January Wrap-Up

It's time to post my January stats, and then lay out my lofty goals for the month of February. The best part of saying this? After February, a short month, comes MARCH! Which means SPRING (although in these parts, that's negotiable), and soon the outdoor running ops will be more. I can't wait! I remember when running outside was 'harder' than the 'mill, but now with some more miles on my feet, I'm ready to hit the open road for those longer runs.

January was good! It was like one long run really. It took the first two weeks just to 'recover' and regroup after the holiday madness, and by the middle of the month I was feeling back in the groove, adding more miles and developing more endurance. I celebrated my 6 month anniversary of running, which is so cool for me. If I get to sneak in a couple easy miles today, I will have 34 miles logged for January. Not SO impressive in the whole scheme of things, but definitely the most ever in a month for me, so I am on my way!

Weight loss - well, as I expected, there is nothing fabulous to report there, but again, I wasn't focusing so much on that. I broke up with the scale, focused on my running - which consequently led to hunger, and probably consuming more calories then I had been. Plus some stress eating and poor planning proved to hinder my good habits. I weighed in at 147 this morning, and pretty much have been bouncing between 145-148 for the last 30 days. On Jan 1st I weighed 147, so NO weight loss officially for January.

However, I continue to lose inches so I am not overy concerned about 'weight' these days.
In the meantime, for February, I continue my 1/2 marathon training, which is definitely starting to kick my butt! These are some of my goals for the next 4 weeks:

1- Weight loss I'd like the scale to show me a little love and be down closer to 143 by the end of the month.
2 - Cross Training - I have not gone to our rec center yet, so I plan to start next week. I want to check out a pilates class, meet with a personal trainer, and maybe add some eliptical workouts.
3- Continue 1/2 marathon training, and perhaps do 4 days of running instead of 3. I would like to add one slow and easy 2 mile run to the plan, depending on how I feel in a given week.

4- I have been slacking on core/strength exercises, but still focused on good stretching and flexibility. The lack of core work translated to NO inches lost in the waist. LESSON LEARNED. I will make at least two strength workouts a week just as important as the runs, by writing them down in my planner. When all else fails (time limitations), basic crunches and planks will be better than nothing at all!

Lots of lofty goals, but as long as I can look back on each month and find some sort of progress, I am good with that. January was GREAT in terms of running more miles and getting a wee bit faster. I don't know why I am still such a slow runner...I know speed is not important, and I'm still a newbie...I get all that, but I just want to be a little faster!

I'd love to hear what YOUR goal/s are for the coming month! Do share....

How Running Changed My Life

"Every runner knows this, and marvels at it, and finds it hard to wholly describe: Running will change your life. In big ways and small, for a moment, for the rest of your days. These forty-three true stories capture the power of running to change and shape our existence, to elevate us, to inspire and strengthen us in all our pursuits. They are stories to ignite the runner's soul. They are motivational, inspirational, and instructive - making a fascinating book for dewy beginners and grizzled veterans alike."

This is the excerpt that made me buy this book - my latest addition to my fast growing stash of runner's porn. :-) LOVE.IT!

I brought up running 'addiction' in a recent post, and I continue to be fascinated by this subject. For me personally, I am perpetually amazed and dumbfounded that I, ME, am a runner. I always say that running has been the biggest, most pleasant surprise of my life. I can't believe that I have stuck with it as long as I have, and I have no inclination to stop. Even on the days of my worst runs, it never occurs to me that this will sort of slowly fizzle out for me. No matter how difficult, or impossible a day's run can be, quitting is NEVER an option, and I keep going back for more.

I often say if more people knew how good running makes you feel...physically, spiritually, mentally....pharmaceutical companies would lose millions of dollars in revenue every year. Psychotherapists would be sitting at their desks, tapping their fingers, waiting for patients to show up...or perhaps even taking a little lie down on their own therapy couch. Becoming a runner is like discovering this magic pill, anti-aging, anti-depressant, addictive behavior nixing, fountain of youth and joy.

I have a friend who is one month in to the C25K program. She sometimes complains, it's 'hard', she's so 'out of shape', I don't have time (she's a new mom), but YET....she keeps getting on that treadmill and toughing it out. Her emails to me always ultimately end with 'but I feel great, I've lost x pounds, it's getting easier'. Hmmm....what IS it about running?

What makes running so different from say....an aerobics class, a spinning class, or golfing? Even weight training, or pilates or yoga. No one is going to argue that exercise of any kind is good for you on many levels...but, you can't fill a book with 43 inspirational stories of how 'JAZZERCISE changed my life'. Non-exercisers don't pass by golfers on a golf course and say, 'Look at those crazy people, why would anyone want to subject themselves to THAT?' Am I right?

I used to be one of those 'non-exercisers' who would see someone running in the rain, or in other less than ideal conditions, and would think, 'I don't get it' or 'duh-go to a gym'. I would see the local news coverage of the Cleveland Marathon and think, 'how is this worthy of coverage? they are running and miserable - how NOT fun is that?'

