I get an email from Jillian Michaels' fitness website on a daily basis, and today's email really resonated with me. It's a perfect explanation of the impact of stress on your health and weight. Rather than try to explain it, I'm just going to reprint it here. It's brilliant. If you don't know who Jillian Michaels is, she's the trainer on the TV show, "The Biggest Loser". She's one kick-butt lady and I would love to meet her sometime.
http://www.jillianmichaels.com/fitness-and-diet-tips/stress-and-metabolism
From LOSING IT! With Jillian Michaels
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Sunday, December 13, 2009
Inspiration!
When I feel frustrated that I backslid, when I get angry at the crap that is going on in my life with my Emotional Vampire relative, I need to rewatch The Biggest Loser finale. Oh my goodness. To see what people can do when they push, and when they stop letting the garbage in their lives hold them back...WOW. It is absolutely amazing.
Danny Cahill has to be the most inspiring person I have ever heard about or seen on TV. To see him lose 55% of his body weight in just...what, five or six months time? He went from 430 pounds to 191. And it just absolutely blows my mind.
It also really tells you what you can do, if you put your mind to it.
Anyway, I was watching the finale tonight via the internet because we don't have cable or satellite TV. I was so impressed with the progress of all these people who worked so hard to drop so many pounds. I remember being at 155, and thinking there was no way I could lose any more than that. But to see where you can go if you are willing to put in that extra little bit of work--I realize now I was self-limiting. Telling myself what I could and could not do. Was I fit and healthy, and much smaller? Oh yeah. But I think I could have managed even more, a new level of fitness and health, had I pushed just that much harder, the way the people on the Biggest Loser did.
Everyone "knows" when you go home for a week on BL, you don't lose much. Danny blew everyone away and lost 15 pounds that week that he was home. I thought, man, he did it. I could too. I just need to get my focus back.
Life gets chaotic. I let myself get pulled down by it, and I tell myself I do the best I can, which is true--I do. But when you know better, you can do better. Watching that episode...man. I think I know better. I feel all charged up, and kind of wish it was daytime so we could head out to the YMCA. If the weather tomorrow cooperates (no rain), I'll bring Kara in the jogging stroller. I used to do that earlier this year, but got out of the habit because I HATE HEAT. Ha ha. If I do that, I can get out on the road and start working up the mileage again. I want to do another half marathon--I get so charged up doing those. And I have had it with this backsliding I did.
I gained a total of 40 pounds since moving to this state, and in dealing with the emotional vampire of a certain relative of mine. In fact, just today, this person and I saw each other at a store. She looked as startled as I, and I waved at her--and she said, "Good morning." That was it. I have offered and offered to talk, I have emailed and emailed, I have tried joking around, I have tried offering to go to family counseling, I have beaten my head against the wall over and over, only to have her email to the entire family:
"The temptation to go to professional counseling is great: I'd like to see what would happen with Karina and a counselor. And her family would benefit from her going to see one."
To ask someone over and over to talk, to tell me what I did, to listen to why I am upset, to communicate, and this is the reply--that I need to go to counseling, and that my family would benefit by it. It's truly amazing.
I have given myself the gift of letting it all go. I've listened to enough Dr. Laura to know that I don't have to continue to try to put myself into a relationship with this person, because frankly, in the year I have been here, it has never gotten better. It started with her offering us a place to live while we found a house, only to kick us out, in the middle of the month (so no rentals were available), with four days' notice. This happened just two months later.
Oh, let me rephrase--Kent and Maddy were invited to stay. She told me that the baby and I had to leave. The reason: she had to have surgery to remove a cyst, and needed "time and space" to recover. After we left it became a full hysterectomy and, since then, that's the revisionist history. "You had to go because I had major surgery." Her actions made a family with a 21 month old baby homeless, with noplace to go but two hours away by car over mountain roads to my inlaws' summer house.
And she wonders why I got angry. But despite that, I let it go, I started back at ground zero, and tried again. And again she would ignore my emails, say rude things then refuse to answer my texts, be negative whenever I tried to include her by sending her pictures. And I have so had it!
Naturally I am now the bad person because I've said that until we talk it out, she is not going to have any contact with my family. I can't risk it. My children are being asked to choose between their mother and another relative who won't talk to their mother. The baby doesn't get it, but Maddy does. I don't trust my relative and I don't particularly like her, not after the way she has acted. And watching how her children treat other people...grr. I won't go into detail other than to say that in 53 weeks of finally having our own home in this state, my daughter's favorite cousin has never, ever called her, to say hi or talk or invite her for a play date. And it kills Maddy and it makes me mad.
So that's my chaos. And I've let it drag me down. I've eaten my feelings, and I'm tired of it. I know Danny went through that, that's how he got to 430 pounds himself. But I am still 60 pounds lighter than I was. I am not going to go back to that person--she didn't even walk, let alone run half marathons. I'm ready for the athlete in me to come back to center stage. This poor girl who's been sitting here, eating fudge or hershey's kisses en masse, who has cried too many tears over an emotional vampire, and who has beaten her head against a stubborn wall of "refusal to communicate", has had ENOUGH.
It all starts over now.
I'm going to bed. Yep, before midnight. That, alone, is a major accomplishment, and one I've not had in...months and months and months.
Tomorrow morning, my training...my LIFE begins anew.
Where will I go from here? I have been dreaming of a marathon or a half Iron Man triathlon. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run.
The wimp is gone. The athlete remains.
Let's go kick some serious ass!
Danny Cahill has to be the most inspiring person I have ever heard about or seen on TV. To see him lose 55% of his body weight in just...what, five or six months time? He went from 430 pounds to 191. And it just absolutely blows my mind.
It also really tells you what you can do, if you put your mind to it.
Anyway, I was watching the finale tonight via the internet because we don't have cable or satellite TV. I was so impressed with the progress of all these people who worked so hard to drop so many pounds. I remember being at 155, and thinking there was no way I could lose any more than that. But to see where you can go if you are willing to put in that extra little bit of work--I realize now I was self-limiting. Telling myself what I could and could not do. Was I fit and healthy, and much smaller? Oh yeah. But I think I could have managed even more, a new level of fitness and health, had I pushed just that much harder, the way the people on the Biggest Loser did.
Everyone "knows" when you go home for a week on BL, you don't lose much. Danny blew everyone away and lost 15 pounds that week that he was home. I thought, man, he did it. I could too. I just need to get my focus back.
Life gets chaotic. I let myself get pulled down by it, and I tell myself I do the best I can, which is true--I do. But when you know better, you can do better. Watching that episode...man. I think I know better. I feel all charged up, and kind of wish it was daytime so we could head out to the YMCA. If the weather tomorrow cooperates (no rain), I'll bring Kara in the jogging stroller. I used to do that earlier this year, but got out of the habit because I HATE HEAT. Ha ha. If I do that, I can get out on the road and start working up the mileage again. I want to do another half marathon--I get so charged up doing those. And I have had it with this backsliding I did.
I gained a total of 40 pounds since moving to this state, and in dealing with the emotional vampire of a certain relative of mine. In fact, just today, this person and I saw each other at a store. She looked as startled as I, and I waved at her--and she said, "Good morning." That was it. I have offered and offered to talk, I have emailed and emailed, I have tried joking around, I have tried offering to go to family counseling, I have beaten my head against the wall over and over, only to have her email to the entire family:
"The temptation to go to professional counseling is great: I'd like to see what would happen with Karina and a counselor. And her family would benefit from her going to see one."
To ask someone over and over to talk, to tell me what I did, to listen to why I am upset, to communicate, and this is the reply--that I need to go to counseling, and that my family would benefit by it. It's truly amazing.
I have given myself the gift of letting it all go. I've listened to enough Dr. Laura to know that I don't have to continue to try to put myself into a relationship with this person, because frankly, in the year I have been here, it has never gotten better. It started with her offering us a place to live while we found a house, only to kick us out, in the middle of the month (so no rentals were available), with four days' notice. This happened just two months later.
Oh, let me rephrase--Kent and Maddy were invited to stay. She told me that the baby and I had to leave. The reason: she had to have surgery to remove a cyst, and needed "time and space" to recover. After we left it became a full hysterectomy and, since then, that's the revisionist history. "You had to go because I had major surgery." Her actions made a family with a 21 month old baby homeless, with noplace to go but two hours away by car over mountain roads to my inlaws' summer house.
And she wonders why I got angry. But despite that, I let it go, I started back at ground zero, and tried again. And again she would ignore my emails, say rude things then refuse to answer my texts, be negative whenever I tried to include her by sending her pictures. And I have so had it!
Naturally I am now the bad person because I've said that until we talk it out, she is not going to have any contact with my family. I can't risk it. My children are being asked to choose between their mother and another relative who won't talk to their mother. The baby doesn't get it, but Maddy does. I don't trust my relative and I don't particularly like her, not after the way she has acted. And watching how her children treat other people...grr. I won't go into detail other than to say that in 53 weeks of finally having our own home in this state, my daughter's favorite cousin has never, ever called her, to say hi or talk or invite her for a play date. And it kills Maddy and it makes me mad.
So that's my chaos. And I've let it drag me down. I've eaten my feelings, and I'm tired of it. I know Danny went through that, that's how he got to 430 pounds himself. But I am still 60 pounds lighter than I was. I am not going to go back to that person--she didn't even walk, let alone run half marathons. I'm ready for the athlete in me to come back to center stage. This poor girl who's been sitting here, eating fudge or hershey's kisses en masse, who has cried too many tears over an emotional vampire, and who has beaten her head against a stubborn wall of "refusal to communicate", has had ENOUGH.
It all starts over now.
I'm going to bed. Yep, before midnight. That, alone, is a major accomplishment, and one I've not had in...months and months and months.
Tomorrow morning, my training...my LIFE begins anew.
Where will I go from here? I have been dreaming of a marathon or a half Iron Man triathlon. 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, 13.1 mile run.
The wimp is gone. The athlete remains.
Let's go kick some serious ass!
Thursday, December 10, 2009
I am a Trail Runner!
DONE!
I am a "real" Trail Runner!
It has (again!) been a while since I wrote. I am not good about this, mostly because I don't know who the heck I'm writing for--except myself, and sometimes that seems a little narcissistic! So I keep forgetting about it, and thinking, what do I have to say, really?
But I had a nice comment (Hi Hail) and thought, you know, if this is interesting or even a little helpful, even as a one-off read, I should really keep at it. Plus it helps keep me grounded.
So the last time I wrote, I had a FAIL. Epic Fail! I tried to go for a 13 mile run, and made it all of about 6--two of which were running, and most of the rest was a walk. It was really depressing, but I was so dizzy I should have known...
I went to the doctor almost two weeks later--nobody can accuse me of hypochondria, hee hee--and it turned out I had a nasty bacterial sinus infection. NO WONDER I couldn't run. I couldn't even walk without dizziness.
One more run of antibiotics and a series of days with lots of advil and sudafed on board, and I finally got over it.
I was able to pick up running again, and had some lovely days on the treadmill, doing sprint intervals one day and on another, six miles of progressively-faster running. I felt good, as though I had a chance of succeeding at my goal: running the North Face Endurance Challenge Trail Half Marathon in Sausalito, California, on Saturday December 5.
The week of the race arrived, and saw me spending four straight days on the computer, instead of even doing any sort of taper. Two days were spent preparing a Christmas present for my parents and in-laws, and two days were spent writing articles.
Oh, yes, I forgot--I'm a writer for Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong.com, and also for Trails.com! That's fun. I'll link some articles so you can read them. Some have to do with weight loss, running, and nutrition:
I finally fell asleep just after 1, then woke up in a panic, CERTAIN I would not make the cutoff time of 4 hours. I knew there were pace charts showing split times for each aid station, and I worried that if I didn't make an aid station in time, they'd send a "sweeper" to pull me off the course.
I finally fell asleep, only to wake just before the alarm at 4. I was ready to go.
After taking a shower, having some breakfast of a banana, toast and almond butter, and some black tea spiked with agave syrup and ribose, I drove off in the dark at 4:30 a.m.
Before I left, I texted to my Facebook account: "Terrified...who am I kidding. I'm not ready for this!! OMG. but...on my way 4 better or worse..."
I was in such a dither, I missed my highway onramp. The one I always take. AND that was with the GPS on telling me what to do!
The drive over was uneventful, and I listened to the radio and tried to not lose my mind. I got in around 8 a.m. to Sausalito, and quickly found a parking spot and caught the shuttle. At the base station, I got my bib number and timing chip, and anchored it with a plastic wire tie. Then I put on my gloves because I was freezing--it was cold and a bit damp, as well as in the shade--and it was time to wait.
We were supposed to start at 9, but we were delayed because people were still arriving. At 9:15, we were finally off.
Here is the elevation chart for what I proceeded to run:
This is actually not quite the correct chart--they revised it to be more accurate, and the second mountain should be much more vertical and thinner.
The first couple miles was reasonable, but then we hit the hill and I had to walk. I just can't run up hills, not that long of one anyway. So I walked up, but then when I got up there, I was able to run again. The first peak was such fun to run down from! There were little wooden bridges and walkways, and shallow steps built into the singletrack. I felt like a gazelle bounding down them. What a blast!
