13 days until the Seattle Half Marathon.
I am ready.
I got a little side tracked for a bit.
Run, I did not.
Getting back into the groove of training was challenging.
I struggle with my weekday runs.
I need more hours in the day.
Daylight hours.
Please.
My long runs though… they are my favorite.
I don’t always feel like running for hours and hours.
Come Sunday morning, it’s get up and go.
There are no excuses.
Some weeks are a struggle.
Ultimately, I’m still upright at the end of it all.
That’s the goal, right?
This week I had to remind myself that there was no point if it was easy.
A lot.
I nearly threw in the towel at 10.
I ran into my friend/mentor/source of inspiration at 9.85 miles.
Not literally, of course.
Her words… “Go finish your miles. You know you can.”
Crap.
She was right.
Apparently I paused my Garmin again at 9.87 miles.
Oops.
I realized it at what I assumed to be a quarter mile later.
Give or take.
I had been busy thinking about why I would even consider not finishing my miles.
I really couldn’t tell you how far I actually ran.
A quarter mile sounds about right.
I managed to get myself turned around in a neighborhood I’ve never run in before.
Perhaps trapped would be the proper term.
Eventually I found my way.
12.2 on the Garmin.
Plus the give or take.
12.something completed today.
And I was going to stop at 10.
Silly me.
And then…
My new sick obsession.
The ice bath.
Okay, obsession is as strong term.
It is my new love-to-hate training tool.
Three long runs ago we tried an ice bath for the first time.
I listened as shrieking came from the bathtub.
Oh yay.
This is what I want to do.
One beer.
That’s how long we agreed to stay in the ice bath.
We’re not allowed to chug it though.
Apparently I’m the one most likely to attempt such a feat.
It turns out one beer is roughly 5 minutes.
After 45 seconds you go numb.
It’s not that bad.
Sitting in a tub of ice water.
Wearing a bathing suit.
And a sweatshirt.
With the hood up.
Arms folded like a pouting child.
Really.
It’s not that bad.
The recovery benefits of an ice bath are phenomenal.
Phe..nom..en..al.
After 10 miles, one should feel some pain.
None.
After 13.1 miles, one should feel some pain.
None.
Yeah, I accidentally completed a half marathon.
During my training for a half marathon.
Without a medal.
Or a questionable t-shirt.
Oops.
To my friend/mentor/source of inspiration.
I am SO excited to get to be at the finish line of your first marathon.
Your hard work truly inspires me.
Your ability to go shopping after a 20 mile long run amazes me.
In heels.
Impressive.
Show off.
;)
Monday, November 14, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Where have I been?
Oh my goodness! I’m not really certain!!
It has been 45 days since my last “race.”
Recall – I don’t actually “race.”
I “finish”!!!!
45. Wow. That’s a lot of days. Now I really don’t know where I’ve been.
Where ever I was, I was in sandals… not running shoes.
I’m not sure what happened.
My first half-marathon was HUGE. I didn’t know if I’d finish.
My second. Well, it was hard. It was hilly. The well trained athletes had a few words for that course. I finished it though. That was my goal. Just finish what I started. I knew I would, because I had finished one half marathon, I could finish them all. No question.
After that, something happened. Motivation left me. Desire left me.
I almost completely stopped running.
I got sad. Very sad. I smiled at everyone. It was an act. I shared with just one friend that I was struggling. I didn’t understand why. A lot had changed in my world. Family-wise mostly. I wasn’t really me.
Then the headaches came. Headaches have been my partner in crime since I was 18. The shoulder started to hurt. Then the leg. I was becoming weak. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally.
I went 13 days without touching my running shoes. Those were very dark days.
Throughout my month’s hap-hazard training, I stood proud that I had only missed one long run and that was because I was sick! Dressed and ready to run, but not healthy enough to do so.
So here I was. “In training” for a half-marathon and I’d missed another long run (13 days without running = 1 long run and numerous vital training runs).
Something struck me.
I could not, I would not, miss my 10 mile run. Did I know it was stoopid to attempt such a run after two weeks of laziness? Yes. Was I willing (or stubborn) enough to do it anyway? Yes!
The night before my run was crazy! I was excited. Like, race day excited. I jumped out of bed when I realised my Garmin had sat dormant for two weeks! What if it needed to be charged?!?! Oh, and my ipod too! I honestly think I slept better the night before my “race,” than I before this long run!
Two things happened on my 10 mile run. One – My run was fantastic. Two – My run sucked! Yes, I suffered tiredness and aches from not training properly, but more I suffered from the heat. It was 70 when I started and 80 when I finished. I am a Fenway runner (aka – fair weather runner). See Fenway is a dog. With fur. Lots of fur. She doesn’t handle the heat well. She’s sneaky though… acts like she’s gonna sniff something… for a really loooooonnnggg time. Oh hey, look, shade, let’s lay down for a few!!
Okay, I’m not quite that bad. I don’t stop and nap, but I do walk. So the first 4 miles of my run were wonderful! I needed them! After that, well, I needed a scooter. Or a cab. Alas, silly me. I took the Centennial trail – where there are no scooters or cabs – so I walked what I had to, but I finished those 10 miles!
Within 30 minutes of completing my run, I felt refreshed and new! I didn’t smell so fresh and new, but I didn’t care. I felt accomplished! I felt excited!
That night I registered for Iron Girl Seattle, a 10k, and the Sandpoint Scenic Half. As I do with all things that excite me, I blabbed about it on Facebook. Oh my goodness! The people that “liked” my status… People I never heard from. People I forgot were there. Wow the support! Feed my excitement, why don’t ya’?!?!
Then this morning (well, technically yesterday morning, as it is nearly 5 am and I’ve been up 22+ hours, but that’s another story)… So, the next morning I got an email from the Sandpoint Half Marathon Committee and my heart skipped a beat with excitement. I had forgotten all the encouragement and reminders that are forced upon you when you make such a commitment.
I was unbelievably excited!
A dear friend of mine woke to a text about how excited I was over this email.
I’m glad my friends love me for being easily amused!!
Tonight I updated my calendar, which shows all my scheduled runs through September. I have THREE half marathons in the next 3 months. Did I mention that? I can’t wait. 3-for-3. Crazy fun!
Then, I got to watch a friend update her calendar - runs and all! She’s about to begin training for a FULL marathon! I’m SO excited!!! The great news is, she’s such a faster runner than I am, we’ll be on different plans but finish at the same time! Did someone say beer? ;)
So. I still don’t really know where I’ve been.
But…
I’m back.
And…
I ‘m headed to Sandpoint. Spokane. Seattle.
3-for-3.
I. Cannot. Wait.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Too the one person out there that I know will read this, who is having a baby on Friday – well, that is FAR cooler than anything I’ve blithered on about here. Congratulations! I’m very excited for you and your family! Thank you for ALL of your encouragement :)
It has been 45 days since my last “race.”
Recall – I don’t actually “race.”
I “finish”!!!!
45. Wow. That’s a lot of days. Now I really don’t know where I’ve been.
Where ever I was, I was in sandals… not running shoes.
I’m not sure what happened.
My first half-marathon was HUGE. I didn’t know if I’d finish.
My second. Well, it was hard. It was hilly. The well trained athletes had a few words for that course. I finished it though. That was my goal. Just finish what I started. I knew I would, because I had finished one half marathon, I could finish them all. No question.
After that, something happened. Motivation left me. Desire left me.
I almost completely stopped running.
I got sad. Very sad. I smiled at everyone. It was an act. I shared with just one friend that I was struggling. I didn’t understand why. A lot had changed in my world. Family-wise mostly. I wasn’t really me.
Then the headaches came. Headaches have been my partner in crime since I was 18. The shoulder started to hurt. Then the leg. I was becoming weak. Physically. Mentally. Emotionally.
I went 13 days without touching my running shoes. Those were very dark days.
Throughout my month’s hap-hazard training, I stood proud that I had only missed one long run and that was because I was sick! Dressed and ready to run, but not healthy enough to do so.
So here I was. “In training” for a half-marathon and I’d missed another long run (13 days without running = 1 long run and numerous vital training runs).
Something struck me.
I could not, I would not, miss my 10 mile run. Did I know it was stoopid to attempt such a run after two weeks of laziness? Yes. Was I willing (or stubborn) enough to do it anyway? Yes!