Yes, the phenom that is running fills books upon books upon books. Books such as 'The Runner's High', "First Marathons - Personal Encounters With the 26.2 Monster", and of course the one I am reading now, 'How Running Changed My Life'. True stories of the POWER of running. The POWER? How is it that you don't hear your friend refer to their kickboxing class as 'powerful and life changing'? Yes, kickboxing makes you strong, confident etc., but it just doesn't evoke 'power' to me in the same all encompassing sense that the simple act of running does.

'How Running Changed My Life' has not disappointed thus far. Every personal essay is different - we all begin running for different reasons, so all the stories are different, and yet, in every story there is some element that I relate to on a personal level. No, I was not diagnosed with lung cancer at age 29 after smoking 2 packs a day. But I certainly understand the need to reclaim my health and 'run' from the harmful things we all do to our body without even thinking about it. I never went for a run with my dad because my mom said 'oh go for a run with your father and spend some time with him, you might enjoy it'. (no athletes in my family whatsoever). But I certainly hear my youngest daughter when she wants to go to Target to buy some UnderArmour so she can go run with me. I can relate to the restlessness that strikes suddenly when things are feeling a little stressed in the house and I just want to GO.Run, and I do, and I come home relaxed, energized yet calm.

I just find it all fascinating...to me it's like this great mystery. I am addicted to running....I find myself needing to run more in order to get the same 'high'. Just like any other drug. (not that I would know). I get cranky and moody if I have to change my schedule and delay a run. I schedule my life around my runs whenever humanly possible. I can say for sure that this NEVER happened with any other workout regime I've had throughout my adult life. (Must. Do. More. Jazzercise...uhm, not so much....) What started out as a 'quick way to lose weight' evolved into 'screw my scale, the weight will be gone eventually'. What started out as a 9 week committment to a program to jump start some fitness, and the perhaps casually continue to run whenever I wanted to, became me training for a half marathon.

I don't know what it is about running, really...I wish I had an intellectual explanation...but as the book says, we are 'wholly unable to describe it'.

I will continue to marvel about this, and of course, I will keep running.....

This and that, Ho Hum

Looks like we are bracing for more snow...something like 8-11 inches by tomorrow afternoon? *sigh* Enough already! I am SO over this winter!

Everyone I know is sick. Sniffling, sneezing, coughing, vomiting....UGH. Stay.away.from.me. My boss is sick, Chris is sick, everyone on my floor at work is sick. How long can I dodge the bullet?

I haven't written much lately on the homefront, so I thought I'd do a little 'off topic' update.

My Alison has experienced her first major life disappointment by learning she will NOT be able to go to St. Joes for high school. She received a very minimal amount of financial aid, which left my hubby and I with basically another house payment, lol. In this economy, it is too risky for us to take on that financial burden. If he were to get laid off, we would have to pull her out of school. She was SO upset - thinking she didn't work hard enough or somehow this is her fault - which as a parent, you know, it just breaks your heart. So it's our turn now to feel bad and wish like anything we were able to do this for her....but time heals, and she'll be fine. Things happen for a reason, and we have no doubts about Alison's future and the great things we know are coming for her. No matter what school she attends....

Chris has is occasional 'bad day' but definitely fewer and further between as we slowly increase his third and 'new' drug 'Lamictal'. It will be the end of February before we get him up to the right level of this drug. So far the side effects are minimal, and I'm looking forward to *hopefully* being able to take away one of the other drugs this spring.

Between science fair projects, other school projects, kid's activities, house projects, crazy work *things* and other life 'stuff' going on....I am thankful to have running to keep me focused and driven. My eating has not been so great for about the last week, not sure why or what that's all about and I haven't had time to really sit quietly and reflect on it. I'm just 'aware' of it. Actually now that I say that, I'm pretty sure I know what's at the root of it. I can't write about it right now, but let's just say a pretty important area of my life is a little messed up right now. I guess time will tell where this all is going, but I need to find a way to deal with it besides food!

This all comes across very Debby Downer now that I read it...my runners high from my 6 miler Sunday has left the building ha ha. Looking forward to a nice easy 2 miles early tomorrow morning. I am trying to do my Tues/Thurs runs in the early mornings now. I need that time to be completely mine, with no one else around to distract me. I overslept today, so this week I will do Wed/Friday/Sunday runs.

Cheers! Stay warm, stay safe...

Rihanna is my hero (?)

All I can say is, if it weren't for Rihanna on my daughter's iPod, I would NOT have made it through mile 6 of my long run tonight! I had gone through my playlist (country all the way, LUV it) and then had to try to find something familiar in Alison's list...that was a challenge. Rihanna was the only 'artist' I recognized (sad but true), so I cranked up some 'Please Don't Stop The Music' and got hypnotized by 'ma ma say ma ma saw ma maw ku sa', and the thumping, steady beat.

This run almost did not happen...Friday night was my big night out on the town. We were out until midnight, and it was a great time. (lots of 'oh my GAWD, you look so GREAT!' type comments that are embarrassing but fun) I have to say that I am pretty much a 'lightweight' these days - so any time I have a couple of beers I am reminded unfortunately that my tolerance is not what it used to be. Needless to say, Saturday I felt like cr*p. But I believe I had a little bug on top of my slight hangover...I was still feeling sick this morning after being awake much of the night with a queezy stomach, a hacky cough, achey muscles and a dull headache. As the day went on today I felt better, but I pretty much had written off the long run, which really weighed on me all day. Somehow I got a burst of motivation this evening and figured I'd do what I could do, and the next thing I knew, I was not stopping until I clocked these 6 miles! I feel so much better that I did it. I did not have much of an appetite yesterday or today, so I was concerned that I wasn't fueled properly either, but I did ok.