At the bottom, at mile 4, the first aid station was there. I had not made great time, at 1 hour 4 minutes, but I knew the ups would kill me.
Let me tell you about ultramarathon or trail run aid stations. That was what this was. You see, my half marathon wasn't the only race being run that day. There was a 10K, and also a 50K (31 miles) and 50 MILE race. We shared an aid station with them. On a normal half marathon, you'd find water and maybe some gatorade, GU or Shot Bloks if they are sponsors of the race. Otherwise, some liquid and that's it.
This aid station had, from what I remember, water, yellow and purple drinks of some sort, brownies, cookies, bananas, bagels, chunks of cooked red potato you dip into salt, saltine crackers, and I don't remember what else. I had a saltine, they filled my handheld Fuel Belt water bottle, and then hit the bathroom before tackling hill #2--the monster.
I ran through the flats until I finally hit the uphills about ten minutes down the road. Then I was reduced to a walk. It was so steep at times I had to pause and take a breath then forge on. I was NOT ready for these hills, but I was determined to make each aid station within one hour--that was the only way I could pace myself to make it through by the cutoff time of four hours. I was off pace a bit, but the first segment was 4 miles, and each one thereafter was around 3. I felt pretty sure that, even with an uphill, I could manage a 20 minute mile pace for the next three segments.
When I got to the top, I had the singularly unpleasant realization that it was so steep, I couldn't walk down. I had to run. It was shocking and difficult! Normally you would attack a hill by almost tipping forward over your toes, and allowing the gravity to take you down the hill, very close to an out-of-control forward fall. This hill was so steep, it felt too dangerous to do that, so I ended up doing the worst thing you can do on a hill--pulling up and holding back, letting my quadriceps take the brunt of the effort. The pounding of going down that hill, the delicacy of doing so over dirt, rocks, and these giant cracks criss-crossing the track, made it almost as hard as going up had been.
I made it back to the same aid station (mile 7.2, apparently, although there was some discussion on the trail about whether this was accurate). I came in at just over an hour at 2 hours 10 minutes on my watch, and felt pretty good about my chances of making it in under 4 hours.
Despite eating some of my Shot Bloks on the second segment, I needed something. I decided to have what I thought was Gatorade...but it turns out, I didn't know what it was. It was awful, but simultaneously the best thing I ever tasted! I mentioned that, and the volunteer laughed and said, it's funny what your body wants when you're trail running! I asked what it was....
It was flat Mountain Dew.
I HATE Mountain Dew...but this day, it was like the elixir of the gods!
As I headed out, I knew the fourth, and last, segment was 2.7 miles, so I felt I was close to being done, and that the third segment was going to be fast.
Was I wrong.
The next hill was much more forgiving, in terms of angle, and yet again I had to walk. At the top, I was able to start running on the slight downhill and slight flats, walked up the 2nd ascent, and then ran down and around the corner until I hit the 3rd aid station.
At this point it was again over 3 hours (I forget how much), and I felt like I had been on the path forever. They said, though, "This is it, you've done it--2.7 more to go!"
I headed off down the hill, running for a solid ten or twelve minutes before being reduced to doing 3 minute run/20 second walk intervals. I had to slow down. My quads were trashed. I did this until the last slight uphill, then finally on the last flat, within sight of the finish line, I was able to run again.
As I came down the straightaway before making the turn down the hill to the finish, people all around me were cheering me on. It was a great feeilng. Lots of "stay strong!' and "you're almost there!" and "way to go!" There's nothing like a road race for support!
Finally, as I came to the grassy slope downward to the finish and made the right-hand turn to run it in, my right knee finally had it. It completely seized up! I thought, "Oh hell no! I'm right here, there is NO way I'm going to walk!" Even though I felt like I was crabwalking in, I finished at a run--and in a time of 3 hours, 41 minutes and 28 seconds.
I made it--I beat the cutoff time! I was the last official finisher--two more came in after me, over the official time. I feel pretty good, though, considering the fitness level of my fellow competitors and knowing I was really not well prepared for this race.
I stopped for a moment while a volunteer cut the timing chip off my shoe, and she was apologizing for making me stand there. I told her, "That's OK, my knee seized up and I can't move anyway!" After she finished, she offered to get me a chair, but I just asked to stand still for a moment. Another five seconds, and I was able to sidestep over to a grassy area, and then, bing! My knee loosened up and I was fine.
I was sore, though. My legs were toast. The quads, hips, calves...even my toes would seize up on me if I tried to curl them a bit to stretch. WOW.
I walked for a while, maybe five minutes, and ate the rest of my Luna bar that was in my pocket. I had one Shot Blok left from the trail, but it didn't sound good so I let it be. I got my bag and fished out a banana, and ate that too. That helped. Then I sat down and stretched for a while, which made me feel almost back to normal. While I was stretching, several people I had spoken to in the morning came by to say hello and congratulate me. One woman said the nicest thing to me--"You're a real trail runner now!"
What a nice comment! I guess I am, aren't I?
I went and claimed my Schwag--a gorgeous soft mint-green short-sleeved North Face technical shirt, with the North Face Endurance Challenge logo on the sleeve. It is my new favorite running shirt! I also got a new pair of technical socks, and was treated to my "finisher's beer". It was apricot ale, and was marginal; I'm not a big beer fan, except for Lost Coast Apricot Wheat at the Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, California--so I only had half and left it behind.
Before I left, though, there were raffles, and I went to listen to the awards. The fastest half marathoners ran that thing in 1 hour and 36 minutes. CRAZY! But the best part of that was the fact that DEAN KARNAZES was there to give everyone their awards!
I was so excited--he's a legend, and my inspiration. After the awards and raffles (I didn't win), I was able to meet Dean. I explained that I just wanted to tell him that I read both of his books and loved them. I also told him that I listened to Ultramarathon Man when I ran my first 20 miler. I said it got me through, because whenever I felt down, I just listened to what he was going through, and thought, if he can deal with THAT, I can do a 20 miler!
That's when he said something that blew me away. He told me I was an inspiration!! ME?!?!?? He shook my hand, too. Wow. He told me, "Don't ever stop!" And that's one of his sayings from his book. I said, "I'm trying not to!" and he said, "Good, I can tell!"
It was a great experience!
Anyway, I went back to the car, and found out on the shuttle that the 2nd aid station was at 8 miles, not 7.2 as was originally posted. That means that whoever told me that the race was closer to 15 miles was right. The elevation chart puts the distance at 14.56 miles.
Wow.
When I got to the car I had a full change of clothes, and was never so glad to clean up and change at the park's bathrooms. Especially my socks--they were so brown from the trail! I got back in the car, called my Dad to tell him what I'd been doing that morning, and headed back. I made a stop in Vacaville for Rubio's steak tacos and a peppermint mocha from Borders Books & Music cafe'. Then I headed home, making it in by 7 p.m. Total time round-trip: 14 1/2 hours, 3 1/2 of which were on the trail and 7 on the road.
The next day was interesting. I couldn't walk very well. It took me a couple days, but I'm now 100% back to normal. My hips, quads and calves have recovered, and I am ready to get back to the treadmill.
After all, there is another half marathon coming up in the spring! I don't know which one, but...it doesn't matter. I'll find one, and I'm there!
What a fantastic experience. If we are still in California next year, I'm doing this one again. Only this time, I'll train for the hills. I know what to expect, now.
Have a great day...and, DON'T EVER STOP!
I am a "real" Trail Runner!
It has (again!) been a while since I wrote. I am not good about this, mostly because I don't know who the heck I'm writing for--except myself, and sometimes that seems a little narcissistic! So I keep forgetting about it, and thinking, what do I have to say, really?
But I had a nice comment (Hi Hail) and thought, you know, if this is interesting or even a little helpful, even as a one-off read, I should really keep at it. Plus it helps keep me grounded.
So the last time I wrote, I had a FAIL. Epic Fail! I tried to go for a 13 mile run, and made it all of about 6--two of which were running, and most of the rest was a walk. It was really depressing, but I was so dizzy I should have known...
I went to the doctor almost two weeks later--nobody can accuse me of hypochondria, hee hee--and it turned out I had a nasty bacterial sinus infection. NO WONDER I couldn't run. I couldn't even walk without dizziness.
One more run of antibiotics and a series of days with lots of advil and sudafed on board, and I finally got over it.
I was able to pick up running again, and had some lovely days on the treadmill, doing sprint intervals one day and on another, six miles of progressively-faster running. I felt good, as though I had a chance of succeeding at my goal: running the North Face Endurance Challenge Trail Half Marathon in Sausalito, California, on Saturday December 5.
The week of the race arrived, and saw me spending four straight days on the computer, instead of even doing any sort of taper. Two days were spent preparing a Christmas present for my parents and in-laws, and two days were spent writing articles.
Oh, yes, I forgot--I'm a writer for Lance Armstrong's LiveStrong.com, and also for Trails.com! That's fun. I'll link some articles so you can read them. Some have to do with weight loss, running, and nutrition:
- Lose Weight by Counting Calories
- How to Calculate Minimal Caloric Intake
- Make Yourself a Faster Runner
I finally fell asleep just after 1, then woke up in a panic, CERTAIN I would not make the cutoff time of 4 hours. I knew there were pace charts showing split times for each aid station, and I worried that if I didn't make an aid station in time, they'd send a "sweeper" to pull me off the course.
I finally fell asleep, only to wake just before the alarm at 4. I was ready to go.
After taking a shower, having some breakfast of a banana, toast and almond butter, and some black tea spiked with agave syrup and ribose, I drove off in the dark at 4:30 a.m.
Before I left, I texted to my Facebook account: "Terrified...who am I kidding. I'm not ready for this!! OMG. but...on my way 4 better or worse..."
I was in such a dither, I missed my highway onramp. The one I always take. AND that was with the GPS on telling me what to do!
The drive over was uneventful, and I listened to the radio and tried to not lose my mind. I got in around 8 a.m. to Sausalito, and quickly found a parking spot and caught the shuttle. At the base station, I got my bib number and timing chip, and anchored it with a plastic wire tie. Then I put on my gloves because I was freezing--it was cold and a bit damp, as well as in the shade--and it was time to wait.
We were supposed to start at 9, but we were delayed because people were still arriving. At 9:15, we were finally off.
Here is the elevation chart for what I proceeded to run:
The first couple miles was reasonable, but then we hit the hill and I had to walk. I just can't run up hills, not that long of one anyway. So I walked up, but then when I got up there, I was able to run again. The first peak was such fun to run down from! There were little wooden bridges and walkways, and shallow steps built into the singletrack. I felt like a gazelle bounding down them. What a blast!
At the bottom, at mile 4, the first aid station was there. I had not made great time, at 1 hour 4 minutes, but I knew the ups would kill me.
Let me tell you about ultramarathon or trail run aid stations. That was what this was. You see, my half marathon wasn't the only race being run that day. There was a 10K, and also a 50K (31 miles) and 50 MILE race. We shared an aid station with them. On a normal half marathon, you'd find water and maybe some gatorade, GU or Shot Bloks if they are sponsors of the race. Otherwise, some liquid and that's it.
This aid station had, from what I remember, water, yellow and purple drinks of some sort, brownies, cookies, bananas, bagels, chunks of cooked red potato you dip into salt, saltine crackers, and I don't remember what else. I had a saltine, they filled my handheld Fuel Belt water bottle, and then hit the bathroom before tackling hill #2--the monster.
I ran through the flats until I finally hit the uphills about ten minutes down the road. Then I was reduced to a walk. It was so steep at times I had to pause and take a breath then forge on. I was NOT ready for these hills, but I was determined to make each aid station within one hour--that was the only way I could pace myself to make it through by the cutoff time of four hours. I was off pace a bit, but the first segment was 4 miles, and each one thereafter was around 3. I felt pretty sure that, even with an uphill, I could manage a 20 minute mile pace for the next three segments.
When I got to the top, I had the singularly unpleasant realization that it was so steep, I couldn't walk down. I had to run. It was shocking and difficult! Normally you would attack a hill by almost tipping forward over your toes, and allowing the gravity to take you down the hill, very close to an out-of-control forward fall. This hill was so steep, it felt too dangerous to do that, so I ended up doing the worst thing you can do on a hill--pulling up and holding back, letting my quadriceps take the brunt of the effort. The pounding of going down that hill, the delicacy of doing so over dirt, rocks, and these giant cracks criss-crossing the track, made it almost as hard as going up had been.
I made it back to the same aid station (mile 7.2, apparently, although there was some discussion on the trail about whether this was accurate). I came in at just over an hour at 2 hours 10 minutes on my watch, and felt pretty good about my chances of making it in under 4 hours.
Despite eating some of my Shot Bloks on the second segment, I needed something. I decided to have what I thought was Gatorade...but it turns out, I didn't know what it was. It was awful, but simultaneously the best thing I ever tasted! I mentioned that, and the volunteer laughed and said, it's funny what your body wants when you're trail running! I asked what it was....
It was flat Mountain Dew.
I HATE Mountain Dew...but this day, it was like the elixir of the gods!
