Location, Location, Location

I can honestly say that in the past few weeks, my running has suffered a bit. I've been taking the easy routes out, stopping to take a break, or like tonight, hitting the treadmill instead of being outdoors. I felt like a total slacker after last night's run, but allergies are making me miserable, or I'm afraid I'm getting sick before my next race. I just decided to take it easy instead. Awesome, huh? Yeah... I thought so too. (Hint: sarcasm.)

This Saturday's race is something that has me excited beyond belief though, all because of the course I'm running on. (And I'm praying to every deity known to man to make me feel better between now and Saturday morning.)

I still get chills every time I take the north tunnel into Indianapolis Motor Speedway. During either the Indy 500, Brickyard 400 (or whatever name it is each year), or the MotoGP, many will mention it has the same effect; fan, crew member, driver, etc. Chills. Goosebumps. Excitement. It's truly a magical place.

I'll never forget the day I posted a picture on my Facebook page of the famed Pagoda. Many in the United States recognize the track as home to the Indianapolis 500 or the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race, however my lovely step-sister, who is from and lives in Romania, asked if this is where the MotoGP motorcycles run. (She's a fan of the series, and American rider, Nicky Hayden.) That will always stick out to me; how much the track is recognized not just here but around the world. And I'm lucky enough it's practically in my backyard.

Being the motorsports fan that I am, usually I attend motorsport races at IMS, however this weekend it will be a bit different. The race I'm running doesn't have to do with motors or wheels, but my wonderful Brooks Ghost 6's and a lot of color. I really did have so much fun at the Color Run Ft. Wayne, and after an invitation from my racing fan-friend Whitney, I signed up to run on her team at Run or Dye. Of course, when I heard the race location was IMS, I was instantly in. There wasn't any hesitation on that decision. ;)

I am a little worried about the race however, as the heat and humidity kicked back into high gear this week. Normally we would have seen this type of weather throughout July and August, but to say we've been spoiled is an understatement this year. There was only a period of maybe two weeks in July where I ran in super-hot weather, to the point I had to worry about hydration. Well, it's back.

Regardless, the run will be fun. I mean, I'm running at the Brickyard, getting color-bombed, coming out looking like a unicorn threw up a rainbow on me. How cool is that?! The course is awesome as well, mixing in both the road course and the famed front-stretch, making it for some amazing scenery, in my opinion.

Of course, I am planning to make a pit stop on the yard of bricks, the only stop of my run, I hope. When in Indy, why not kiss some filthy, in this instance color-filled, gritty bricks? It's tradition at the track. If you're not sure what I mean, check it out.

You know I'll have pictures to follow after the race in my race recap. It's too picturesque not to!

Time For a Change, Part 2

My hair has officially made it to West Palm Beach, Florida. Thank goodness for tracking numbers!

Yes, I did it. I really did it. Even when my cold feet were screaming at me.

My hair has honestly never been this short, and I actually am having a harder time adjusting than what I thought I would, however it's all in figuring out what works for me. But it helped a child in need, someone that may not be able to have what I have. And that's where it really matters. (So suck it up, buttercup!) ;)

A deal was a deal, after all.

When I went in to see Judy Tuesday night, she braided and marked off my hair where 10-ish (actually a total of 11) inches would be, and where the cut would be made. It happened to be a little higher than what I had anticipated. She initially asked me whether I wanted to wait, and honestly I did, but more for the sake that I didn't want to see my hair go, that I wasn't "ready." Tuesday I had straightened it before work, just to show how long it was, and I had several compliments and comments about not cutting it. But I had made a deal with myself, and with Judy, that once I hit 100 pounds lost, it's going. And I didn't back out of the deal...

In order to calm my nerves, and to push me over the fence that I was figuratively sitting on, Judy mentioned that if I cut it now, not only would it have a good, cute length by the holidays, but that I wouldn't have to invest in as many scarves. (Indiana in Winter can be brutal, and I run cold so easily now as it is!) But the bottom line, and overall consensus that I can't stress enough, was that I am helping a child in need.

After sitting on it, and struggling with the decision for what felt like forever, I said, "Do it. Cut it before I change my mind. This is to help someone, not for me, and mine will grow back eventually. Just do it."