The night before my run was crazy! I was excited. Like, race day excited. I jumped out of bed when I realised my Garmin had sat dormant for two weeks! What if it needed to be charged?!?! Oh, and my ipod too! I honestly think I slept better the night before my “race,” than I before this long run!
Two things happened on my 10 mile run. One – My run was fantastic. Two – My run sucked! Yes, I suffered tiredness and aches from not training properly, but more I suffered from the heat. It was 70 when I started and 80 when I finished. I am a Fenway runner (aka – fair weather runner). See Fenway is a dog. With fur. Lots of fur. She doesn’t handle the heat well. She’s sneaky though… acts like she’s gonna sniff something… for a really loooooonnnggg time. Oh hey, look, shade, let’s lay down for a few!!
Okay, I’m not quite that bad. I don’t stop and nap, but I do walk. So the first 4 miles of my run were wonderful! I needed them! After that, well, I needed a scooter. Or a cab. Alas, silly me. I took the Centennial trail – where there are no scooters or cabs – so I walked what I had to, but I finished those 10 miles!
Within 30 minutes of completing my run, I felt refreshed and new! I didn’t smell so fresh and new, but I didn’t care. I felt accomplished! I felt excited!
That night I registered for Iron Girl Seattle, a 10k, and the Sandpoint Scenic Half. As I do with all things that excite me, I blabbed about it on Facebook. Oh my goodness! The people that “liked” my status… People I never heard from. People I forgot were there. Wow the support! Feed my excitement, why don’t ya’?!?!
Then this morning (well, technically yesterday morning, as it is nearly 5 am and I’ve been up 22+ hours, but that’s another story)… So, the next morning I got an email from the Sandpoint Half Marathon Committee and my heart skipped a beat with excitement. I had forgotten all the encouragement and reminders that are forced upon you when you make such a commitment.
I was unbelievably excited!
A dear friend of mine woke to a text about how excited I was over this email.
I’m glad my friends love me for being easily amused!!
Tonight I updated my calendar, which shows all my scheduled runs through September. I have THREE half marathons in the next 3 months. Did I mention that? I can’t wait. 3-for-3. Crazy fun!
Then, I got to watch a friend update her calendar - runs and all! She’s about to begin training for a FULL marathon! I’m SO excited!!! The great news is, she’s such a faster runner than I am, we’ll be on different plans but finish at the same time! Did someone say beer? ;)
So. I still don’t really know where I’ve been.
But…
I’m back.
And…
I ‘m headed to Sandpoint. Spokane. Seattle.
3-for-3.
I. Cannot. Wait.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P.S. Too the one person out there that I know will read this, who is having a baby on Friday – well, that is FAR cooler than anything I’ve blithered on about here. Congratulations! I’m very excited for you and your family! Thank you for ALL of your encouragement :)
Friday, August 5, 2011
Life, Thoughts, and a Terrier!
I’ve had A LOT of time to think lately. Scary, right?!?! I realised that I have not had this much ME time in over 10 years. Some days the silence is startling! See, I am a busy body! Years ago one job wasn’t enough, so I had two! Then I decided on one job plus school. Then one job plus two schools – yes, at the same time! Then came the nieces… but you know that story!
I’d been busy.
I’ve allowed my brain to venture out of its comfort zone. I’ve allowed it to consider such things as moving… you know, away… My subconscious has paid me back ten-fold for some of these thoughts! I mean, how many times in one week can you wake from a nightmare that you left your best friend’s two year old daughter unattended… again?!?!? Okay, okay, I get it. Move, I will not!
Until I figure out what’s next. I’ll make the most of each day.
Today – TGIF!!!
You see, we have a tradition at work of reading our horrorscopes. I’ve been rather concerned that the author of said horrorscopes is going thru some type of crisis, because everyone’s outlook has been quite bleak for months! (Seriously, how can everyone be having a two star day, ever y day?) Dear author redeemed themselves today with a GREAT horrorscope!!
CANCER (June 21-July 22) • • • • • Your creativity and energy mark your decisions. You seem to have an answer for nearly any problem. A group of friends is already in weekend mode.
I’ve been on the fence about some things… some ideas… they’d require a lot of creativity and energy! I’m gonna take this as a sign that I should move forward… give my ideas a go! Wish me luck!!!
I’m not sure I have any answers, but YES all my friends are in weekend mode! The weather is PHENOMENAL and there is a very important birthday this weekend! A birthday of which I might have procrastinated in preparing for… might… have… but no one will ever know… except anyone reading this…
Did I mention how PHENOMENAL the weather has been? I wanted to make the most of this warm summer evening, so I took dumb & dumber for a walk. They were horrible! Luke pulled and pulled and pulled on the leash and Miyo tried to roll on everything in an effort to rub the Halti off her head. It’s never worked before, but she’s determined some day it will come right off!
About half a mile from the house I hear someone scream ‘STOP’!
Okay! Okay! We stopped!
Then I saw it. At speeds of at least 100 mph, came the most fierce three pound terrier… until she realised she had just charged upon 125 pounds of black lab and came to a screeching halt!
Right.
In the middle.
Of Atlas Road.
Atlas is a busy road. No one does the speed limit. EVER!
Pocket dog’s child is now standing on the other side of the street staring at her dog. I grab dumb & dumber and pull them further away from the road, trying to lure the dog to come attack us… you know, over here, in the weeds, away from the cars.
Yes, I’m pretty sure I told the little pocket dog to attack us. “Come here little one, attack the big dogs. Come on. You can do it. Come on.”
Yep. Tonight dumb & dumber met dumbest! I’m just not certain that the little dog with big dreams and possibly poor vision is the one that earned that title…
Oh… if you’re wondering… yes, the little dog finally came within reach and the child’s father came to retrieve it…
Then my day went from successful to magical!!
I went to see my best friend and her girls… you know the two year old that I keep abandoning in my dreams… Guess what happened when I walked in??
Lil’ Miss said “Dee”!!!!!!!!!
I know. I know. It’s an easy name. Children learn to talk. Life goes on.
With Lil’ Miss, every new milestone is monumental! TSC is an unpredictable disease. We never know what to expect each day. We delight in the little things, because we are beyond grateful that she gets to experience them!
To wrap the night… on my way home… I saw the brightest shooting star ever! I watched in amazement. I was so captivated; I forgot to make a wish! I figured “better late than never” and tossed a wish out there anyway!
It’d share it with you, but then it won’t come true.
It was a really good one!
Just like this day was… and tomorrow will be :)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Closing A Chapter...
On a Friday in August of 2002, I received a call from Child Protective Services in New Mexico. They had my niece and her half-sister in foster care because their mother had been running a meth lab out of their apartment. The following Monday I traveled to Albuquerque for a two hour visitation with the two little girls I had not seen in almost 8 years! They were 13 and 9… they had only been 5 and 1 ½ when their mother moved them away with no forwarding address. Slightly timid, the oldest seemed to remember me. The little one I had only met twice, but she didn’t seem to care. I was family and I came for her, she couldn’t have hugged me tighter!
I was young and single and barely making minimum wage. I couldn’t raise these girls. My parents were settled – Dad retired, Mom working a job she enjoyed at the time. They agreed to take the girls. In February 2003 my niece came to Idaho to live with the family. Her sister stayed behind to try and reclaim a life with her mother, who had promised to clean up her act and make things right. Sadly, she was unable to keep that promise. In August of that year our Idaho family added a 10 year old! In May of 2008 life was spiced up a bit more when the now 15 year old moved in with me!
The years were filled with fun times! Birthdays. Holidays. Great report cards. Some not-so-great report cards. Science projects. Choir concerts. Girl Scouts. The adoption that made them my little sisters instead of my nieces. First boyfriends. First dances. Drivers ed. Learning to drive a stick shift. Road trips. First jobs. First cars. And one long sought after graduation!
All the while, they were still teenage girls! At times I truly believed that teenage girls were a gift from the devil himself. We had the typical teenager issues… but some days we had much more. Runaways. Hospital stays. Theft. Lying. Lots of lying.
We knew we were getting girls from a very abusive environment. We knew we were getting girls with exposure to terrors we’d never imagined possible. We knew things wouldn’t be easy, but we hoped we had enough love and faith to get them through.