As I headed out, I knew the fourth, and last, segment was 2.7 miles, so I felt I was close to being done, and that the third segment was going to be fast.
Was I wrong.
The next hill was much more forgiving, in terms of angle, and yet again I had to walk. At the top, I was able to start running on the slight downhill and slight flats, walked up the 2nd ascent, and then ran down and around the corner until I hit the 3rd aid station.
At this point it was again over 3 hours (I forget how much), and I felt like I had been on the path forever. They said, though, "This is it, you've done it--2.7 more to go!"
I headed off down the hill, running for a solid ten or twelve minutes before being reduced to doing 3 minute run/20 second walk intervals. I had to slow down. My quads were trashed. I did this until the last slight uphill, then finally on the last flat, within sight of the finish line, I was able to run again.
As I came down the straightaway before making the turn down the hill to the finish, people all around me were cheering me on. It was a great feeilng. Lots of "stay strong!' and "you're almost there!" and "way to go!" There's nothing like a road race for support!
Finally, as I came to the grassy slope downward to the finish and made the right-hand turn to run it in, my right knee finally had it. It completely seized up! I thought, "Oh hell no! I'm right here, there is NO way I'm going to walk!" Even though I felt like I was crabwalking in, I finished at a run--and in a time of 3 hours, 41 minutes and 28 seconds.
I made it--I beat the cutoff time! I was the last official finisher--two more came in after me, over the official time. I feel pretty good, though, considering the fitness level of my fellow competitors and knowing I was really not well prepared for this race.
I stopped for a moment while a volunteer cut the timing chip off my shoe, and she was apologizing for making me stand there. I told her, "That's OK, my knee seized up and I can't move anyway!" After she finished, she offered to get me a chair, but I just asked to stand still for a moment. Another five seconds, and I was able to sidestep over to a grassy area, and then, bing! My knee loosened up and I was fine.
I was sore, though. My legs were toast. The quads, hips, calves...even my toes would seize up on me if I tried to curl them a bit to stretch. WOW.
I walked for a while, maybe five minutes, and ate the rest of my Luna bar that was in my pocket. I had one Shot Blok left from the trail, but it didn't sound good so I let it be. I got my bag and fished out a banana, and ate that too. That helped. Then I sat down and stretched for a while, which made me feel almost back to normal. While I was stretching, several people I had spoken to in the morning came by to say hello and congratulate me. One woman said the nicest thing to me--"You're a real trail runner now!"
What a nice comment! I guess I am, aren't I?
I went and claimed my Schwag--a gorgeous soft mint-green short-sleeved North Face technical shirt, with the North Face Endurance Challenge logo on the sleeve. It is my new favorite running shirt! I also got a new pair of technical socks, and was treated to my "finisher's beer". It was apricot ale, and was marginal; I'm not a big beer fan, except for Lost Coast Apricot Wheat at the Lost Coast Brewery in Eureka, California--so I only had half and left it behind.
Before I left, though, there were raffles, and I went to listen to the awards. The fastest half marathoners ran that thing in 1 hour and 36 minutes. CRAZY! But the best part of that was the fact that DEAN KARNAZES was there to give everyone their awards!
Dean Karnazes (center)--my inspiration! Poor photo due to backlighting, but...wow!
I was so excited--he's a legend, and my inspiration. After the awards and raffles (I didn't win), I was able to meet Dean. I explained that I just wanted to tell him that I read both of his books and loved them. I also told him that I listened to Ultramarathon Man when I ran my first 20 miler. I said it got me through, because whenever I felt down, I just listened to what he was going through, and thought, if he can deal with THAT, I can do a 20 miler!
That's when he said something that blew me away. He told me I was an inspiration!! ME?!?!?? He shook my hand, too. Wow. He told me, "Don't ever stop!" And that's one of his sayings from his book. I said, "I'm trying not to!" and he said, "Good, I can tell!"
It was a great experience!
Anyway, I went back to the car, and found out on the shuttle that the 2nd aid station was at 8 miles, not 7.2 as was originally posted. That means that whoever told me that the race was closer to 15 miles was right. The elevation chart puts the distance at 14.56 miles.
Wow.
When I got to the car I had a full change of clothes, and was never so glad to clean up and change at the park's bathrooms. Especially my socks--they were so brown from the trail! I got back in the car, called my Dad to tell him what I'd been doing that morning, and headed back. I made a stop in Vacaville for Rubio's steak tacos and a peppermint mocha from Borders Books & Music cafe'. Then I headed home, making it in by 7 p.m. Total time round-trip: 14 1/2 hours, 3 1/2 of which were on the trail and 7 on the road.
The next day was interesting. I couldn't walk very well. It took me a couple days, but I'm now 100% back to normal. My hips, quads and calves have recovered, and I am ready to get back to the treadmill.
After all, there is another half marathon coming up in the spring! I don't know which one, but...it doesn't matter. I'll find one, and I'm there!
What a fantastic experience. If we are still in California next year, I'm doing this one again. Only this time, I'll train for the hills. I know what to expect, now.
Have a great day...and, DON'T EVER STOP!
Monday, October 19, 2009
FAIL
It was one of those days.
You know the ones...you start out with a grand goal, set out with the best of intentions to implement the steps it takes to get to that goal...and then you fall spectacularly flat on your face, well short of where you had hoped to be.
In other words:
FAIL.
In the running world, when this happens in a race, it's called a "DNS" or "DNF"--short for, "Did Not Start" or "Did Not Finish". In triathlons, marathons, or ultras, it is akin to the kiss of death.
And yet...
We've all had these days. Even elites such as Dean Karnazes, the ultramarathoner, or Deena Kastor, American marathon Olympian, have gotten a DNF in major races. Deena broke her foot in Beijing in 2008, just near the start of her race, and ended up riding in the "sag wagon" for the entire race. Karno got a DNF in this year's Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, dropping out at mile 62, well short of the mileage of which we all know he is capable.
And as for me, I got a DNF in my training run yesterday.
I know, it was a training run. Realistically, it is not the same thing at all. However, I have been working very hard the last couple months, trying to build up my endurance and speed after almost a year of not running consistently.
Although I have not updated this blog as much as I should have, I have had several stutter-starts at beginning my training over the past six months. Three months ago, I had the unfortunate experience of having a bug bite get infected with MRSA, the highly dangerous antibiotic-resistant staph infection that is becoming more widespread in this country. Luckily for me, the urgent care doc I saw "had a hunch" and decided to put me on an antibiotic that, it turned out, was the only one capable of killing the particular strain of staph I had, although that didn't make the whole process easy, or fast.
48 days later, I took my last antibiotic, and was finally cleared to start running.
That was two months ago, and so far I've worked myself up to be able to participate in the Bridge-to-Bridge 12K in San Francisco on Sunday, October 4, where I ran 1:33. It was over a 12-minute mile, but it was 7.3 miles of running with only two walk breaks. I was very pleased with my improvement.
That brought me up to yesterday. I'd had two excellent runs earlier in the week--a 4-mile tempo run, and 1.5 miles of intervals bookended with two 2-mile runs. I thought for sure, knowing that my longest training mileage so far as been 11 miles, that I could manage a 13 mile run. My goal: run to my daughter's school and back, twice. With the ugly hills. I set my alarm for 7 a.m., got my stuff all ready to go, and went to bed by 11.
Then I slept in until noon.
Now, knowing that I have a toddler and a 9-year-old, you know that's highly unusual on its own. However, I just could not get up. I was exhausted! When I finally did, I felt horrible. I was dreading the run, which is something I have only ever experienced once, when I was getting ready to run 20 miles for the first time in my life. But even then, once I got going, I was OK.
Not so yesterday. As I left the house, I was still muttering, "I am so dreading this." However, I was determined to get out there. I figured that, as usual, I'd feel better once I got going. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
I ran the first couple miles. And my legs and lungs felt pretty darn good, even up the hills. However, my head felt dizzy and stuffy, like the top half of it was filled with tightly packed sludge. After almost 2 1/2 miles, I had to walk.
I made the first half of the first loop, 3.3 miles, in 43 minutes, walking the last mile or so. Then I turned around and headed back. My head felt so dizzy, I was on the verge of tears, nauseated, and worried I might throw up. I walked almost all the way home, but out of sheer anger I ran up every one of the big hills, dizziness or not. I was NOT going to let the hills beat me too, even if my body/brain were not being very cooperative.
I made it home, and quit. 6.6 miles in 1 hour, 40 minutes.
I was so frustrated and angry. But what can you do?
Dean Karnazes said in his blog, after his spectacular fail at the Western States, "What constitutes a life worth living? Is it high achievement? What I’ve come to believe is that more than anything, it’s having the courage to try."
Reading those words this morning brought me up short. Yes, I failed in my attempt. However, by Dean's reckoning, perhaps yesterday wasn't really so much a fail after all.
No matter what else happened yesterday, I will know that, despite feeling terrible, being tired and dreading the run, I did have the courage to try.
When have you had the courage to try?
________________________________________
You know the ones...you start out with a grand goal, set out with the best of intentions to implement the steps it takes to get to that goal...and then you fall spectacularly flat on your face, well short of where you had hoped to be.
In other words:
FAIL.
In the running world, when this happens in a race, it's called a "DNS" or "DNF"--short for, "Did Not Start" or "Did Not Finish". In triathlons, marathons, or ultras, it is akin to the kiss of death.
And yet...
We've all had these days. Even elites such as Dean Karnazes, the ultramarathoner, or Deena Kastor, American marathon Olympian, have gotten a DNF in major races. Deena broke her foot in Beijing in 2008, just near the start of her race, and ended up riding in the "sag wagon" for the entire race. Karno got a DNF in this year's Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run, dropping out at mile 62, well short of the mileage of which we all know he is capable.
And as for me, I got a DNF in my training run yesterday.
I know, it was a training run. Realistically, it is not the same thing at all. However, I have been working very hard the last couple months, trying to build up my endurance and speed after almost a year of not running consistently.
Although I have not updated this blog as much as I should have, I have had several stutter-starts at beginning my training over the past six months. Three months ago, I had the unfortunate experience of having a bug bite get infected with MRSA, the highly dangerous antibiotic-resistant staph infection that is becoming more widespread in this country. Luckily for me, the urgent care doc I saw "had a hunch" and decided to put me on an antibiotic that, it turned out, was the only one capable of killing the particular strain of staph I had, although that didn't make the whole process easy, or fast.
48 days later, I took my last antibiotic, and was finally cleared to start running.
That was two months ago, and so far I've worked myself up to be able to participate in the Bridge-to-Bridge 12K in San Francisco on Sunday, October 4, where I ran 1:33. It was over a 12-minute mile, but it was 7.3 miles of running with only two walk breaks. I was very pleased with my improvement.
That brought me up to yesterday. I'd had two excellent runs earlier in the week--a 4-mile tempo run, and 1.5 miles of intervals bookended with two 2-mile runs. I thought for sure, knowing that my longest training mileage so far as been 11 miles, that I could manage a 13 mile run. My goal: run to my daughter's school and back, twice. With the ugly hills. I set my alarm for 7 a.m., got my stuff all ready to go, and went to bed by 11.
Then I slept in until noon.
Now, knowing that I have a toddler and a 9-year-old, you know that's highly unusual on its own. However, I just could not get up. I was exhausted! When I finally did, I felt horrible. I was dreading the run, which is something I have only ever experienced once, when I was getting ready to run 20 miles for the first time in my life. But even then, once I got going, I was OK.
Not so yesterday. As I left the house, I was still muttering, "I am so dreading this." However, I was determined to get out there. I figured that, as usual, I'd feel better once I got going. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
I ran the first couple miles. And my legs and lungs felt pretty darn good, even up the hills. However, my head felt dizzy and stuffy, like the top half of it was filled with tightly packed sludge. After almost 2 1/2 miles, I had to walk.
I made the first half of the first loop, 3.3 miles, in 43 minutes, walking the last mile or so. Then I turned around and headed back. My head felt so dizzy, I was on the verge of tears, nauseated, and worried I might throw up. I walked almost all the way home, but out of sheer anger I ran up every one of the big hills, dizziness or not. I was NOT going to let the hills beat me too, even if my body/brain were not being very cooperative.
I made it home, and quit. 6.6 miles in 1 hour, 40 minutes.
I was so frustrated and angry. But what can you do?
Dean Karnazes said in his blog, after his spectacular fail at the Western States, "What constitutes a life worth living? Is it high achievement? What I’ve come to believe is that more than anything, it’s having the courage to try."
Reading those words this morning brought me up short. Yes, I failed in my attempt. However, by Dean's reckoning, perhaps yesterday wasn't really so much a fail after all.
No matter what else happened yesterday, I will know that, despite feeling terrible, being tired and dreading the run, I did have the courage to try.
When have you had the courage to try?
________________________________________
Thursday, July 2, 2009
WICKED Coolness! :)
I am sitting here grinning like an utter fool!
What, pray tell, has me all excited?
Two things, actually!