And so she did... In the midst of 5 different cuts (since my hair is so dang thick), I cried. I cried like a little kid, but it wasn't necessarily sadness. Some of it was, but mostly that it was tears of happiness. Tears of joy. Tears of elation and an overwhelming sense of finality; that this struggle I had with my weight, the self-esteem and confidence issues I struggled with so much with as a teenager, it's all finally over. That in the midst of what felt like forever, I've found myself.

I can't even begin to really explain how I felt... It was such an overwhelming feeling.

To say I'm comfortable with my hair, well, it's an adjustment. I've had several ask me if I like it. Part of me does, but I've never done anything this "drastic" before, and those who know me well enough know I'm not great with change. My hair has never been this short before, always touching at least my shoulders, so it's definitely an adjustment. I'm pretty sure I will need to get a new, smaller straightener, as my current one is so thick that I struggle to straighten some of my hair. I have straightened it the past few days, and I really like it straight. I tried to let the curls go yesterday, as my hair is naturally curly, and by the end of the day I felt like a clown with huge red hair, despite the many positive comments I had. It's a struggle, but as I said before, this wasn't for me. My hair will grow back, but in the meantime, I'm definitely trying to rock this new 'do!

So without further adieu, the before, during, and after pictures you've waited for!

 (Marking off 10 inches. Crying already...)

 (The finished product, mailed out Wednesday to Locks of Love!)

(The finished product!)

For more information regarding Locks of Love, and how you can donate and help, please visit their website here.

Time For a Change

As humans, we tend to resist change. Stay with status quo. And even though I'm always up for an adventure, I'm just fine with status quo. Typically.

Sometime during my Weight Loss Journey, I had decided to grow out my hair for donation to Locks of Love. Just cut it when I arrived at the required 10 inch mark, no biggie. It's always something I've wanted to do; to help a child in need who might not have what I have so readily available. (And trust me, I have a metric crap-ton of hair. It's thick. And it drives insane, especially in summer and humidity.)

When my weight loss goal actually started to look like it was in my sights, I made the promise not cut my hair until I hit the 100 lb mark. And my stylist has held me to it.

I've maintained proper "trims" to keep my hair as healthy as I can during the growth period, and have not highlighted my hair since my wedding in 2009. But, holy smokes, 10 inches (required by LOL) is a LOT of hair. We're both hoping, because my hair is so thick, we'll be able to actually get two 10 inch braids as opposed to one, which is kind of cool. Double the donation, perhaps? (Not really, but wishful thinking...)

Regardless of how much hair is required, I'm honestly scared to death. I've grown partial to my long, red hair, however unmanageable and a down right pain in my a** it can be. And I'm not good with drastic change. It's the longest I've ever had. Usually my hair doesn't hit much past my shoulders, always short enough to see the name on the back of a jersey I wear, but long enough to pull it back if needed.

This will be the shortest I've ever cut my hair. No, I'm not going for a pixie cut or anything THAT short, but it will more than likely not touch my shoulders. Not for a while anyway. The way I see it, and the only thing that's getting me through, (besides my bit of a rebel side ready for a change) is that I'm helping someone in need, someone that can't necessarily grow what I have, and that yes, mine will in fact grow back. Theirs may not, and that's where I have a passion for what I chose to do. I want to help someone in need.

So, regardless of what I think or how I feel, it's going to happen. Judy, my stylist, will hold me to it one way or another. And by that, I mean chasing me with shears while Brandon holds me down kicking and screaming. (No, I don't expect it to be THAT dramatic. But I can't promise no tears.)

So, here's to goodbye (for now) to my long, red hair I've taken care of for a good two-ish years. I haven't backed down from my fight with weight loss, so I'm not backing out of my end of the deal after I've hit goal.

Of course, I'll have after pictures when Tuesday rolls around... :)


If this has you thinking, for more information on how you can donate or volunteer with Locks of Love, you can visit their website here.

Who Is This Girl?

I've been running for 14 weeks now, and quite honestly I'm still blown away at both how easy the Couch to 5k program was, and the progress I made in just weeks. WEEKS. Not months. Not years. Weeks.

