Blurry Vision

2014 is long gone and 2015 is in full force but the last year has gone by like a blur.

I had my shoulder surgery January 7 2014 and started rehab at Johnson and Hayes the next day.  I finished formal therapy but got to keep going long after that to keep working out that shoulder.  Here I am over a year later and it's still not where it needs to be.  It's better and I'm stronger and I can do more but it's not as good as I had hoped it would be.  It still hurts.  It's still weak.  It's still not working like the right side does.  But I still see improvement so I see that as a good thing.

I only did three triathlons last year, Wet Dog, Racing Rivals, and Frantic Frog.  All sprints and all as a member of the Bicycle Cove racing team.  I also did a few little running races (said with a shy grin).

I haven't written about it yet but I completed the Grand Slam this year.  This series consists of the Dizzy 50 (50K for me), Rocket City Marathon, Recover From the Holidays (50K) and Mountain Mist (50K), all completed between November 15th and January 24th.  119.2 miles of races (roughly) in 10 weeks, not counting the Xterra 15K race and the training runs.  That's a lot of running.  I'll write more about that experience later on.

2014 wasn't all about races (obviously).  Other things happened.  My daughter moved back home from college.  We had a pipe freeze in our attic that caused about $20K in damage to our house (and that took about 3 months to repair).  I also started a kids triathlon team (dtKids) and created a new kids race (the Kids Fly Tri).  I also ran a kids tri program at the YMCA for the older kids in their summer camp program.

I was fortunate enough to train a slew of adult runners and triathletes who made some major breakthroughs in distances and times and a few of them conquered fears that were holding them in chains.

On top of all that I started training at Iron Tribe Fitness.  This has been a big change for me. I believe the hard work I'm putting in at the gym is already beginning to pay off.

The year went by like a blur and this year is already starting to fly by me.  I have a lot planned for this coming year.  I created another new kids race (Rocket Kid Tri).  I expanded the kids team to include a Club and added a teen team (Triple Threat).  I put together a kids triathlon program as well as a group training program for their sprint triathlon (Soggy Seals).

My race calendar is a little sparse because I'm focused squarely on IMChoo.  January 24th I completed the hardest race I've ever done (Mountain Mist) so it makes the rest of the year's calendar looks  "easy" (well, not really...).  Next up for me is McKay Hollow 25K (my all time favorite race).  I'm going to attend an IM camp in Chattanooga that will allow me to train on the course. Then I have Racing Rivals (because I love this race) and likely Rocket Man (although it's the day after my kids tri).  IMChoo is at the end of September.  A little rest and recovery and it will be time to start training for Mountain Mist again!!

See...it's a blur.  I'm going to blink and I'll be writing my 2015 summary (probably in March of 2016 if this year is any indication!).

Out with the old, in with the new...but if you blink the new will be the old before you have your eyes opened again!

(not my shoes...)

Thanks for stopping in.  Now go train!

:D

Drying off After the Dog

You know me.  I am known for beating myself up after a race.  People say I'm too hard on myself.

Maybe I am, but, you don't get better by going easy.

Hold on now.  I'm not going to beat myself up, but I am going to evaluate where I am and then set my intention for the future.

Let me be the first to say it...all things considered, I did well yesterday.  I'm not disappointed with the results I got.

But, I'm also not satisfied.  I want more/ to be better/to be faster.  That's part of why I enjoy doing races.  The racing part.  The competition part.  There is nothing wrong with competition.  For some reason people want to make competitiveness a bad thing.  It's not.  It's not wrong to want to win a race.  I don't want to win at the expense of others, in fact I want everyone to have their best day.  And I want to have a better day than anyone else!   Now, I'm smart enough to realize that there will always be women faster than me but that won't keep me from striving.

So...I'm going to evaluate what I did yesterday without a bat in hand.  It's a matter of seeing what I need to do in the future in order to improve.

First up...let me be clear, I KNOW I just had surgery 6.5 months ago.  The doctor and the physical therapist say it will be about a year before I'm completely healed.  So, the first thing that has to happen is time.  Yes, I get it....and in the mean time there are some things I can do.

I really struggled with swim endurance.  I had speed that I've never had before.  That was AMAZING.  I know it's there.  I have to train to increase the endurance with the speed.  Although I slowed way down in the second half, knowing the speed is there is very encouraging, it's just a matter of training to hold it.

I am pleased with my bike performance.  I think it would have been faster if the roads had been dry because I was a tiny bit timid.  I need to work on jumping on the bike and getting off.  I need to get a new battery in my power meter so I can actually use it.  I need to climb HILLS to get STRONGER.

In order to make my run better, first of all, I need to get my iron levels up.  I am supposed to be taking a supplement, but I don't like the way it makes my stomach feel (not to mention other things...if you've ever taken iron, you know what I mean).  I have tried three different ones and dislike them all.  I know of another kind to try so I'll try that one.

I also need to get this extra weight off.  I do not enjoy the way my body feels when it's heavier.  Ten pounds might not sound like a lot, until you put on a 10# vest and go run.  Ten pounds is a lot of extra to carry.  And I'll say this, it's not about a number, but how I feel.  I'm not comparing myself to anyone else.  I don't care how much anyone else weighs.  I care about how I feel with this amount of weight on me.  I have been enjoying food a lot more than I have been thinking long term.  And it's the kind of food I've been having that hasn't been good for me.  (A little dairy here, a little gluten there...)  I have cared more about what I think I want NOW than what I know want later.  The weight has to come off.  At the same time I can't be so strict with it that I feel like I'm being deprived.

Overall, I have to modify some of my "goals".  After surgery, I started out thinking I would be able to do Atomic Man the first weekend of September.  I backed down to doing Rocket Man in August.  It's not just the race distances that are a bit much, but I also have A LOT going on in my life.  We had a water damage incident in my house and were without flooring or furniture in most of our house for 2 solid months.  If you think that won't disrupt your life, you're WRONG!  Everything we own is covered in concrete dust (it's sticky and heavy, not like normal dust).  I've been at my max on adult athletes all summer, I've been coaching a kids team and a teen group at the Y,  I've been teaching Spin 2-3 times a week,  I've helped with two kids races this summer, and now, I'm directing a brand new kids triathlon at the end of August.

Ultimately my goal is to race Ironman Chattanooga in 2015, but I think I will only race three more sprints this year.  This is not a backing down...this is a regrouping.  I know I want to be fast.  The best way to be fast is to work on being fast not work on going longer distances.

Finally, I have to get my life in better order.  My house has been completely turned upside down since the first weekend of May.  Talk about a life stressor!  I'm going to actively work to get it put back together.   There are only so many things one person can fill her time with.  Not everything can be a number one priority.  However, life isn't a list.  It's more like spinning plates, or juggling.  We can't just focus on one thing at a time until it's done.  With that in mind I just want to keep all my plates in tact and my knives in the air, catching them only by the handles as planned!  But...I do want to give attention to my house and make it a short term priority.  Getting things clean and orderly will help me in the other areas.