We learned that we got girls that refused help. At various points we tried different types of therapy and counseling and peer mentoring, but both girls resisted everything. We learned that we got girls who could not handle rules and boundaries. We learned that we got girls who had to fall hard before they would learn.
We are still learning that these girls need more help than we could ever give. Both of them young adults now… both making terrible decisions that break our hearts… both needing to be set free to stumble and fall… both needing to be forced to pick themselves up…
As helpless children, I rushed to their side when they needed me.
As foolish adults, I now must step away.
This is hard.
Very hard.
I must close this chapter of my life. I must allow them to make their mistakes. I must forgo the feelings of failure and guilt. I must not question if I wasted my time. I must know that no matter what road I had taken in my life, today was my scheduled day to cry. I must accept that they chose the dark paths they are on. I must keep hope that they will someday realise the error of their ways. I must always keep hope…
Monday, July 11, 2011
I survived!!!
Wow!
What an amazing trip!
Wow!
What amazing people!
Wow!
So, in my last blog I mentioned that I was very anxious about this run! I refused to write anything negative… I’m SO glad I didn’t!!! I was very, very frustrated! I had missed runs during my entire training (you know – like I swore I wouldn’t do)… but the last two weeks before this half, things just seemed to be getting harder and harder. I missed TOO MANY runs these last two weeks. When I did run, I didn’t want to… I was content walking, but I did not want to run. I even considered not doing this half. After much thought, I realized I would NEVER forgive myself if I didn’t try… even though I knew I’d end up walking quite a bit!
Race day – I try to avoid the term “race” because to me it is anything but! I have no desire to beat anyone! I just want to see the finish line and get my medal! I really wasn’t as anxious as I thought I’d be… I mean, we had to climb a hill just to get to the start line… that should have been my first clue!! The first two miles seemed like they were all uphill! Up and up and up and up!! Holy crap! I had been told it was a hilly course! I knew there would be some hills… some BIG hills even… but I did not expect them to be one after another for mile after mile! I made my way up, quite slowly, but just booked it down the hills! LOVED IT! Didn’t love going back up the next one… LOVED coming down! Shy of the two mile marker, I checked my Garmin and saw I was running a sub-10 minute mile! I knew it was short lived, but I was proud! I thought to myself “I’m running Brenda’s pace” and then a bird SCREAMED at me! Anyone who knows Brenda, knows she doesn’t like birds (and they don’t like her)! I looked up at the screaming little bastard and declared that I did NOT say I was Brenda!!! I laughed at myself the rest of the way down that hill!
As I approached the first water station I saw Brian and Corey… and a Honey Bucket!! As I continued on, I just kept thinking how cool it was to see people I knew out on the course!! I’m not sure if it was their support or my empty bladder that made the next mile seem to fly by! Just shy of mile 3 we started running on rock… not really gravel, bigger rocks… I was having fun… and then my foot slipped... slid across the rock… an undeniable sound… everyone ahead of me looked back just in time to see me flail my arms just right and regain my balance! Yay me!
Somewhere around mile six I noticed strangers chatting about races and volunteering and such. Having just volunteered for Ironman a couple of weeks back, I had to suggest they do it if they ever get the chance! I ended up making a friend and completing the rest of the course with her! She was a few months pregnant, so a fast walk was her ideal and quite frankly it worked well for me too!!
Just shy of mile 7 I was making my way up a pretty nasty hill, while others were making their way down the same one. It was rough! I wasn’t amused! Then… coming down the hill… a friend!!! NO, four friends! Alicia, Paula, Natalie, and Kim! It was SO great to see them! They were SO supportive! Seeing familiar faces was revitalizing! Somewhere in the middle of a vineyard, I decided I didn’t love this run and I probably wouldn’t return. Happy to have done it, but it is torture and my friends that were repeating it for the second year were insane. Truly insane. I also decided I needed to revisit my goals…
On and on and on we went! Mile after mile! Chatting up a storm about anything and everything! Running some stretches, but walking most… We watched a girl fall at mile 9! A twisted ankle and sprained wrist, she was ready to throw in the towel, but she kept going past the water station… I sure hope she finished (and isn’t badly injured)!!
Mile 10! I LOVE mile 10! Only a 5k to go! See, less than a year ago, a 5k was a BIG achievement for me! Now it’s my favorite distance! When I get to the mile 10 sign, I know I’m home free! I had pulled my phone out to take a picture and had a text from Brenda wondering where I was. Unbeknown to me, she was pretty much convinced that I was going to absolutely hate her for suggesting this course. She declared it (expletive) hard! We knew that they had redesigned the course from the previous year… we naïvely believed they took out some of the hills. We were wrong.
The finish line is such a sight! The medal is awesome! The thing that got me the most were the people waiting there for me! I was the last of our group… by quite a bit… nonetheless, there were 10 people waiting at the finish line! JUST. FOR. ME.!!! Nine of them had driven separately and the 10th had my car key, so they could have all left… but they didn’t! They were right there waiting for me! Seriously, my friends absolutely, positively, rock!!
After a killer night’s sleep and a long drive home, I am beyond happy that I completed this course! The whole adventure was just so amazing that I’ve decided this run is a “maybe” instead of a “hell no” for next year! The race director says they’ll change the course every year so that we get to see new vineyards! It concerns me that so many people declared this year harder than last… will next year’s be even more grueling? I do want to know their secret though… there definitely more up hills than down hills and we ended in the same spot we started… how the heck did they pull that off???
I’m reenergized and ready to start training for my next one! I’ve revamped my goals… I’ve got some fun challenges coming up! Oh and did I mention that every single muscle in my body hurts! I mean I’m okay right now… but heaven help me if I need to pee… and stairs are completely off limits! I love this pain!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
WARNING!!! Rough (yet beautiful) Road Ahead...
A.N.X.I.E.T.Y...
Well deserved, but still...
Fueled By Fine Wine is just 5 days away...
Five...
To a child I would exclaim: That's a whole hand...
To me, that's just not enough...
I promised myself I would not write anything negative...
So here are some pictures of the beauty I get to see...
(courtesy of Brenda :)...
Well deserved, but still...
Fueled By Fine Wine is just 5 days away...
Five...
To a child I would exclaim: That's a whole hand...
To me, that's just not enough...
I promised myself I would not write anything negative...
So here are some pictures of the beauty I get to see...
(courtesy of Brenda :)...
Check back next week for a full report...
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Still Fighting Food!
Oh man am I still struggling with food! It’s mental. I know this. But seriously, how long did it take me to figure out that most of my problems with running were mental? I had to complete a half marathon, without collapsing at the finish line, before I believed that I could do it. So where the heck is the food finish line?!?! It’s not weight loss. I’ve been there. I’ve done that. I’m still shy the 50 pounds I had collected previously, but sheesh if I can’t find the motivation to get back on the food wagon.
A recent road trip woke me up. First of all, I got 12 hours of “me” time – six over, six back. Lots of thinking was accomplished! I was really proud of myself the first day – I ate well and hydrated even better. I’ve never stopped SO many times on a six hour drive! Dinner that night wasn’t the greatest, but I wasn’t upset with myself.
Day 2 – Horrible! First of all I had a Danish for breakfast. I NEVER have sugar for breakfast! It just leaves me starving an hour later! Then I had my standard mocha with a piece of lemon pound cake from Starbucks. By the time we returned from our short shopping adventure, I was crashing - fast and hard! I had fueled with sugar and caffeine and my body had used it quickly and left me worthless. Ugh! A short rest later, dinner prep began, as did the endless munching on chips and dip. I’m embarrassed at how much I ate. I should have stopped myself, but I didn’t even try. Dumb! Really dumb!
The return trip – I ate and drank identical to the drive over. I stopped to pee just as many times. I was back on track. Until dinner. Well, dinner #1 was great. It was moderately healthy and filled me right up. Yes, I said that was dinner #1. See, later that night someone very special to me called and said “hey, let’s grab a bite to eat.” SOOOO excited to have this moment with a long lost friend, I said sure and headed to Red Robin, where I proceeded to eat deep fried chicken and fries. Dumb! Really dumb!
