Big News! - Training and Motivation Tips by Olympian Jeff Galloway

Oh my gosh you guys! Remember the other day when I posted about getting to meet Jeff Galloway and how much he has influenced me the past year? Well I just found out that I have been selected to participate in his official blogger progam!
Be sure to check in for training and motivational tips from Jeff himself!


Official Tips from Jeff Galloway:

When paced correctly, running delivers the best attitude boost you can get. Sustain this by pacing yourself gently during the first mile or three. A well-paced run enhances vitality for the rest of the day.  Start each run at least 30 seconds a mile slower than you will run at the end. If you have a Run Walk Run strategy that is right for you on that day, it's possible to feel good after every run-even the marathon. Running is the best stress reliever I've found. Research shows that running tends to activate the conscious brain which over-rides the emotional subconscious brain and manages the negative and anxiety hormones during and after the run. Research shows that as runners get faster, their stride length shortens.  A quicker cadence is the mechanical key to faster running. The finishing of a run that is longer than you've run in the last 3 weeks can bestow a sense of achievement that is unique and empowering-due to positive brain circuits that are turned on. You can't run a long run too slowly or take too many walk breaks.  You'll get the same endurance based upon the distance covered.

Rebel Runner

I did it! 

I am a Rebel and I went against what basically everyone said and I participated in and completed the runDisney Rebel Challenge.

For those of you who don't know, I was basically on bed rest due to a torn peroneal tendon from October 14th until January 5th. I was given the okay to go back to work on January 14th (the day I flew to California) but had the race vacation already booked and HR let me go on as planned. 

The title of this post is misleading. I didn't run the challenge. I walked the 5K, the 10K, and the 1/2 marathon. There were tears and a LOT of cursing. I ended up back in a wheelchair for days but was able to return to work as scheduled. 

When I hit the wall during the half and felt like I just couldn't keep going, I thought about my mom. She had diabetic neuropathy and was in agony every time she took a step. She used to say her feet burned and had pins and needles and hurt but were numb at the same time and I didn't understand. Well, now I do. I realized that even when she was at the very end of her life she was in pain and yet she didn't give up and fought so hard to the very end. I knew that if she could have taken one more step she would have and almost felt that I owed those steps to her. 

I was never athletic growing up. I tried, but I don't really like to sweat and I have asthma and fibromyalgia and really really like laying down. My mom was an athlete. She played tennis against Billie Jean King. I always felt like I disappointed her a bit even when I was named captain of the cheer squad.

I don't think she'd be disappointed this time. 

What keeps you going when you just don't think you could take another step? 

Running for Charity - runDisney Glass Slipper Challenge

Well, it's official! I am a member of Team Ronald McDonald House!
I will be running the runDisney Glass Slipper Challenge during the Princess Half Marathon Weekend next February. I will be doing the Enchanted 10K on Saturday and the Princess Half Marathon on Sunday. It will be a total of 19.3 miles and it's all to help raise money for an amazing charity.

Ronald McDonald House Charity provides care and support for families of seriously ill, critically injured or medically fragile children being treated at area medical facilities.
Ronald McDonald Houses serve more than 8,000 families each day around the world, saving them over $257 million a year in hotel costs.

Guests of the RMHC pay only $15 a night, if financially able. Contributions and volunteers do all the rest.

A $15 donation sponsors a family for one night and allows them to spend time closer to their sick child.
It will also let you choose 2 songs for my running playlist to listen to while training and while doing my 19.3 miles come race weekend.

Please consider donating using the link below to help families stay together during a difficult time in their lives.
http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/kerri-hill-1/2015-team-rmhc-rundisney-princess-half-marathon-we


Do you run for charity? Which one and why?

Finding comfort in my skin

I posted a photo on Instagram last night. I was feeling pretty good about the fact that a pair of shorts I've had for years had to be donated because they didn't fit. They were huge. I took a photo in the style of those weight loss ads. "then vs now" 

I felt good. I was proud. I posted it.

All day long I have felt anxious about it being up there. I have been embarrassed and felt like I shouldn't have posted it.

The photo only got 5 "likes" all but one of which were from strangers. This did not help my anxiety or self esteem. Sure, the time of the post could have had something to do with it. The day of the week. Whatever. But in my head it's because I am fat/ugly/scarred/ and just unpleasant to look at. No one "favorites" "likes" or "double taps" the ugly, fat, scarred chick. 

When I got home I contemplated deleting the image. I had every intention of doing so. Then I saw an image of someone larger than me doing almost the exact same thing as me. You know what? I double tapped that photo so fast my thumb almost blistered. I was so proud of her! She looked amazing. I got sad and hoped that she didn't look at herself the way I look at MYself. I hope she sees the progress, the determination, the hope, and the beauty that I see when I look at her photo. 

