Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Half Marathon Training Week 8 and 9

I have been remiss in updating my blog about my half marathon training.  So here is a review of the past 2 weeks.
Week 8 was horrid!  I was overwhelmed and felt sluggish, slow, and lazy.  My workouts were:

Monday 7/12/10 Run - VBS to Mill Stream to home - 4.02 miles 13:49 pace
Felt good - first run outside that far.

Thursday 7/15/10 Run - Treadmill - 3 miles 12:39 pace
I missed 2 days prior and it was hard to get back - but I did.
 
Saturday 7/17/10 Run/Walk - Fort Hill Loop Trail - 4.5 miles 13:46 pace
After climbing 136 stairs I ran/walked the off road dirt trail - 6 times around the loop - distance is estimated. Hot, hot, hot...and humid. It was fun to do a trail - something different!

Week 9 I kicked ass!  I figured that I need to just simply (if only it was simple) DO IT!  So, I did!  (21.25 miles to be exact)

Monday 7/19/10 Run - Treadmill 5 miles 13:02 pace
Felt GREAT! I thought that I would NEVER get past 4 miles...but I did and I felt POWERFUL! Yeah!

Tuesday 7/20/10 Run - Treadmill 3 miles 12:20 pace
Good Run!

Thursday 7/22/10 Run - Treadmill - 3 miles 12:35 pace
I felt slow and stiff...my legs felt like bricks.

Saturday 7/24/10 Run - Lake to Lake to Bagley to Front - 3.3 miles 14:03 pace
Hot, Hot, Hot...Humid - it felt like I had been transported into a tropical rainforest. Slow, but did it.

Sunday 7/25/10 Run/Walk - Lake to Lake to Big Creek to Main St. - 6.85 miles 14:13 pace
I planning to do a 6 mile loop - but when I got home, I mapped it, because of a road closed, it ended up being 6.85 miles.  It was hard and I was so SORE that night - but the next day the achiness was pretty much gone!  And it was such a high to accomplish a distance that I have NEVER done before!


I am finding that SO much of this is mental.  Overcoming my negative self-talk and feeling overwhelmed is truly the biggest hurdles!

If anyone has any tips about creating a positve mental attitude for my training, please share!

Friday, July 23, 2010

Big Boy Bliss

On Tuesday,
our road was paved
and my boys experienced pure BLISS!!!!
Although it was a bit noisy,
both boys loved watching the construction trucks!

Owen had a blast playing with his trucks, mimicking the construction crew at work.

While, Alex was simply fascinated and mesmerized!

He just sat there studying all the activity,
taking it all in!

It was truly
Big Boy Bliss!

Monday, July 12, 2010

Half Marathon Training - Week 7 & a Rant

This week I felt pretty good about my workouts.  I really thought I did another run...but I didn't log it into DailyMile.com and I can't remember the details - so I guess I didn't...?  Anyway...here is what I logged.

07/10/10 Running Mill Stream Reservation... 3.? miles
Crazy run...I my oldest son rode his bike and I ran in the Metroparks.  We had just turned around to head back home and his pedal fell off - 3 times!  So I called my husband who picked up my son and his bike so I could finish my run.  Which was great... until I realized that my cell phone and my car keys were in my son's pocket.  So I stranded myself in the park.  Thank God for a stranger and his cell phone! 


07/08/10 Run - Treadmill 4 miles 13:00 pace 
Great run...I felt oddly powerful!

07/08/10 Bike - at gym 8 miles 9.6mph pace 
I was planning to run...but I ran into a friend I hadn't seen in years so I decided to bike and chat.

07/06/10 Run - Treadmill 3 miles 13:20 pace
Felt pretty good!

OK, and now my RANT!

So...on Tuesday, I went to the mall, specifically to Dick's Sporting Goods, to get two things, that I thought would be relatively simply. 