So...with that in mind, I'm off to do some laundry!  :D

Not Looking Ahead...Yet

I started this blog in 2010 (well, technically I started it at the end of 2009, but it was about starting the blog in 2010 so that doesn't really count).

My first post in 2010 was about getting ready to get started on the path to becoming a runner (a marathoner to be exact).  I talked about how important it is to start slow and I expressed my desire to take a turtle's pace forward.  I knew then that I was in this new life for the long haul.

My first post in 2011 was about discipline.  This was when I first started thinking that training shouldn't dictate life, but that it should work the other way around.  I decided it wasn't good for me to follow a stock plan, but at the same time I needed structure and organization.  Very quickly I started talking triathlon and being welcomed by the swimming and biking communities.

My second post in 2012 was all about looking ahead for the year.  I wanted to add strength training into my plan and to be choosy about which goals to work on when.  I did have my race calendar filled in for the year, but I had only planned training through spring of that year (up to IM NOLA 70.3).  In that post I talked about how I felt like I had two big issues:

1. One of the problems I've had in the past is not making decisions about what I ultimately want causing me to change course mid stream because I hadn't clearly targeted where I was going.  
2. Another huge problem is giving up on what I want because getting there is too hard, or will take too long. 

I tried to fight those tendencies by setting some goals up for the year (race calendar) and by putting a plan in motion to accomplish those goals.  But I also made a conscious decision not look too far ahead, to stay focused on the task(s) at hand.

Last year my main focus for the new year was IMLT.

This is February 17th and I haven't taken my eyes off today long enough to even think about what might be in store for me as an athlete this year.  I know what's going on with me as a coach (more on that later), but me as an athlete?  That's a different story altogether.

I have 2 more weeks in the sling, then about 30 days until I can start training again (from what I understand right now)....44 days and counting.  While I don't think it's too early to be thinking what my goals might be for this year...I also know I don't want to get too far ahead of myself.  I am not that person who must have a race on the horizon to train for all the time anymore.  I don't think it would be a mistake to simply start working toward being stronger for right now (...that is in fact precisely what I am doing right now but I'm talking on day 45 and beyond).

With progress slowing down just a bit, it's becoming more challenging to stay focused.  However, I know that is what is required right now.  It's always darkest before the dawn.  I will get "there"...and "there" will be farther than I have ever gone before (and faster...).

Relentless forward motion doesn't always break speed records!

Until next time...
:D

Not How Far I've Come, Not Where I'm Going...but Where I'm AT!

As I was writing my last post, particularly about the "almost swim workout" I did Thursday before last, it made me stop and think about how far I've come since I started this journey just barely over three years ago.  (I won't recap here because I do that at the end of every year.

Although I do think it's important to take time to look back every now and then, it can be a bit distracting, especially when you've back tracked a bit, or when you're side-lined due to injury.  I can tend to get stuck on "well, I was doing well...but then THIS happened..."

Remember when you moved to the "big calculator"?

Last Saturday I was certainly experiencing that distraction and feeling all sorry for myself when I got a call from one of my athletes, some texts from another, and a FaceBook tag from yet another.  One of them had run her very first 5K one year ago in 39ish minutes.  She ran the same course last week in 28 something, and won 3rd in her age group.  To top it off, the run was just part of a long "slow" run (with miles before and after the event)!!

I could so clearly see how far they had come in such a short time and reminded myself that looking back, when you're not as far along as you have been, shouldn't be used as a tool to beat yourself up (GASP!).  It should be a reminder there's no reason I can't get back there again and move beyond that spot.

Why is it we (okay, I'll own it an say "I")...why is it I have such a hard time realizing how far I've come?  Even harder is imagining all I can do with hard work.  But even more difficult...I have the hardest time focusing on, and more importantly, HONORING, where I'm at right now.

At the beginning of every Spin class I teach, I tell everyone to think about what they came to get out of that class ("think about...why you're here").  I remind them throughout the class to not think about what happened yesterday or what they have to do later on, but to stay focused on their individual goal for that moment in time....and to give it all they have to give.  It's pretty selfish really, because I know it helps me to stay focused...I don't know if it really helps anyone else or not!  :D

And, remember when you lost the extra wheels?

It's too easy to get caught up in thinking about anything other than where I'm at on this journey RIGHT NOW, mainly because it's usually not where I WANT to be!!  But...man...that's a GREAT thing.  That edge of discontentment means I'm driven.  It means I want more than to stay put.  I saw a picture on FaceBook that said, "One day I want to honestly say, 'I made it!'"  I don't know...I can see saying that (and I have said it at the end of long workouts or at a finish line) and feeling it ("I've made it") but only for a moment, not with the finality that picture implies.  I have come to love that part of me that never really feels like I've done "my best". 

The thing I'm coming to realize is I don't have to give up my drive and my desire to do better in order to appreciate where I'm at right now.  In fact, honoring this moment in time is part of the way I will be able to get better.  I look at what I'm doing now.  This day.  This workout.  This moment.  If I'm giving all I have to give to make the training session what it needs to be, I can say, "YES!!  That's great..."  When I can stay focused on the task at hand I am able to give it all I have.  If I'm distracted-thinking about anything else other than what I'm doing-I'm NOT giving all I have.  It's as simple as that.

Time to go give all I have to my swim this morning.  All I have today is not all I had a few months ago, and it's not much compared to all I hope to have next month....but I'll give it what I've got on this day.

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon.  :D

What's in Store for 2013?

Do you see how clear that water is??!!

Boy oh boy am I excited about 2013!  I think the biggest thing I should mention is IRONMAN LAKE TAHOE is September 22nd.  Nine months...that's how long it takes to bring a baby to full term.  It will be here before I know it.

But I have quite a bit planned before then as well.

The beginning of January will be focused on dealing with a (hopefully) little shoulder "issue".  I don't even want to spend time talking about it other than to say it is the result of not listening to my body.  I've learned how to speak "leg" language, but I obviously needed a little practice on "shoulder".  Hopefully this thing will be resolved in the next week because I'm actually very ready to get back in the water!  The 26th I'll be headed to Nashville to complete another class, the Metabolic Efficiency Training Certification.  I'm especially looking forward to this class because I believe wholeheartedly in the principles being taught and I'm anxious to learn all I can.

In February three of my athletes will be participating in the Mardi Gras Half Marathon.  I'm really hoping I'll be able to go down there to cheer them on.  That's one of my favorite races in one of my favorite towns, what could be better??

I'm not looking at this...

March will be filled with plans for a training group I'm helping to lead which will start in April and go through June.  Sandwiched in there is the IMLT training camp scheduled for Memorial Day weekend.  (Ah man, I just realized that means I won't be able to do the Cotton Row 10K for the first time since I started running.  That's a bummer until I stop to think about where I'll be and what I'll be doing!)

