I haven’t been sleeping very well this week. I’m not sure if it’s the excitement of going to Disney to run in a race OR if it’s the tapering that is playing evil mind tricks on me.  I’m just not tired. And I’m not extremely tired during the day either. I hope this doesn’t all catch up with me on Saturday morning at ooohhhh about 6am.

I’ve been really worked up about the weather this week. All during training I was thinking that it would be like 70 or so during the race so I wouldn’t have to worry too much about the cold except at the beginning of the race and waiting in the corrals. Yeah… so it’s going to be COLD! What?!!?

Also, the weather here in Atlanta has been cold. So cold it may snow tomorrow. So that may make the drive down interesting. Hopefully we leave early enough that it will not have started the snow yet. I really need to get to Florida to get my race packet on Friday morning!

But the good thing about how it’s been so cold in Atlanta is that a lot of my training runs have been in less than ideal conditions. So I’m pretty good there. I’m just worried about freezing before I start and then all my muscles will cease working.

 I’m really looking forward to running a race in Disney! I can’t even believe it’s going to happen. This week really snuck up on me fast. It seemed like so far away and now it’s right upon us.

I’m also really looking forward to meeting the rest of Team AllEars! It has been great being able to talk to other people while training and not feeling bad for having an off week, or being able to share a new milestone with people who understand. What’s great is these people get my Disney love too! It’s rare to find someone who loves the running and the Disney.

Well, too many thoughts going through my head now so I’ll keep packing now and try to get to bed early. (it’s a good thing I’m driving, you would think I’m moving to Florida all the stuff I’m taking)

One of the most devastating events of the past year was my Grandpa Cutler passing away. My Grandpa was such a strong, kind and wonderful man. He was also an amazing runner. I remember when I was young knowing that he was a great runner but I didn’t know how gifted of a runner he was until I went to his memorial last spring. I found out that one 10 mile race, he finished in one hour. That is simply awe-inspiring.I run to remember him.

This past year I have rediscovered my love of running. I feel so lucky that I am able to train for races, to run for fun and thus far stay injury free.

 I think back to how much this decade has changed my life. 10 years ago today I was ringing in the year 2000 with my family. I was 16, a junior in high school and could not run a mile without being sore for the next three days. Flash forward to 2010 and I’m 26. I’ve graduated high school, college, moved across the country without my family, had a few jobs, met a great boyfriend, moved in with him, adopted two wonderful dogs, and decided to change the way my life was going by actually taking care of my body. I started running in 2004. I haven’t always stuck with it, it’s been more of a love/hate relationship with the hate taking over for about a year, but here I am again, loving it. And next weekend I’m going to run 13.1 miles and have the time of my life doing it.

 2009 was the year of 10K races. I completed three 10K races. The BolderBoulder in May, The MCM 10K in October and the Strong Legs Run Atlanta 10K in November. 10K is a fun distance. It’s longer then a 5K so I don’t feel like I need to sprint the entire way, but it’s not so long that it takes months to train for. Also, I improved my times at each of these races. I am almost to the point where I can break the one hour mark and that is a goal in this upcoming year. I finished this last 10K in 1:03. So close!

 Even as I say that though, I will be spending the majority of 2010 training for and running in 1/2 marathons. Currently I am registered for two of them and seriously considering running in two additional ones.  I am registered for the WDW 1/2 marathon (8 days!!!) and the WDW Princess 1/2 Marathon in March (9 weeks away). I’m running in the Princess 1/2 with my best friend Alicia from high school. I’m am excited to spend the weekend with her, laughing and challenging our bodies to run this distance.

 I also really want to run in the Napa to Sonoma 1/2 Marathon in July and the WDW Wine and Dine 1/2 marathon in October.

 So 2009 was the year of 10Ks, 2010 will be the year of 1/2 marathons, and who knows what after that. I really want to complete a Full Marathon in the next few years. I’m still not sure if I have the discipline to train for a full. Maybe after I finish my first 1/2 next weekend I will decide that it’s what I want to do next.

 It’s exciting being able to look forward to the year ahead.

