and my "running" history ;)

I am 23, and married to my best friend- a handsome young man named Blake who just happens to be Courtney's little brother even though people mistake Courtney and I as sisters pretty often. :)
I work as a leasing consultant and also have a small photography business- www.abbiegphotography.blogspot.com
I played Tennis and Basketball throughout jr high and high school and the only running I did was for punishment for missing a free-throw or the dreaded "warm ups" etc...I never liked running- and if you had told me back then that I would be running 3.1 miles or 6.2 miles I would have laughed and said "yeah right!" ;)

But here I am- running for fun and to get back in shape...I am so thankful for my running buddies- Courtney and Missy- I would have given up a long time ago on this whole running thing if I didn't have someone to help keep me motivated and make sure I wake up way earlier than I ever thought I would (5:30 am cough cough) ;) in the freezing cold to go for a jog...thanks girls!

One last thing is I thought I'd share one of my favorite memories from running...
It was at the firefly run (my favorite run so far). Blake and John (Missy's husband) had said they were going to hang out and catch a movie since we were all going to be gone to Dallas for the run... We were at the starting line for the race..our first 10K! The gun went off and we started running...it was so crowded- If I remember correctly there were 3,300 or more runners! How we saw them I still don't really know- but there they were- Blake and John who were supposed to be at a movie in Sherman had driven all the way to come cheer us on!!! It was so sweet- it brought such joy to my heart that they would do something like that to support us! All of our husbands are very supportive of our running goals and often express how proud they are- we are blessed! :)

Running? Sure, Let's Do It!

January 19th- This whole adventure started out with an everyday text conversation with my sister-in-law Courtney. We were talking about how it would be neat to be able to just go out for a run for enjoyment. We were going back and forth about how awesome that would be and what amazing shape we would be in (grin) etc...Courtney had heard about an app you can get that give you a "trainer" to get you ready for 5k, 10k, half marathon, etc...We talked about how we could use the fitness center at the apartments where I live and also how we could measure different roads and things and work up to doing that too...next thing I know she says...Okay see you tomorrow.

January 20th- First day of training. lol Yes we are hardcore.
We met up at the fitness center at around 7 I think...so that I could have time to get to work after we were done. The app I had downloaded had all of those different options of what to train for...we thought the logical thing was to go ahead and train for a longer distance (obviously ;) ) so we started with the "marathon" training. When all was said and done by the end we had decided to be a bit less enthusiastic and go for "10k" training.

January 21-January 28th

Courtney and I were consistent in going to the fitness center and following the instructions the app gave us for each day...we were feeling pretty good and confident about our running progress...Our friend Missy heard that we were starting to work out and about our running goals and she was all for wanting to join in the fun.

January 29th

Courtney, and I met up at a local park to see what it was like to run outside in the cold and decided to start out slow....well apparently running inside on a treadmill and running outside in the elements are completely different! I don't know about Courtney but I felt like I was starting over again at day 1...I don't think we made it far...maybe to the quarter mile before we were out of breathe and ready to walk a bit...

So we would run a little then walk and catch our breathe again....lather rinse repeat...you get the idea :)

January 30th

The Road Runners Team first run (aka Missy joined in!) We knew from the previous day that we are no match for running outside and following the app..so we decided to "fartlick" (even though we didn't know that's what it was called at the time) we would each take turns picking a landmark to run to then walk for a while until one of us called out another destination to run to....

Since it has been almost an entire year since we started running I am not going to bore you with the details of each run but we slowly worked up to running with out stopping first to a half mile, 3/4 mile, then ONE MILE! That was a big run in my mind- I remember it well- I wanted to stop so bad! I kept thinking "I think they moved the mile marker because we should have gotten there by now!!" we made it- very out of breathe but feeling very excited at our progress!

We kept building slowly from there and signed up for our first run- a 5K on March 5th. Signing up for the race gave us an extra boost of motivation and excitement...we worked up to running 3 miles and that is another run that I remember so well! We did it. 3 miles!! We ran across the "finish" line and all fell to the ground gasping for breathe! We had done it but oh man was it hard!

Along the way of building up to the 3 miles we had been training in ice, snow, freezing temps...but we were committed- we were going to run in that 5K!! We would bundle up until we were no longer even recognizable and set out on our run- often times calling out "Ice!" if you were the leader so that the other two wouldn't slip...yes, we were that hardcore ;) We went daily on our runs and became slightly addicted. When we had to miss running for a few days because of a snow storm we went a lil stir crazy and considered braving the roads just so that we could get in our runs!

Okay so I have pretty much caught up to our first 5K and I will write about that (or one of us will)

On another day ;)

-Abbie :)

There Were Dorks Strewn All Over The Path

I just went back to Facebook under notes and found this. It was about a run that Abbie and I had together. Gotta keep it lively ya know?