July, August and the beginning of September will be a mixture of working with athletes to help them achieve new records and distances as well as working my own training for my first IRONMAN...in case you didn't catch it, I'll be competing in my FIRST IRONMAN in SEPTEMBER!!  I'll also be headed back to Hood to Coast with the Dixie Daredevils in August.  But just one month later I'll be in LAKE TAHOE working my way up to 7200' of elevation during my FIRST IRONMAN!!!

Yes...I'm pretty darn excited about 2013.  I have several athletes who will also be tackling their personal longest distance races and/or who have goals for personal records which I will help them to achieve.    I have a feeling this is going to be an amazing year on so many levels.  

Let me know what you have planned...

P90X turned into P2M

I'm continually reminding myself

Don't give up what you want most for what you (think you) want now.

When I set my goals for this year, I thought I would be training myself for my first half iron and thought it would be a great idea to add in P90X as strength training.  The way I saw it, having overall strength would help me quite a bit in the long run even if it meant my swim/bike/run workouts weren't killer. 

The couple of times I've started P90X in the past I have opted for the "Lean" schedule.  Basically it is more cardio heavy and is geared toward optimal fat burning.  This time around I decided to use the P90X Classic schedule of workouts since I was more focused on toning, okay, who am I kidding...building muscle.

Sunday I did the chest/back workout and Ab Ripper X.  Given the fact I haven't done any strength training since this time last year when I tried to add P90 into my routine, I ended up modifying quite a bit.  The biggest modification--I didn't do ANY pull ups (embarrassing but true).  Most of the exercises on that video are "maximum rep" meaning you do as many as you can and write it down so you will see your improvement over time.  In addition to every kind of pull up you can think of, there are SEVERAL different types of pushups (most of which I couldn't do more than ONE rep each) along with a handful of other exercises.

Monday my arms and chest were so incredibly SORE I had a little trouble swimming!!  ((Okay, I had trouble putting my deodorant on much less anything else!))  The P90 workout for the day was Plyometrics.   I had never done this workout before.  WOW...it's serious stuff!  I did better than what I expected, but still modified some things, and skipped the "bonus" workout at the end altogether.  

That afternoon I received my first week's training plan from E3 Multisport which included some strength training.   I called Coach Eric and asked him if I could add P90X into the plan he gave me.  He basically told me it was up to me, but after some discussion and soul searching I decided I needed to make a choice.

While I remain convinced strength training is more than just a little worthwhile...P90X is more than "simple" strength training.  It's SERIOUS.  If my race were in October I might possibly choose to do P90X now and start training for the race afterward, but that's not the case...my A race is in April.  Knowing what ongoing training with damaged muscles does to your body, I have decided to give up what I want now (to have RIPPED muscles and a body fat percentage in the single digits) for what I want MOST--to have a great race at IM70.3 NOLA. 

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

**For anyone who doesn't know...P90X is "90" days of X-treme workouts...P2M was 2 days of modified exercises!**

Looking Ahead, But Not Too Far

You shouldn't focus so far out you miss what's right in front of you...

As I said, Monday I had planned on running nine miles of trails with a group.  I thought I understood where we were meeting, and looked forward to the route I believed we were going to take.  As it turned out...I had never been where we went.

When I'm running on trails I'm not familiar with, I pretty much look at what's right in front of me in any given moment, focusing on where my feet will land next, with an occasional scan ahead to see what's coming up in my near future.   I have to stay short-sighted, without any thought to what might be waiting for me later on (a monstrous hill or perhaps a smooth decline where I'll be able to relax and just mindlessly RUN).  It's very different from running in familiar territory (where I can anticipate obstacles and challenges), or even on unfamiliar roads (where it's usually smooth, allowing me to set goals for myself to reach--run to that mail box, speed up down this hill).

For me, this year will be like running on completely new trails.  Whereas this time last year I was planning out goals for the full calendar, this time around there are too many unknown variables in my life for me to plan that far in advance.  Monday, I believed I'd have time (and ability) to run nine miles with the group.  As it turned out I only got in 3.5.  Several things happened to prevent me from finishing what I originally thought might happen, but because I held on to my highest priorities, I was able to accomplish what I wanted to. ((Details of this are on the last post, written in blue.))

One of the problems I've had in the past is not making decisions about what I ultimately want causing me to change course mid stream because I hadn't clearly targeted where I was going.  Another huge problem is giving up on what I want because getting there is too hard, or will take too long.  Monday might have appeared as though either of those things were going on to the people I was running with, however the truth is, I knew what my goals were for the day ((again...details on the last post written in blue.))  Running those trails with them was a delicious add on (like whip cream on a latte!)  And...the "whip cream add-on"--trying to add too many goals to my plan--is another weakness I have.

So...with those dangers in mind (not making decisions about what I want to do, giving up on what I ultimately want, and adding too many things to the list) I am looking ahead at 2012.  I plan to:

• consistently work toward my goals, even if that means allowing the iron to get red-hot in the fire.  The difficulty with this will be knowing what pieces to work (goals to work toward) and which ones to stick back into the fire.  (See my last post if this doesn't make sense.)
• add P90X to my training plan for strength workouts.  I wanted to do this last year and tried for a while, but it became too hard to manage.  The difficulties with this will be scheduling (there are only so many hours in a day), and making sure I get enough (quality) calories to support all the work.
• follow the training plan I have outlined from now til my first half iron race (April 22), maintain my fitness level (coast) until after my daughter graduates from high school in May and THEN make decisions about the rest of the year/what comes next.
• come up with a nutrition plan so I don't end up drinking a venti soy latte for breakfast and eating potato chips for lunch (as I have done today).

Here are the races I have planned:

• McKay Hollow Madness -- March 24th.  With that in mind, I hope to run most of my longer runs on trails.
• IM70.3 NOLA -- April 22nd.  With that in mind, I have a detailed training plan on my Training Peaks calendar that starts Sunday (January 8th) and runs through race day.
• Frank Maples -- ??.  I'm not sure when this one is, but I know I want to race it this year.
• Cotton Row -- May 28th.  Time goal: under an hour.
• Wet Dog -- July 14th.  Time goal:  better than last year! :D
• Hood to Coast -- August 25th.  Time goal:  every leg with an average pace under 9:30.
• Frantic Frog -- September 8th.  Time goal:  better than last year.
• MAYBE Beach to Battleship -- October 20th.  I'm going to wait to pull the trigger on this until after IM NOLA.
• Turkey Chase -- November 22.  I'm a streaker on this one (I've done it every year it's existed) so this one will certainly be on the list.  Time goal:  Sub 23:30 and beat my husband who has said he will run it this year!! :D

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon...I have a few more irons in the fire I'll tell you about in the coming weeks.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!  2012 is going to ROCK!!
:D

Irons in the Fire

I've been getting completely overwhelmed lately with all that will be happening this year, sometimes close to sheer panic-attack state.  My baby (the youngest of two) will be graduating from high school and going away to college.  This, in and of itself, is huge.  However, on top of that I have some irons in the fire that are beginning to get red-hot and ready for shaping, and have many more irons I'd like to forge.**

If you aren't familiar with the expression "irons in the fire"...Blacksmiths traditionally worked iron into shape by hammering. The iron being worked would be heated in the fire until it was red-hot and malleable. The Smith removes the iron from the fire and shapes it with repeated blows from a hammer. They need to work quickly before the iron cools. Once the iron is cool, it becomes brittle and cannot be hammered.