 Happy New Year’s everyone! I hope that 2010 brings a year of dreams come true for all.

The training plan I’m following is from “Marathoning for Mortals” and the longest training run before the actual 1/2 marathon is 10 miles. And guess what: I did it!!

I was getting really frustrated with running on the street by my house because there are some wicked hills and it tires me out really quickly. I always have to walk on some of the hills. I really wanted to run a course that was flat enough that I could run the entire distance without having hills as an excuse to give up.

I decided to run the Silver Comet Trail. It’s an old railroad that they converted into a running and biking trail. It runs from Atlanta all the way to the Alabama border. I think it changes names and continues from there but I’m not sure.

The trailhead I started from is pretty close to my work. I think that I’ll bring some workout clothes to work and run some in the evenings. It would be a nice change of scenery from the dreadmill at the gym or the streets by my house. And it’s pretty flat!!

The run went pretty well. The more time that passes since it the better I feel about it! Does this happen to anyone else? When I first finished I was like, “three more miles on top of this is NOT happening” but by now, 10 hours later I’m excited about doing the 13 miles on 1/2 marathon day!

The first mile of my run was hard. It was chilly and I was wearing different gloves and a different vest then I usually wear on my long run. I think I should have not worn the vest. I was pretty hot about 1.5 miles in. Too late to turn around and leave the vest in the car!! So I unzipped and kept on going. The second, third and fourth miles got progressively easier. By the fifth mile I was feeling great!

On the way back I felt great until I passed the seven mile marker. Then I started to feel really tired. I had some gel during the sixth mile and had been drinking water. So maybe I needed another gel? I didn’t want to drink too much and feel sloshy. I’ll try something different next weekend during an eight miler at the beach!! (not ON the beach, a trail near it, running on the beach kills me)

So the last two miles were tough but I told myself that I would be fine, I was strong enough and it would prove to myself that I could do it! And I finished, and I CAN do the 1/2!

Three more weeks! I can’t believe it’s so close!

Holiday parties at work, Thanksgiving dinner, delicious treats at every corner of the grocery store, Christmas cookies, etc.

I wish I had some willpower. It’s hard to run when you’re full. It’s hard on the digestive system.

We had our holiday party at work today and this evening’s workout was a little challenging. I just felt full, heavy and like I was sweating BBQ sauce and cheese. Not great.

The next few days until my Saturday ling run are going to be healthy lunches and dinners. I want this run to go well. Actually, I want all my runs to go well. Here’s to training healthy.

On an entirely different note I just watched the first season of Glee this past weekend. I DVR’d it all fall so I could watch it at one time and I’m so glad I did! After the first episode I was hooked. I love the singing! I can’t wait to see what happens in April when the show comes back with new episodes. There is a reason that show was nominated for more Golden Globes then any other show today. It’s great!

Let’s see what has been going on for the last few months. I’ve done a few races, done a lot of training and no blogging! Haha.

I’ve done two 10ks this fall. Both were great, I improved my times in both. The first was a the MCM10k in the end of October. It was so great running in Washington DC near all the monuments, and near all the history of that great city. My time was 1:03:59 or something near that. I really thought I’d broken an hour but nope, oh so close. I got even closer in the next 10K.

This 10K benefitted Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. Jimi ran also even though he had the flu earlier that week. He did so well! 5th place in his age group with a time in the mid 40 minutes (I’m forgetting exactly). I also did well, improving by almost two minutes on my MCM10K time. There were some really steep hills. But I finished, and improved, so it went well.

I really want to break one hour 10K time. I want to sign up for a few 10Ks next year and make that my goal. This race was fun but really hard!

I’m really trying to reach $500 for Deb’s Avon Walk for the Cure. Please help out if you can. I put the web address in a few previous postings. Check it out if you can help at all!

This weekend will be my 10 mile run. I’m really nervous about the distance but I’m excited also. I am really tired of the same route I’ve been doing my long runs during this training. I think I’m going to drive somewhere to do my 10 miles on a paved trail. Just for a change of scenery. We’ll see!