Come Sunday morning I hopped out of bed and jumped in my clothes to go for my long run. Before I had gotten to my shoes, my gut started aching. I decided to go ahead with some cereal and see if I was going to feel better or worse. Guess what? Worse! Much worse! I curled up in my running clothes and took a nap. After getting some chores accomplished, I was feeling considerably better, so I laced up my shoes and hit the road for 10 miles. In the grand scheme of things, I’m glad the day worked out as it did. My run was full of funnies and I really enjoyed it! Well, until I began to feel fatigue a little sooner than I should have. I attributed it to the days of poor food and the runs I had missed during the week. I knew I deserved this punishment. I took it and pushed harder than I ever thought I could to finish that run.
So there I have it… I get pretty thoughtless about my eating. If I see it, I eat it. This must stop!
I read some blogs today that totally helped inspire me! Here are a few things I picked up…
“… knowing everything you put into your mouth needs to be used as fuel with no exceptions…”
~ www.adventurejunkiemom.blogspot.com
“Calories = fuel, plain and simple”
“… Essentially, eating a healthy, well rounded diet *is* a treat itself. Feeling the best I can by properly fueling my body is worth its weight in gold…”
~ www.runfastermommy.com
“Eat consciously, always. Treat your body with respect and fuel it accordingly.”
~ www.shutupandrun.net
A recent road trip woke me up. First of all, I got 12 hours of “me” time – six over, six back. Lots of thinking was accomplished! I was really proud of myself the first day – I ate well and hydrated even better. I’ve never stopped SO many times on a six hour drive! Dinner that night wasn’t the greatest, but I wasn’t upset with myself.
Day 2 – Horrible! First of all I had a Danish for breakfast. I NEVER have sugar for breakfast! It just leaves me starving an hour later! Then I had my standard mocha with a piece of lemon pound cake from Starbucks. By the time we returned from our short shopping adventure, I was crashing - fast and hard! I had fueled with sugar and caffeine and my body had used it quickly and left me worthless. Ugh! A short rest later, dinner prep began, as did the endless munching on chips and dip. I’m embarrassed at how much I ate. I should have stopped myself, but I didn’t even try. Dumb! Really dumb!
The return trip – I ate and drank identical to the drive over. I stopped to pee just as many times. I was back on track. Until dinner. Well, dinner #1 was great. It was moderately healthy and filled me right up. Yes, I said that was dinner #1. See, later that night someone very special to me called and said “hey, let’s grab a bite to eat.” SOOOO excited to have this moment with a long lost friend, I said sure and headed to Red Robin, where I proceeded to eat deep fried chicken and fries. Dumb! Really dumb!
Come Sunday morning I hopped out of bed and jumped in my clothes to go for my long run. Before I had gotten to my shoes, my gut started aching. I decided to go ahead with some cereal and see if I was going to feel better or worse. Guess what? Worse! Much worse! I curled up in my running clothes and took a nap. After getting some chores accomplished, I was feeling considerably better, so I laced up my shoes and hit the road for 10 miles. In the grand scheme of things, I’m glad the day worked out as it did. My run was full of funnies and I really enjoyed it! Well, until I began to feel fatigue a little sooner than I should have. I attributed it to the days of poor food and the runs I had missed during the week. I knew I deserved this punishment. I took it and pushed harder than I ever thought I could to finish that run.
So there I have it… I get pretty thoughtless about my eating. If I see it, I eat it. This must stop!
I read some blogs today that totally helped inspire me! Here are a few things I picked up…
“… knowing everything you put into your mouth needs to be used as fuel with no exceptions…”
~ www.adventurejunkiemom.blogspot.com
“Calories = fuel, plain and simple”
“… Essentially, eating a healthy, well rounded diet *is* a treat itself. Feeling the best I can by properly fueling my body is worth its weight in gold…”
~ www.runfastermommy.com
“Eat consciously, always. Treat your body with respect and fuel it accordingly.”
~ www.shutupandrun.net
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Ten miles of hilarity and suffering… but mostly hilarity!
I postponed my long run from this morning to this evening. I behaved myself all day – drank lots of water and only my one traditional coffee. My biggest concern heading into the run is that it’s warmer that I like (by about 20 degrees). Don’t get me wrong, the weather is GORGEOUS, I’m just a fair-weather runner (aka wuss)!! Roughly 2/10ths of a mile into my run, I realise that I have grossly mislead myself as to what was going on here! This my long run! My double digit long run! It’s not an easy five or so… it’s five out and then five more back. Well, hell! I’m in it now!
Truckin’ along and I see something right on the street corner… oooooh what is it? A dead squirrel. A dead squirrel that had eaten well before misfortune hit. Ewe. Onward! I get downtown, where the city workers have done such a wonderful job of maintaining the lawns. It’s all plush and green and beautiful and there is a German Sheppard taking a dump. Lovely. I look at his owner – easily 6’3 – bean pole skinny – with meth face. Double lovely. Then he grabs a bag and cleans up after his dog. Wow! That may be the only responsible pet owner slash meth-head on the planet! Onward! I turn the corner on to Mullen… there, on the ground, abandoned… two pennies! PLINK! PLINK! Onward! I see a car that looks familiar, but I can’t quite see the driver and there are many of these cars around, so I decide I will just look in my rearview mirror to see if there is a signature bumper sticker on the back. Yeah. Not so much. I actually let the car pass before I realised I didn’t have a rearview mirror. I laughed. I was actually going to have to physically turn my head to see if I knew the car. Wow! (BTW – no bumper sticker)!
It’s warm, but I’m doing well. I’m rationing my water. Life is good. Around mile 4 I find myself slowing down a bit. I turn around at 5 and just cannot get my brain to stop focusing on how far it is to home. I try reasoning with myself, reminding myself how great the run was on the way out. The sun is starting to set on the Lake Pollen (aka Lake Cd’A) and it’s just phenomenal. I’m thinking about my orange water bottle that I had put in the fridge and how ice cold and wonderful it would be when I get there. Then I’m passed by a friend. I see the car. I know the car. I don’t need no stinkin’ bumper sticker to pick this one out of a line up! Said friend turns around and pulls over ahead of where I’m at and steps out of the car with my orange water bottle in hand. HERO! 6.2 miles down and less than 1/5th of my water left. I needed this friend!
I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask if I could get a ride home. I was told if I could catch the car, I could have a ride. Gee, thanks! After consuming just a little too much of my beloved water (slosh slosh says the tummy), I continued on – only to see someone running alongside a car, trying to get in. I laughed! It wasn’t me, but it was just as funny! I had noticed this car earlier – 60’s model station wagon, paint looked awful, but had Yakima racks on the top. I admired it. If you can’t afford everything, go for the toys! Great plan! Well, the girl was able to get in the moving car and it passed me. Hippies! A car full of hippies! More laughter!
Life was uneventful until 7.44. Then I was beat. I was warm. I ached. I had done this to myself. Dammitjim! See… I had eaten poorly while celebrating the graduations of two of my most favorite kiddos! I had also missed all but one run during the week. I had kinda set myself up for a rough long run. I was super lucky to have made it as far as I did still loving life. I kept going. It sucked. I kept going. Hey... wait... a penny… that I have to bend over to pick up. Decisions. Decisions. Yes, I gave the penny a home. Onward! I see my car… just keep going ‘til you get to the car. $#!%! That’s not my car! Mine’s on the next block! Just get to your car… soooo close… YAAAAAAAY… $#!%! The Garmin reads 9.96. Bye car. It was nice seeing you… Yep, I deserved every stinkin’ moment of this!! Dammitjim ;)
Truckin’ along and I see something right on the street corner… oooooh what is it? A dead squirrel. A dead squirrel that had eaten well before misfortune hit. Ewe. Onward! I get downtown, where the city workers have done such a wonderful job of maintaining the lawns. It’s all plush and green and beautiful and there is a German Sheppard taking a dump. Lovely. I look at his owner – easily 6’3 – bean pole skinny – with meth face. Double lovely. Then he grabs a bag and cleans up after his dog. Wow! That may be the only responsible pet owner slash meth-head on the planet! Onward! I turn the corner on to Mullen… there, on the ground, abandoned… two pennies! PLINK! PLINK! Onward! I see a car that looks familiar, but I can’t quite see the driver and there are many of these cars around, so I decide I will just look in my rearview mirror to see if there is a signature bumper sticker on the back. Yeah. Not so much. I actually let the car pass before I realised I didn’t have a rearview mirror. I laughed. I was actually going to have to physically turn my head to see if I knew the car. Wow! (BTW – no bumper sticker)!