Once removed from the fire, the iron cools quickly. It takes longer to heat the iron to red-hot than it takes for it to cool. Blacksmiths work more efficiently by having multiple pieces of iron in the fire heating simultaneously. In that way, the Smith can always have a piece of iron red-hot and ready for hammering. The cooled piece would be returned to the fire if it needed more hammering.

As I sit here trying to write up the post about my goals for the year...I'm struggling just like I did Monday when I was trying to plan out my day.  Because I'm a verbal processor and need to talk (write) to help me sort out my thoughts (rather than thinking through things then talking about them)...I have a need to talk through (write about) my goals before I can figure out what they are!!

First, let me tell you what happened Monday, mainly because I see it as a microcosm of the bigger picture of what's going on in my mind about this coming year and I think it will help me work through making my plans.  The following is a peek into the inner workings of my brain...it's about as direct as the route home Billy would take when he was told to come straight home!  Feel free to skip on down past this center section to the rest of the actual post!! :D

I had several competing "goals" for the day.  There were so many things I wanted to see happen I knew they couldn't all be accomplished so I had to therefore mark some things off the list.  The unabridged plan was:

• spend time with my husband (who was off work) before I went out of town for 2 days
• spend time with a friend
• go see another friend and her kids who I haven't gotten to see in a while
• get to where I was going to be staying for the night early enough to work out with another friend (who I was spending the night with)
• get a work out in at some point during the day (maybe in the gym with my friend)
• be somewhat made up (as opposed to sticking my ponytail in a hat and not wearing make up)
• pick up something I had ordered from a store in Little Rock (on the way to where I was going) before the store closed
• go to the post office to mail a package
• not get stressed out by all the stuff on my list
• clean my house before I went out of town

As I worked though this impossible list, I had to decide what what MOST important to me.  That was excruciatingly hard because they were all a priority for the day or they wouldn't have made the list in the first place.  (I mean, I want to make a scrapbook for my daughter and sew a new comforter for my bed, but those weren't on the list because they keep getting pushed aside to make room for other things.) 

I painfully decided I wouldn't go see the friend and her kids even though I hadn't seen them in a while and decided cleaning house wasn't going to happen either.  I decided getting to my friend's house early enough to work out with her wasn't realistic because it meant having to leave around 7:30 and that would eliminate the feasibility of too many other things on the list.   In order to help the "not get stressed out" goal, I paid some extra money to print postage from home to mail my package, which saved me a trip (and precious time). 

As far as the work out goes, I had originally planned to swim at 5 (which means getting stuff ready the night before and getting up at 4:30ish), however that was going to conflict with my plan to spend time with my husband.  (I knew the best time to spend with him was going to be first thing in the morning before we both got our days going.)  At the same time, swimming would have allowed me to shower and get ready there and give me time with my friend and get me on the road early.

Priorities.  Spending time with my husband was more important than what workout I was going to do...in fact it was the most important thing on the list, even though I do it every day (which is precisely WHY I make a point to spend time with him every day--not just merely exist with him).  Swimming was replaced by running (since it was WAY too cold for me to bike and I don't yet have a trainer).  Okay...the plans for my day were taking shape finally!!

The options of where and how far to run seemed endless and then the 9 mile trail run was posted on FaceBook.  It started at 7, my friend said she could meet up at 9.  In my mind I would get a good run in, meet my friend, and then decide just how important it was for me to be made up before I started my trip out of town.  Nine miles could surely easily be done in two hours.  I was feeling pretty darn good as I left the house in plenty of time.  Well...my first mistake was thinking I knew where we were meeting.  When no one showed up I realized I didn't.

In an effort not to make this already long story longer, I won't go into the fine details of the run.  Suffice it to say: I was in the wrong place, got to the right place late, decided to run on my own, met up with the group...and realized very quickly there was NO WAY I would get 9 miles in before I needed to meet up with my friend.  After slightly over 3 miles (and at a spot very close to the parking lot), I decided to call it a work out finished and "quit".

I was then able to get home, get showered and "made up" to a decent level, and meet up with my friend (although I was late because I was searching for the confirmation sheet for the item I needed to pick up in Little Rock-which I never found but ultimately didn't need).  After a relaxing chat, I was on the road in plenty of time to pick up my item and get to my friend's house.  

EXHALE...

So as I sit here and try to think through all the things I hope to get accomplished this year, with all the unknowns about what could happen to thwart the plans I want to make, it's a bit overwhelming (REREAD FIRST SENTENCE OF THIS POST and you will see I'm right back where I started although I've taken a trip around the world in my mind!!)

The thing I love about analogies is that they usually help me see some things that are harder for me to comprehend when I'm looking at the actual thing.  As I think through how a blacksmith forges iron...he never attempts to shape it when it's cold.  He allows the iron to become red-hot before he works it with his various tools.  One long term goal I have is to complete a full IronMan (2.4 miles swim, 112 miles bike and 26.2 miles run)...but I know I'm not REDy for that quite yet--so that iron will stay in the fire for now.

The blacksmith also knows what he will shape each piece of iron into before he starts.  Unlike Michelangelo, who didn't believe he determined the sculpture but only set what was already there free, I believe a blacksmith molds the iron into the shape he wants using various tools in order to achieve the desired outcome (which he has determined in advance).   The key to both paths, I believe, are the tools being used to get there and the raw material being started with.  I have a decent base for a half iron, but I do have to plan what tools I will use to train for it, and utilize them in an appropriate way.

The blacksmith also knows how fast iron cools and that he has a limited time to work before he has to put the piece back into the fire (lest it turn brittle and break).  I'm seeing several irons in the fire which are ready to be worked, I just have to plan out which piece to hammer on at any given time.  Whereas a runner might be likened to a blacksmith who "only" shapes horseshoes, a triathlete shapes their iron into something else totally different.  I need to see how each piece (each workout) will fit into the bigger picture of what I'm hoping to accomplish.  ((That's pretty darn tough for me to do alone but I don't have the luxury right now of hiring a tri coach.))

What I'm hoping to make from my "horseshoes"!

Discipline

Short and to the point.  I am undisciplined.  Now, I realize there are varying degrees and one person's idea of something vague like "discipline" or "determination" won't match up with everyone else's idea of what that means.  But I'm only speaking for myself here.

I think what I need is a pretty hard and fast PLAN of action, that I will work to maintain, and not let external forces get in my way.  I do have a strong will.  God made me that way for a reason.  It doesn't have to be a bad thing.  It can work to my advantage.