Hopefully it’ll be warmer this weekend then it’s been for the last few weekends. It’s been in the 30′s each weekend morning. Brrr.

 But NOW. Now is the time to start taking the training seriously. 14 weeks are left until the 1/2 marathon. That may seem like a lot but it really doesn’t seem like it to me. I’m so excited for this race!!! I hope I do well!

 The races I have scheduled for this fall are also pretty exciting. I’m doing a 5K on October 17th to benefit “Make a Wish” in Marietta Square.  A few of my coworkers are also doing this race so that will be extra fun.

 The second race for the fall is The Marine Corp Marathon 10K. I’m double excited about this because it’s in Washington D.C. and I get to spend the weekend with my parents and Grandma Sweeney!

 The last race I have so far is on November 15th. A 10K starting and ending at Turner Field in downtown Atlanta. It is the 2009 CVS/Pharmacy Strong Legs Run benefiting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

 Everytime I do a race I get so excited about running and training so I’m thinking doing a few races (I hope to sign up for a few more) this fall will keep my momentum going until it’s time for the 1/2 marathon!

 Please don’t forget to donate to my Team AllEars! Look to previous posts for information how to get those donations in. Thank you so much!

 For one, Jimi and I went to the gym everyday of our cruise this past week, so at least I stayed in good cardiovascular shape. I did eat a LOT, but hey, it’s vacation.  Our vacation was such a great time!

 We took a Royal Caribbean cruise from Port Canaveral to Nassau, Bahamas and Cococay (island owned by Royal Caribbean). On this four day adventure we went snorkeling, swam with dolphins, ate great food, read good books, and enjoyed each others company. I also got a tiny sting by a jelly fish, but no big deal!

 The first day on the ship we went to the gym before the ship even left port. We got on board at 12pm and wanted to work out before going to the buffet for lunch. I ran three miles that afternoon pretty easily. The next morning I did the elliptical for 30 minutes, the next day ran another three miles and the last morning did the elliptical again for 3o minutes and did a rowing machine for 10 minutes. Not to shabby for vacation.

 Now that we are back I’m concentrating on building the mileage before we move in September. I’m going to have a hard transition because we will no longer have our awesome apartment complex’s gym to walk to in the afternoon. The nearest gym to our new house is three miles away, and the traffic is not great in the afternoons to get to it. I will be running outside more as the weather cools down, so that may take some of the worry about finding a new gym to go to off. We’ll just have to take things day by day.

 For now, I’m going to enjoy these last few weeks of being spoiled by our gym and get some miles in!

 I’ve found that Friday evenings I can run for miles, Monday morning was not so great. I also learned that I need to give myself more then half an hour after I eat to get ready to run. I made that mistake on Monday. About one mile into my run I was sweating and really tired already. All of my oxygen was going to my stomach and the rest of my digestive system. So small breakfast and at least one hour before running.

 I was listening to the Disney Runner Podcast yesterday while I was at the gym and I was so inspired. Gordon spoke about the runner’s blues. I have had these a few times and it’s nice to hear that other people go through them as well. It was also good to hear the interview he had and know ways to get past them and start liking it all again.

 I just had an amazing four mile run. I had been stuck for about a month on just three miles. I’d have a really great one and two mile, then during the third mile I’d start to talk myself out of trying for the fourth mile. I’d tell myself I was starting to get sore, I would be too tired, etc. But today, I just had the mindset going in that I was going to do four miles. It was really easy too! I love runs like the one today. They keep me going and make me look forward to the next few weeks and months as I train for the Disney World 1/2 Marathon 2010.

 The plan for the next couple of days is as follows:

Friday-Painting party at the new house!

Saturday-crosstrain

Sunday-”long” run

Monday-Cross train and short run.

Hey Ya’ll! I have been “officially” training now for over one month! I can’t believe how fast time flies when you’re having fun. Haha!

 Training has been going really well so far. I feel so confident that this half marathon will be challenging but doable.