The first cool thing is that that just now, after looking up a sports nutrition article on a blog called "Frayed Laces", I decided to do a quick search for my own blog. In doing so, I found that my blog, this blog, has been reviewed! On the blogged.com directory of obesity websites in the health/nutrition group, my blog, which I admittedly am quite lax at updating, was reviewed at a 7.9 "Very Good"! I'm #13 on the list! I was so excited, I ran over to show Kent. He was very proud of me too! So I will count that as a "publish", along with the book review of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that I wrote for the New England newspaper last May. That makes me feel quite accomplished!
The second cool thing has to do with my running. No, I didn't run today. Or yesterday. However, I did swim...50 lengths, 34 minutes 1 second. That was fun...and totally off the subject.
What I am excited about is that I FINALLY BOUGHT A NEW TREADMILL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yippee!
Aren't I odd? To get that excited about a TREADMILL? LOL! I mean, really. You would think I had won a trip to Hawaii or even a new Felt, Cervelo, or Aegis bike or something (the trifecta of perfect TRI bikes, in my opinon...).
But no, I am psyched and jumping around like an idiot because I finally bought a treadmill.
I missed my treadmill. I don't know if I told this story before, but when we moved from Maine, we gave our treadmill away to our friend Lisa. Why, you ask? Because first of all, hers was making a hideous screeching noise. Second, other than me and Shanna, she is the only other person that I knew that actually used her treadmill. Third and finally, we were afraid of what 5 months of storage and a cross-country move via moving van would do to the already-hinky LCD displays.
No, I did not give away a failing treadmill. The LCD dots on the progress display didn't light up properly. Everything else worked fine. Plus we'd just had it serviced.
Anyway, so we gave it away, assuming we'd buy a new one in California.
Five months later, when we finally bought a house, we realized it was too small for a treadmill. There wasn't a single place to put it--the way the house is laid out, there is either a window or a closet, door, entryway, or fireplace in every blank section, except the family room...and that has shelves, because it's long and narrow. Not a good place for a treadmill.
I tried to go to the Y. I really did. But when you just want to get up and run, it's a hassle to go get in the car, drive over, find parking, go in, run on a treadmill in the middle of a huge room where it's hot and the oscillating fans don't work properly, then go back out and drive home again.
I know, I could have run outside. However, when it's over 80 and it's barely even 7 a.m., I wimp out. I ran last summer when it was 100 degrees out, even doing 6 miles at a time, but I had a park with a rather good water faucet to go to and that made a huge difference.
Excuses, excuses. I know. I totally get that. I realize that I'm just being lazy. I KNOW I could do it if I wanted to, but frankly, I don't like running in this town, nor do I care for the Y, and I really dislike the heat. And I just missed having a treadmill. I wanted to be able to go for a run when the baby went down for a nap after lunch, and that's the hottest part of the day. (Whine, whine.)
It all comes back to motivation. And I just like the cold better. That's why Eureka is one of my favorite places to run (see my last blog for more info on that).
So anyway, I we scoped out treadmills at Sears, Sports Authority, and Costco--the only three places in this town where I could find Treadmills for sale.
I liked Costco's; it's a good one--$900, Nordic Track. It got good reviews on the Treadmill Doctor website, too. However, they don't deliver, nor do they set up. I can't have Kent bring it in by himself, not with his bad back...and he doesn't "do" putting stuff together. I do. And at 43, I'm less inclined to put stuff together when I can pay someone else to do it. Laziness or old age? You be the judge! :)
At Sears, they would do delivery and setup, for about $30 cheaper than Sports Authority, but I didn't care for their treadmills. Yes, they had Nordic Tracks too, but the ratings on the three that I looked up were not as good as the Sports Authority treadmill...even though the company that makes Nordic Track, ProForm, and Healthrider is all the same one--Icon Health & Fitness.
The one I ended up buying was a Healthrider Club Series H140t treadmill, from Sports Authority. Originally listed at $3000 (not that I think it ever sold for that), it was marked down to $1999, then $1399, then $1299, which is what we bought it for. Yes, it's more than I wanted to spend, but after looking at the treadmills, and knowing how we use them, and reading the reviews on Treadmilldoctor.com, there was no way I was going to buy anything else...especially since we needed them to deliver it and set it up as well.
The control panel of the Healthrider H140t
It looks good. I thought it had a 3.0 HP motor, but now I'm reading online that it really has a 3.5HP. That's even better, if it's true. If not, I still wanted at least a 3.0, so I'm happy.
Specificiations card from the store
The deck is 20" by 60", plenty long and wide enough. Some people say you can't tell the difference, but I definitely can. I think our old Horizon Fitness treadmill was a 22" deck, but I'm not positive.
My treadmill--the front one!
The reviews I read were pretty good overall. Some people don't like the bells & whistles, as extra technology is just "one more thing that can break"...but for me, they weren't what I was interested in anyway, and with the price darn near what we paid for our "stripped down" (by comparison) Horizon model 3 years ago, I didn't really pay for them anyhow.
Another look at the specs card
Here's what I was looking for:
* If it didn't have a 3.0HP at least, I wasn't interested.
* If it didn't include at least a 20" x 60" deck, I wasn't interested.
Those were my "musts", but the power was the definite selling point. If I am going to use this puppy to train for the Honolulu Marathon--assuming North Korea doesn't nuke it first, ha ha--I need to know that it's going to be up for the workouts. Before we left Maine, I'd throw on a video and run a half marathon for my long runs on the weekend. When I did speed training, I'd do 8x30-second strides at 10MPH. Granted, I'm nowhere near that speed right now, but I will be, and I need to know that my treadmill can hold up to that kind of effort.
So I'm very excited about it. I can't wait for it to arrive! That will probably be Wednesday, as we are going to be travelling for the 4th of July weekend; first we'll be in Willow Creek, then we go to Eureka to set off fireworks, as Maddy and Kara have never seen the kind you light yourself (they're illegal in Maine). Then on Sunday, we head off to Gualala in southern Mendocino County, where friends of ours own a beach house. We'll be with them for a couple days before heading back home. Maddy has horse riding lessons Wednesday morning, and clarinet lessons Wednesday afternoon, so we'll be home by then for sure. I imagine our treadmill will arrive that day.
It's a good thing it won't come tomorrow (Friday, July 3), as I imagine you wouldn't be able to budge me out of the house at all. :D
The only drawback that I can see is that we will probably have to put it in our front window. There is really no other place to put it in this house. It's either that or the garage, and that's as bad as running outside. So I guess I'll get to look outside, or watch TV, while I'm running. Thankfully it's a north-facing window so I won't be blasted by sunshine, anyway.
Thank heavens. I don't think I'll ever want to go without having a treadmill again. This was just not fun at all.
Have a lovely evening, and a fabulous 4th of July!
What, pray tell, has me all excited?
Two things, actually!
The first cool thing is that that just now, after looking up a sports nutrition article on a blog called "Frayed Laces", I decided to do a quick search for my own blog. In doing so, I found that my blog, this blog, has been reviewed! On the blogged.com directory of obesity websites in the health/nutrition group, my blog, which I admittedly am quite lax at updating, was reviewed at a 7.9 "Very Good"! I'm #13 on the list! I was so excited, I ran over to show Kent. He was very proud of me too! So I will count that as a "publish", along with the book review of Animal, Vegetable, Miracle that I wrote for the New England newspaper last May. That makes me feel quite accomplished!
The second cool thing has to do with my running. No, I didn't run today. Or yesterday. However, I did swim...50 lengths, 34 minutes 1 second. That was fun...and totally off the subject.
What I am excited about is that I FINALLY BOUGHT A NEW TREADMILL!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yippee!
Aren't I odd? To get that excited about a TREADMILL? LOL! I mean, really. You would think I had won a trip to Hawaii or even a new Felt, Cervelo, or Aegis bike or something (the trifecta of perfect TRI bikes, in my opinon...).
But no, I am psyched and jumping around like an idiot because I finally bought a treadmill.
I missed my treadmill. I don't know if I told this story before, but when we moved from Maine, we gave our treadmill away to our friend Lisa. Why, you ask? Because first of all, hers was making a hideous screeching noise. Second, other than me and Shanna, she is the only other person that I knew that actually used her treadmill. Third and finally, we were afraid of what 5 months of storage and a cross-country move via moving van would do to the already-hinky LCD displays.
No, I did not give away a failing treadmill. The LCD dots on the progress display didn't light up properly. Everything else worked fine. Plus we'd just had it serviced.
Anyway, so we gave it away, assuming we'd buy a new one in California.
Five months later, when we finally bought a house, we realized it was too small for a treadmill. There wasn't a single place to put it--the way the house is laid out, there is either a window or a closet, door, entryway, or fireplace in every blank section, except the family room...and that has shelves, because it's long and narrow. Not a good place for a treadmill.
I tried to go to the Y. I really did. But when you just want to get up and run, it's a hassle to go get in the car, drive over, find parking, go in, run on a treadmill in the middle of a huge room where it's hot and the oscillating fans don't work properly, then go back out and drive home again.
I know, I could have run outside. However, when it's over 80 and it's barely even 7 a.m., I wimp out. I ran last summer when it was 100 degrees out, even doing 6 miles at a time, but I had a park with a rather good water faucet to go to and that made a huge difference.
Excuses, excuses. I know. I totally get that. I realize that I'm just being lazy. I KNOW I could do it if I wanted to, but frankly, I don't like running in this town, nor do I care for the Y, and I really dislike the heat. And I just missed having a treadmill. I wanted to be able to go for a run when the baby went down for a nap after lunch, and that's the hottest part of the day. (Whine, whine.)
It all comes back to motivation. And I just like the cold better. That's why Eureka is one of my favorite places to run (see my last blog for more info on that).
So anyway, I we scoped out treadmills at Sears, Sports Authority, and Costco--the only three places in this town where I could find Treadmills for sale.
I liked Costco's; it's a good one--$900, Nordic Track. It got good reviews on the Treadmill Doctor website, too. However, they don't deliver, nor do they set up. I can't have Kent bring it in by himself, not with his bad back...and he doesn't "do" putting stuff together. I do. And at 43, I'm less inclined to put stuff together when I can pay someone else to do it. Laziness or old age? You be the judge! :)
At Sears, they would do delivery and setup, for about $30 cheaper than Sports Authority, but I didn't care for their treadmills. Yes, they had Nordic Tracks too, but the ratings on the three that I looked up were not as good as the Sports Authority treadmill...even though the company that makes Nordic Track, ProForm, and Healthrider is all the same one--Icon Health & Fitness.
The one I ended up buying was a Healthrider Club Series H140t treadmill, from Sports Authority. Originally listed at $3000 (not that I think it ever sold for that), it was marked down to $1999, then $1399, then $1299, which is what we bought it for. Yes, it's more than I wanted to spend, but after looking at the treadmills, and knowing how we use them, and reading the reviews on Treadmilldoctor.com, there was no way I was going to buy anything else...especially since we needed them to deliver it and set it up as well.
The control panel of the Healthrider H140tIt looks good. I thought it had a 3.0 HP motor, but now I'm reading online that it really has a 3.5HP. That's even better, if it's true. If not, I still wanted at least a 3.0, so I'm happy.
Specificiations card from the storeThe deck is 20" by 60", plenty long and wide enough. Some people say you can't tell the difference, but I definitely can. I think our old Horizon Fitness treadmill was a 22" deck, but I'm not positive.
My treadmill--the front one!The reviews I read were pretty good overall. Some people don't like the bells & whistles, as extra technology is just "one more thing that can break"...but for me, they weren't what I was interested in anyway, and with the price darn near what we paid for our "stripped down" (by comparison) Horizon model 3 years ago, I didn't really pay for them anyhow.
Another look at the specs cardHere's what I was looking for:
* If it didn't have a 3.0HP at least, I wasn't interested.
* If it didn't include at least a 20" x 60" deck, I wasn't interested.
Those were my "musts", but the power was the definite selling point. If I am going to use this puppy to train for the Honolulu Marathon--assuming North Korea doesn't nuke it first, ha ha--I need to know that it's going to be up for the workouts. Before we left Maine, I'd throw on a video and run a half marathon for my long runs on the weekend. When I did speed training, I'd do 8x30-second strides at 10MPH. Granted, I'm nowhere near that speed right now, but I will be, and I need to know that my treadmill can hold up to that kind of effort.
So I'm very excited about it. I can't wait for it to arrive! That will probably be Wednesday, as we are going to be travelling for the 4th of July weekend; first we'll be in Willow Creek, then we go to Eureka to set off fireworks, as Maddy and Kara have never seen the kind you light yourself (they're illegal in Maine). Then on Sunday, we head off to Gualala in southern Mendocino County, where friends of ours own a beach house. We'll be with them for a couple days before heading back home. Maddy has horse riding lessons Wednesday morning, and clarinet lessons Wednesday afternoon, so we'll be home by then for sure. I imagine our treadmill will arrive that day.
It's a good thing it won't come tomorrow (Friday, July 3), as I imagine you wouldn't be able to budge me out of the house at all. :D
The only drawback that I can see is that we will probably have to put it in our front window. There is really no other place to put it in this house. It's either that or the garage, and that's as bad as running outside. So I guess I'll get to look outside, or watch TV, while I'm running. Thankfully it's a north-facing window so I won't be blasted by sunshine, anyway.
Thank heavens. I don't think I'll ever want to go without having a treadmill again. This was just not fun at all.