I am going to plan out meals and food to best fuel my workouts.  I've contacted a local place that does metabolic testing so I can find out "exactly" how many calories my body is burning (hopefully at rest as well as during exercise, but we'll see about that).  I want to eat a "balanced" amount of carbs, protein and "good" fats.  (Chips do not fall into this category.)  I don't know exactly what triggers me to eat foods that aren't good for me, I really don't.  But I think I'm done trying to figure it out.  I'm going to say it doesn't matter why I do it....it only matters that I don't do it anymore.  I need to have a plan as to what I'm going to eat so that I'm not staring into a pantry filled with the junk my family eats (something I have given up on changing) when I need food.  Also, I need to come up with something to do when I have the urge to eat out of boredom.  Like a smoker who "needs" to replace the physical action of smoking, I need something to do instead of walking to the kitchen to grab something to put in my mouth.  (That might be a speed bump for me...we'll see.)

Also, I have really rejected the idea of having a "set in stone" training plan because there are so many things that factor into when I run and how much I run and if I can get a work out in first thing in the morning.  Again, I am letting externals control what happens.  It's mainly because I want to run with friends.  I want to keep my schedule flexible so that I won't train myself into injury.  I want to make sure my schedule is flexible enough so that I can still do spontaneous things as the come up.  The problem with that is when out of the ordinary things happen (a blizzard in Alabama!) my training takes a big hit.  I was stuck without a car with snow everywhere most of this past week.  Now, I COULD have wrapped my feet in plastic bags and still gotten some miles in.  I could have done P90X or any of the other workout videos I own.  I could have done any number of the workouts from magazines I have taken the time to rip out and save in a file.  Instead I ate more and more garbage and watched stupid stuff on TV.  Most of the week was not only wasted (meaning no gain), it was spent backsliding (meaning I'm worse off now than I was this time last week)**.

**You know, that's not a good way to look at it.  My darling husband would say this week was a valuable lesson learned.  I'm a very experiential learner.  This week has been an exercise in what life without a solid plan of action looks like---and I can say I have HATED it.  Not to mention my monthly "friend" is about to make her appearance.  This particular week in my cycle is the WORST for everything, and it just so happened to have fallen on a week that I not only didn't have my car (it's in the shop, again), but we also had 8 inches of snow (something I can't stand).  If I had been better prepared for "PMS week", maybe it would have gone better for me?

So, for today...after church I'm going to go to the pool and swim 500 yards (that's 20 lengths of the pool, 10 laps-I still have to find a good way to count them).  Then I will put together a plan for the coming week (workouts and food).  It's time to stop blaming externals for something that should be under my control.

Jane was right in her recent comment to me regarding my food/training confessional, I punish myself.  And Katie was right when she said food is not the enemy...I do need it to fuel my workouts....but it needs to be good fuel.  I would never consider putting cough syrup in the gas tank of my car and expect it to work properly.

Discipline doesn't have to look like this:

But maybe it can look like this and still work:

Thanks for stopping in...come again soon!
:D

11, or maybe '11, Goals

I'll have to confess...I really "hate" New Year's Resolutions.  I've made, and broken, my fair share which is why I don't like them.  Why say I'm going to lose 20 pounds, clean out ever closet in my house or finally get all those pictures in a scrapbook when I "know" I won't do it?  For the past I don't know how many years I've just decided not to resolve to do anything.  That way what ever I did manage to get "done" would be better than what I had planned.

However...as usual, my sweet husband recently challenged my thinking without even realizing what he was doing.  He got to talking about goal-setting and about being intentional about some various things in his own life.  I told him I had just gotten used to the idea that I'm a "winger"; I had just accepted this "fact" about myself.  (Winger-someone who wings life, doesn't live by a list.)  For years I had lists for everything.  Not just the average "to do" list for the day or week, the usual yearly resolutions, or your run-of-the-mill bucket list.  I had lists of lists of lists, budget lists, lists of books I wanted to read/movies I wanted to watch, lists of plans for my house, my yard, my holidays...you get the picture.

The only problem with all these lists....they "never" came to pass.  Usually the fastest way for me to break a goal was to write it down!  I'm probably the only person you'll ever meet who can go to the store with a grocery list only to mark half the items off without buying them and buy twice as many things that weren't on there at all!  I had just come to terms with the "fact" that all those lists and plans stressed me out more than they helped me be organized or focused.  I accepted the "fact" that winging things meant never having to apologize to myself for breaking a plan/goal.

But, as is often the case with me...it's not that simple.  I think it took me letting go of my ideas of what it means to set (and keep) a goal for me to be able to embrace the real idea of setting (and keeping) a goal.  It comes back to the fear of success/fear of failure.  I have long had it in my mind that if I give up a goal I'm not really failing....but I'm coming to believe that not trying to reach a goal I want for myself amounts to failure before I even start.

So....I'll resolve once more.  But this year, I'll resolve with resolve to complete my goals for the year.

In this blog I'll only worry you with my "fitness" related goals for the year.  First, my planned races:

• January--I think I'll start the New Year off with a 4 mile "fun run"
• February 13th--Rock 'n Roll Half Marathon New Orleans
• February 26th--Wounded Warrior 5K
• March 26th--McKay Hollow Madness 25K
• April 23rd--helping direct the Cookie Dash 5K!!
• May 15th--Iron Girl!!  (Sprint Tri)
• May 30th--CONQUER Cotton Row 10K (sub 60 should be doable) ((OR I'll do the 5K and shoot for sub 25:00))
• June--Heel and Crank Duaththon
• August 28th--Rocket Man (Olympic distance) Triathlon
• October--Huntsville Half
• December--Rocket City Marathon and Recover from the Holidays 50K (first Ultra)

I plan to complete my first sprint and Olympic distance triathlons as well as my first duathlon, marathon and ultra.  As far as time goals go, I want to break 25 in a 5K by June, break 60 in a 10K, and 2:15 in a Half (maybe in New Orleans??).  I don't have a time goal for the tri's, the duathlon, McKay, the marathon or the 50K.

I'm planning on making P90X a staple of my fitness routine, up my running mileage, and bike and swim at least two to three times a week.  It might sound like a lot, but really it isn't as much as it sounds.  I'm hopefully going to learn from my mistake last year of not working backwards from my goal races to make sure I get adequate training and don't try to do too much too fast. 

I'm working on a plan now.  A plan I plan to keep! 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! 

Accurate Reflection

A friend posted a quote on FaceBook recently that said,

"Moral excellence comes about as a result of habit… we become just by doing just acts, temperate by doing temperate acts, brave by doing brave acts."– Aristotle

My reply was,

I believe we do what we do because of what we believe...so just doing something in an effort to make us into something we don't accept as true about ourselves is futile!! I think the key is to first change your beliefs then act out of faith on that belief...almost the same but not quite. (it's a different direction really.)

What's interesting to me is the fact that when we initially change our core beliefs, most of the time, our outward behavior doesn't exactly match what we have decided to believe.  We have to step out in faith on that belief so that our actions become an accurate reflection of what's on the inside.  The hard part is changing the belief in the first place.

