training updates – D.O. on the Go

Something exciting has happened! I did a thing!

I registered for the Route 66 Half Marathon in Tulsa. November 23, 2014!
So apparently my sad, recreational running can now go by the fancy name of “Half Marathon Training”
Some of my thoughts on this situation.
Negative: My “long run” of the week is only at six miles.
Positive: I’ve done said long run twice a week for the past two weeks.
Negative: It’s going to be hard to train throughout the semester.
Positive: I have 17 weeks to do it!
Negative: My gym membership expires August 1.
Positive: I can use the medical school gym on August 1!
Negative: Running is hard.
Positive: It makes me feel like a beast.
Negative: I may not run a very good time at the half.
Positive: It’ll be my first time racing this distance so it will be a PR!
Yay.

Here is a quote I leave you with by the awesome Lauren Fleshman. She’s an educated runner, mom, granola bar maker, blogger, and basically the running female version of Samuel L Jackson in terms of being hard-core. The quote is about signing up for races so I thought it was appropriate.
“This is how it happens. You see people racing, their hearts exposed, vulnerable among millions. And then you sign up.”

Running Update!

My Nike+ GPS pooped out on me, after like a year. After reading several reviews, I have found out that this watch made for running is not very sweat proof. Que excelente! Even through just the little amount off my arms, I could tell inside the wristband that it stayed moist after longer runs even though I would dry it off with my shirt. Anyway, I liked having it for the Nike+ website where it is free to store your runs indefinitely and it shows your route, time, elevation, mileage and handy things like that. It’s nice to look back at old runs from 6 months ago and see where you were.
Lately though, I obviously haven’t been able to use it and it has been nice. I no longer look have to look down at my watch after puttering and panting only to see that I have crapped out at a 10:20 mile and my lungs are screaming at me like I just laid down a 7 flat.
I start my basic chronograph watch, do my 30, 40, 50 or 60 minute run and then stop. No mileage or average pace and I still feel accomplished. I know from my rhythm pretty well now when I’m going pretty good.
Its been unexpected and delightful and I am definitely building endurance quickly as indicated by the fact that I am not stopping in the middle anymore! In the past, I would often look down at the GPS watch and just decide to stop because I wasn’t running as fast as I thought I should.
Do any of you runners use GPS watches? Do you ever decide to go without it for a more carefree run?