I know it seems like every week I have a "reflection" post, (this isn't one of them) but I guess you could say I amazed myself in this running thing. When I started losing weight, and even to this day, I still can't really comprehend what I did or have done (where I've came from), and often brush it off as "no big deal." That's just who I am. And unfortunately, I can honestly say I still don't have the confidence I would like to have, both in what I can do and in who I am as a person. I'll often ask, "Are you sure," over everything. (I honestly hate that, and I'm working on it.) I'm better than where I have been, and self esteem is slowly creeping back into my life. It's a nice change to be honest, and I think it's coming with my personal happiness. I honestly can't say I'm unhappy with where I'm at, both mentally and with my weight. I'm pretty happy, and fine if I just stay where I am.

Anyway, moving on...

Last night's run legitimately surprised me. Like shocked, surprised me. Up until now, I've been running a solid 5k, or 3.1+ miles at a pretty good clip (at least for me). A few nights ago, I decided to try to run the "country square mile," as redneck as that sounds, and as I joke about it often... In the county I live in, our country roads are set up on a grid, usually about a mile between each (or .75, or .5, etc.) Say you're on 100 West. Well, your 1 mile west of Base Rd. Follow? Makes it easy, at least for me, to get around our county.  In deciding to complete said "country square mile" it consists of a little over 4 miles, 4.63 to be exact, from home, going north, west, south, then east, and back to home. I hadn't planned to record the entire run, as I started after my 5 minute walking warmup. I've been doing that now as a way to get a more accurate judge of my pace when running.

I wasn't planning to run 4 miles, and initially I didn't, only completing 3.5 before running out of gas the first night. At the same time, it felt absolutely wonderful, being able to set a new "distance" record for myself. But that didn't last long...

Last night was much cooler than expected, and I hoped to dodge rain drops as I ran. I made it just in time, and after a few glitches with the GPS on my phone, it said I completed 5 miles, including one in 6 minutes. Of course I knew that wasn't accurate, so cue Google Earth. (I busted out laughing at a 6 minute mile. I love you iPhone, but I'm not that good.) I used the path feature to recreate what I ran last night, and guess what? 4.32 miles!!! Solid. :)

The run last night was a little slower than I had wanted pace-wise, but mentally it was just what I needed after some unwanted stress. I was able to complete the 4 mile run in just a little over 51 minutes, and I'll take it!

This brings me to the point of my post, and adding maybe another goal or challenge I'll start to work towards. I had planned to run the 5k on the image below, not knowing there was a 10k run at the same time, same place, same price, etc. I had initially thought of maybe running a 10k at the end of September, however it's 2 hours away, and I'm not sure with school work and other commitments that I'd personally feel ready. Well, October 19 is still over two months away, and with me completing 4 miles, I think I can make this happen. (Think being a major keyword.)

So that's the plan. I am going to run the CEC Fall Foliage 10k (not 5k). That's 6.2 miles. Over an hour of constant running. It's a tall order for me, but for not even being able to complete a solid quarter-mile, let alone a lap around the neighborhood, I still can't believe I'm the same Ashley I was 12 weeks ago... In last night's run, after about 2 1/2 miles, I fell into a good pace, where breathing and running took over without having to think about it. That "comfortable pace" is when I truly love running...

It's just another step in the journey on my way to the half marathon (which I still have doubts about), in May 2014. It's going to be a bumpy ride, but if I have more runs like last night's, it will definitely be worth it!

City By (Running) Shoes: Indianapolis

I'm honestly still in a bit of Cloud 9 euphoria from this past weekend, and it's not necessarily from the concert I attended. (Even though epic wouldn't begin to touch how awesome it was!)

I had an absolute blast checking out downtown Indianapolis by my new Brooks' Ghost shoes, seeing things I've always wanted to check out but never took the time, as well as discovering new things.

As I said before, I feel like Indianapolis is widely overlooked when thinking of travel destinations, however the SuperBowl did help shine a light on the city I love. As mentioned by several notables who attended the event in 2012 (and witnessed on my run) everyone was so incredibly friendly, warm, and helpful, and I felt perfectly safe wherever I went Saturday. That's just how us Hoosiers roll, if you will... ;)

I started my run out at the hotel we stayed at, The Canterbury, located on Illinois, just south of Maryland (and conveniently located next to one of the restaurants most noted in Indy, St. Elmo's. (Unfortunately, no, I have not shared dinner with anyone there...yet. Someday.)

The hotel itself is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and was absolutely wonderful. The staff were very friendly, and certainly helpful when hailing a cab or answering my questions about how to get somewhere. (I'm still a little sketchy when I get downtown, and I get turned around VERY easily. More on that later...)