When people try to go about this process by doing the reverse, change behaviors in order to change beliefs, it just ends up frustrating the person. 

Let me give you an example...I used to think I couldn't run.  I tried to run because other people said anyone could run...but I just couldn't do it.  No matter how hard I tried I just couldn't seem to make it happen.  All my "attempts" just reaffirmed my belief.  In January I made the decision that I COULD be a runner, I just had to figure out how best to make my body fall in line with what my mind believed.  Instead of looking at the fact I couldn't run 30 seconds straight as a "failure", I looked at it as a starting point...and every tiny movement forward from that point (running 40 seconds) was "proof" that my belief was correct.

I think the big problem is when someone SAYS they believe one thing, but their actions tell a different story.  Our actions ALWAYS reveal our core beliefs.  ...and when a change in behavior is necessary, it's crucial to examine the underlying thoughts that drive that behavior first.  Then you can make a conscious decision regarding what you will, and won't, hold on to.  The "easy" part is acting out of faith on that decision.

A month ago the gauntlet was thrown when my regular running buds challenged me to a race that was held this past Saturday.  They both ended up not being able to compete...but I was committed to trying my best to run a sub-30 5K.  I honestly didn't start out thinking I could do it....but my buddies forced me to look at the truth-the data from my runs.  They challenged my beliefs.  They basically opened my eyes to the fact I was buying into a lie.  I didn't need to change my behavior...I just needed to change what I accepted as truth. 

It wasn't like I set out to run faster so I would believe I could....the truth was I just simply had to open my eyes to what was already happening.  In those times when my mind wasn't in control (at the end of the Cookie Dash race, on every day runs where I was just chatting away and still running a 10:30 pace, times when I thought I needed to stop running buy Daisy said that wasn't an option and --miraculously-- I was able to keep going) I was already going much faster than I thought I could.  My belief that I couldn't do it didn't match what was already happening....  I decided to accept the idea I COULD run "fast" (meaning, to me, last Saturday, a sub 30 5k).

I stepped out in faith on that belief in Saturday's race....and I not only reached my sub-30 goal....I ran it in 28:45!!!  I'm going to write up a race recap because I don't want to forget even a moment, but for now, let me just say I went into the race treading lightly on a new observation of myself-and it proved to be ROCK SOLID!!  This is another new starting point for me.  January 2010 I started working to make my body accurately reflect my mind's decision that I AM a runner....January 2011 I'm working to make my times accurately reflect my mind's decision that I AM a FAST runner.  (My new goal--one I'm SURE I will achieve--a sub 25:00 5k.)

But...here's the thing....I'm not seeking faster times as a way to validate myself or my ideals.  I read a great quote of a quote today that I think fits.....

"...a gold medal is a wonderful thing.  But if you're not enough without one, you'll never be enough with one." --from the movie Cool Runnings.....quoted by David Purinton, Huntsville Track Club President, in an article written for the HTC News.  I don't need a faster time to show anyone anything--not even to show me that I am a fast runner.   It's not a matter of trying to prove to myself that I can run faster.  It's just a matter of bring the external in line with the internal. 

The truth doesn't change just because the image does.....

I want to be an accurate reflection of my beliefs.

Thanks for stopping in; come again real soon!
:D

Is "My Best" "Good Enough"??

I was reading an old Runner's World forum thread this morning and it's really got me thinking...which, as always, has me writing!

The original poster said:

I've been running for about three years now and I love it!  I've run in a couple dozen races from 5Ks to a half marathon and while I definitely want to keep improving, I am proud of how I've done so far. 

In all my training, there have only been two times EVER that I was unable to complete a run (due to bad shin splints), but I still have this weird issue: whether I'm racing or training, and whether I'm running 12 miles or 2, I always begin my runs nervous and with a nagging feeling that I won't be able to finish.  I know it's silly, and usually the feeling goes away almost as soon as I'm under way, but I can't shake it.... (emphasis mine)

I wish I could say I completely understand, but the truth is, I don't.  Not because I don't have that exact same feeling (duh...if you've read any of my posts you'd know I do)...I don't completely understand because, for me, that feeling doesn't stop until I reach the end of the run/work out/race. 

...a measuring stick...

Unfortunately, sometimes (maybe more often than not) that feeling derails me.  It doesn't usually keep me from starting (like the original poster).  It doesn't keep me from "finishing"...but what it does is prevents me from doing "my best".  I end up slowing down, or walking, in the middle of a run for no good reason other than my brain thinks I won't be able to keep it up.  I finish a work out/run with an overwhelming sense that I didn't give my very best effort....most of the time because I know I didn't.

The bad part is, I'm beginning to understand why...I think.  Fear of failure.  It's a cycle.  A bad cycle.  I start out worried I won't do "good enough".  At some point I slow down or walk because "I just can't do it"...so I don't end up doing "my best"...which reinforces the idea that I "can't" do it.  I've never quit a race, and I've never walked out on a work out....but I have slacked more than my fair share.

If this struggle sounds familiar to you, I wish I could say I have this thing figured out and wrap up the post in a neat little package, but I don't.  I'm still working on it for myself.  It's like an addict trying to tell another addict how to stop using.

But, I will say this....I think the key is to let go of any preconceived expectations, and give yourself (myself) full permission ......

See, I can't even finish my thought there because I was going to say "to do what feels right"....but that's crap.  If I only do what feels right at the time, I'll never get faster.  I'll never go further.  Because the truth is, training to do more is work.  And, the truth is "my best" changes every day.  My best in January was running 30 seconds at a time.  That "best" is certainly NOT good enough anymore!!

biking vs. running

What's funny....I don't feel that way when I bike.  I think the biggest reason is that I have NO experience at all on a bike so anything I do is going to be my best.  I asked a seasoned biker the other day what's a "good" speed and he said there was no way to answer that because there are so many factors-namely the wind-that can effect how fast you go.  I have nothing to compare myself to-not other bikers, but not even myself since I've only been on the bike three times!  So I don't start out afraid I won't do well, because I'm proud of anything I do on the bike.


Maybe that is the key (be proud of anything I do)....but how can I be proud of slowing down in a final 800m speed work interval when I was able to pull out a killer sprint the last 25-30 feet without even blinking an eye.  Speed work is sprint work, I shouldn't have been able to go even faster--I should have been going "fast" (doing my best) the whole time, right?? 

But, what IS my best???  How will I ever know if I don't give my full effort?  And, not only that, how will "my best" ever be "good enough" if "my best" is always changing? 

So, to answer the question in my title....

No, "my best" is not "good enough"....and that's exactly why I'm afraid I won't do good enough, because even my best doesn't cut it.

Yes, I'm aware something has to change in this line of thinking.  But, for now, I think I'll just go ride the bike!


Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

It's a Duck, It's a Fish...It's Swimming Dana!!