Including 7 minutes of intermittent walk breaks, it took me 84 minutes. Average pace 14:04. Nice and slow, painfully slow but I did it.

So what can I say, we find our motivation and gumption to keep going in the strangest ways sometimes. Today it was Rihanna...go figure! Now we'll have to see how I feel tomorrow ~ because my legs are reallllly tired after this run.

I can not wait to get back outside for runs - these long runs on the treadmill are less than ideal!

I am a commenter slacker this week too, but thanks to my Blackberry I am at least reading blogs through Google (every chance I get ha ha). So I hope to catch up with everyone tomorrow in the comments!

Have a great week ~

Who's Obsessed? I'm not obsessed - are you obsessed?

I over-slept this morning and only had a short time to get a run in. UGH...I was so frustrated! First, I was supposed to do my 5 mile (3 mile tempo) run last night....but I went shopping after work ...I desperately needed some things as my size 10's/12's are just not do-able anymore. I had fun - even bought myself a new stylin' coat/jacket. Anyway, by the time I got home it was too late to run, so I set my alarm for 4:30, programmed the coffee maker and laid out my clothes to run this morning.

NOT....I woke up at 5:15 this morning, so by the time I got on the treadmill, I only had about 1/2 hour to workout, so instead of the tempo run, I did some intervals. Tried to get the most out of a short time, which I did and I'm glad I at least did something instead of skipping it altogether. I will try to do a couple easy miles tomorrow to make up for it, and then a long run (6) on Sunday.

It's probably just as well, because I had some breathing issues today, so not sure if it was because I felt 'rushed' or not warmed up enough or what. It's interesting how some days I 'feel' the runs above the waist (breathing, tension), and other days it's the lower body draggin'.

I'm looking forward to tonight because I have a little happy hour gathering after work with a bunch of people from work. Then Mike is meeting me downtown to go to another bar for a friend's birthday party. It's been awhile since we've gone out like this so I'm looking forward to a fun night! I just have to keep it in 'check' if I want to do any make up miles tomorrow, lol.

That prompts a question for all of you.....do you find yourself revolving basically everything you do around your running plans? Do you curtail your, uhm.....'social behavior' because of a planned workout the next day? Do you make plans around scheduled runs - especially if you are training specifically for something?

Someone close to me recently said I am 'obsessed' with running/working out - as if I was someone to suddenly be concerned about. I took great offense to this comment! I indignantly replied that this is something important to me and I have built it in to my life permanently - so obsessed is not the word. Passionate is more like it. It is my hobby, my relaxation, my mental health fix....it is 3 times a week -a what is obsessive about that? A couple of 20 minute strength workouts in between....how is that 'obsessive'? I'm still not quite sure how to process this comment, but I am not about to change anything that I am doing, THAT is for sure. If nothing else, I will simply RUN MORE. ha ha....obsess on THAT, dear someone-close-to-me-which-is-the-only-reason-I-will-forgive-and-forget-your-momentary-loss-of-reason.

This article about running addiction made me feel a little better.

But then I found this book, which I have just ordered, along with this one to add to my growing library of running books.

Alright, and ONE MORE - I couldn't resist.

But I'm NOT obsessed....

Happy Friday all!

ITB Stretches and Info

I have given up on trying to scan pictures from my 'Running Well' book, however, I will share the information that I found online, which is very similar to what is in the book.

This site has great information about ITBS and the stretch and strength exercises are exactly what is in the 'Running Well' book.

This is a good site as well, the 'Wall Squat' exercise is noted in the 'Running Well' book.

And finally, this is good info to know too.

I only share this because, first I never realized that weak hip adductors can contribute to IBS (because lord knows it's not my 'high mileage'), and also, it is not enough to simply stretch, strengthening the core, glutes, quads can stabilize the ITB and prevent injury in the first place.

I'm lucky enough to not have pain yet, but I have a 'twinge' that has been a mystery to me for awhile until I read more about ITBS - so for me it's a nice little 'warning' to be proactive and prevent the injury from developing if I can!

Hope this helps anyone with ITB issues!

Shhhh....I shouldn't say it out loud but...

....I think I'm getting faster???

I feel like I may have reached a turning point in my training, after feeling like I was sort of at a stand still throughout much of November and December. Last night I did my scheduled two easy miles at 12:54. Considering the scheduled pace for this little run was 14:29 and 12:54 felt somewhat 'easy' for me, I think I'm getting fitter! My average heart rate was 146, so a little higher than my 140 benchmark for 'easy' running, but I felt comfortable and sustained the two miles with no walk breaks - I definitely was not pushing myself through anything, that's for sure.

So I am feeling good!