It’s warm, but I’m doing well. I’m rationing my water. Life is good. Around mile 4 I find myself slowing down a bit. I turn around at 5 and just cannot get my brain to stop focusing on how far it is to home. I try reasoning with myself, reminding myself how great the run was on the way out. The sun is starting to set on the Lake Pollen (aka Lake Cd’A) and it’s just phenomenal. I’m thinking about my orange water bottle that I had put in the fridge and how ice cold and wonderful it would be when I get there. Then I’m passed by a friend. I see the car. I know the car. I don’t need no stinkin’ bumper sticker to pick this one out of a line up! Said friend turns around and pulls over ahead of where I’m at and steps out of the car with my orange water bottle in hand. HERO! 6.2 miles down and less than 1/5th of my water left. I needed this friend!
I figured it wouldn’t hurt to ask if I could get a ride home. I was told if I could catch the car, I could have a ride. Gee, thanks! After consuming just a little too much of my beloved water (slosh slosh says the tummy), I continued on – only to see someone running alongside a car, trying to get in. I laughed! It wasn’t me, but it was just as funny! I had noticed this car earlier – 60’s model station wagon, paint looked awful, but had Yakima racks on the top. I admired it. If you can’t afford everything, go for the toys! Great plan! Well, the girl was able to get in the moving car and it passed me. Hippies! A car full of hippies! More laughter!
Life was uneventful until 7.44. Then I was beat. I was warm. I ached. I had done this to myself. Dammitjim! See… I had eaten poorly while celebrating the graduations of two of my most favorite kiddos! I had also missed all but one run during the week. I had kinda set myself up for a rough long run. I was super lucky to have made it as far as I did still loving life. I kept going. It sucked. I kept going. Hey... wait... a penny… that I have to bend over to pick up. Decisions. Decisions. Yes, I gave the penny a home. Onward! I see my car… just keep going ‘til you get to the car. $#!%! That’s not my car! Mine’s on the next block! Just get to your car… soooo close… YAAAAAAAY… $#!%! The Garmin reads 9.96. Bye car. It was nice seeing you… Yep, I deserved every stinkin’ moment of this!! Dammitjim ;)
Thursday, June 2, 2011
Checking In!
Well, I set myself some goals. I suppose it’s time that I stop and see where I am in achieving them…
Training runs... My runs have been good lately! I missed one last week due to an allergy/sinus/cold combo. Towards the end of the week I had a little incident that emotionally knocked the wind out of me, but I rebounded with a short run late Friday night. Sunday I did my first point-to-point run – from Post Falls to Coeur d’Alene! I really had to push myself to keep running, but I felt like I could walk forever. The point-to-point concept was fun and intimidating at the same time. I joked afterwards about a friend dropping me off and saying “there is only one way back…” Another friend’s daughter asked if said friend would really do such a thing – I guess her jaw dropped when she learned the truth! I did some thinking on this run, but resolved nothing, nor did I resolve to do anything new! I found the hills again on Tuesday. I pushed myself harder and made it to the top of each hill without stopping to walk for even one step. I focused on something at the top of each hill and just kept going until I was at that spot! During my 2nd trip up the 2nd set of hills I nearly puked! Jillian would have been proud! Hell, I was proud!!!
Cross training… It’s been a crazy week with working graveyards for two nights right in the middle. I’ve slept very little and pushed my body to new levels of exhaustion. I did get an opportunity to take the kayak out and watch some Ironman trainee’s swim in 50 degree waters. Pretty sure watching other people swim doesn’t count as exercise, although I wish it did because I could spend all day every day on the lake! I am itching to go for a bike ride… just one problem… I don’t have a bike. I really must get that resolved this weekend!
Food & Beer & Losing weight… I’m still doing wonderful on the no fast food challenge! Beer on the other hand… well, I’ve cut WAY back, but I just haven’t been able to go cold turkey! It seems the combination of changes I’ve made is working – I got my 2 lb weight loss last week… and if I behave myself, my midweek sneak peak at the scale looks promising for this week too!
Overall... I’m headed in the right direction! My biggest achievement so far is getting past many of the mental hurdles that I inadvertently placed in front of me. For now I keep going – one foot in front of the other – knowing that these goals are stepping stones. There are bigger and better things ahead!
Training runs... My runs have been good lately! I missed one last week due to an allergy/sinus/cold combo. Towards the end of the week I had a little incident that emotionally knocked the wind out of me, but I rebounded with a short run late Friday night. Sunday I did my first point-to-point run – from Post Falls to Coeur d’Alene! I really had to push myself to keep running, but I felt like I could walk forever. The point-to-point concept was fun and intimidating at the same time. I joked afterwards about a friend dropping me off and saying “there is only one way back…” Another friend’s daughter asked if said friend would really do such a thing – I guess her jaw dropped when she learned the truth! I did some thinking on this run, but resolved nothing, nor did I resolve to do anything new! I found the hills again on Tuesday. I pushed myself harder and made it to the top of each hill without stopping to walk for even one step. I focused on something at the top of each hill and just kept going until I was at that spot! During my 2nd trip up the 2nd set of hills I nearly puked! Jillian would have been proud! Hell, I was proud!!!
Cross training… It’s been a crazy week with working graveyards for two nights right in the middle. I’ve slept very little and pushed my body to new levels of exhaustion. I did get an opportunity to take the kayak out and watch some Ironman trainee’s swim in 50 degree waters. Pretty sure watching other people swim doesn’t count as exercise, although I wish it did because I could spend all day every day on the lake! I am itching to go for a bike ride… just one problem… I don’t have a bike. I really must get that resolved this weekend!
Food & Beer & Losing weight… I’m still doing wonderful on the no fast food challenge! Beer on the other hand… well, I’ve cut WAY back, but I just haven’t been able to go cold turkey! It seems the combination of changes I’ve made is working – I got my 2 lb weight loss last week… and if I behave myself, my midweek sneak peak at the scale looks promising for this week too!
Overall... I’m headed in the right direction! My biggest achievement so far is getting past many of the mental hurdles that I inadvertently placed in front of me. For now I keep going – one foot in front of the other – knowing that these goals are stepping stones. There are bigger and better things ahead!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Life & Pavement
The good news is that the pavement doesn't care what you've done wrong...
it unfolds itself in front of you and hangs out until you feel better!!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Disturbingly Fun!
Remember a couple of days ago I was mumbling (okay, whining) about a sore throat et al.? Well, fast forward to this morning and what can only be described as a sinus infection in the making! Dammitjim! I’m not willing to claim defeat yet… I had LOTS of sinus issues last year, but there were a few times where I suspected one on the attack but it never transpired. I’m quite certain that will be the case with this one! Just certain!
So, while I’m at work, trying to ignore the burning pain, the sinus pressure, and the mid-afternoon exhaustion, I’m really, REALLY wishing I hadn’t said “hey, let’s go run hills tonight… no I promise I won’t cancel for anything…” What was I thinking? Ugh!
I met up with my friend for a slow warm up jog and I’m huffing and puffing almost immediately… oh my, this isn’t gonna be good! We get to the base of the first hill and it doesn’t look so bad. Our first lap up the hill is as slow as you can go. Now I’ve been warned that the slowest lap is the hardest, but I’m a slow person so I really didn’t buy into the hype. Well… about 3/4ths up the hill my legs were BURNING. I made mention of this to my friend and she says “YEP”… gee, thanks for that! We made our way down the hill and did it again, this time at a nice comfortable pace (if such a thing exists when one is running UP a hill). For the third lap we take the hill just a bit faster. As I’m running up and down this hill in front of people’s houses (some of which were out in their yards and undeniably aware of our presence) I wonder how crazy they think I am? Then I laugh to myself that they probably think my friend is even crazier, because she comes back every week and does the same routine. Wait… now she has a following of crazy people running in circles in front of strangers houses. Yep, I decided they’d find her to be the crazier of the two of us. Yes, I’m proud that I can form actual thoughts while huffing and puffing up and down this damn hill. My friend on the other hand – chatting up a storm as if this is nothing! Don’t dare ask me to answer any questions right now… I would have to give up breathing to talk… and quite frankly CPR is not on my agenda today!