Have a lovely evening, and a fabulous 4th of July!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Favorite running cities
We're in Eureka this weekend, visiting family, and I went out for my scheduled run this morning (Sunday).
OK. It took a bit more effort than bounding out of bed and hitting the road, but I'll spare you the details.
It's been only a short time that I've gotten back into running. I've been averaging a couple runs a week. I'll aim for 3 this coming week. If that sounds like very little, know that I ran 20 miles on a 3-day-a-week training regimen. Even Runner's World has a 3-day-a-week marathon training guide. So it's reasonable. You shouldn't run every day, and right now I'm just trying to get the habit back.
Anyway, so off I went, with the goal of running to my brother's house and back. It's a nice run, with the exception of Buhne Hill--which, if you have ever been to Eureka, you know to be truly epic. If you haven't, there is a REALLY inadequate picture of Buhne hill here. Just focus on the far side of the hill and you'll get an idea of its rise. This picture was taken maybe 1/4 of the way up the hill.
As I ran, with my trusty iPod Shuffle providing background music as usual, my mind flitted off into a myriad of different topics, any of which would make an excellent blog post, and most of which I promptly forgot. I know there was one about the idea of shorts vs. running skirts, and another about where you find your inspiration--or what keeps you inspired. A third was about feeling fearless (which is what running does for me), and a fourth was about literally not being afraid to stop and smell the roses, as I did on Buhne & I Streets, where a fabulous double rose had poked through a white picket fence.
But as I ran, and then walked, and ran again (including my epic run up Buhne without stopping), I thought about how fabulous the running was this morning, and that got me thinking about today's topic.
What got me all happy wasn't the fact that I was running without gasping like a nearly-dead fish. No, what got me all happy was the lovely light breeze and the perfect sunshine-and-blue-skies day it was here in Eureka today. And I realized that, not even counting when it's sunny and perfect like it is today, Eureka definitely makes the top three list for my favorite cities for running.
These may not be your favorites, but hey, it's not your blog! [wink!]
By the way, my run time today? 1 hour 12 minutes. That does NOT count the time I spent at Roy's house, visiting and inhaling a couple glasses of water.
Hey. Everyone needs a place to use the potty sometimes!
My top three running cities, in no particular order:
1) Eureka, California -- As I mentioned, the weather today was perfect. It's cool, but not too cold, with a perfect cooling breeze. Shorts and a technical t-shirt were absolutely right for a day like today. However, it wasn't the weather that put Eureka on my list; frankly, it can be overcast, drizzly, grey, bleak and downright wet, too. No, what put it on the list was the fact that there is just about everything you might want for running here. There's a track to do track workouts at Eureka High. There are tons of fantastic trails through the Redwood trees that make up half the town. A number of the trails run right through Sequoia Park, which is frankly gorgeous and makes you think you stepped out of 2009 and landed in a scene from Jurassic Park II (which, incidentally, was filmed not far from here up in Fern Canyon). But, aside from Sequoia Park, there are even more trails through the Redwoods in town that are little-known, unless you're a native Eurekan, or know a native Eurekan like my husband. He grew up in the woods and I swear he can navigate halfway across town without ever touching pavement. There are lots of straight, flat stretches, low-rise uphills (H and I Street) that become gentle downhills when you go the other way. And, there are the hills. There are shorter hills like on Lucas Street, and then there are the monsters like Buhne, which is big enough to challenge anyone, even veteran runners. You want a good workout? Push a jogging stroller with a baby in it up that thing. You will get applause when you reach the top, I can guarantee it. (I did, a year ago.) Truly, Eureka has it all...but when the weather is like today, that makes it even more sweet.
2) Kennebunkport, Maine -- Yeah. You knew that one was coming, didn't you? What makes Kennebunkport fantastic? Variety, and scenery. Knowing Kennebunkport backward and forward--at least its roads--as I did meant that I had routes for just about every mileage you could possibly want. Want a quick mile? No problem. Two miles? Four? 5? 5.2? 10? 15? You name it, I could produce it. You want to head on a five miler past the Bush compund? That's my favorite route. You want hills? Got 'em. Gentle rises? OK. Great scenery? Check. Wooded trails? The old Trolley line is perfect--just wear your mosquito repellant in summer...and run fast! Beaches? There are multiples there, too. Kennebunkport is the kind of town where you can head out from home and "run" your errands...literally! It's easy to combine a run with a trip to the post office, pharmacy, bank, and even to get a little gift at one of the shops, and come home with 5 miles under your belt. All in a day's running. If I had to choose ONE place to run, this would be the one, hands-down.
3) San Francisco, California -- You might shy away from SF, because of the hills, but not all of SF looks like the cable car line on California Street (read: near vertical). They have a great running culture there, including support in the form of stores. Aside from Fleet Feet, they also have Sports Basement. Located inside the old Presidio Commissary, it is probaby my new favorite running shop in California. They have all the stuff I might be able to find at Peak Performance Multisport or The Maine Running Company, my two favorite running/triathlon shops in Portland, Maine. Another cool thing about San Francisco is that there are still parcourses there. Remember those? Those were prevalent in the late 70s and early 80s, and they involved little signs that were here and there along a trail that invited you to stop running and do pushups, or situps, or stretches, before you headed off further down the trail. There is a "Game Field" (I think it's called that) at the Marina Green near the Marina Safeway store, which is the new millennium's version of a parcourse, where you appear to be able to stop and do all these things at once, before heading off again:
Marina Green Parcourse/Game Field, San Francisco
And do you want scenery? How about a run along the waterfront from the Embarcadero to the Presidio and back? Or a run across the Golden Gate Bridge? All things considered, these would make San Francisco fabulous, but they also have one thing that Eureka and Kennebunkport don't have, at least not that I'm aware of: they have running group support. There are multiple Running groups, not just in SF but also in the Bay Area, including the one that I MOST wish I could participate in, called WOW. WOW is a women's walking/running group, and they have meetups on a regular basis. You can run, walk, or both; they do training, races, track workouts, you name it. They meet 3-4 times a week at least in different parts of the bay area (Oakland, SF, Piedmont, etc.), and the website lists information such as whether there are portapotties, whether you need to bring water, and so forth. These women sound fantastic and I wish I could be part of such a group. They do drop-ins and you can join, too.
So these are my favorites. Eureka, Kennebunkport, San Francisco. Each different, each unique, but each offering variety. I think that's what I miss most about living where I do now.
So if you had to choose, what would be your top three favorite running cities, and why?
Have a fabulous day!
OK. It took a bit more effort than bounding out of bed and hitting the road, but I'll spare you the details.
It's been only a short time that I've gotten back into running. I've been averaging a couple runs a week. I'll aim for 3 this coming week. If that sounds like very little, know that I ran 20 miles on a 3-day-a-week training regimen. Even Runner's World has a 3-day-a-week marathon training guide. So it's reasonable. You shouldn't run every day, and right now I'm just trying to get the habit back.
Anyway, so off I went, with the goal of running to my brother's house and back. It's a nice run, with the exception of Buhne Hill--which, if you have ever been to Eureka, you know to be truly epic. If you haven't, there is a REALLY inadequate picture of Buhne hill here. Just focus on the far side of the hill and you'll get an idea of its rise. This picture was taken maybe 1/4 of the way up the hill.
As I ran, with my trusty iPod Shuffle providing background music as usual, my mind flitted off into a myriad of different topics, any of which would make an excellent blog post, and most of which I promptly forgot. I know there was one about the idea of shorts vs. running skirts, and another about where you find your inspiration--or what keeps you inspired. A third was about feeling fearless (which is what running does for me), and a fourth was about literally not being afraid to stop and smell the roses, as I did on Buhne & I Streets, where a fabulous double rose had poked through a white picket fence.
But as I ran, and then walked, and ran again (including my epic run up Buhne without stopping), I thought about how fabulous the running was this morning, and that got me thinking about today's topic.
What got me all happy wasn't the fact that I was running without gasping like a nearly-dead fish. No, what got me all happy was the lovely light breeze and the perfect sunshine-and-blue-skies day it was here in Eureka today. And I realized that, not even counting when it's sunny and perfect like it is today, Eureka definitely makes the top three list for my favorite cities for running.
These may not be your favorites, but hey, it's not your blog! [wink!]
By the way, my run time today? 1 hour 12 minutes. That does NOT count the time I spent at Roy's house, visiting and inhaling a couple glasses of water.
Hey. Everyone needs a place to use the potty sometimes!
My top three running cities, in no particular order:
1) Eureka, California -- As I mentioned, the weather today was perfect. It's cool, but not too cold, with a perfect cooling breeze. Shorts and a technical t-shirt were absolutely right for a day like today. However, it wasn't the weather that put Eureka on my list; frankly, it can be overcast, drizzly, grey, bleak and downright wet, too. No, what put it on the list was the fact that there is just about everything you might want for running here. There's a track to do track workouts at Eureka High. There are tons of fantastic trails through the Redwood trees that make up half the town. A number of the trails run right through Sequoia Park, which is frankly gorgeous and makes you think you stepped out of 2009 and landed in a scene from Jurassic Park II (which, incidentally, was filmed not far from here up in Fern Canyon). But, aside from Sequoia Park, there are even more trails through the Redwoods in town that are little-known, unless you're a native Eurekan, or know a native Eurekan like my husband. He grew up in the woods and I swear he can navigate halfway across town without ever touching pavement. There are lots of straight, flat stretches, low-rise uphills (H and I Street) that become gentle downhills when you go the other way. And, there are the hills. There are shorter hills like on Lucas Street, and then there are the monsters like Buhne, which is big enough to challenge anyone, even veteran runners. You want a good workout? Push a jogging stroller with a baby in it up that thing. You will get applause when you reach the top, I can guarantee it. (I did, a year ago.) Truly, Eureka has it all...but when the weather is like today, that makes it even more sweet.
2) Kennebunkport, Maine -- Yeah. You knew that one was coming, didn't you? What makes Kennebunkport fantastic? Variety, and scenery. Knowing Kennebunkport backward and forward--at least its roads--as I did meant that I had routes for just about every mileage you could possibly want. Want a quick mile? No problem. Two miles? Four? 5? 5.2? 10? 15? You name it, I could produce it. You want to head on a five miler past the Bush compund? That's my favorite route. You want hills? Got 'em. Gentle rises? OK. Great scenery? Check. Wooded trails? The old Trolley line is perfect--just wear your mosquito repellant in summer...and run fast! Beaches? There are multiples there, too. Kennebunkport is the kind of town where you can head out from home and "run" your errands...literally! It's easy to combine a run with a trip to the post office, pharmacy, bank, and even to get a little gift at one of the shops, and come home with 5 miles under your belt. All in a day's running. If I had to choose ONE place to run, this would be the one, hands-down.
3) San Francisco, California -- You might shy away from SF, because of the hills, but not all of SF looks like the cable car line on California Street (read: near vertical). They have a great running culture there, including support in the form of stores. Aside from Fleet Feet, they also have Sports Basement. Located inside the old Presidio Commissary, it is probaby my new favorite running shop in California. They have all the stuff I might be able to find at Peak Performance Multisport or The Maine Running Company, my two favorite running/triathlon shops in Portland, Maine. Another cool thing about San Francisco is that there are still parcourses there. Remember those? Those were prevalent in the late 70s and early 80s, and they involved little signs that were here and there along a trail that invited you to stop running and do pushups, or situps, or stretches, before you headed off further down the trail. There is a "Game Field" (I think it's called that) at the Marina Green near the Marina Safeway store, which is the new millennium's version of a parcourse, where you appear to be able to stop and do all these things at once, before heading off again:
Marina Green Parcourse/Game Field, San FranciscoSo these are my favorites. Eureka, Kennebunkport, San Francisco. Each different, each unique, but each offering variety. I think that's what I miss most about living where I do now.
So if you had to choose, what would be your top three favorite running cities, and why?
Have a fabulous day!
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Flagging Motivation
It's been a hideous three months.
Our friend Mark passed away at the end of March; at that time, I was up to running four miles at a shot and feeling pretty good about it. But then he died and I fell apart, along with my husband.
Needless to say, I haven't run much at all since then. A couple miles here and there, but I'm all messed up inside. My days are swapped with my nights; I get all motivated and charged up at 1:30 in the morning (well, 1:42 a.m. is what it is right now), but then in the morning I can't move. Worse yet, I caught Kent's and Sylvia's cold, or whatever it was, that causes crushing headaches. I've been battling that for almost a week now.
So right now, at 1:42...no, 1:43... a.m., I'm fired up and ready to run. In seven hours, I'll just want to sleep, and my head will be exploding.
That is, if the pattern follows that of the past week.
What to do, what to do?
I couldn't sleep--again--so I got up and looked online for triathlons. Nothing like signing up for a race to get you charged.
I found one in Boise in August. I emailed Pam, and asked if she wants to do it with me. If she says yes, I'm signing up. Then I have to start getting serious.
Just...the past few months have been difficult. Kent was pinkslipped, and we didn't know if he'd be rehired. It wasn't until this past week, after school was already out, that we found out that his job was saved, and he will be rehired next year. However, then he'll be pinkslipped again. His district in Maine wants him back, though, so we'll probably return to Maine--for good this time--in July of 2010.