Yesterday was a great day for our country, regardless of political pursuasion. I watched the President's Innaugural Address in a conference room with about 30 other co-workers. In the back of the room I stood, scanning the mix of people in the room...black, white, secretary, attorney, copy room worker....every single person was riveted to the tv, listening intently to Obama's call to Americans to rise up to meet the challenges we face today. I even saw some tears from a few. It was a truly hopeful and celebratory day.

Cheers!

All Things Random....

Happy Sunday! I luuvvvv three day weekends...I would work 4 tens if I could so that I could always have a three day weekend. *sigh* One can dream I s'pose....

Tomorrow I am driving a few 8th graders to the Westside Catholic Center to put in some service hours - a requirement for their Confirmation preparation. I'm not sure exactly what we are doing there, but probably sorting and boxing donations of clothing, food etc. Since I have the day off, I took advantage of the day to get in some feel good volunteer work! It should be a fun day. I just told Chris he was coming along too and he's not to thrilled but when I told him we needed a 'supervisor', he liked the idea of being the 'boss'.

Looking ahead to the week coming up....lots of great stuff! The innauguration, very historic obviously. And then, it's the return of 'Lost' on Wednesday night. The husband & I are big fans....although I seem to get more confused as time goes on with this show, but thank goodness they replayed the last 3 hours of last season this past week, so I think I'm clear on everything now. Well...as clear as you think you can be of course....for anyone else out there who likes LOST, you should swing by my friend's blog. After every episode, he posts a recap and thoughts and theories...it's not a real 'active' blog, but interesting reading if you're a fan.

Shosh and I are in Week 5 of our Half Marathon training plan, which we were reviewing together via text messages today. Our plan is the same except her pace is a little faster than mine, but the miles run are the same. My schedule for the week is this:

Tuesday - Easy 2 miles @ 14:29 (down now from 14:38 yay!)

Thursday - Tempo Run: 1 mile warm up, 3 miles@ 12:53 (woot!), 1 mile cool down Total 5 miles

Weekend - Long run: 6 miles (yikes!) @14:29

Total: 13 miles! I am feeling more like a 'real runner' now. (except for the 14:29 pace ha ha)

The good news is that the next two long runs are holding steady at 6 miles before increasing to 7 miles in week 7. Then, week 8 is a 'recovery week', with the long run that week back down to only 4 miles.

HA! I just realized I said 'only 4 miles'. That cracks me up. How quickly I forget that just last weekend I was bemoaning my lousy 4 mile long run that was so hard to do!

This week in between my three runs, I have Jillian's 30 Day Shred DVD! I watched it today, and will do one workout tomorrow morning early. Wednesday night I will do it again, or, I may head up to the rec and try out a Pilates class. Friday will be either Shred or Total Body workout, depending on how I'm holding up.

Some more randomness....the rec center is offering a Metabolic Screening later this month. A third party is coming in and you schedule a 75 minute appt. For $160, you find out what YOUR true max heart rate is, what rate YOU personally burn the most fat, how many calories YOU specifically need etc. How sweet would that be? Of course I will not spend that money, but if I had it? I would definitely be signing up!

The rec is also having a personal trainer 'Meet and Greet' soon, and in reading the profiles, I see one of the trainers specializes in running and weight training for runners! So I think I will be going to that, to meet her, and perhaps schedule a one hour session with her if I like her. She is also known for 'Plateau Busting' and in fact is giving a two hour session on that topic coming up in February! Now that I think I've busted out of my recent plateau, I want to be armed and ready for the next one!

And finally, I thought I would share some of my recent 'favs' in the food department. I've been doing my best to eat only FOOD. By this I mean, reducing packaged, convenience type snacks. Instead of chips (Baked Lays), I put a piece of fruit or some raw veges and hummus in my lunch. My 'crunch' craving is satisfied with 100 calorie popcorn packs - Kettle Corn is my favorite! Or, I get a crunch from a serving of dry roasted, unsalted almonds. Or a crunchy apple.

My favorite treat right now would be Ghirardelli Intense Dark 'Twilight Delight' chocolate squares. It is 72% Cacao so just one square provides a good dose of anti-oxidants and blood pressure reducin' luv. I call this my 'sexy snack' ha ha.

Another new find is a salad dressing...Wishbone Bountifuls. Delicious! Only 15 calories per tablespoon and fat free, low sodium etc. etc. I have the Hearty Italian flavor right now and I love it!

My favorite post run snack is a Wasa multigrain cracker (more crunch, yum) with a wedge of Laughing Cow cheese spread. Another fav, especially after a strength training session, is a whole wheat torilla with Smuckers Natural peanut butter and diced apples, sprinkled with cinnamon. My girls LOVE this too, they've been eating it as an after school snack, except they don't like the natural peanut butter, and go for the low fat Skippy instead lol.

And today I picked up some K2O Special K protein powder for water. Five grams of protein, five grams of fiber per 16 oz beverage! I'm not really in to dumping god knows what chemicals in to my water....but the pink lemonade was actually pretty tasty. I prefer just straight water, but this will be a nice substitute especially on days when I feel 'hungry' or have the muchies.

Well now, how's that for all things random? Oh by the way, I never had my bar night with my friend...I must be getting old, but it was just too dang cold to do anything but snuggle up in my pj's with my latest issue of Running Times and watch 'The Pacifier' with my daughter. :-) Good times, good times.....