Great run with Abbie this morning. Sometime we get bored ya know? So we narrated an episode of I shouldn't be alive. There were wild hyenas everywhere and forks strewn about the path (we were trail running btw). It made me quite hungry actually,all those forks. Abbie tripped (true) and was injured(fantasy) so I had to go on alone for help just me and GPS lady. I hoisted her up in a tree(Abbie not GPS lady) in the shade first to keep her safe(we obviously have wild bear problems in our small town) and ran to bring her some water back from our water pit stop. When I came to the stop the water had been taken (true). My brand new birthday water bottle from Missy. Not knowing if Abbie's water had been poisoned there was little choice but to throw it out and run on. Thirsty. Tired. On and on for five miles.....Intense I know. ;) But we survived and now I need a shower. *sweaty*

Abbie suggested in the comment section on FB that we might possibly have been dehydrated.

I suggest that being a dork is FUN!

So what about you? Does your water get taken when you plant it along your run in advance? People even take regular disposable water bottles with ice still in them. I think that's strange.

Courtney

One of Three

Hi, I'm Courtney I'm a 29 year old mama of four little ones I've been married for just over 11 years and shabby chic is probably a good way to describe me. I'm a little bit country a little bit rock and roll too. Growing up I dreamed of climbing trees and certainly would have had I not lived in the rather flat plains of Texas. I thought broken arms and black eyes were cool though I would leave frog catching up to my sisters. I got along easily with the boys but thought my girlfriend friendships were a bit more work. I played baby dolls and rode my bike everyday. I was willing to take risks and usually had a skinned  knee or elbow to prove it. I wanted to grow up and have a fat bald baby of my own.

I had four of them. I spend my days trying to educate and entertain them. My runs are like mini vacations where only grown ups come. I run to reclaim my after baby body,I run to set an example,I run to support good causes.

I run for...fun? It's always fun before talking,stretching,figuring out a strategy to beat a time or go a certain distance. It's always fun after. Feeling good that you stuck with it and finished. Getting that runner's high,feeling energized. I don't know if it's fun during. It's hard. You argue with yourself who wants to quit and yourself who refuses to give up.

Ugh a hill. Just dig in don't slow down. I can't breath. Yes, you can. You are. I'm just going to slow down,take a break. Don't let that lady pass you it's hard for her too. What am I doing? I don't like running. Just imagine the end.

If you have running buddies sometimes they can read your mind. When you are thinking about stopping they say "Come on,almost there" and then you just go.

I first tried running in the months before my wedding. To get in shape. (Insert eye roll) I'm not sure what my 117lb self was shooting for,116lbs? I never thought of myself as a runner but was always looking for chances to run. After I got married and moved miles away I was too scared to run alone in a strange neighborhood. We made several moves and ended up in our small town where we still call home. Soon after moving here I began working out in our apartment's clubhouse and met Missy.

I tried running around our parking lot but after a strange encounter with a man appearing around every turn one night I cut that idea short. I joined a gym and did everything from spin class to weights. I even gave Tae Kwon Do a turn. When I did do those things I did them consistently but my pregnancies interrupted each time. Almost always I worked out with Missy, when I became pregnant she would continue and I would join back up with her after the baby came. I ran one summer with my brother when he came to stay with us and broke my old records with I think a whole whopping mile. Most recently my sister-in-law Abbie mentioned she would like to run and I was all over that. We even woke up early to do it. :) When Missy found out what we were up to she wanted to join and so we bumped our morning alarms up some and moved our runs from Abbie's clubhouse to outside.

The rest is history.

Courtney

An (informal) Introduction

Welcome to A (Road) Runner's Perspective.

We are three small town girls who decided in the dead of winter that it might be a good idea to strap on some old tennis shoes and begin what would become our journey to running our first marathon.  We are Abbie,Courtney and Missy (that's alphabetical and ascending age order as it so happens) and we will all be writing here telling of our experiences along the way.

When we began running we did just that. We went to a park and ran. We very quickly began googling strategies and reading about tips and tricks on the Internet. We wanted to know everything from the correct way to breath,stretch and get faster to where and how to buy the right shoes. We may have giggled over some of the terminology but we at least tried each of the new things we learned about.

When we run we talk. A lot. Saving our best stories for the run to help pass the miles. Sometimes we have ideas while we talk and this blog was one of them. I can still easily recall that it a record setting run (for us) distance wise. Running around the down town streets of our small town we wanted to look cute and coordinated for our next race (we are such girls) and for that we wanted to have t-shirts made and for that our trio needed a name. We tossed about names and since I thought it might be fun to run all the roads of our small town,Roadrunners(Abbie's idea) sounded good to us. The idea of creating a blog came up and of course that needed a name as well. Since we would all be writing it would have three unique perspectives.  Missy fell in love with that word. So we combined Abbie's name with Missy's word *smile* and walla! Putting the road in parentheses was a must. We wouldn't want anyone thinking we were just a very smart bird blogging away in it's nest:

Today a very fast car honked at me.

No, that would never work. Of course the title might still be a tad confusing but now that we have officially informally met I think you get it.

You can e-mail us with questions or for any old reason at aroadrunnersperspective@yahoo.com. You can find us on facebook here. Or just like us at the bottom of this post. Comments are welcomed and encouraged. It (will be) very nice to meet you!

Now I've got to run.  *joke* and I promise I don't usually use that many italics and parenthesis.

Night!

(Courtney)