After approaching Maryland St., I decided to turn west and head out to White River State Park first, site of the concert we attended the night before. It buts up next to the White River, also containing several museums as well as the Canal. 

(An urban garden/rest spot in front of the Simon Property Group offices on Maryland St.)

(Victory Field, home of the Indianapolis Indians, a AAA-affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Victory Field has been named one the best MiLB ballparks in the country, and is always a fabulous place to catch a game. My husband and I love it, and it's super kid-friendly. My niece and nephew approve!)

(The entrance to White River State Park.)

As you can tell, my run was a tad bit soggy, raining while I grabbed breakfast at Starbucks about an hour before. (Luckily, if you wait five minutes, Indiana's weather will change. You might witness all four seasons in one day while visiting Indianapolis, and I'm not kidding either. But I did get lucky, and the rain moved on by the time I headed out.)

(View of the White River on Friday night at the concert. It's such a beautiful backdrop!)

(A portion of the Canal, with the NCAA Hall of Champions behind it. The NCAA offices and Hall of Champions buts up against the trail that skirts both the Canal and White River State Park, taking you next to and on to IUPUI's campus.)

(Looking back towards downtown from the trail along the White River, Lucas Oil Stadium, home of the Indianapolis Colts, in the background. You can't miss it when visiting. Seriously.)

After running to IUPUI and turning back towards downtown, I had only completed roughly 10-12 minutes, so I decided to take the stairs and run the Canal back towards downtown. I have never actually visited the Canal before, only briefly driving by it, so I honestly wasn't sure what was in store. It's absolutely beautiful, if you can't tell from the pictures. During warmer months, I believe they offer gondola rides similar to what you would find Venice, Italy or Vegas, with trained singers as your guides. Highly romantic, if you're in to that sort of thing.

(The building to the left and bridge connect both portions of the Indiana State Museum.)

 (The wall to the right is the portion of the Indiana State Museum that buts up against the canal. As you can tell, it was a typical "Indiana Grey" kind of day, with fog lingering over the city.)

(The Eiteljorg Museum patio, from the Canal.)

(Can't say I didn't see any wildlife on my run! These guys are part of the Eiteljorg, located on the Canal.)

As I finished my run on the canal, I took the stairs back up to street level, running into the Government Center downtown. I had always heard that you can easily get lost at the Government Center (I worked for the state a few years ago), and I can confirm this to be the case. Left of the street holds the "North" center, right holds the "South," with the State House towering in the middle.

(The Indiana State House. Duh.) ;)

I took off to the north side of the State House, winding my way around to the front, and then on to Monument Circle.

(The front portion of the State House that faces East, towards downtown.)

(Seen as I approached Monument Circle. Thought it was historically neat. Yeah, I'm a dork.)

 

 (Looking towards Monument Circle, and the Soldiers & Sailors Monument. Yes, you can go up in it, and I highly suggest it!)

 (Union Station, current home of the Crown Plaza Hotel. You can stay in an old train car, if you'd like! Something I remember from childhood adventures...)

(Looking down Georgia St. from Maryland, towards the Indiana Convention Center. It was completely redesigned to make it more pedestrian friendly during SuperBowl 2012.)

(Spotted a little hockey love downtown, at the now-closed rink at Pan Am Plaza. I really do hope they open it again, though due to funding, but for now the rink is no longer in use. Bummer!)

(I might've got a little turned around on my way back to the hotel. It ALWAYS happens to me downtown. Not even kidding. UGH.)

Eventually I found my way back, soaked in sweat, more than likely purple-faced, but happy as ever. :)

 

All-in-all, my completed run took about 45 minutes to complete, covering 3.87 miles (almost 4!). I was able to keep an 11:45 mi/min pace, even with stoplights and traffic involved. Note to self: watch alleyways and traffic from parking garages. This country girl isn't used to that!

Despite the gray and dreary weather, I fully enjoyed my run, and honestly can't wait to get a chance to do it again! Hopefully someday soon!

(Belated) Wordless Wednesday: What a Week!

(Because some days you get so side-tracked you forget about the blog post you've planned, my Wordless Wednesday is a day late. But, oh what a birthday week it was! I will NEVER forget it!)

(1st 5k completed in 39:10, 2nd in 34:43!)