I hope most of you have an extra day at home tomorrow too, and that the big chill is over for most of us!

Cheers~

I couldn't wait......

Thanks to a couple of snoring bedmates this morning, I awoke at 4:45 and to 'putter' around the house. I became restless, started thinking about the 5 miler and the next thing ya know, I was on the treadmill! I just wanted to git'er done....I should mention that I'm hoping to be putting my elbows up on a bartop tonight next to a girlfriend I haven't seen in awhile - so I was pretty sure this morning was the best option for the long run, for obvious reasons wink wink.

So....I DID IT! Five miles - CHECK. Piece of cake. I had a couple of strategies in mind - for starters, I decided not to be a clock/pace watcher today. So I glanced at the Garmin about once a mile - mainly to strategically place any walk breaks. I took a two minute walk break at the end of mile one (still 'warming up'), then a one minute walk at the end of mile two, and then I cruised along to the end of mile 4 and took a one minute walk then, and then picked up my pace to finish up the 5th mile. I averaged 14:40/mile which is DEAD ON with the training plan which had this run at 14:38/mile.

What could be better? I love having these little personal victories every week! This is the best part of being a new runner. My legs feel great, I made sure to stretch well before and after the run - my hip is nice and loose and therefore no ITB issue around the knee - at least not yet. I stretch the hip/ITB every day twice a day now by the way, whether I'm running or not.

Ahh... Life is good (read: runner's high, lol). Even better....It's not even 9am yet, and I've accomplished the most major 'to do' of the three day weekend...the rest is all easy! Who cares about 10 loads of laundry when I just ran 5 miles?

I have to say, I'm so stinkin' proud of myself. For the first time since I signed up for this half marathon, I really feel a surge of confidence that I can actually do this. As long as I stay smart, take care of myself - I WILL pull this off!

Cheers!

More Butt/glute/Hammie talk....

TGIF! Three day weekend! Yesss.....

It has been a crazy week - with the big ARCTIC BLAST that blew in, came a migraine for my Gracie (Tuesday), and poor Chris went down for the count with some pretty strong seizure activity beginning Wednesday, and finally ending yesterday evening. All is quiet now...but it hasn't been the most stellar week in the life as they say!

Therefore, last night's run for me was a 'stress relief' run. I almost put it off to today mainly because my butt/glutes/hammies were, and still are, SORE from my Fitness DVD workout on Wednesday. I was actually fine until about 2:00 yesterday when I stood up from my desk and could barely walk! So I did a light 2 mile run/walk last night, instead of the scheduled 3 miles. Boy my legs were tired. Note to self: no lunges the day before a run! I am still sore today...even my core...but it feels good .

I have two days to rest now though as I prep for my first 5 mile long run on Sunday. Holy Cow! I hope I can pull it off! My plan is to do a 2 minute walk break between each mile, at least the first 2 anyway, and take each mile nice and slow.

Some of you have asked for me to post the ITB stretches, so I am trying to figure out how to scan these pages to something like Google Docs to share on my sidebar. I will be playing with that over the weekend, since my work protocols don't allow internet access to 'file sharing' sites. (whatever)

After my big breakup with the scale on Wednesday, I wanted to say that the scale is TRYING to woo me back, because it gave up 2 pounds for me today, at the MOST unlikely time no less! Hmmmm.....stay tuned!

Have a great weekend all and good luck to those who have a race this weekend!

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do....Or IS it?

It's official...my relationship with the scale is over! We broke up this morning....it's good though, we've decided to be friends, we are much better off this way. We will still check in together every day, but I just have too many other things going on in my life right now that need my attention. I am training for a 1/2 Marathon, trying to improve my strength and fitness, and really focusing on clean eating. We've had some distance over the past few weeks, my scale and I - so I knew this was coming. To be frank, I really am more interested in my running progress right now. I've become emotionally involved with my running, so much so that my bad runs affect me more than a slow moving scale these days. My great runs (like last night!) have me dancing for joy, but my one pound loss back to 145 today really did not elicit the same joyous response. More of an all business, neutral, 'ok good, that's more like it' sort of response. It feels like my scale lies ya know? I am 5'4.5" tall, I wear a size 8, and I weigh 145 pounds? My husband thought I weighed about 130 now, when I told him no, I weigh 145, he didn't believe me. 145 is a 'heavy' for a 5 foot 4 inch chica....and yet, I am so not 'heavy'. I'm feeling pretty freakin fabulous quite frankly, so it's time to officially move my focus away from the Broken Scale. In fact, I am toying with a new blog altogether, or perhaps, just a new title....stay tuned!

Do I care how much I weigh anymore? A little..... I know if I continue my fitness quest and fuel my body properly, the scale will take care of itself. I've said this before, but my journey over the last 6 months as evolved into something more than what I weigh in at each week. My weight really is irrelevant to me now.

So, I have decided to do away with my weekly weigh in posts, and will just post any weight loss results on the last day of the month. I will continue to weigh myself every day (I'm not THAT uninterested ha ha), but won't bore y'all with the 'no change' weigh in posts each week. Next update will be Jan 31st and then monthly thereafter. If anything 'earth shattering' happens weight-wise in the meantime, of course I will interrupt my regularly scheduled blogcasts!

