The life of a runner...

In May of 2011, I ran my first 5K race. I had always wanted to try running and I finally decided to give it a go. I remember it being so hot and humid on that day and me thinking 3 miles was a really long way. But I made it through the race and didn't die.

Flash forward to January 2012. I ran the 5K race that goes with the Chevron Houston Marathon and the Aramco Houston Half Marathon. That year, all 3 races were on the same day. It was at this race that I decided that the following year, I was going to be running the half-marathon with all those crazy people. I loved the feeling of the race. The excitement. Everyone cheering you on. And the bling you get when you finish doesn't hurt either.

So in 2012, I ran a few races. I signed up for the lottery and didn't get in. So I raised $500 to get an entry into the race. I didn't train for it like I should have and many times thought about deferring to the next year. But I couldn't because all my friends had donated money and I didn't want to let them down. Until race day, the most I had ever run was 10 miles. And I had only done that once. I figured 13.1 couldn't be much different than 10. Well, I was wrong. On race day, it was almost freezing and pouring down rain. But I made it through and finished in 3:03:38. My goal was 3:00:00 so I missed it by just a little. All year long I have thought about those 3+ minutes and wondered what I could have done differently to get under that 3 hour mark.

So when the registration came around this past summer to sign up, I entered the lottery and this year actually got an entry into the race! I was so excited! I vowed to myself that I would actually train for the race this year. So I signed up for a half marathon in New Orleans in October to see if I was still up for running. This race was miserable. It was 80 degrees, humid, and I pretty much had to walk the last 4 miles because my foot was killing me. SO after that race, I got a little discouraged.

But seeing people posting about their training has gotten me motivated and I actually trained this year for the half. I've done several long runs (7,8,9,11 miles) and feel a little more prepared. I had a cold for about the first week of January so I missed my last long run which has kind of freaked me out. But I've been sticking to it. I did 5 miles last Sunday and felt pretty good about it. I have 2 more short runs this week before running 13.1 on Sunday.

I've set some goals for this year's race. Given that it will be my 3rd half marathon and I know what to expect, I felt like putting some goals on paper was appropriate.  

-finish in under 3 hours which is a little over a 13 min pace (Not a really fast pace but it's 1 min faster than last year- baby steps people)
-stick to my run 9 mins, walk 1 min pace
-enjoy the race (last year was so miserable that it was hard to enjoy, I just wanted to finish)

Now that we're about 4 days out from the race, I'm starting to get a little nervous. Just writing this post makes me nervous. But, I know that I'm as prepared as I'm going to be and I'm really excited for the race. Can't wait to post about it next Monday!

Weekend Recap

This past weekend was a whirlwind of fun. I'm pretty sure I need a weekend to recover from my weekend!

Friday night I went to El Tiempo with a few of my friends. The wait was 1 1/2 hours so we ventured over to the bar next door for a few pre-dinner beverages. And then we went back to El Tiempo and had a margarita (or maybe 3) and yummy fajitas before venturing out to another bar where we all sat down and realized we were tired and decided to go home. It was 11:30pm. I can officially no longer party until 2am like I used to. I was in bed a snuggled up with the dogs by 12:30am.

The girls

Apparently we can't take the boys anywhere because they spill salsa all over the table.

And then we try to clean it up using the chips. 

Saturday I went to a housing warming/ white elephant party for one of my favorite couples. They moved into their new house in the Heights a few weeks ago so they had an afternoon party. Their house is beautiful! I'm super jealous. 

And then Saturday night I went to dinner at The Grove in Discovery Green and then to the symphony with a couple other friends. Dinner was yummy! And the symphony was the symphony. I'm not a fan of that type of thing but this one had an Earth and Planets video that accompanied it so it was a little more interesting. My friends are part of the Young Professionals Backstage and this was one of the shows that they support so the tickets for the symphony were only $25 and there was an after party at the Houston Club. It was free drinks and lots of good people watching. Although I wore really uncomfortable heels and I thought my feet were going to fall of walking to our car afterwards. They are still killing me! 