The first items were a couple pairs of shorts to run in.  I have conceded that to prevent wedgies and crotch chaffing, that I need to wear the incredibly unattractive lycra/spandex shorts.  As I have said before, I am not skinny, so I do know that it is not attractive to have fat-girl in some skin tight shiny material jogging next to you on the jogging paths or in local gyms on treadmills.  But, to my credit, I am running, albeit, ever so slowly, so that my muffin top recedes and my thighs and ass jiggle less.  However, in the world according to Dick's Sporting Goods, large asses, fuller size muffin tops guts, and bodacious boobs (which is a whole other rant, that I will not get into now) are not permitted to exercise - BECAUSE there are NO F-ing workout clothes that are appropriate for anyone over a size 12 or 14.  I found ONE pair of shorts, in the entire store, that would work for me.  And, that store is HUGE (if you don't know about Dick's, it is the Home Depot of sporting goods)!  Grrr...I walked out feeling deflated and frustrated.

The second item I went to get, I have avoided getting because I hate what I have heard people call it..."Chub Rub".  But, after running last week and getting two large spots of raw skin from my bra and a few other red, painful marks on my inner thighs, I sucked it up and decided to get some magical potion.  I was hopeful that it would prevent and heal these horrific violations to my skin (and ego) and was pointed in the direction of "Body Glide".  I bought it and have used it a few times...and you know what?!!?  I think it works!  So, three cheer for Chub Rub!

The last part of my post today are my goals...
  1. 5 miles of run/walk - with more walk than run.
  2. 4 running workouts of 3 miles or more.
Alright...I guess that is it.  Running more than 4 miles seems daunting, so wish me luck!



Friday, July 9, 2010

Marinating

I started this blog over six months ago with the mission to find myself and learn a little bit more about who I am beyond a mom and a wife.  And I dove head first into the journey.  I read voraciously and delved into my soul to find answers to some hard questions.  It was six months of purposely searching for me in mommy!  I grew, I learned, I had some wonderful Aha moments, and I faced some painful issues, made some grand decisions, and even found pieces of me.

All in all, it felt wonderfully revealing and amazingly insightful!

And, for the past month, or so, I have felt all fizzled out.

I have, often, sat at my computer, wanting to post some insightful prose, but instead felt empty.  Not empty, in a disparaging, hopeless way but instead in an "all tapped out" way.  I had no more Jack Handy deep thoughts to give.

Typically in similar situations I would beat myself up, questioning my commitment, feeling guilty about not having the goods, and condemning my inability to meet a self-imposed expectation.  Instead, I examined the validity of the expectation and I realized something paramount about this journey. 

In a search for self, there are times for contentment and absorption of lesson learned.  These times are just as important, and perhaps even more valuable than the actual examination, probing, and pursuit.

So for now, I am marinating in the juices of my aha moments and lessons learned. 

Still on the search, but perhaps at a slower, more tranquil pace.


Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Check out this "Mom's Rhapsody"

This is SO funny, I just had to share it!




Half Marathon Training - Week 6 (a day late)

This week I'm all messed up because today feels like Monday, since yesterday was a "holiday!"  So...I am a day late with my half marathon training report.

This past weeks was not great.  I got some runs in - but they weren't as good as I would of liked.  I got in 11.63 miles.

6/29/10 Run ~ Lake to Lake Trail ~ 3 miles ~ 12:22 pace
This run felt GREAT!  I did it in between two big thunderstorms and when I finished I was on top of the world!

7/01/10 Run ~ Neighborhood ~ 2.3 miles ~ 15:13 pace
This run felt like a chore.

7/02/10 Run ~ Around Coe Lake ~ 2.33 ~ 13:47 pace
I did this while my boys had swimming lessons and it felt pretty good.

7/04/10 Run/Walk ~ Lake to Lake Trail to Duck Bridge 4 miles ~ 15:30 pace
I felt slow.  I wanted to run the entire 4 miles, but it was hot, humid and I started to feel awful so I had to walk some of the second half.

As for my weekly goals - I accomplished one; running 4 days during the week.  But, I didn't accomplish running 4 miles without walking, so that will be added to this weeks goals.

So, my goals for this week are:
  1. Run 4 mile without walking.
  2. Run 4 times with week, with no run less than 3 miles.
I think I can accomplish these.

Ok...in other things, I am excited about a few blog posts that I am planning to do this week.  Lately, I have had a hard time figuring out what to write and my posts have been not as good as I would like.  BUT, recently I have had some great ideas swirling around in my head and I think I am getting back on track.