So on to more exciting things, for every 'bad run', there is an equally AWESOME run - and I needed that so badly after Sunday's long run fiasco. Yesterday I ran a scheduled 2 mile run, clocking in at a 13:03 average pace. Average heart rate 145 . And I finished feeling like I could have done more, but I didn't because I'm trying to stick to the plan.

I did a different warm up.....Instead of just walking for 5 minutes and then gradually increasing my pace at a steady rate, I walked for 5 minutes, stretched very very well, did some basic core strengthening, and 'joint mobilization readiness', then ran some strides....a quick pace, slow pace, quick, slow...got the heart rate up, then down, up then down. By the time I started the actual run, I was so well warmed up, I settled right into a steady pace, and never needed a walk break! The schedule called for the usual 14:38 pace, but I felt comfortable, so I did what felt comfortable and do-able and let the 2 miles sort of evolve as they did.

I got these tips from a book I am currently reading: 'Running Well' by Sam Murphy and Sarah Connors. Sarah Connors is a physical therapist (from the UK) who specializes in running injuries. So from that perspective, the book provides excellent information around anatomy, muscle groups, nerves - and why this stretch, or that exercise is beneficial to runners. She does a great job of laying the information out in layman's terms and the illustrations are excellent. In fact, based on the information I read in this book, I think that mystery anterior knee twinge I've been having is an early ITB symptom. By following some of the back, glute and hip flexor warm up stretches/routines yesterday, guess what? NO MYSTERY KNEE TWINGE even after a straight two mile, quicker run (for me) with no walk breaks! Not even a HINT of a twinge. Amazing. A generous 15 minute pre-workout investment that was well worth it I'd say!

My right gluteal area is very tight normally. This is because of an injury I had during childbirth with Grace. I won't bore you with all that TMI, but let's just say it was an orthopedic type injury that ocurred in the pelvic region (say it with me, 'OUCH!') and took months to recover from, which I believe led to the tightness I have in my right gluteal/hip area. (limited range of motion with my right leg for a long period....) So I'm hopeful that practicing some of these stretching exercises even daily will start to stretch that area better and then I can hopefully avoid this outer knee twinge turning into a big ITB issue. So yes I am saying that childbirth is the cause of my ITB, NOT running. ;-) (just kiddin of course)

I have a lot of thoughts about this season's Biggest Loser also, but that will have to be another post since I believe I've rambled on enough for today!

Cheers~

DAMN that was hard!

Ok, good news first....I did my scheduled 'long' 4 miles today. I was so pumped for this run, since it is the first time I've ever logged 4 miles. I even downloaded Keith Urban's album for the occassion, knowing this would take me about an hour at my humble little 14:38 training pace. I ate great yesterday and today, stretched well...life was good. I didn't even mind having to do the 'mill either.

Well, that's all just great you may say...woot! ...well yes and no. The BAD news is that it took me a pathetic EIGHTY MINUTES to finish it! Yep, you read that right. I don't know WHAT is going on. Last weekend I did three miles outside maintaining perfect pace - finished like I could do another mile - it was a beautiful thing. Today? Well, the numbers tell the story.

First, I had to take numerous walk breaks in the first 2 miles. Couldn't get my groove, the blasted Garmin doing all the crazy pace jumping on me. By the end of 2 miles I had talked myself in to doing 3.3 miles, which would be a nice little 10% increase over last week, and just call it a day. I was SO frustrated. I kept thinking, WHY am I so slow? WHY was I able to run 12 minute miles back in October, and I have been getting progressively slower since? Then more negative self talk....at this rate it will take me all freakin DAY to run a 1/2 marathon. My Garmin is not reliable...I am not progressing, blah blah blah blah.

Then for some reason it got a little better and the pace picked up and I cranked out the 4 miles - I was DETERMINED to get 4 miles in the running log. But DAMN was it a hard one. It was not that 'slow easy enjoyable' run, THAT is for sure. But, I did it, AND, my body kept going for 80 minutes - THAT is something. But puhLEEZE, 80 minutes? Too much walking? I can WALK faster than my shuffle jog for Pete's sake ;-) It appears this way anyway. I don't know. I am hoping like anything this was just a Bad Run day. But sometimes you just know up front whether it's going to be good right? I usually do. Today was gonna be good - I felt it. And it ended up not so good. Next weekend I have 5 miles....I just don't know if it's in me yet! I'll be on the stupid treadmill all afternoon if I have another day like today! :-)

Well enough whining now...I really am happy that I stuck it out and didn't quit. I just hope I didn't make a mistake by staying on for 80 minutes. I hope that next week's long run is better. In fact I hope ALL of the runs are better this week because this week was not so great all around! I suspect my broken sleep and general sluggishness, on-the-verge-of-getting-sick-ness, emotional turmoil and too many M&M's took it's toll on me. I will keep going and power through all ups and downs, THAT is for sure!

On a better note....all of my running friends...You.Must.Get.This.Book. (Beachie, your wife will LOVE it and so will you! You will be just as excited to be a spectator as she will be running!) I am SO enjoying every moment of this book - goosebump moments in every chapter.