Then there is hill #2. It’s a slightly longer hill but not so steep. Same routine… 3 laps, slow, medium, medium-fast. Huff and puff and puff and huff! This. Is. Not. Easy. There was a time or two that I slowed to a walk but only for 2 or 3 steps and then I pushed thru. Dang! Not easy! BTW - Dang was NOT the word that fell from my lips, but we’ll go with it for now ;) Bring on hill #3… at first glance I was ready to run the opposite direction. This one was steeper than the first. Ugh! Up I go, feeling the burn… Up I go, wanting to quit 3/4ths of the way in… Up I go, cursing, slowing, but being encouraged and coached to keep moving. DONE! Three laps on three hills. Yay! Wait. Remember the warm up jog… yep, still some pavement to pound to get back to my car. Dang! Final verdict on my first set of hills… it wasn’t easy, but it didn’t suck, in fact it was kinda fun! Many, many thanks to my friend for keeping me company, cheering me on, and being there for yet another milestone!
Checking in… Fast food – doing great! Actually sounds awful, with the exception of just one place. So far so good! Eh hem, I do have to admit that I’ve not done quite as good as I had hoped on choosing healthier foods at home. A work in progress though! I did stop to check out a website suggested by a friend - www.ourbestbites.com – there are some YUMMY recipes there I can’t wait to try! …2 lb a week challenge – see previous note about not-so-healthy foods :( Still maintaining, no gain or loss… Making all my training runs – well, I missed two last week, but had a 5k walk on Saturday, soooo at least I got something in. Just lost track of time more than anything else. Will keep working on this one too!
The TSC Alliance has a slogan this year that I just love! It absolutely fits their mission, but I think it could be applied in so many ways in life… “We will give everything. But up.” This should be how everyone approaches their own life! I love it! I will use it to motivate me… tomorrow! Good night moon :)
So, while I’m at work, trying to ignore the burning pain, the sinus pressure, and the mid-afternoon exhaustion, I’m really, REALLY wishing I hadn’t said “hey, let’s go run hills tonight… no I promise I won’t cancel for anything…” What was I thinking? Ugh!
I met up with my friend for a slow warm up jog and I’m huffing and puffing almost immediately… oh my, this isn’t gonna be good! We get to the base of the first hill and it doesn’t look so bad. Our first lap up the hill is as slow as you can go. Now I’ve been warned that the slowest lap is the hardest, but I’m a slow person so I really didn’t buy into the hype. Well… about 3/4ths up the hill my legs were BURNING. I made mention of this to my friend and she says “YEP”… gee, thanks for that! We made our way down the hill and did it again, this time at a nice comfortable pace (if such a thing exists when one is running UP a hill). For the third lap we take the hill just a bit faster. As I’m running up and down this hill in front of people’s houses (some of which were out in their yards and undeniably aware of our presence) I wonder how crazy they think I am? Then I laugh to myself that they probably think my friend is even crazier, because she comes back every week and does the same routine. Wait… now she has a following of crazy people running in circles in front of strangers houses. Yep, I decided they’d find her to be the crazier of the two of us. Yes, I’m proud that I can form actual thoughts while huffing and puffing up and down this damn hill. My friend on the other hand – chatting up a storm as if this is nothing! Don’t dare ask me to answer any questions right now… I would have to give up breathing to talk… and quite frankly CPR is not on my agenda today!
Then there is hill #2. It’s a slightly longer hill but not so steep. Same routine… 3 laps, slow, medium, medium-fast. Huff and puff and puff and huff! This. Is. Not. Easy. There was a time or two that I slowed to a walk but only for 2 or 3 steps and then I pushed thru. Dang! Not easy! BTW - Dang was NOT the word that fell from my lips, but we’ll go with it for now ;) Bring on hill #3… at first glance I was ready to run the opposite direction. This one was steeper than the first. Ugh! Up I go, feeling the burn… Up I go, wanting to quit 3/4ths of the way in… Up I go, cursing, slowing, but being encouraged and coached to keep moving. DONE! Three laps on three hills. Yay! Wait. Remember the warm up jog… yep, still some pavement to pound to get back to my car. Dang! Final verdict on my first set of hills… it wasn’t easy, but it didn’t suck, in fact it was kinda fun! Many, many thanks to my friend for keeping me company, cheering me on, and being there for yet another milestone!
Checking in… Fast food – doing great! Actually sounds awful, with the exception of just one place. So far so good! Eh hem, I do have to admit that I’ve not done quite as good as I had hoped on choosing healthier foods at home. A work in progress though! I did stop to check out a website suggested by a friend - www.ourbestbites.com – there are some YUMMY recipes there I can’t wait to try! …2 lb a week challenge – see previous note about not-so-healthy foods :( Still maintaining, no gain or loss… Making all my training runs – well, I missed two last week, but had a 5k walk on Saturday, soooo at least I got something in. Just lost track of time more than anything else. Will keep working on this one too!
The TSC Alliance has a slogan this year that I just love! It absolutely fits their mission, but I think it could be applied in so many ways in life… “We will give everything. But up.” This should be how everyone approaches their own life! I love it! I will use it to motivate me… tomorrow! Good night moon :)
Sunday, May 22, 2011
...but I don't wanna!!!!!!
“I don’t wanna go run seven miles!!” I'm all stuffy, my throat hurts, my ears hurt and my body is aching from two days doing little but sitting in a car, eating, and sleeping. I just wanna stay in bed!
I eventually got my whiny butt out of bed and had some breakfast, complete with zyrtec and ibuprofen! I did everything I could to put off getting ready to run, but it was nearly 10 and I was supposed to meet the girls at noon, so I needed to get a move on. Easier said than done! I couldn’t find my favorite pants :( If I was gonna go “trudge” thru seven miles, I was at least going to be wearing my favorite pants! I did my hair, gathered my things, all without pants. Dammitjim, I wanted my pants! Getting grumpier by the minute, I finally found them in the dryer. Apparently I knew days ago that I was going to want my pants this morning. Properly dressed, I looked in the mirror and realised my shirt made me look too fat, so I grabbed a baggy ole t-shirt and called it good enough. I don’t care if it starts pouring down rain, I was gonna hide my fat and wear my favorite pants. It’s the least a grumpy girl can do!
Effectively running late for my run, I texted a friend that I was going to park at her house and run from there, but that I was grumpy so I would talk to her after I had run off my bad mood. She responded that she was in the same boat. I felt a little better knowing I wasn’t alone! I took off and my first few steps felt great! Mind, body, and soul needed this! I hadn’t really planned my long run (which I ALWAYS do), and I didn’t really want to run, so I decided today I would play! I turned down random streets and saw different views and just had fun with it. My brain kicked into high gear and I thought about everything! As I passed a school I noticed the kids’ projects hanging in all of the windows. Remember when doing our daily tasks earned us a spot on the window/wall/refrigerator?
My motivation and energy was still a bit low, so walking was frequent, but life was good. Just about mile two I came across a woman I had met through friends of friends who are all runners. She walked with me for a few and chatted about how she was having a rough go of it today and she was scheduled to do 13 miles. Dang! As she took off to run again I said “have fun” to which she replied “NOT”! Double Dang! I watched her do a run/walk routine that was quite similar to my own and once again felt comfort in knowing I wasn’t alone. Misery loves company, right?
I stopped back at my car for some water and grabbed my favorite little four-legged running buddy and headed back out for 2.5 more miles. I was pretty tired and ready to be done, but the little one was having a blast. She’d run and run and run and then… DOG… run, run, run… BIRD… run, DOG, run DOG, run… she does great in businessy areas or on trails, but dogs in their yards are just too much for her. She becomes the poster child for puppy adhd! She definitely kept me entertained! I’m not sure which one of us was smiling more at the end of our little run!!
Generally the girls and I meet up after our long run to celebrate… as it turns out today we all woke up saying “I don’t wanna run seven miles!” Once again, glad to know I wasn’t alone! However, I’m quite grateful I got my hiney out there and got it done! Now, I want chocolate and a nap… since I don’t keep chocolate in my house, I guess I will have to settle for a well deserved nap :)
I eventually got my whiny butt out of bed and had some breakfast, complete with zyrtec and ibuprofen! I did everything I could to put off getting ready to run, but it was nearly 10 and I was supposed to meet the girls at noon, so I needed to get a move on. Easier said than done! I couldn’t find my favorite pants :( If I was gonna go “trudge” thru seven miles, I was at least going to be wearing my favorite pants! I did my hair, gathered my things, all without pants. Dammitjim, I wanted my pants! Getting grumpier by the minute, I finally found them in the dryer. Apparently I knew days ago that I was going to want my pants this morning. Properly dressed, I looked in the mirror and realised my shirt made me look too fat, so I grabbed a baggy ole t-shirt and called it good enough. I don’t care if it starts pouring down rain, I was gonna hide my fat and wear my favorite pants. It’s the least a grumpy girl can do!