Thank goodness. I miss Maine, and my house. I can't wait to go back to it.
Plus of course Kent's depression over Mark's death has been difficult for everyone. I didn't know how to help; truthfully, there's not much I can do. He'll have to get through this somehow. I can't fix it for him. You aren't essentially brothers with someone for 33 years and then get over that loss overnight. As a friend said recently, "Grief isn't linear." Some days he's fine; others, he falls apart. I'm sort of that way too. It's been hard to want to move. Sometimes I simply want to watch TV or play on Facebook or read until I grow so still, moss creeps along and covers me up.
So. Motivation. What I miss is my own treadmill. It's an excuse--but I do miss that ready place to run. Sometimes it's hard to get out the door. I want to, but then I don't. And I find excuses, and the next thing I know...I'm sleeping in, or my headache plants me in one place.
But I remember the running, the feeling of strength, feeling like I had all the oxygen in the world when I was running along and felt like I was flying. No shortness of breath, no tightness in the chest...just strength and breath and life.
And I so miss that.
So this is supposed to be a blog about how I "fixed" myself, and went from obese to athlete. Except it has turned out to be a bit of a treatise on how a crappy life situation can sideline you instead. And I'm still struggling with that.
I know I can fix this. I just need to get moving and do the hard work I need to do to get back to my fit self.
The first steps: sign up for a triathlon. Hopefully with Pam. Also, sign up with the local running shop's 10K training program. That starts on Tuesday. I have to do something; if I'm forced to go, beause I paid money and people are expecting me, I'll do it. And I know myself. Once I get started, I won't be content with a little run here and there. I'll want to improve my stamina. After all, the ultimate goal is the Honolulu Marathon this December.
Actually, that's not true. The Honolulu Marathon is A GOAL. The ultimate goal is my fit, healthy, happy self. Back in Maine. I don't want to go back as I am; I want to go back as I was.
Running is the key. It just takes the first step.
Then again, all the greatest journeys in life always start with that first step.
As John Bingham would say, "Waddle on, my friends." I guess I'll be doing that literally, starting this week! :)
Go, Me!!!
Our friend Mark passed away at the end of March; at that time, I was up to running four miles at a shot and feeling pretty good about it. But then he died and I fell apart, along with my husband.
Needless to say, I haven't run much at all since then. A couple miles here and there, but I'm all messed up inside. My days are swapped with my nights; I get all motivated and charged up at 1:30 in the morning (well, 1:42 a.m. is what it is right now), but then in the morning I can't move. Worse yet, I caught Kent's and Sylvia's cold, or whatever it was, that causes crushing headaches. I've been battling that for almost a week now.
So right now, at 1:42...no, 1:43... a.m., I'm fired up and ready to run. In seven hours, I'll just want to sleep, and my head will be exploding.
That is, if the pattern follows that of the past week.
What to do, what to do?
I couldn't sleep--again--so I got up and looked online for triathlons. Nothing like signing up for a race to get you charged.
I found one in Boise in August. I emailed Pam, and asked if she wants to do it with me. If she says yes, I'm signing up. Then I have to start getting serious.
Just...the past few months have been difficult. Kent was pinkslipped, and we didn't know if he'd be rehired. It wasn't until this past week, after school was already out, that we found out that his job was saved, and he will be rehired next year. However, then he'll be pinkslipped again. His district in Maine wants him back, though, so we'll probably return to Maine--for good this time--in July of 2010.
Thank goodness. I miss Maine, and my house. I can't wait to go back to it.
Plus of course Kent's depression over Mark's death has been difficult for everyone. I didn't know how to help; truthfully, there's not much I can do. He'll have to get through this somehow. I can't fix it for him. You aren't essentially brothers with someone for 33 years and then get over that loss overnight. As a friend said recently, "Grief isn't linear." Some days he's fine; others, he falls apart. I'm sort of that way too. It's been hard to want to move. Sometimes I simply want to watch TV or play on Facebook or read until I grow so still, moss creeps along and covers me up.
So. Motivation. What I miss is my own treadmill. It's an excuse--but I do miss that ready place to run. Sometimes it's hard to get out the door. I want to, but then I don't. And I find excuses, and the next thing I know...I'm sleeping in, or my headache plants me in one place.
But I remember the running, the feeling of strength, feeling like I had all the oxygen in the world when I was running along and felt like I was flying. No shortness of breath, no tightness in the chest...just strength and breath and life.
And I so miss that.
So this is supposed to be a blog about how I "fixed" myself, and went from obese to athlete. Except it has turned out to be a bit of a treatise on how a crappy life situation can sideline you instead. And I'm still struggling with that.
I know I can fix this. I just need to get moving and do the hard work I need to do to get back to my fit self.
The first steps: sign up for a triathlon. Hopefully with Pam. Also, sign up with the local running shop's 10K training program. That starts on Tuesday. I have to do something; if I'm forced to go, beause I paid money and people are expecting me, I'll do it. And I know myself. Once I get started, I won't be content with a little run here and there. I'll want to improve my stamina. After all, the ultimate goal is the Honolulu Marathon this December.
Actually, that's not true. The Honolulu Marathon is A GOAL. The ultimate goal is my fit, healthy, happy self. Back in Maine. I don't want to go back as I am; I want to go back as I was.
Running is the key. It just takes the first step.
Then again, all the greatest journeys in life always start with that first step.
As John Bingham would say, "Waddle on, my friends." I guess I'll be doing that literally, starting this week! :)
Go, Me!!!
Monday, March 30, 2009
The scale said WHAT? (GAH!)
Oh man oh man oh man.
Everything associated with the move to California has been a mess. My weight is just one more part of it.
I gained 20 pounds in the move, and then stopped running and gained 15 more since December.
So now I'm flirting with the edge of 200, and feeling really annoyed about it.
However, I got back on track. I got a "fitbook", which I love, as it helps me plan and keep track of my exercise and nutrition (without freaking about calories), and I've been running 3 times per week plus doing strength training once or twice a week.
I lost five pounds the first week.
I gained two the next.
And today? The scale is telling me I gained three more. Along with 2% body fat!
How is this possible?? How can a person gain two percent body fat in three days--since Friday, when last I weighed myself??
Welcome back to Frustrationland!! AGAIN!
(Sigh!)
I don't understand this. I wish I hadn't bought one of those fancy scales that gives you the body fat percentage. It's just confusing me. I might give it away and get a cheapo plain scale.
I used to have a big, glass scale we got at Brookstone, and it was simply a digital scale. But it was so huge and heavy, and you couldn't tuck it away anywhere, so I gave it away when we moved. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have it back. I tracked in the 0.1 range for weight, and as I said--it didn't do the body fat thing.
Anyway, it really makes me mad more than anything. I didn't lose 100 pounds only to regain 35 of it.
Again, not that, in the grand scheme of things, it's such a huge deal. At a size 12, I'm still way more healthy than I was at a size 20. And being able to run a 5K at an 11 minute per mile pace is pretty darn awesome too. I'm sure my cholesterol and triglycerides are doing fine, they always are when I eat lots of salmon and walnuts and all that good stuff, which I am right now. In fact, I'm actually eating disgustingly healthfully, a lot of organic, very little sugar (OK I had two...three!...cookies yesterday), and lots of "real" food. I only shop the "perimeter" of the store, where all the fresh stuff is, and rarely venture into the aisles unless I need cereal for Kent and the kids.
What I'm not doing is eating a lot of veggies, but the fitbook has a checkoff for veggies so that's helping me there.
Again, as I said, in the grand scheme of things, I'm a lot healthier than I was. I'm more fit, more active, stronger, and more capable than I was for 15 years.
However, I'm not where I was last June, and right now that's killing me. I liked being that fit; I liked being able to run 20 miles. And I liked feeling slim and small, although I must admit, my face got a little too thin. I was looking a little haggard there. Or was that the two solid weeks of packing that did it? (wink!)
I think right now what's bothering me the most is that I don't feel small like I did before. I liked that feeling. Like Kent and I weren't the same size--and frankly, for a while, we were. And right now, with my clothes the wrong size, even if they're mediums and larges (and not extra-large or 1x or 2x), I still don't feel small.
So back to the drawing board. I just finished reading a book called Real Food, by Nina Planck, and she wrote a lot of interesting things about eating real eggs and real milk and even butter, not that I want to slather all my food in a pound of butter, but certainly it's better than hydrogenated margarine.
I will keep on the pace I'm on--strength training, running, and try to add walks in where I'm not doing either. And I'm tracking my food now, so I'll be better about getting those veggies and fruits in. That's something that, frankly, I've been horrible at lately, and I know that I was eating way more of them when I was lighter. And I need to re-read YOU: On a Diet, by Dr. Oz. I did that before and it helped me to see it was all physiological.
And right now, when the scale is telling me I gained 3 pounds and 2% body fat in one weekend, I need all the help I can get to remember it's NOT the Diet Gods out to get me.
I just gotta get back in the zone of want-power; I can do this. I did it before. I will do it again.
Have fun and enjoy health!
Everything associated with the move to California has been a mess. My weight is just one more part of it.
I gained 20 pounds in the move, and then stopped running and gained 15 more since December.
So now I'm flirting with the edge of 200, and feeling really annoyed about it.
However, I got back on track. I got a "fitbook", which I love, as it helps me plan and keep track of my exercise and nutrition (without freaking about calories), and I've been running 3 times per week plus doing strength training once or twice a week.
I lost five pounds the first week.
I gained two the next.
And today? The scale is telling me I gained three more. Along with 2% body fat!
How is this possible?? How can a person gain two percent body fat in three days--since Friday, when last I weighed myself??
Welcome back to Frustrationland!! AGAIN!
(Sigh!)
I don't understand this. I wish I hadn't bought one of those fancy scales that gives you the body fat percentage. It's just confusing me. I might give it away and get a cheapo plain scale.
I used to have a big, glass scale we got at Brookstone, and it was simply a digital scale. But it was so huge and heavy, and you couldn't tuck it away anywhere, so I gave it away when we moved. Oh, what I wouldn't give to have it back. I tracked in the 0.1 range for weight, and as I said--it didn't do the body fat thing.
Anyway, it really makes me mad more than anything. I didn't lose 100 pounds only to regain 35 of it.
Again, not that, in the grand scheme of things, it's such a huge deal. At a size 12, I'm still way more healthy than I was at a size 20. And being able to run a 5K at an 11 minute per mile pace is pretty darn awesome too. I'm sure my cholesterol and triglycerides are doing fine, they always are when I eat lots of salmon and walnuts and all that good stuff, which I am right now. In fact, I'm actually eating disgustingly healthfully, a lot of organic, very little sugar (OK I had two...three!...cookies yesterday), and lots of "real" food. I only shop the "perimeter" of the store, where all the fresh stuff is, and rarely venture into the aisles unless I need cereal for Kent and the kids.
What I'm not doing is eating a lot of veggies, but the fitbook has a checkoff for veggies so that's helping me there.
Again, as I said, in the grand scheme of things, I'm a lot healthier than I was. I'm more fit, more active, stronger, and more capable than I was for 15 years.
However, I'm not where I was last June, and right now that's killing me. I liked being that fit; I liked being able to run 20 miles. And I liked feeling slim and small, although I must admit, my face got a little too thin. I was looking a little haggard there. Or was that the two solid weeks of packing that did it? (wink!)
I think right now what's bothering me the most is that I don't feel small like I did before. I liked that feeling. Like Kent and I weren't the same size--and frankly, for a while, we were. And right now, with my clothes the wrong size, even if they're mediums and larges (and not extra-large or 1x or 2x), I still don't feel small.
So back to the drawing board. I just finished reading a book called Real Food, by Nina Planck, and she wrote a lot of interesting things about eating real eggs and real milk and even butter, not that I want to slather all my food in a pound of butter, but certainly it's better than hydrogenated margarine.
I will keep on the pace I'm on--strength training, running, and try to add walks in where I'm not doing either. And I'm tracking my food now, so I'll be better about getting those veggies and fruits in. That's something that, frankly, I've been horrible at lately, and I know that I was eating way more of them when I was lighter. And I need to re-read YOU: On a Diet, by Dr. Oz. I did that before and it helped me to see it was all physiological.
And right now, when the scale is telling me I gained 3 pounds and 2% body fat in one weekend, I need all the help I can get to remember it's NOT the Diet Gods out to get me.
I just gotta get back in the zone of want-power; I can do this. I did it before. I will do it again.
Have fun and enjoy health!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Wow!
This morning, Kent was a sweetie and let me sleep in. Considering I was up late last night, it was a nice thing for him to do.
What was so special? We went on a date night! :) My sister watched the girls, and we headed to dinner. A filet mignon and two mojitos were my choice, which is odd because I never, ever drink. And after a half mojito I was already a little buzzy. However, I decided I do like mojitos, but they aren't quite as good as Terminators...
I digress.
Anyway, after dinner we were going to see a movie, but we kept missing the times. The theatre we wanted to go to wasn't even showing anything until after 10, so we ended up spending an hour or so at Barnes & Noble, then driving around to find something to do.
