Another half marathon... LET'S DO IT!

Yes... I am running my 4th official half marathon. Want to hear a secret? I'm just as nervous as I was for my first half marathon. Have I trained well enough? Will I PR? What about my quad injury? What happens if I don't PR? All the questions running through my mind this past week. However, I have been swamped with work to even worry about them. Now, most of my work is done and I am freaking out. Here is whats up...

1. I never got my 12 mile run in. I only got 10 miles due to fainting (6 miles outside and 4 miles on the TM). Will I be ok? Am I trained?
2. I haven't been getting enough sleep and taking care of myself this week. Like I said this week has been horrible when it comes to work. Actually more like the last two weeks have been miserable.
3. I think I am coming down with a cold and/or stomach bug. I have been in bed all afternoon so hopefully that helps.
4. My quad strain. I haven't let it heal 100%. I have been taking it easy but I know it's not 100%.
5. This is my first race since the BAA 10K. Also the longest time I have gone without a race since I started

This race will be whatever it wants to be. A PR would be great. But, I am going to take it easy. It's a hilly course and not feeling 100% I don't want to push it. So thats the solution.

The pros of this weekend!

1. It's a girls weekend on the Cape. My friends are coming down (some racing, some not) and after the race we are going to have a fun girls weekend.
2. It's Garmina's first race! Hopefully she behaves!
3. It's my first race on the Cape! After last weeks 8 miler on the Cape, I am looking forward to racing along the sea shore.
4. I'm running my 4th half marathon.. YAY! I need to remind myself that a year ago, I was doing crew and was hating myself.

The "Time Out Chair"

When I was younger, I was a pretty good kid. However, I also had my not so great moments..... I would pull people's hair and say mean things and stick my tongue out at them. As a punishment, my parents sent me to the "Time Out Chair". The "Time Out Chair" wasn't an actual physical chair, rather a step. I was told to sit there until I stopped crying and could apologize for what I did. Being a stubborn child, I usually ended up sitting on this step for far to long and would be sent to my room. I remember hours spent in my room screaming and refusing to stop crying. I would bang on the door and scream at the top of my lungs (oh my lucky neighbors). I remember even trying to run away once. Did I mention I was 4 years old? I am an only child. Whenever my parents are asked why they didn't have more kids, they always say "Catie was enough".

Don't let the smile fool you!

I meant business!

The past few weeks, haven't been great. I feel like I have lost friendships, not been talking to some friends, made way to many mistakes, have gotten blame for everything and just have been in both physical and emotional pain. Physical pain, my thumb. Emotional pain, everything else. I feel like I have constantly been sent to the "Time Out Chair". I also have been forced to have to take responsibility for everything happening. To be honest. I'm mad! I'm fed up with being sent to the chair. Instead of screaming like a 4 year old, I have kept all these emotions in, and I am ready to explode. Recently, I have taken my anger out in running. I have started a 10K training program, but to be honest these runs allow me to get away from everyone, literally running away. I ran over 5 1/2 miles on Tuesday, just to get away from everyone. However, even though it is great to take my anger out through exercise, the minute I get back, everything I ran to get away from comes back to haunt me. Maybe I just need to cry. Maybe I just need to scream. I am mad and sick of being put in the "Time Out Chair".

Lesson learned, maybe we will always be 4 years old, but it's harder for us to express these emotions and easier for them to all boil up. Also the "Time Out Chair" will always exist and that's just life. Finally, even though I am a much happier and grateful person since starting the challenge, sometimes seeing the best in the things is hard to do.

Sorry if this is all a big rant, it made better sense in my head on my run this AM.

Do you ever feel like you are being put in the "Time Out Chair"? If so, how do you handle it?