Sunday, July 4, 2010

Happy Birthday America!


Summer time's biggest day,
Honoring the USA.

Festivals with ferris wheels,
Parades with ancient automobiles,
Baby kissing politicians,
Scores of marching musicians,
Veterans wearing shiny medals,
Decorated bikes that toddlers pedal,
Charcoal burning fills the air,
And fireworks on Public Square.

Knowing that our freedom's strong,
We embrace this land were all belong!


__________________________________________________

Happy Fourth of JULY!






Friday, July 2, 2010

Toughskin Bitch


When I was in Middle School designer jeans were all the rage! If you were anyone, you had Gloria Vanderbilts, Calvin Kleins, Jordache or Ooh La La Sasson jeans. Some girls in my class had multiple pairs and were able to paint on a fresh, clean pair everyday of the week. Others only had a couple pairs – but wore them with pride as often as possible. And still others, just had a single pair, perhaps even just a lucky hand-me down, but nonetheless they were able to parade around the halls haughtily wearing their denim gold.

I had none.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want them. Nor was it because of a lack of begging and pleading with my parents – because I whined about it like a champion. But my mother simply could not see paying hundreds of dollars (ok, it was probably only $50…but I remember them costing a virtual fortune) for jeans that I would grow out of in less than a year. And so, I was one of the only non-designer-jean-wearing girls in my class.

As I started Middle School, in my *gasp* Toughskin jeans, I was not too concerned about the jean craze. All through the previous grade, I was close friends with Lisa* and Jen* and as we entered middle school, our camaraderie continued. As in most schools, lunchtime was an important hour filled with social goodness! The three of us chatted, gossiped, flirted, hung out, met kids from the other elementary schools and our circle of friends grew. I was a part of a fun group of friends and was enjoying my first year in middle school – even without the designer duds.

One day sometime in the early spring, just before heading to lunch, I stopped at my locker and found a note. After briefly scanning the two pages and noticing that it was not signed, I grabbed the anonymous note, ran into the bathroom, and in a stall, I scoured over the words. The note, in a familiar handwriting, told me that I “was not needed or wanted at our lunch table” and ended by calling to me a “Toughskin Bitch!”

I do not remember exactly what happened during the remainder of that day, but I do know that I was hurt and confused. The next couple of days I feigned sickness and stayed home. I remember comparing the words on the note to other notes that I had from Lisa, and wondered if she had written those words. Not wanting to believe it, I called Lisa and, in my fifth-grade-way, confronted her. She denied it. But I knew the truth. The handwriting was too similar.

Sometime during my days home from school, I told my mother the gist of what had happened. She listened, allowed me to be sad and empathized for me.

And, we went shopping.

She stuck with her refusal to buy designer jeans, but she understood that Toughskins were just simply uncool and we found a compromise.

The next day I returned to school, in my new Lee jeans and never sat at that lunch table or wore Toughskins again. I was welcomed to another table and began to integrate into a new circle of friends.

Until high school graduation, Lisa and Jen were still peripherally in my life. We were involved in similar extracurricular activities and had mutual friends. When we found ourselves together, we would politely ignore each other and move on. While the pain dulled, I always felt a twinge of sadness and confusion about the end of the friendship. I could not believe that denim had anything to do with the falling out, but I had no idea what did.

I also do not think that Lisa and Jen were “mean girls”. They were not regularly cruel, unkind, or nasty to others. I am not sure why, on that spring day in fifth grade, it was decided to eradicate me from their circle of friends. But it happened. And, as they say, that’s life.

I was impacted by the incident. My self-esteem was bruised and my confidence in friendships was challenged, but it did not scar me for life. Throughout high school, college, grad school, and my various jobs I made friends easily.

So today, almost 30 years later, I think back to that incident and am reminded how painful growing up can be. But I also know that such experiences build character and teach important lessons. In August, as my oldest son heads off to full-day kindergarten, I know that his influences and lessons are becoming more and more communal. His teachers, peers, and others are going to make their marks on his life and I can not prevent the bumps and bruises that happen along the way.

And that is scary.

But, what I do know is that I can listen and be there for him, and hopefully help him figure out the best way to apply bandages, use medicine, and heal from those character building experiences.


*names have been changed.

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