  So far, I’ve made a few goals. By the end of July I want to run 5 miles. I have done a few 3 mile runs with little to no problem, will be doing a 4 miler sometime this week and then next weekend, I want to do 5 miles. I guess technically it will be August 1st by the time I do 5 miles, but what ev’.

 I bought some new running shoes a few weeks ago. I was having some issues with the other ones I had. Mostly in my running career I have had Sacony Omni’s. I liked those a lot when I was running a lot before. I wore out 3 pairs of them! Last December I switched to a New Balance shoe. It has been alright, but feels so flat when I’m running and recently has begun breaking down. So I switched back to the newest generation of the Sacony Omni.

I ran into a little trouble the other day when I dropped a glass bottle, cap first, directly on my “ring” toe of my left foot. It’s a little sore sometimes and is pretty bruised. I went for a run the night that happened and had no pain at all. Phew. I really want to stay healthy for the next five plus months and complete this Half Marathon.

   In getting prepared for a long trip to Disney World I’ve also been listening to a few blogs.  A few that I listen to every week are All About the Mouse (www.allaboutthemouse.com)  and WDW Radio Today (www.disneyworldtrivia.com) . Some other ones I’ve been picking up on are Running to Disney (www.runtodisney.com)  and WDW Today (www.wdwtoday). I really enjoy hearing about all things Disney and am getting really excited to visit some of the places they talk about in the blog. I’ve been to Disney a few times before, and listening to these blogs have really helped me plan out the week.

 I’m also trying to come up with some new ideas for fundraising. I would really appreciate any donations made to Deb’s Avon Walk Fundraising.  I’m reposting part of my first blog entry so anyone who wants can get the information needed for donating.

I also joined an on-line running team called Team AllEars. It’s co-captained by Mike Scopa and Michelle Scribner-MacLean. As a team we are raising money for Deb Willis the founder Allears.net the most awesome website to find out anything you would ever want to know about Disney World. Deb is a Breast Cancer survivor and participated every year in the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. 

 Any help with my fundraising would be so appreciated. There are a few ways to donate to this worthy cause.

 First, you can go directly to Deb’s fundraising page and donate through that. The web address is http://www.avonwalk.org/goto/debwills2010. Be sure to put TeamAllEars-CUTLER after your donation so I can get credit for it.

 Another way to donate is to mail a check to

 Deb Wills

3520 Sugarloaf Parkway

Suite F03-105,

Fredrick, MD 21704

Please put TeamAllEars-CUTLER in the note section of the check.

 ALSO, you can mail a check directly to me (made out to Avon Walk for Breast Cancer). If you need my address e-mail me at jlcutler@gmail.com.

 Any help is so much appreciated. Also, I am going to try and update this blog with training updates, fundraising updates, and general ramblings, so get excited for that!

Any donation is so appreciated! Thank you so much in advance.  

 The temperature is in the 90′s everyday with 70% or so humidity. For those of us who did not grow up in this heat, it feels like you are walking though a swimming pool. This makes it very hard to have motivation to run outside. I know that when late September comes and the weather has cooled down, I will once again be able to run outside. I’m looking forward to doing some track workouts at a local middle school. But for now, we work out inside.

 Happy Father’s Day! I happen to have the best dad in the whole entire world. If I had to chose a dad from all the men in the world, I would definitely chose my dad. He is so kind, fair and a wonderful person. I am very lucky to have such a great dad. I hope he has a great day! I look forward to next weekend in South Carolina seeing him and my Grandma Cutler.

 My mom turns 50 tomorrow. Wow! She looks great for 50 and I hope her 50′s bring her much happiness and peace. I still feel like my parents are in their 30′s. I think this is because those are the first birthdays of my parent’s I can remember. I remember when my dad turned 30 my mom had all his friends and family leave messages on his work phone for him.

 Time passes so quickly, just makes me more movitivated to train really well for this half marathon. Who knows where we’ll all be next year and the year after that. We have to take advantage of today, now and train like there is no tomorrow.

  Happy Birthday Mom!! I love you so much and wish I was there in Colorado to celebrate! You are such a great mom! (I would chose you too if I had the chance!)