Then I realized that maybe she (or someone like her) was thinking the same thing about me. Even if just one of those 5 people who took the time to "like" my photo felt that way... What would it mean if I took it down?

So I left it up. For the world to see. For the world to judge. It's there. The before photo was from 2011 but the shorts for last summer. They were a size 11. I said goodbye to them yesterday. Today I said goodbye to the fear.

Follow me on Instagram @ladyhill to see the photo.

I Run for the Bling (and charity) - Virtual Races

People ask me why I run. It's a very simple answer.
BLING.
I love shiny things. I love medals. I know that I could just buy myself some medals and be done but it's not the same. I want the glory that goes along with the bling.

The problem is that it gets expensive to register for all of these races and then travel to them. I also can't request all of these weekends off from work. That's when an amazing thing happened. Someone told me about Virtual Races.

I was hooked.

A virtual race is a "race" that you get to run on your own time, at your own location. Sometimes there are specific dates or a date range that gives you time to finish it, but all of the ones I have done allow you to finish using your own goals.
The distance for the race can vary. Some are 5k, 10k, 13.1 miles or 26.2 miles. Some don't have a set distance. Some you pick your distance when you sign up, others you don't have to tell them anything.

Cost for virtual races can vary significantly. I only sign up for the ones with medals. I pick and choose based on two criteria.
#1 - the medal design. It has to be awesome. Has to be something that I wouldn't get if I signed up for a local race.

#2 - the charity. Yes, you read that right, the charity. A LOT of virtual races are started as a way to raise money for charities. I've signed up for a few that were organized by individuals trying to raise the money for their charity sponsorship of a "real" race they were doing. I've also signed up for a few that just take part of the proceeds and donate them to a charity that I care about like the American Cancer Society, Ronald McDonald House, or Make a Wish Foundation.

I recently signed up for a super cool race series by donating to Saint Jude's Children's Hospital in honor of someone who is signed up as a charity racer for them. Are you ready to see the medals I will be receiving? I don't think you're ready...
It's the Frozen for Cures Virtual Race Series. By signing up for the full series I got a bonus medal. I am SO excited about this. You can sign up by visiting THIS LINK. It's for a great cause.

The organizer of this series has another series going as well. I know there are a lot of you who will appreciate this one. It's the Magical Friendship Virtual Race Series. You can register HERE and you'll get these amazing medals. Look how they all connect when you register for the full series!

I have signed up for several other virtual races and I will post photos and links for them once I've completed my goal distance for each.
I have found that signing up for virtual runs helps me get motivated for my training for my "actual" races that I have coming up.

Do you run for bling? What's your favorite medal in your collection?

Friday 5 - Why I Run Edition

I used to do a fun thing here where every Friday I would pick a new topic and post 5 things that relate to it. It was always one of my favorite posts to do and I had a lot of fun doing it so I'm bringing it back.

5 Reasons That I Run:

1. - Something is chasing me. Zombies are scary, if you can outrun them, do it. Do NOT try to be a
hero.

2. - I did something or broke something I shouldn't have. I am basically a 5 year old trapped in a 31 year old's body. If I think I'm going to get yelled at, I will likely run far far away.

3. - I'm playing with Jazzy. We have a fun game where I hide behind something and she comes looking for me and when she finds me I chase her around the apartment. She loves it. I usually laugh hysterically the whole time. This is us after I caught her while playing a round, she's a little out of breathe.

4. - I'm trying to prove to everyone, but mostly myself, that I CAN run. I want to prove that no matter what others may think about my strength or endurance, that if I believe I can do it, I will do it.

5. - The Glory. The Bling. The Bragging Rights. I run for medals, I run to show off something that other people don't have because they were not as determined, or crazy as I was. I mean, seriously, check out this bling, don't you wish you had gotten off your couch that day and ran that race and earned this medal?

So tell me, why do YOU run?

Crushing It

Today I took another step away from "lazy" and a giant leap towards being the "lady" I want to be.

I signed up for my very first half marathon! 

I am so excited. I am also nervous and nauseous.

13.1 miles around Long Island does NOT sound like a good time to me. I don't think it's a race that I will have fun doing. It's not like the runDisney events. 

So in order to motivate myself I signed up for a themed race. It's the Run Like a Diva event.

They will be giving out pink boas and tiaras and when you cross the finish like a "buff" man gives you the medal. They also hand out champagne and roses at the finish line. Now THAT sounds like fun. 

I will be documenting my training on Instagram and twitter using the hashtag #SeeKerriRun 

Twitter = @ladynwonderland 

Instagram = LadyHill 

Follow along and cheer me on during this amazing process :)