Effectively running late for my run, I texted a friend that I was going to park at her house and run from there, but that I was grumpy so I would talk to her after I had run off my bad mood. She responded that she was in the same boat. I felt a little better knowing I wasn’t alone! I took off and my first few steps felt great! Mind, body, and soul needed this! I hadn’t really planned my long run (which I ALWAYS do), and I didn’t really want to run, so I decided today I would play! I turned down random streets and saw different views and just had fun with it. My brain kicked into high gear and I thought about everything! As I passed a school I noticed the kids’ projects hanging in all of the windows. Remember when doing our daily tasks earned us a spot on the window/wall/refrigerator?
My motivation and energy was still a bit low, so walking was frequent, but life was good. Just about mile two I came across a woman I had met through friends of friends who are all runners. She walked with me for a few and chatted about how she was having a rough go of it today and she was scheduled to do 13 miles. Dang! As she took off to run again I said “have fun” to which she replied “NOT”! Double Dang! I watched her do a run/walk routine that was quite similar to my own and once again felt comfort in knowing I wasn’t alone. Misery loves company, right?
I stopped back at my car for some water and grabbed my favorite little four-legged running buddy and headed back out for 2.5 more miles. I was pretty tired and ready to be done, but the little one was having a blast. She’d run and run and run and then… DOG… run, run, run… BIRD… run, DOG, run DOG, run… she does great in businessy areas or on trails, but dogs in their yards are just too much for her. She becomes the poster child for puppy adhd! She definitely kept me entertained! I’m not sure which one of us was smiling more at the end of our little run!!
Generally the girls and I meet up after our long run to celebrate… as it turns out today we all woke up saying “I don’t wanna run seven miles!” Once again, glad to know I wasn’t alone! However, I’m quite grateful I got my hiney out there and got it done! Now, I want chocolate and a nap… since I don’t keep chocolate in my house, I guess I will have to settle for a well deserved nap :)
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
A Necessary Evil...
I hate food! I mean, I loooooovvvvveee food, but heck I struggle with food more than anything else!
I was raised on hamburger. It was cheap when times were tough and Dad liked it, so we ate a lot of it. As soon as I had my own job and some wheels, I was eating anything BUT hamburger! I started an affair with fast food, which I'm certain was laced with crack so I would keep going back for more! It's no surprise that, even though I have eaten my share of crap, I was disgusted when I read the headline "Man eats 25,000th Big Mac, 39 years after his 1st." I couldn't even bring myself to read the article at first, but as I considered writing this blog I decided I needed to know this man's story. He bought himself a car 39 years ago and celebrated with 3 Big Mac's. He loved them so much that he went back and got six more that day. For 39 years he has averaged 2 Big Mac's a day, commenting that he had only gone 8 days without one in all that time. It says something about our culture that such an article would be front page worthy. How sad.
So why do I eat crap? Well, it's easy! It's not cheap, it's not as good as homemade food, but it's ready in just a couple of minutes and I can eat it in my car as I'm rushing to wherever. Great selling points, eh? I do know how to cook, without making anyone sick even! The problem is I get bored with the same ole foods very quickly and I'm not creative in the least, so I struggle to come up with a new food or recipe. My friends have been a great help with this, I now know dozens of ways to prepare chicken! Hands down, chicken is my favorite food. Make it spicy and I'm in heaven!
About two weeks ago I was challenged by a friend to avoid all fast food until my next half marathon. I love me a good challenge! The first week was difficult, but once I actually went to the grocery store things got much easier! For the most part I'm eating proper portion sizes of healthier foods, prepared in my own home without any crack additives. I still have some vices, but I'm getting better. The problem is I am hungry. All the time! I have increased my water consumption, so that helps, but I still need to find more filling foods. I've run twice this week and done a Jillian work out once and during all three activities I was plagued by hunger pangs. As if trying to keep from tripping over my own feet isn't enough, now I'm trying ignore my tummy at the same time :( Anyone else notice that the tummy is right between the brain and the feet? Can messages safely travel that route with the big bad angry tummy in the way?
Once again, I have to laugh. While typing away on this blog; a friend came in and started talking about a local fast food restaurant. He went searching for information about it on the internet, trying to determine if it was a chain or not and proceeded to tell us all about what he and his wife had for lunch (in detail). Thank goodness they had hamburgers - I lost my appetite ;)
I was raised on hamburger. It was cheap when times were tough and Dad liked it, so we ate a lot of it. As soon as I had my own job and some wheels, I was eating anything BUT hamburger! I started an affair with fast food, which I'm certain was laced with crack so I would keep going back for more! It's no surprise that, even though I have eaten my share of crap, I was disgusted when I read the headline "Man eats 25,000th Big Mac, 39 years after his 1st." I couldn't even bring myself to read the article at first, but as I considered writing this blog I decided I needed to know this man's story. He bought himself a car 39 years ago and celebrated with 3 Big Mac's. He loved them so much that he went back and got six more that day. For 39 years he has averaged 2 Big Mac's a day, commenting that he had only gone 8 days without one in all that time. It says something about our culture that such an article would be front page worthy. How sad.
So why do I eat crap? Well, it's easy! It's not cheap, it's not as good as homemade food, but it's ready in just a couple of minutes and I can eat it in my car as I'm rushing to wherever. Great selling points, eh? I do know how to cook, without making anyone sick even! The problem is I get bored with the same ole foods very quickly and I'm not creative in the least, so I struggle to come up with a new food or recipe. My friends have been a great help with this, I now know dozens of ways to prepare chicken! Hands down, chicken is my favorite food. Make it spicy and I'm in heaven!
About two weeks ago I was challenged by a friend to avoid all fast food until my next half marathon. I love me a good challenge! The first week was difficult, but once I actually went to the grocery store things got much easier! For the most part I'm eating proper portion sizes of healthier foods, prepared in my own home without any crack additives. I still have some vices, but I'm getting better. The problem is I am hungry. All the time! I have increased my water consumption, so that helps, but I still need to find more filling foods. I've run twice this week and done a Jillian work out once and during all three activities I was plagued by hunger pangs. As if trying to keep from tripping over my own feet isn't enough, now I'm trying ignore my tummy at the same time :( Anyone else notice that the tummy is right between the brain and the feet? Can messages safely travel that route with the big bad angry tummy in the way?
Once again, I have to laugh. While typing away on this blog; a friend came in and started talking about a local fast food restaurant. He went searching for information about it on the internet, trying to determine if it was a chain or not and proceeded to tell us all about what he and his wife had for lunch (in detail). Thank goodness they had hamburgers - I lost my appetite ;)
Monday, May 16, 2011
... and thus it begins again!!
Well, after a well deserved week of laziness, half marathon training began again this morning!! In all honesty I should have started yesterday, but as it turns out Gin + Tonic + Dee = Disaster... a fun disaster, but a dehydrated disaster. So, I earned myself six soggy, windy, sloooooowwwww miles today! After a week off, my muscles needed a gentle reminder that this is what we do, so I hit the centennial trail for some rolling hills. Yep, I walked a lot. Yep, I'm good with that!
Random fact - the Huetter rest area is just over 3 miles from my house. Really something I never needed to know :) At one point on my way back I found myself in a deep little valley. It was full of lush greenery and quite gorgeous! I wondered if I had "checked out" when I went thru this area the first time. I could see the sign saying Coeur d'Alene next 5 exits, so I knew I was headed the right way, but this little valley just looked so new to me. I took a second to turn around and see what was behind me... and ahead of me... and behind me... wow! Standing the same spot seeing two very different views... I think they call that perspective! I hope I can remember that moment next time I need it!
I made some decisions on this run. First of all I am joining M in the 2 lbs a week challenge. That girl inspires me SO much! I'm excited to emulate her success in this area! Also, I'm going to avoid alcohol until June 12th. That's my next double digit run! There are many celebrations between now and then, but they are all for people under the legal drinking age, so I think this should be a piece of cake!