Thanks to a friend in need of a swimming partner, I FINALLY went out to the local lap pool and ...didn't drown!  Thankfully before we got there she gave me a run down of how far she's come since she had her first lap-swimming experience.   Honestly, I don't know if she really TOLD me what I heard or if I imagined it just to make myself feel better!!  But, whatever the case may be I

1. had a great time
2. had a great workout
3. have CONSIDERABLE room for improvement!

I wasn't even able to swim 25 yards without having to take a break!  I don't have any idea how many laps I actually ended up doing.  But I'm certainly going back for more.

As usual, I have to buy some gear!!  I "need" a bathing suit (a "real" swimmer's suit, not a lay-around-the-pool-to-get-a-tan" kind of suit), a swim cap, goggles, and, eventually, a kick board.

I have to say, I was SHOCKED at the cardio work out I got, even not being able to swim very far without stopping.  I guess it's just like running....I didn't start out being able to run a mile, even a quarter mile without stopping.  But I did build up distance and speed.  I'm sure I'll eventually be able to go much farther than I can even imagine going right now.  All I have to do is TRAIN!

The hardest part?  Taking a gulp of air without also taking in a big gulp of water!

((Uh...NO, that is obviously NOT me.))

Next year, I'm going to do the HiWAAY Sprint Tri--run 3 miles, bike 6, then swim 400 meters. Heck, maybe by then I'll do the Olympic distance Rocketman Tri (1.5-km swim / 40-km bike / 10-k run).....or maybe I won't do that!! 


Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

Will I Make It? I WILL MAKE IT!

Well, I "had to" back out of the 13.1 training group I joined.  I still have a bit of time to get up to running six miles, but I'm just not on track at this point to be there in time to start this group.  Not only that, it would mean an extra two nights away from home.  It's hard to justify that kind of "me" time when I'm home all day alone.  I can't say I'm not disappointed, because I think the training group is fantastic.  But, I have to listen to my body, and it's saying "not quite".

But, if you'll recall, my original plan at the beginning of the year when I first started out was to train for Rocket City using Hal Higdon's Novice Supreme plan.  I counted it up and I would be on week nine right now.  Although I'm not running the full distance (I'm still walk/running), I'm pretty much doing the miles.  Last week should have been a total of 12 miles, which I did-just in 3 running days instead of 4, and not running the whole distance--but the miles were done.

I'm going to do it.  I might not be fast, but I'm going to do it.  I'm putting my stake in the ground here.  From tomorrow on (until Rocket City) I'm following Hal's plan, with a walk/run adjustment and some rearrangement on the days.  Sunday will be my rest day. 

I think I can.  I think I can.  I think I can. 

I KNOW I CAN.


Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!

:D

My Active Recovery Plan

Okay...so, I "can't" run for six weeks.  I would very much like to include the 10 days I didn't run pre-race, but my tyrant of a husband has "ordered" me to start counting the recovery period from the day after.  We'll see.

The options are almost overwhelming.  But, the thing I know I have to do is make a plan.  I know myself well enough to know if I don't make a plan, I'll wind up not doing anything at all.  I am scraping the idea of training for the sprint tri.  That would mean buying a bathing suit.  No.  That would also mean buying or borrowing a bike.  No.

Strength training.  Spinning classes.  Water running.  I think I'll focus on those three things.  And my diet.  I want to lose weight.  I don't think I've mentioned it on here...I found out from my doctor that my vitamin D level was on the low side.  And, no surprise, my thyroid isn't working.  She seems to think taking vitamin D will help the thyroid which will help my metabolism, which will enable me to lose weight.  I also had a full allergy panel done-the results won't be back for another week or two.  I've read how food intolerances can cause the kind of thyroid problem I have.  Once I have that panel back I'm set to meet with a nutritionist. 


I have to take a look at training plans and do some backwards math to see where I'm at with my marathon goal.  I have no doubt I CAN do it....but I want to be in good shape for it, unlike what happened with Cotton Row.  So, I think I have to decide what the goal is....distance or speed.  If distance is the goal, then I'm going for the marathon.  If speed is more important, then I might just go for a half in late November.  I actually think I like that plan better just because I "know" I can go faster than what I've been going....but I've been told to slow down in order to go further.

THAT is why I'm training for a marathon---I want EVERYTHING right NOW.  This whole process is about me learning that some things really do take time.  And, some things take longer for some people.  But, "sitting down" is not an option.  Even if I can't run, I can move forward toward my goal.

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D

Getting From Point A to Marathon

In January I was at "Point A"--I was a virtual couch potato.  I set my sights on running the Rocket City Marathon in December of this year, so I mapped out a course of training I felt was going to be very slow--to avoid injury.


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I started with my end goal in mind--December 11, 2010, 26.2 miles.

Hal Higdon's Novice Supreme Training Plan looked like a perfect option.  It starts out with a 1.5 mile run//3 mile long run//9 total weekly miles and is 30 weeks long.  Counting back, that meant I would need to start that plan on May 24th (notice, today is May 26th).


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Using that plan meant I had from January 11th (my "Day One") until that day to be able to run three miles without stopping.  At the time, when I wasn't running at all, running THREE WHOLE MILES without stopping seemed a daunting task, but I had 19 weeks, I knew I would get there.

I decided to start out with Hal Higdon's 30/60 plan-30 minutes every other day, progressing from walking the whole time, to running for 15 minutes straight.   That would take me from day one until March 10th.


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From there I intended to put another training plan in the works that would get me up to a three mile long run (with a total weekly mileage of nine).

Knowing I wasn't supposed to add more than 10% onto my mileage each week, I tried to do the backwards math to see where I needed to be on March 10th, but I decided at that point I was over thinking the whole thing.  I told myself, "just go out and do it...see what happens".  I still had my end goal of Rocket City in mind...and, I had a starting point that would take me closer to the route I had planned for the "final leg" (the 30 week "Novice Supreme" route), but I didn't have the "middle leg" of the journey planned out.


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Mistake.

I kind of forgot where I had intended to be on May 24th somewhere along the way.  And, I know exactly where my adventure from Point A to the Novice Supreme waypoint took a wrong turn.  It was Feb 5th.  That day I was attacked by the deadly RACE BUG. 

I was feeling pretty good in my training.  The day before I had a GREAT run.  I walked my 10 minute warm up and then trained strictly to my heart rate.  I started out with a whopping two and a half minute run.  From there it was pretty consistent--45-55 second walk break followed by 60-90 second run intervals.  My run pace averaged out to 10:30!!  I ended that rulk feeling great.  I wanted to go further, but stopped myself--remembering to go slow to avoid injury.

The next day....(pause for scary theme music)....I decided to run a 5K race.  The day after that decision, I ran what ended up being a 3K.  I started out at a pace of 8:30--without warming up.  By the way, it was 35 degrees outside (with a wind chill of 26).  I slowed my pace down a bit after my heart rate reached what I now know to be 85% of my max.  My average pace ended up being 11:48, with a sprint to the finish (at a pace of 7:18).  I was hurting....but that darn RACE BUG masked the pain.  I felt like a real runner.  I came in fourth in my age group!!  I passed some people!  I ran the whole way!!  I had it bad.