We couldn't find anything to do. No comedy clubs, nothing obvious. There is no center of town here, so there's not even anyplace to walk around. Apparently you need to know where all the bars are, if that's your thing, because we couldn't even find any of those that we wanted to go to. Again, not like we're part of the bar crowd. I'm afraid two mojitos is my limit. Kent's is one mudslide. We're just not the partying type.
So we finally ended up--I am not kidding you--going to WalMart. We found a couple little toys for Karalyn, and Kent got some things for his class. The highlight for me was when I decided I didn't want to say I didn't do ANYTHING unusual (other than the mojitos) so I found a kid's bike with training wheels and rode that up and down the aisles a couple times.
I think the mojitos were still in effect at that point.
At 10:30, we finally got a donut and admitted defeat. The town had beaten us. There is NOTHING TO DO HERE.
However...
Sunday comes, and I finally got up at 11 a.m.; as I said, Kent was a sweetie to let me sleep. Maddy, very oddly, found my race number from the Kaiser-Permanente 5-miler I ran back in October, and brought it to me when I was just waking up.
"Look what I found, Mom!"
I glared at that number. Five miles. It was taunting me. It was also a bit freaky--I'd been lying there, debating: did I want to run four miles today, or aim for five?
Stupid number.
I got up and got ready for a run. But first, a quick pop onto Facebook to update my status.
Yes I am that addicted!
I posted that I was debating four or five miles, and a treadmill run at the Y (this had been my plan), but that I was considering a trail run by the Sundial Bridge. Up until I looked out the window, the Y was firmly in my sights. But it was so sunny and cool, it seemed like perfect running weather.
My friend's daughter immediately posted me back, "Go for a run on the trails. More fun than the Y. Wish I could run a mile!"
That did it. I fueled up with a banana and a bit of peanut butter, took two bottles of water, and drove out to the bridge.
The beginning of the run was a little hard. The first mile of a run is always the hardest, until you get your stride and your legs warm up. But considering I had run, at most, 4 minutes at a shot, I was definitely still rocky. However, I decided that this would be the day. I was going to run a mile, straight through. It's a familiar path, and I thought I could do it. I decided not to dwell on time or speed, but simply to "put in the distance."
I kept repeating that: "Simply do the distance. Put in the distance. It's all about the mileage. Forget the time. Forget the speed." And I kept at it.
Halfway through my mile, I got the ridiculous urge to make it two miles.
Ridiculous? I'll say! The last time I ran a consecutive mile without stopping was October. I am not sure when is the last time I ran two straight through without stopping. We might have to go back to September or even August!
But the thought was there. "I can do it," I argued with myself, listening to my iPod and trying not to notice the strong headwind blowing in my face. "I can do this. I can run for 24 minutes."
24 minutes is what I figured it would take to get to the 2-mile turnaround point, which I had memorized from my couch-to-10K program of last fall. That would be a 12-minute mile, and a good pace. Easy. Not too speedy, not too focused on time.
I kept at it. It was hard. It was really hard. But as I passed the mile marker, I permitted myself a little bit of a grin. I'd done a mile--ok. One more.
14 minutes passed. 16. 18. At 18, I told myself, "2/3 of the way through now."
19. 20. 21. 22...and then suddenly, I saw it. It was my turnaround--the 2 mile marker. But I was too close for it to be 24 minutes! Was I on a faster pace than I thought?
I hit the marker at 23:13, which made it for just over an 11 1/2 minute per mile pace.
Whoah! I did it! And faster than I had thought I would!
I felt great, but that was nothing compared to the rest of the run.
Today was the kind of day I haven't had since my last Presidential 5-mile loop in Kennebunkport, last October. The next 3 1/2 miles--yes, I did 5 1/2 in all today--started to be more about fun than about plodding or tired legs. I decided I'd aim for 4 minutes run, 30 seconds walking, or therabouts, as I had been doing all week. But somehow the four minutes blew past and I was suddenly at five before I decided to slow down and walk a little.
It was so cool. I was focusing on the view, which frankly is magnificent--there may be no nightlife, but the recreational activities for daytime are fantastic!--and I was so busy watching the river, and the snow-capped mountain in the distance, and the ducks and geese flying overhead, I kept forgetting that I was running.
How's that for amazing! I forgot what I was doing and just ran, and now and again I'd walk and stretch--the stretching was crucial, I'm still very stiff and my flexibility is shot. But I'd walk and stretch, then start to dance a bit to the music, and before I knew it the dance turned into a run, almost without my noticing!
There was so much joy and freedom in it...I wish I could explain it, but with every step I felt more like myself than I have for the last eight months, ever since we moved to California.
I felt like I was coming home to me. It was...amazing. It was cathartic. It was a revelation.
I might not like where I am, but I can still be me while I'm here. It doesn't have to be the way it was when we first arrived--the stress, the negativity, the heaviness of spirit!
Wow!
The run ended up being one of the most FUN runs I have had in months. I really just enjoyed the day. The weather was perfect, the temperature cold enough to keep me cooled off while I ran. The people were all friendly, waving or smiling or simply nodding as I passed. I felt like so much more than I have been for months. I did what felt like an easy run/walk, but it was more time running and less walking than I've done since last year.
It was all just so cool!
I know, I'm gushing. I can't help it. LOL. I'm sure later on I'll edit the daylights out of this post, but for now I'm letting it stand.
I had the best day! And the rest of it--well it was just fun and easy and calm. And I felt good. I cleaned the house, and made three different nut butters (peanut butter, cashew butter, and almond butter); I played with the girls, and got them dinner, put them to bed and even read with Maddy. And it was easy and fun and enjoyable and relaxing.
Wow. I was relaxed! What a concept! I haven't been relaxed in...you guessed it! MONTHS! LOL!
And after the last few months I've had...well, that was a revelation in and of itself!
I'll end this now before it gets too gushy, LOL! I did want to add that while I was running, I suddenly really listened to the lyrics of a particular song. Yes, it's from High School Musical II, and yes I do listen to that music. It's from my daughter's CD, but I like it too. It's fun and upbeat and I like musicals. So sue me. :)
But, as I ran, the lyrics kind of caught me and made me think, OK, yeah, this is about being MYSELF, for the first time in a long time. I'll post a little bit of them below. See what you think.
Have a great day, and as always...have fun!
________________________________________________________________
They say that you should follow
and chase down what you dream,
but if you get lost and lose yourself
what does is really mean?
No matter where we’re going,
it starts from where we are.
There’s more to life when we listen to our hearts
and because of you, I’ve got the strength to start
Everyday
of our lives,
wanna find you there, wanna hold on tight
Gonna run
while we’re young
and keep the faith.
What was so special? We went on a date night! :) My sister watched the girls, and we headed to dinner. A filet mignon and two mojitos were my choice, which is odd because I never, ever drink. And after a half mojito I was already a little buzzy. However, I decided I do like mojitos, but they aren't quite as good as Terminators...
I digress.
Anyway, after dinner we were going to see a movie, but we kept missing the times. The theatre we wanted to go to wasn't even showing anything until after 10, so we ended up spending an hour or so at Barnes & Noble, then driving around to find something to do.
We couldn't find anything to do. No comedy clubs, nothing obvious. There is no center of town here, so there's not even anyplace to walk around. Apparently you need to know where all the bars are, if that's your thing, because we couldn't even find any of those that we wanted to go to. Again, not like we're part of the bar crowd. I'm afraid two mojitos is my limit. Kent's is one mudslide. We're just not the partying type.
So we finally ended up--I am not kidding you--going to WalMart. We found a couple little toys for Karalyn, and Kent got some things for his class. The highlight for me was when I decided I didn't want to say I didn't do ANYTHING unusual (other than the mojitos) so I found a kid's bike with training wheels and rode that up and down the aisles a couple times.
I think the mojitos were still in effect at that point.
At 10:30, we finally got a donut and admitted defeat. The town had beaten us. There is NOTHING TO DO HERE.
However...
Sunday comes, and I finally got up at 11 a.m.; as I said, Kent was a sweetie to let me sleep. Maddy, very oddly, found my race number from the Kaiser-Permanente 5-miler I ran back in October, and brought it to me when I was just waking up.
"Look what I found, Mom!"
I glared at that number. Five miles. It was taunting me. It was also a bit freaky--I'd been lying there, debating: did I want to run four miles today, or aim for five?
Stupid number.
I got up and got ready for a run. But first, a quick pop onto Facebook to update my status.
Yes I am that addicted!
I posted that I was debating four or five miles, and a treadmill run at the Y (this had been my plan), but that I was considering a trail run by the Sundial Bridge. Up until I looked out the window, the Y was firmly in my sights. But it was so sunny and cool, it seemed like perfect running weather.
My friend's daughter immediately posted me back, "Go for a run on the trails. More fun than the Y. Wish I could run a mile!"
That did it. I fueled up with a banana and a bit of peanut butter, took two bottles of water, and drove out to the bridge.
The beginning of the run was a little hard. The first mile of a run is always the hardest, until you get your stride and your legs warm up. But considering I had run, at most, 4 minutes at a shot, I was definitely still rocky. However, I decided that this would be the day. I was going to run a mile, straight through. It's a familiar path, and I thought I could do it. I decided not to dwell on time or speed, but simply to "put in the distance."
I kept repeating that: "Simply do the distance. Put in the distance. It's all about the mileage. Forget the time. Forget the speed." And I kept at it.
Halfway through my mile, I got the ridiculous urge to make it two miles.
Ridiculous? I'll say! The last time I ran a consecutive mile without stopping was October. I am not sure when is the last time I ran two straight through without stopping. We might have to go back to September or even August!
But the thought was there. "I can do it," I argued with myself, listening to my iPod and trying not to notice the strong headwind blowing in my face. "I can do this. I can run for 24 minutes."
24 minutes is what I figured it would take to get to the 2-mile turnaround point, which I had memorized from my couch-to-10K program of last fall. That would be a 12-minute mile, and a good pace. Easy. Not too speedy, not too focused on time.
I kept at it. It was hard. It was really hard. But as I passed the mile marker, I permitted myself a little bit of a grin. I'd done a mile--ok. One more.
14 minutes passed. 16. 18. At 18, I told myself, "2/3 of the way through now."
19. 20. 21. 22...and then suddenly, I saw it. It was my turnaround--the 2 mile marker. But I was too close for it to be 24 minutes! Was I on a faster pace than I thought?
I hit the marker at 23:13, which made it for just over an 11 1/2 minute per mile pace.
Whoah! I did it! And faster than I had thought I would!
I felt great, but that was nothing compared to the rest of the run.
Today was the kind of day I haven't had since my last Presidential 5-mile loop in Kennebunkport, last October. The next 3 1/2 miles--yes, I did 5 1/2 in all today--started to be more about fun than about plodding or tired legs. I decided I'd aim for 4 minutes run, 30 seconds walking, or therabouts, as I had been doing all week. But somehow the four minutes blew past and I was suddenly at five before I decided to slow down and walk a little.
It was so cool. I was focusing on the view, which frankly is magnificent--there may be no nightlife, but the recreational activities for daytime are fantastic!--and I was so busy watching the river, and the snow-capped mountain in the distance, and the ducks and geese flying overhead, I kept forgetting that I was running.
How's that for amazing! I forgot what I was doing and just ran, and now and again I'd walk and stretch--the stretching was crucial, I'm still very stiff and my flexibility is shot. But I'd walk and stretch, then start to dance a bit to the music, and before I knew it the dance turned into a run, almost without my noticing!
There was so much joy and freedom in it...I wish I could explain it, but with every step I felt more like myself than I have for the last eight months, ever since we moved to California.
I felt like I was coming home to me. It was...amazing. It was cathartic. It was a revelation.
I might not like where I am, but I can still be me while I'm here. It doesn't have to be the way it was when we first arrived--the stress, the negativity, the heaviness of spirit!
Wow!
The run ended up being one of the most FUN runs I have had in months. I really just enjoyed the day. The weather was perfect, the temperature cold enough to keep me cooled off while I ran. The people were all friendly, waving or smiling or simply nodding as I passed. I felt like so much more than I have been for months. I did what felt like an easy run/walk, but it was more time running and less walking than I've done since last year.
It was all just so cool!
I know, I'm gushing. I can't help it. LOL. I'm sure later on I'll edit the daylights out of this post, but for now I'm letting it stand.
I had the best day! And the rest of it--well it was just fun and easy and calm. And I felt good. I cleaned the house, and made three different nut butters (peanut butter, cashew butter, and almond butter); I played with the girls, and got them dinner, put them to bed and even read with Maddy. And it was easy and fun and enjoyable and relaxing.
Wow. I was relaxed! What a concept! I haven't been relaxed in...you guessed it! MONTHS! LOL!
And after the last few months I've had...well, that was a revelation in and of itself!
I'll end this now before it gets too gushy, LOL! I did want to add that while I was running, I suddenly really listened to the lyrics of a particular song. Yes, it's from High School Musical II, and yes I do listen to that music. It's from my daughter's CD, but I like it too. It's fun and upbeat and I like musicals. So sue me. :)
But, as I ran, the lyrics kind of caught me and made me think, OK, yeah, this is about being MYSELF, for the first time in a long time. I'll post a little bit of them below. See what you think.