While writing this, I got the most awesome text! My best friend had a dream that I became a gym junkie, got super skinny, and so hot! Well dammitjim - I always want my friends dreams to come true! Guess I'll have to see what I can do about this one :)
Random fact - the Huetter rest area is just over 3 miles from my house. Really something I never needed to know :) At one point on my way back I found myself in a deep little valley. It was full of lush greenery and quite gorgeous! I wondered if I had "checked out" when I went thru this area the first time. I could see the sign saying Coeur d'Alene next 5 exits, so I knew I was headed the right way, but this little valley just looked so new to me. I took a second to turn around and see what was behind me... and ahead of me... and behind me... wow! Standing the same spot seeing two very different views... I think they call that perspective! I hope I can remember that moment next time I need it!
I made some decisions on this run. First of all I am joining M in the 2 lbs a week challenge. That girl inspires me SO much! I'm excited to emulate her success in this area! Also, I'm going to avoid alcohol until June 12th. That's my next double digit run! There are many celebrations between now and then, but they are all for people under the legal drinking age, so I think this should be a piece of cake!
While writing this, I got the most awesome text! My best friend had a dream that I became a gym junkie, got super skinny, and so hot! Well dammitjim - I always want my friends dreams to come true! Guess I'll have to see what I can do about this one :)
Thursday, May 12, 2011
What I learned in 13.1 miles…
I can run 13.1 miles!! That’s a long way! That’s from the state line to the hospital and around the parking lot a few times! WOW! I can do it! I can have fun doing it! I can feel great doing it! I can do it AGAIN! Days after completing my first half marathon, I’m still on cloud 9! It wasn’t easy getting there though!
My biggest road block… my own mind! I over-thought EVERYTHING! Every rough day at work left me mentally exhausted and thus I allowed my brain to sabotage my run. I did this a lot. Dang! Every ache and pain freaked me out! I worried that I was doing permanent damage to my body! Yes, I thought that by exercising I was harming myself. Seems a bit silly now!
My biggest mistake… I missed runs! My shorter runs were often difficult. I just didn’t want to go. I missed many. In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t. I rarely had good reason to do so. I mean heck, if I can run 13.1 miles, I can run 5 miles! I am proud to say I only missed one long run—I didn’t want to—I was dressed and ready to go, but I was sick and needed the day off!
My best run… my turning point, my moment of knowing I was going to succeed – my 9 mile run. From Ironwood Plaza down Government Way along Sherman/Front/Mullan and Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive. I ran 4.5 miles to use an outhouse! Then I had to get back to my car! This was the first time my miles had melted away! I worked through SO many thoughts. For days when someone would bring up a subject I would say, oh yes I thought about that on my run and this is my suggestion!
My roughest moment… mile 8 of my 10 mile run. I was nearly in tears. I was looking to hail a cab. I was done. Fortunately, I was on 7th street, which isn’t highly populated with taxi cabs! So onward I continued. Met the gang at Subway for a quick bite to eat and life went on.
My proudest moment… flying up and down the stairs at the Kennedy school in Portland hours after completing the half marathon. Apparently I was supposed to be experiencing more pain and stiffness. Guess I had trained well ;)
My race day anxiety… perhaps I should say race week anxiety! The whole “taper week” concept messed with my head! I mean, I followed it. I put my faith in it. Thousands of others had succeeded using it, so would I – I hoped! Oh did I hope! It didn’t help that I spent taper week in Phoenix where the temperatures were in the high 90’s, requiring me to wake up at 5 am to get my run completed. Anyone who knows me knows 5 am is closer to bed time than to rise and shine time! Plus, I was alone. My friends, my support, they were all at home, running in 40 degree weather. Oddly, I was jealous of them!
My biggest support… my sports bra! Just kidding, sort of… but really, my friends are freaking awesome! I had just started the Couch-to-5k program when a friend encouraged me to do my first 5k. Okay! Makes sense! I mean, now I have an actual goal 5k away from my couch! Hooray! This same friend lassoed up a few other friends to join in on half marathon training! How great it was to have a seasoned runner to talk to and, at times, push me! How great it was to have other newbie runners to talk to and inspire me! I couldn’t have asked for better training buddies!
My lessons learned… I’m gonna hurt. Sometimes the hurt will go away before the run is over, sometimes the hurt is going to last a while. I can do it. Be it 3 or 5 or 13 miles, there is no valid excuse for not getting my tush out there and getting it done! Shoes can make or break me. Having proper shoes, in good condition is absolutely imperative!
My goals… well, the next 13.1 is in 60 days! It’s hilly! Majorly hilly! I get to tweak my training plan to incorporate hills! I’m not a fan of hills. We will be best friends when this is all over and done. I want to complete every training run, as well as add in some cross training. The sun is out! I want to hike and bike and kayak and swim! This morning I caught myself wondering if I could run 20 miles… see if I could run 20 miles, I could run 26.2 and complete a mara… oh, now that is just insane!!
My biggest road block… my own mind! I over-thought EVERYTHING! Every rough day at work left me mentally exhausted and thus I allowed my brain to sabotage my run. I did this a lot. Dang! Every ache and pain freaked me out! I worried that I was doing permanent damage to my body! Yes, I thought that by exercising I was harming myself. Seems a bit silly now!
My biggest mistake… I missed runs! My shorter runs were often difficult. I just didn’t want to go. I missed many. In retrospect, I wish I hadn’t. I rarely had good reason to do so. I mean heck, if I can run 13.1 miles, I can run 5 miles! I am proud to say I only missed one long run—I didn’t want to—I was dressed and ready to go, but I was sick and needed the day off!
My best run… my turning point, my moment of knowing I was going to succeed – my 9 mile run. From Ironwood Plaza down Government Way along Sherman/Front/Mullan and Coeur d’Alene Lake Drive. I ran 4.5 miles to use an outhouse! Then I had to get back to my car! This was the first time my miles had melted away! I worked through SO many thoughts. For days when someone would bring up a subject I would say, oh yes I thought about that on my run and this is my suggestion!
My roughest moment… mile 8 of my 10 mile run. I was nearly in tears. I was looking to hail a cab. I was done. Fortunately, I was on 7th street, which isn’t highly populated with taxi cabs! So onward I continued. Met the gang at Subway for a quick bite to eat and life went on.
My proudest moment… flying up and down the stairs at the Kennedy school in Portland hours after completing the half marathon. Apparently I was supposed to be experiencing more pain and stiffness. Guess I had trained well ;)
My race day anxiety… perhaps I should say race week anxiety! The whole “taper week” concept messed with my head! I mean, I followed it. I put my faith in it. Thousands of others had succeeded using it, so would I – I hoped! Oh did I hope! It didn’t help that I spent taper week in Phoenix where the temperatures were in the high 90’s, requiring me to wake up at 5 am to get my run completed. Anyone who knows me knows 5 am is closer to bed time than to rise and shine time! Plus, I was alone. My friends, my support, they were all at home, running in 40 degree weather. Oddly, I was jealous of them!
My biggest support… my sports bra! Just kidding, sort of… but really, my friends are freaking awesome! I had just started the Couch-to-5k program when a friend encouraged me to do my first 5k. Okay! Makes sense! I mean, now I have an actual goal 5k away from my couch! Hooray! This same friend lassoed up a few other friends to join in on half marathon training! How great it was to have a seasoned runner to talk to and, at times, push me! How great it was to have other newbie runners to talk to and inspire me! I couldn’t have asked for better training buddies!
My lessons learned… I’m gonna hurt. Sometimes the hurt will go away before the run is over, sometimes the hurt is going to last a while. I can do it. Be it 3 or 5 or 13 miles, there is no valid excuse for not getting my tush out there and getting it done! Shoes can make or break me. Having proper shoes, in good condition is absolutely imperative!
My goals… well, the next 13.1 is in 60 days! It’s hilly! Majorly hilly! I get to tweak my training plan to incorporate hills! I’m not a fan of hills. We will be best friends when this is all over and done. I want to complete every training run, as well as add in some cross training. The sun is out! I want to hike and bike and kayak and swim! This morning I caught myself wondering if I could run 20 miles… see if I could run 20 miles, I could run 26.2 and complete a mara… oh, now that is just insane!!
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