I started looking, and found, a training group.  Originally I signed up for the 5K training group.  I toyed with the idea that I could train for the 10K, but decided to keep in mind the "let's not get injured" motto I'd adopted from the beginning.  I signed up for the Monday morning 5K group....only to find out that group was actually going to meet on  Tuesday morning (a time I already had booked).  The only other option was going to be Monday night (another time I already had booked).  I found out the 10K group was meeting on Tuesday night.  Gasp!  I was free that night!

I found out they had a "walk/run" group and they started out with a mere 2.5 miles.  I could go as slow as I needed to go--no big deal.  At that point, I lost complete sight of the 30-week final leg of my intended journey.  You know, the epitome of the "slow-and-steady-wins-the-race" route to Marathon bliss.  (Winning = finishing.)  My eyes became clouded with RACE stars.  I got greedy.  I wanted more than just nine total weekly miles, more than a measly three mile long run, come May 24th.  With the 10K group, I would be running a 6.2 mile long run that week!

I rationalized with myself.  I thought, 5K on April 17th (Cookie Dash), 8K on May 2nd (SteepleChase), 10K on Memorial Day (Cotton Row), 15K on October 9th (Monte Sano 15K), Huntsville Half on November 13th and ...Marathon nirvana on December 11th.   I completely forgot if I was running just nine weekly miles by May 24th I'd be on target for Rocket City.  If I had only taken the few minutes I took just now to do the backwards math.....I would have known I only needed to be running 3.3 weekly miles by March 10th.  That would allow me to increase 10% each week to get to nine weekly miles by the start of my 30 week Novice Supreme marathon training plan.  My "long run" only needed to be maybe 1.5 miles---not 6.2.

I overestimated my ability.  And then, I overlooked the pain I was in.  To make it even worse, when I went to the doctor, he told me I needed to alter my route by laying off completely for at least four weeks.  The director of the running group I'm in told me at that point they could switch me over to the other group....but my pride stopped me.  I didn't want to give up on my goal....my goal to run a 10K on Memorial Day....losing sight of the ultimate goal of running a marathon on December 11th.  I became very near sighted, not realizing my detour would bring me to a point devastatingly distant from my intended way point.


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Now I just don't know if I can make it to the Marathon by December 11th.  Even as I write that sentence  I'm telling myself IT WILL HAPPEN.  I might not be running the whole way, and my training might look very different....but there is more than one route from Point A, or Point Periostitis where I currently find myself, to Marathon.  I just have to find it without getting lost, or re-routed.

I know one thing's for sure--I won't try to take a plane to get there...I'd surely be delayed!!

Thanks for taking this trip with me...come back real soon now, ya' hear?!

:D

HILLS

I had my "first" experience with hill training last night.

I say "first", but really what I mean is my first experience with voluntarily running up a hill.  (Attempting to run up a hill is more truthful.)

Back in "the day" I had to run up something called "AG Hill".  I was in the Army Guard, in Officer Candidate training.  The AG (basically the man over the whole Arkansas Army National Guard) had his office on this massive hill (the tallest spot on the camp, naturally).  It was almost a rite of passage to run up that thing.   I remember thinking at the time, "WHY would anyone ever choose to run up a hill unless they were being chased by a pack of wild dogs, or maybe a chainsaw killer!"  (See, the person chasing me would have to be carrying a chainsaw for me to even consider I could outrun him.)

Last night, in my desire to continue closer to 26.2, I found out why.  The after effect was nothing short of amazing.  I also became intimately acquainted with the phrase, "it's all down hill from here."

It's funny because my husband and I were just talking about that concept the other day when we where hiking.  He prefers to go up the steepest part of the mountain we hike, pretty much as fast as he can...so he can get to the ridge and enjoy the "stroll" on top.  I've always said I'd just prefer the stroll!  I whine and complain all the way up.  "It's so hard.  My leg hurts.  My heart is going to beat out of my chest.  Why'd we have to choose this path?  Is it really worth it???"   (Bless his heart...HOW does he put up with me??  I'm surprised he even allows me to go hiking with him.  He knows what it's going to be like with me, and yet, he still wants me with him.)

The thing is...first of all he LOVES me and KNOWS as soon as we get to the top I'm going to forget what that hill was like and completely enjoy the time on the ridge.  Second of all, he was a runner and knows all too well what it's like to push past the pain.  In the middle of pain, all I think about is pain.  He, on the other hand, thinks about the reward--the PAY OFF.

Last night I think I got it....way more than with the hike.  When I got to the top of the hill, both times (yes, we ran it twice as if once wasn't enough!)..."it was all down hill from there."  It felt like I was flying!  I ran easily.  My heart rate just kept dropping even though I was running faster than I have in a long time.  It dropped well below what it usually is when I run.  I felt like I could go on for hours!!  Nothing hurt at that point.  (Yes, I'm serious...I don't know why, but I felt much better at the top of that hill....unless I've blocked out the real experience from my mind???)

The second time up the hill was harder than the first for me.  Even after that great feeling coming down....I still didn't want to go up again.  My logical thinking, knows-me-better-than-I know-myself husband would tell me there's two main reasons for that...

First, my body was more fatigued the second time.  Physiologically it really was harder to go up that hill the second time.

Second, I am an IN THE MOMENT kind of gal.  I don't seem to think about what will come next.  I think what ever emotion/physical sensation I'm having RIGHT NOW will continue on forever.  "It" will always feel/be exactly the way it is right now.  That's the main reason I'm writing this entry--because I think I'm going to forget what I felt like on the down side of that hill.  The next time I try run with wild abandon up a hill, I want to remember what the pay off was the last time.  I'm hoping writing about it will solidify it in my Swiss-cheese brain.

I want to remember the pain, and remember the fact that the pain was over at the top.  I ran faster and further than I ever have on that down side.  (That's the advantage of being an in-the-moment kind of gal, I didn't dwell on what happened going up, I was completely focused on how great it felt running over 9 minutes at the fastest pace I've run to date and not feeling like I was going to die!)

I was lucky enough to end up running alongside an amazing ultra runner (blogger "Sirius Ultra Runner") who so graciously slowed his rabbit pace down to give me some great tips.  He said he believes hills are where he wins races.  His personal preference is to go slower up the hill, conserve energy and then utilize that energy on the down side to run much faster.  He said the mistake some people make is to walk up the hill and then never go any faster than they have before-wasting the "extra".  He also said the key to training is to go further each time than you did before.

The hill we ran is broken up into two parts (basically). I ran up the first part, and walked pretty much the rest.  I did shuffle at times, but not for long.  My goal, by the marathon in December, is to run up the whole thing!!  (The hill....hopefully the marathon, too, but, to be clear, I was just talking about the hill.)

Thanks for stopping in, come again soon!
:D