A Race Like No Other: 26.2 miles through the streets of New York by Liz Robbins


Get thee to Amazon and order today, trust me...you will love this book!

A Hard Dose of Reality (Even M&M's can't help)

Here I am up at this ungodly hour, 4am....I've been awake since 3:00 though. This has been the norm this week, and this morning as I tossed and turned, I decided to get up and 'write it out'. I've had a lot on my mind this week, mostly normal daily worries that I have - nothing out of the ordinary...it's just that I have those moments of weakness when things 'bother' me a bit more than normal.

But I'm having issues sticking with my eating plan this week, and as I lay awake this morning, I was trying to decipher this...What am I not facing? What am I not 'feeling' that I should be?

And then the tears came. And I realized what has been eating at ME all week that I have been trying my best to ignore.....

The death of John Travolta's son, Jett. I am simply heartbroken for this family. Forget who they are in terms of name, fame and Hollywood. I've always liked John Travolta and viewed him as a pretty regular guy - down to earth, grounded.

I was not even aware that his son Jett had epilepsy until this week. I've also heard some references to autism, and the 'specialness' of Jett ~ but in any case, Jett's death is gnawing at my heart and I think I have been avoiding reconciling it in my head. (For any of my new readers, my son Chris has epilepsy, and you can read about him here.)

Any parent of an epileptic child knows deep down that this could happen...no matter what medication or precautions are in place, death resulting from a seizure is that 'thing' buried deep in our hearts that we hope we never have to face. Whether it's SUDEP (sudden death in epilepsy), or an accident resulting from a seizure. In Jett's case, he got up to use the bathroom in the middle of the night, had a seizure and fell and hit his head - and died. Just like that. Two full time attendants to be with him 24/7, a monitoring alarm - and still, this happened. I am just devastated for this family. I am sad that they have to suffer this loss after being blessed with him for just a short time.

There has been much speculation about Scientology, and whether or not Jett took any seizure medication....it's not really for us to know I believe. What I DO know, because we have been told blatantly by Chris' team of neurologists, without seizure medication, OUR son would die.

Currently Chris takes a total of 17 pills and two liquid doses a day to control his seizures...three medications. He is 17 years old, and we have to be with him when he showers because he can not be alone. I can recall an incident a couple of years ago when I walked into the kitchen and Chris was laying on the back door landing at the top of the basement steps - having just had a seizure and had just laid down there to sleep it off. The 'what ifs' that went through my head ....well you can imagine.

Even recently, Chris has gone in his room to get dressed and I realize it's taking him too long, I go to check on him and he is on the floor. Now I should say that because of the drugs he takes, his seizures are very 'muted' - some are stronger than others, it's just hard to predict, but, we are very very aware that the epileptic brain can turn on you at any moment. The Travolta's nightmare became reality for them, and it's a reality I for one have a hard time facing.

I try not to think about it too much...and then something like Jett Travolta's tragic death happens, and I am forced to think about it. This could happen to us. It's that simple. Even Mike this week says to 'turn the channel' when yet another story about Jett comes on - not because he is cold and disinterested in yet another celebrity story....because he does not want to think about the implications either.

So I write this morning to put words to my feelings about Jett Travolta's death. I am sad, angry, and scared. I don't know why it's difficult for me to face these feelings and 'feel' them. Perhaps I don't want to appear 'weak' and vulnerable. Perhaps I prefer to be perceived as in control of everything and on top of my game in terms of caring for Chris' needs. Something like this happens, and I am reminded how deeply I love my son and how I would do anything to keep him safe and protected from harm. And it's hard to accept that despite my best efforts to do this, I really do not have the final say.

I guess for that matter, none of us really has the final say, do we?

Looks like I have time to hit the 'mill now before work...my stomach is in knots, but here's hoping a good little run will cure what ails me today......

Weigh In Wednesday (*yawn*)

I have absolutely nothing to report for my weigh in today, lol. It just doesn't get any more exciting than to say ' no change'. I'm hangin in at 146, with my 1 lb holiday gain that is really neither here nor there. No fabulous measurements to report or anything else of the sort. I am HAPPY that I did not go too crazy and have to come here today and whine about a much larger gain and/or loss of fitness! That is an achievement in itself!

This morning I dragged my butt out of bed for a 30 minute run on the treadmill. It was supposed to be a two mile effort at my assigned snail's pace, but for whatever reason, I had a tough time gettin' going - and needed some walk breaks. ???? Just one of those days I guess....I woke up with some wheeziness and have some residual allergy type stuff going on. As usual though, I felt good when I finished, and love the little energy boost a morning run gives! In honor of BeachRunner, I have to say that I was Passably Able to get this run done!!!! ;-)

(Hey BR, I TOTALLY got what you've been sayin for the last three days....)

I've been pouring over this month's Runners World. Great issue as always....I was particularly fascinated by the story of the girl who got some homeless guys off their butts and running to participate in the Philly Half Marathon. I was more than fascinated - actually I think this has to be one of the best stories I have ever read. I don't want to give too much away in case you haven't read it yet. But I do want to say - I walk by homeless people all the time in downtown Cleveland, they all have their regular 'spots', and if someone is not in their regular 'spot' on a given day, I often wonder where they might be. I think of them, I feel bad for them - but mostly I just 'ignore' them. I can not even imagine running by them and saying, 'hey guys, won't ya come along for a run with me?' So I find this story particularly thought-provoking. It was so good, I think it is a good basis for a book!