And I guess I had so much fun on Saturday I didn't take any pictures. Oh well!

Sunday I went out for my last "long" run before the half marathon next week. I did 5 miles and it wasn't all that pretty (probably because I drank the night before and was tired). But now I'm tapering this week and resting for the big 13.1 miles next Sunday! The rest of Sunday was spent with Delta Zeta getting ready for the upcoming semester. Lots of fun!

This week is going to be a busy one so I'm sure it will fly by. I really want to take a nap but that's not happening today. Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Why I do what I do...

Happy Friday! This was one long and busy week for me! I stayed up way too late a few nights this week and I am paying for it dearly as 5pm approaches on this Friday.

Earlier this week I was talking with my new "Mr. Right" (who will eventually get his own post if things get serious but right now everything is still a mystery to me) and he asked me what I was doing this weekend while he's out of town. I went through all my weekend plans and then ended it with "Sunday afternoon, I meet with the Delta Zeta Executive Board because school starts on Monday." He then made a casual comment about how he doesn't understand how I can like all that drama and he thinks I still want to be in college.

Ummm... excuse me. Did he just insult me and attack something that means so much to. I'm sure you can imagine that this did not sit well with me at all. In my nicest, most non-angry defensive (and not wanting to scare him off) voice , I tried to explain to him why I volunteer as an advisor for the chapter. I'm pretty sure everything just went in one ear and out the other though because let's be real. He's a guy. And he just doesn't get it. He wasn't in the Greek system during college but he did go to A&M so that's sort of similar (I'd think). And again, he's a guy.

Then I got to thinking. Maybe he didn't get it or that the impression that he's gotten from it all is because I'm not doing a good enough job of explaining it to him. People have so many misconceptions about sororities. I hear it quite often and even some of my close friends question why I do what I do occasionally.

And I started thinking about why I do what I do. Why I spend countless hours working on things for a chapter that I'm not even in anymore. And I found it really hard to put into words why I do what I do. I am a firm believer that God sets the paths for you. And this is just one path that, at times, has been a struggle but I couldn't imagine my life right now without the sorority in it.

So to clear up some misconceptions.

No, I do not want to be in college anymore. I was in some sort of post-secondary schooling for 8 years. I think that's enough for me right now.

No, I do not like all the drama. Although I secretly chuckle at the things the 18-22 year female thinks is a "big deal." But then I remember that just a few years ago (ok, well maybe 12 years ago), I was in their place and things that just seem insignificant now were a huge deal to me.

I do what I do because I like it. I committed to it and I don't back out of my commitments, even when things get rough. I like helping the girls. I love working with the chapter that gave me so much in the 2 1/2 years I was part of it. I know that I am the person I am today because of being in a sorority. I have grown and learned so much and it is because the chapter pushed me out of my introverted bubble.

I like spending Sunday and Monday nights with 60 college women- I keeps me young. It makes me proud when I see them graduate and go off and find jobs and become leaders in the community and I know that part of that was because of the experiences they have had in the chapter.

I also like that I still have friends that were in the chapter with me. Yesterday, when I had my minor meltdown, the first person I reached out to was one of my sorority sisters because I knew she would just get me and I knew she would know how to explain things in terms that I could relate to. While being an advisor means giving up a lot of myself and my time, I also get so much from it. And I wish people could understand that.

One of the girls recently posted this blog post on our chapter facebook page. Even though the author is a 20-something, she really hits the nail when it comes to so many of the misconceptions that people have about sororities.

I really like this quote of hers-

The real sorority woman is your average woman- complete with flaws, embarrassing stories, and aspirations for her future.

I think that about sums me up. Everyone has to find their "thing" that makes them who they are, gives them pleasure, and keeps them busy. And right now, this is it for me. Will it be my "thing" in 5 years? Who knows! But for now, I'll take it. So when someone says that they are in a sorority (or any group out there that gets a bad rap), know that they have their reasons. And while you may not agree with them, be respectful of it.

And now, to get the new "Mr. Right" to understand this... That may be a work in progress.