Half Crazy, Half Awesome

Yes, I believe the title of this blog entry describes me for many many reasons.

For the purpose of this entry, I'm focusing on one part of my crazy/awesome combo. For starters, there's a few people who shall remain nameless in this blog (but know who they are) who deserve a huge thanks for helping me believe that I am capable of running a half marathon distance. My best running buddy, and her sisters, all played major roles in helping me see the light. (THANKS YOU GGUYYYSSSS)

I may able blame them a little for creating a monster.

I ran my first half marathon in May of this year, and then turned around a ran another one two weeks later.

This turned out to be a bad plan. My body wasn't used to that must exertion and quickly revolted by causing all sorts of issues (runner's knee, ankle problems, rage).

However bad that idea may have been, two half marathons in two weeks earns you entry to the elite half marathon club: Half Fanatics. This dues-paying club requires you complete a certain amount of halfs within a certain amount of time, and as you progress through the levels, you can earn different "status'" within the club. The top status you can achieve:

THE SUN          

1. 52 Half Marathons or more within 365 days.

2. 30 Half Marathons in 30 US states, Countries, or Canadian Provinces (any combination) within 365 days.

3. 20 Countries within 365 days. 

I'm not planning on attaining Sun status until I figure out how to get sponsored... 

Since that first halfy in May, I've ran five. This is where the half crazy part comes into play. My last two races were one week apart. (In my defense, the last one was a fund-raiser for soldiers with PTSD, which TOTALLY tugs at my heartstrings. AND, they offered a military discount, which I LOVE).

Photo from the 2011 race.

While I did this because my current training plans require more and more miles every week, and for me, there's nothing quite like the push I give myself in a race (my competitive side can be sort of aggressive sometimes). So, not only did I get to race for a good cause, but it also doubled as a great training run.

My next race is a 30k (that's 18 miles. WTF was I thinking) trail run. I'll hold off writing about this until later because the mere thought of this race is still a little daunting. (Another shout out to my running buddy for getting me into this one...) This will be a PDR for me, and a big jump outside my comfort area. I've come to love my halfys, but I have to remember that for most my life, a half marathon was out of my comfort area, too.

Next up to add to the training regime? Speed work. I feel like I've built up a good endurance base, but would love to have a little "push" for race day. I'm hoping I can find a local track to do some work at next week.

"To give anything less than you best is to sacrifice the gift. " Steve Prefontaine, who was also half crazy.

So maybe I am half crazy. Crazy for running so much? Crazy about half marathons being my "perfect distance"? Crazy for listening to my running buddy when she says, "Hey, we should do this!" Or maybe even crazy about pushing myself just that little bit extra... Yup. I'll own up to every little bit of that. Oh yeah, and usually to the half awesome part, too.

What does your training schedule look like?

Do you train for races or do you prefer to run for recreation?

Are you like my husband who believes if you have to go father than three miles, you should get in a car?

FAST Nails!

Warning to readers: this blog post is all about nail polish. On a scale of 1-10, 10 being the girliest blog post ever, this one is about a 9.8. You're been warned.

About six months ago, before my first-ever half marathon, I decided it would be a fantastic idea to paint my nails the most neon and obnoxious color I could find. Why? Because the brighter the nail color, the faster you run (you know, optical illusions and all that... right?).

In case you were wondering, this theory also applies to clothing, shoes, and accessories of any kind. You may choose to wear all black while running, but the minute you slap on a neon green headband, you're bound to set a PR. It's a fact.

Here's the first color I used: China Glaze's Japanese Koi (This color just happened to match the brightness-factor of my Nathan waterbottle).

I know, it's hard not to notice the nails and waterbottle, right?

From this race on, FAST nails have become a staple of my pre-race rituals. (Not my toenails though, they've suffered enough from all my running. Perhaps a topic saved for another blog post).

I've passed on my need for FAST nails to my running buddies, including my Ragnar Northwest Passage team members.

Team Fast nails from Ragnar at the end of the race. Pay no attention to the one random man finger on the left. And in the middle there's a paint-less hand, highlighting what can happen when FAST nails meet pre (and post) race jitters. Lack of sleep may have been involved.

Some of my favorite colors are: Japanese Koi - China Glaze, Rich Raspberry - Revlon Colorstay, Pink Voltage - China Glaze, Perky Purple - Essie (I think this color is discontinued), Ride the Waves -China Glaze, and Shine on Crazy Diamond (multicolor glitter) - Orly.

FAST nails from Survivor Mud Run in  June.

For my last race, Over the Narrows Ten Miler, I decided to get a little creative with my nails, so I went multicolored, using blue painter's tape to make a perfect line halfway down my nail.

Japanese Koi and Love's a Beach, both China Glaze.

I love how this little ritual has become something all my running friends do, too. It's been awesome to get on Facebook and see myself tagged in photos of people's brightly painted nails the night before a race!

Do you have any quirky and fun pre-race rituals? Do you have pictures of FAST nails, too? 

If you do FAST nails before your next race, share it here! Maybe we can make FAST nails sweep the nation!!