It is more evidence of how running is truly a special and affecting activity.

IN other news, the husband has officially embarked on the get 'well' journey....with 40 pounds to lose and some fitness to gain back. I am helping him with the eating thing, which he keeps referring to as 'this diet' (to which I respond IT'S NOT A DIET *SMACK*)

I dont' really smack but you get the idea....anyway, he sends me texts all day 'I'm soo FULL' or 'GREAT LUNCH' and 'LOVE the peppers and hummus'. It's too funny.

Since I had such an easy run this morning, I plan to do my Fitness Total Body workout tonight. Mainly because in this month's RunnersWorld, the demonstrated core workouts are basically exactly the same as the workouts on the Fitness DVD.

Also great in RW, the foods that every runner should eat? Let me be a Brown Noser and say, I eat every single one of those foods on a regular basis! (cyndi pats self on back)

Cheers!

Sweet Sunday Run

I got to run outside today again which is great! Today's 'long' run was 3 miles, supposedly at a 14:38 pace. I didn't do too bad, here are the stats (with one, 1 minute walk break at a mile and 1/2)

Average pace: 14:00
Avg Heart Rate: 136 (sweet!)
Max Heart Rate: 151

I spent 32 minutes in Zone 2, which is perfect. My knees were starting to feel a little 'tired' at the end, but I think that is my shoes. I need to get new shoes soon! Saving my pennies ha ha....

It was an awesome run, hard to run slow, but towards the end of the 3 miles, I was glad to be running slow!

I was thinking while running that starting next weekend, my long runs each week will be new mini-milestones for me....I've never run 4 miles, and onward from there. All this time I've been increasing in terms of 'time' on my feet (not necessarily farther though as my pace is slower), now I'm increasing distance. It's exciting!

I was a bit under the weather yesterday - an allergy attack of sorts, sneezy and tired all day. After my Jillian workout (feelin' THAT today ha ha) I hit the couch for most of the day! Fell asleep at 7:30 on the couch last night....all the holiday madness is catching up with me. I feel better today but have a lot to do since I did nothing yesterday.

On my to-do list today *hopefully* is to catch up on all your updates...it's great to see everyone back in action!

Cheers~

The Ultimate Compliment

I love long weekends! Yesterday I took my 'United Way Day' off from work (free day for donating my 'suggested contribution' through work) so I could have this long weekend and I'm so glad I did. It's been nice getting the house back to 'normal', cleaning up and getting set for the regular routine next week. It's nice not to have the pressure of rushing through chores and getting it all done in 48 hours before back to work on Monday!

Yesterday I had my first run of the new year and I got to run outside. The sun was shining so I figured it was a good time to take in some vitamin D and try out my new Mizuno headband and my new gloves. It was 34 degrees and pretty breezy, but I was perfectly layered and never cold. I had two miles on the schedule at my snail's pace of 14:38. Well, as usual - running outside is a lot different than the trusty 'mill.

I could NOT run that slow out on the street! I kept it steady at 13:38 which still felt extremely slow - I kept drifting down to a 12:00 pace. But my heart rate was just perfect at around 138 so it was all good. I felt like I could run another two miles - it was too 'easy' and I felt like I was just getting started really, but I stuck to the plan. It was nice to be outside and I even passed a couple of other runners and it's funny how in passing we all knew EXACTLY what the other was thinking - how sweet it was to have a run outside in January.

Tomorrow is my 'long' run which is 3 miles, and I'll be building about 1 mile per week as time goes on.

Today I am going to do a 'Jillian' workout to start getting back in to a strength training routine. I've decided to alternate some Jillian with my other total body 'Fitness' cd, just to keep things interesting for my muscles. I'll be throwing in some machines too when I get up to the rec center as well. The Jillian plan is great, but I am not in a rush to kill myself for some 'amazing results' in 30 days. By the way, the rec of course was PACKED yesterday - not one parking spot available. So we are going to wait for the New Year's rush to die down a bit around the middle of the month before we start going.

And finally, last night we had yet another family gathering to spend time with relatives in from Hawaii. We haven't seen them in over a year. Mike off-handedly mentioned to his cousin something about his 'runner wife' and she perked up immediately and told me that she was thinking I looked so 'fit and healthy'. That was awesome - she did not say 'have you lost weight' or 'you look so skinny'....she said I look 'FIT'. How cool is that? The ultimate compliment!

Mike's cousin had gastric bypass surgery a few years ago and has lost over 100 pounds. She has done a couple of triathalons and 5K's and 1/2 marathons since then, so we had much to talk about. Most of Mike's family has been been generally non-committal about my running...I get the obligatory 'oh that's great good for you' but they do not 'get' it on a deeper level. (Keep in mind this is about the 3rd time I've lost weight over the years so to them it's just 'Cyndi's dieting again') But Mike's cousin DOES get it so it was great to talk to her about it.

Now I'm off to plan my meals for the coming week and get my grocery list in order! And, it's only Saturday...I LOVE it!