Good runs, bad runs, and doin' the trot!

Happy Thanksgiving, my people.  I hope you all are lucky enough to spend it with people you love.

I'm spending what we are calling Sheeblissgiving at our best friends' house which includes my hubs, my brother-in-law, our super awesome friends Kyle and Jeannette (who is sick *sad face*) and their kiddos Ember and Kelsey.

My folks are up in NH, and my hubby's folks are over in Germany--we are missing them so! <3

So, last we spoke--I'd done 11 miles, right? Finally took a rest day on Sunday (*pats self on back*) and went back to running on Monday with a great 5 miler, which I called my Trot Test Run!  Did that with an average 9:50 min/mile.
Tuesday and Wednesday I was SO not in the mood.  I mean, I think I THOUGHT I was, but as I went out for both 3+ milers I felt like crap--not so much my legs, but my head wasn't in it and my stomach just felt..like..blech.  Though my average paces were good 9:37 and 9:56/mile--they just weren't fun. 

I was super discouraged--I honestly felt like not going to the Trot in the morning.  I know, right??  I just had hit that wall (probably SHOULD have done that low mileage week last week, but nay.). 

Being completely spent this week, I fell asleep on the couch around 8:30 last night.  Got up again around 11, walked up to bed and passed out until 7 the next morning.  I felt better this morning, and started to get the pre-race jitters.  Gulped my algae tabs, ate a Stinger waffle, and off we went. 

Being that this was my first time at Austin's Turkey Trot, I though, oh an hour and a half ahead of time should be fine.

WRONG

We hit so much traffic--it was crazy.  We were in traffic so long I started to get worried I wouldn't make the race.  Finally we got close enough, we pulled into a Taco Cabana and I told my husband to hold down the fort and I'd be back in an hour.  As I started to very quickly walk up the road to the Trot--I realized this was a FRIGGIN' MADHOUSE.  There were so many people--holy smokes.  I thought maybe I'd be able to spot my Sweat Pink sister/fellow Tweeter Rachel there--but there was NO chance.  As soon as I got there they asked everyone to get in the corrals--which were jam-packed.  Someone I couldn't see sang the National Anthem, and then off we went in waves!  The first two miles were bananas, I kinda had to weave around people back and forth until I had a open area where I could be comfortable.  Once I started to get comfortable..the hills came...

The first one wasn't too bad, cruised up it.  I remember seeing the elevation map a few days ago and I was like..'Is that it?' I couldn't see any more as we turned the corner.  Then I saw what, to me at the time, looked like a 90 degree angle hill.  I wanted to yell, "You're an asshole, hill!"  But I stifled myself with all the kids in strollers around.  A lot of people around me had to stop and walk--and I sooooo wanted to. But, I swear to you, I didn't.  I pushed away the "it's okay to walk" thoughts out of my head and just kept trucking, glad I'd decided to bring my Nathan waterbottle with me.  

So, in short--the first two miles were the hardest.  Once we were over the major hillage, I started to feel like I was cruising, going back to weaving through folks.  Just before Mile 4, the sun started to really get to me--I was dripping sweat (come to find out it was 80...In November..I love Texas in the fall/winter--just not sunny and 80 for runs!), and I felt a little slow until we hit the last half mile where I could see the finish line across the bridge.  I picked up the pace and huffed it to the finish line.  Another race--done! WOO!  

5.19 miles in 51:02, I can dig that.

Walked back to the car after taking some random picture which I was told will show up online--I'll keep an eye out for that.   


 That all being said--I'm so ready for some turkey, baby.


To close up this post, I'm going to follow suit with others today and give a "What I'm thankful for" list--we all don't take enough time to stop and think about these things, and in the true spirit of the holday--let's get down to it!

1. Trev--my hubby.  Someone who is and has been completely loving and supportive in everything I want to do.  My husband crack me up everyday, and honestly, nothing else we have and nothing else would I do would be worth it without him.  Love, love, love him and I can't wait to go on our honeymoon next month and start our family!
2. My family--my mother, my step-mom, my sister, and brother and my second set of family with my mother and father-in-law and my brother-in-laws.  Again, always so supportive, loving, generous, hilarious---there are far too many adjectives to describe how amazing all these people have been to me, I am so blessed.
3. Friends--Same verse, same as the first.  You all know who you are, but specifically our friend's Kyle and Jeannette who have been so helpful to use in the past few years between moving from New England to Austin--giving us a place to stay when we moved here, letting up leave our crap with them, always offering to watch our dogs when need be, dinners together--You guys rock my sock.
4. Friends (x2) All the amazing people I've met in the past year online, and especially and the running friends I've made online.  You guys rock and it's so fantastic to be able to talk to people with all different goals and vent about 'the bad days'.  Thank you for all the comments and reads on my blog baby.  Keep on truckin', guys--no matter what you're goal is--you are all AMAZING!
5. Our home--both our beautiful new home we were able to buy this summer and where we live.  Austin/Round Rock is such an awesome community, great people, the complete oddness of the area, and the amazing weather.  I hate the cold--and Austin keeps me happy :)  
6.  Running!  This summer I took on running as my main cardio outlet and fell in love with it.  I have a new passion (albeit expensive sometimes, hehe) and although we don't always get along--it is the thing where I can go get in my zen zone and reflect.  It has been unreal how running has not only changed me physically, but mentally as well.  I really feel it centers me, and am so glad I've found it.

With all that being said--again, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!!

and..

Go fork yourselves!

Krissy<3