Have a great day, and as always...have fun!
________________________________________________________________
They say that you should follow
and chase down what you dream,
but if you get lost and lose yourself
what does is really mean?
No matter where we’re going,
it starts from where we are.
There’s more to life when we listen to our hearts
and because of you, I’ve got the strength to start
Everyday
of our lives,
wanna find you there, wanna hold on tight
Gonna run
while we’re young
and keep the faith.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
You know you've overdone it when...
...using deodorant hurts.
I mean, it really hurts. As in, your armpits go, "Oh my god, why are you beating me with a stick?!"
Well. I guess we can say that the 55 minutes of strenth training was effective. I haven't felt this sore since I played "let's see how many times Mommy can jump up and down" with baby Karalyn.
She won. That's how pathetic my jumping skills are.
Anyway, my lofty and high-minded goal of heading to the Y for another run workout today had to be sidelined. It's hard to run when you can't move your arms. Or your quads, for that matter.
I suppose it's to be expected. I have been doing little weight-lifting routines the past couple weeks, but I haven't really gone all-out, as my trainer Isaiah in Maine taught me to do. He was very specific about which exercises, which weights, and how many sets and reps (2 sets at 12 reps each) that I needed to do to gain strength.
He was also very specific in telling me that I should never do the same thing two days in a row...and that a day of rest is required to let your body heal and get stronger after an all-out effort.
That's what today has become: rest and repair.
Anyway, thankfully I'm a bit of a Cybex nut in that I remember exactly which machines he taught me to use, in which order, and at which settings, even though he taught me this stuff over a year ago.
But why weightlifting? If I'm running, wouldn't it stand to reason that I wouldn't want to bulk up?
You would think that would be the case, but this is when the beauty of being a women actually gives us an advantage.
Women don't bulk up.
Don't believe it when people say, "Oh, if you lift weights, you'll bulk up like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Barry Bonds." (OK, admittedly, at least one of those guys used steroids...) Women simply do not bulk up that way. We don't have the testosterone that is required, for one. For a more thorough examination as to why women don't bulk up, read this.
So it turns out that lifting weights is an important part of being a runner. I had no idea; Isaiah had told me that weight lifting would help my muscles stay lean, strong and healthy, and that would help me be a good runner, but it wasn't until I visited an orthopedic surgeon in York, Maine that I got a real wakeup call.
I went to see him in the late fall of 2007. I was experiencing knee pain--not when I ran, but when I sat at my 2nd job at William Arthur, putting decorative touches like bows and ribbons on special-ordered greeting cards and announcements. I tended to sit with my ankles crossed, which made my knees kind of splay out...and my left knee would hurt so badly that I couldn't even walk for a few minutes. Oddly, though, running helped it feel better.
The doctor put me through a full range-of-motion test, and after a thorough examination, declared that there was nothing wrong with my knee. But he cautioned me before I left.
"You need to start lifting weights," he said. "Strength training is essential, especially for runners. And," he added, "if you don't do it, I guarantee you, 100%, you will be back to see me with some real knee problems in the future."
Wow. Who knew.
So yesterday, thinking that it was high time I got my strength training going for real, I went to the Y with Karalyn. She's allowed to be in child care for 90 minutes, so rather than walk first, then fit in the strength training, I flipped them. I did the strength training first, although I did do a 5-minute warmup walk first as Isaiah had trained me.
It took about 55 minutes. I can't even begin to tell you all the weights I used, but I exercised pretty much every part of my body except my stomach. I hate crunches, much as I know I should be doing them, especially as a strong core is essential to running.
The strength training is good for more than just proper running form or for a strong, lean physique. It also helps you keep good posture. Think that's not a biggie? Think again. Twice in my life I've had to have Physical Therapy to lengthen the muscles in my chest and shorten them in my back, due to hunching my shoulders forward...granted, it was while breastfeeding, but it's common to end up in that position while on a computer as well. Doing PT exercises and hearing your chest go "crunch" when you straighten up are not fun things!
Anyway, as I noted yesterday, I also spent some time walking and sprinting. Sprints are good for speed training, and they also act like metabolic boosters by ramping up calorie-burning. You burn a lot of calories when you walk, you burn more when you run, but you really torch them when you add high-speed bursts to walking or running.
Not that the goal of an athlete is necessarily calorie-burning; it's training, first and foremost. But sometimes training includes reducing a gut that you let build up (guilty!) due to holidays, stress, or injury. That's when the calorie-burning becomes somewhat more important.
So today I am feeling it. It hurts to be in almost any position. But it's not hideously painful, it's more like a dull ache than a sharp OUCH...except when I used that deodorant this morning.
THAT hurt.
Guess those pullups and dips I did, along with the rowing and delts and all the other stuff really made a difference, huh?
Dean Karnazes says in his book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of An All-Night Runner, "Pain is the body's way of ridding itself of weakness."
The book also says, "If it comes easy, if it doens't require extraordinary effort, you're not pushing hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell." "
OK, Karno. Gotcha.
Apparently, I'm doing something right.
Have fun!
I mean, it really hurts. As in, your armpits go, "Oh my god, why are you beating me with a stick?!"
Well. I guess we can say that the 55 minutes of strenth training was effective. I haven't felt this sore since I played "let's see how many times Mommy can jump up and down" with baby Karalyn.
She won. That's how pathetic my jumping skills are.
Anyway, my lofty and high-minded goal of heading to the Y for another run workout today had to be sidelined. It's hard to run when you can't move your arms. Or your quads, for that matter.
I suppose it's to be expected. I have been doing little weight-lifting routines the past couple weeks, but I haven't really gone all-out, as my trainer Isaiah in Maine taught me to do. He was very specific about which exercises, which weights, and how many sets and reps (2 sets at 12 reps each) that I needed to do to gain strength.
He was also very specific in telling me that I should never do the same thing two days in a row...and that a day of rest is required to let your body heal and get stronger after an all-out effort.
That's what today has become: rest and repair.
Anyway, thankfully I'm a bit of a Cybex nut in that I remember exactly which machines he taught me to use, in which order, and at which settings, even though he taught me this stuff over a year ago.
But why weightlifting? If I'm running, wouldn't it stand to reason that I wouldn't want to bulk up?
You would think that would be the case, but this is when the beauty of being a women actually gives us an advantage.
Women don't bulk up.
Don't believe it when people say, "Oh, if you lift weights, you'll bulk up like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Barry Bonds." (OK, admittedly, at least one of those guys used steroids...) Women simply do not bulk up that way. We don't have the testosterone that is required, for one. For a more thorough examination as to why women don't bulk up, read this.
So it turns out that lifting weights is an important part of being a runner. I had no idea; Isaiah had told me that weight lifting would help my muscles stay lean, strong and healthy, and that would help me be a good runner, but it wasn't until I visited an orthopedic surgeon in York, Maine that I got a real wakeup call.
I went to see him in the late fall of 2007. I was experiencing knee pain--not when I ran, but when I sat at my 2nd job at William Arthur, putting decorative touches like bows and ribbons on special-ordered greeting cards and announcements. I tended to sit with my ankles crossed, which made my knees kind of splay out...and my left knee would hurt so badly that I couldn't even walk for a few minutes. Oddly, though, running helped it feel better.
The doctor put me through a full range-of-motion test, and after a thorough examination, declared that there was nothing wrong with my knee. But he cautioned me before I left.
"You need to start lifting weights," he said. "Strength training is essential, especially for runners. And," he added, "if you don't do it, I guarantee you, 100%, you will be back to see me with some real knee problems in the future."
Wow. Who knew.
So yesterday, thinking that it was high time I got my strength training going for real, I went to the Y with Karalyn. She's allowed to be in child care for 90 minutes, so rather than walk first, then fit in the strength training, I flipped them. I did the strength training first, although I did do a 5-minute warmup walk first as Isaiah had trained me.
It took about 55 minutes. I can't even begin to tell you all the weights I used, but I exercised pretty much every part of my body except my stomach. I hate crunches, much as I know I should be doing them, especially as a strong core is essential to running.
The strength training is good for more than just proper running form or for a strong, lean physique. It also helps you keep good posture. Think that's not a biggie? Think again. Twice in my life I've had to have Physical Therapy to lengthen the muscles in my chest and shorten them in my back, due to hunching my shoulders forward...granted, it was while breastfeeding, but it's common to end up in that position while on a computer as well. Doing PT exercises and hearing your chest go "crunch" when you straighten up are not fun things!
Anyway, as I noted yesterday, I also spent some time walking and sprinting. Sprints are good for speed training, and they also act like metabolic boosters by ramping up calorie-burning. You burn a lot of calories when you walk, you burn more when you run, but you really torch them when you add high-speed bursts to walking or running.
Not that the goal of an athlete is necessarily calorie-burning; it's training, first and foremost. But sometimes training includes reducing a gut that you let build up (guilty!) due to holidays, stress, or injury. That's when the calorie-burning becomes somewhat more important.
So today I am feeling it. It hurts to be in almost any position. But it's not hideously painful, it's more like a dull ache than a sharp OUCH...except when I used that deodorant this morning.
THAT hurt.
Guess those pullups and dips I did, along with the rowing and delts and all the other stuff really made a difference, huh?
Dean Karnazes says in his book, Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of An All-Night Runner, "Pain is the body's way of ridding itself of weakness."
The book also says, "If it comes easy, if it doens't require extraordinary effort, you're not pushing hard enough. It's supposed to hurt like hell." "
OK, Karno. Gotcha.
Apparently, I'm doing something right.
Have fun!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
5Ks and other fun stuff
Well I forgot how much fun running can be!
I know, I know. That probably sounds a lot like, "Wow, I forgot how much having a root canal with no anesthesia can be!"
But it's true. When everything "clicks", running is just...joyous. I had completely forgotten that in all the chaos of the past eight months or so.
Last week, when I was into my 2nd week of my couch-to-Bay-To-Breakers-12K program that I made up for myself, I was seriously wondering if I had completely lost my mind. I have been starting slow, doing run/walk intervals. In my past running life, that meant run 2 miles, walk a minute. My new goal was to simply run for three minutes, after which I would reward myself with 30 seconds of walking.
Oh, and that run? Yeah. It was at a 5 mph pace, which is a 12-minute mile. That's my former "I'm dilly-dallying" or "I'm running 20 miles today so I'm taking it easy" pace.(Whine!)
Was it a "taking it easy pace" last week? Heck no! It was almost an all-out, do-it-or-die sprint!
That's how fast you lose your running mojo. Three months and wham, I'm back to being a beginner.
But wait? What glimmer of hope was that? I ran a 5K one day, and 4 miles two days later.
I know, I know. I had to walk 1 1/2 minutes of every darned mile, but I did it. I put in the mileage.
Fast-forward to St. Patrick's Day. Despite it being a "Baby Gymnastics" day, I didn't dare take Karalyn to the YMCA child care center. She was still too sick. So I had to wait until Kent got home, at which time I dashed off to do a quick hour on the treadmill.
See what I mean? An hour on the treadmill. And I'm treating it like a "quick hour" running.
That's how fast the running bug bites you.
So anyway, I realized that if I intended to get everyone fed and to bed on time, I really only had about 40 minutes, plus driving time, but I thought I might be able to get a 5K out of it. I started two weeks ago with 2 minute run/30 second walk intervals; last week, I went to 3 minute run/30 second walk. Naturally, this week, I went to 4 minute run/30 second walk.
I was prepared to die on that treadmill. Last week I was seriously dying, slogging through those three minutes, watching the clock, counting each 60 seconds, thinking there had to be something wrong with my watch interval timer. I scraped through by my fingernails, and worried about what this week would bring.
So I got on the treadmill, hit the button to start my 12 min/mile pace, and went at it. 4 minutes run, 30 seconds walk.
2 miles in, I'm thinking, what's going on here? I didn't get it. I wasn't nearly as winded as I had been last week. I was flying right along, barely noticing until the timer beeped that it was time to do the walk. I seriously debated running through the intervals but decided to do it the right way. But after 2 miles, I kept thinking, "This should be harder."
I was flying! It was slow, but I had that "flying" feeling back, just like I used to get on my favorite five-mile run, the Presidential Loop in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Like the running was effortless.
Light.
Fun!
So, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I upped the speed. I thought, "I should be working harder here. I'm not nearly winded enough." (I'm such a dork!) So I bumped it up to a 10 minute 56 second-per-mile pace, with 4 minutes run/30 seconds walk.
That felt a little tougher, but even that wasn't quite enough. I did another mile, and thought, for the last tenth, I'll just bump it up to a ten-minute-per-mile pace for the last tenth.
My vanity got the best of me; after a tenth of a mile, I thought, "That was it?" and ran another tenth.
My Personal St. Patrick's Day 5K turned into a 5K-Plus-1/10th-mile run!
Time? 38:56.
No, it was definitely not blazingly fast, but better than, oh, say, three weeks ago when I wasn't running AT ALL.
But in the meantime, I discovered this visceral joy in running. It was so easy and effortless that I was watching Oprah and not even noticing the time go by. I was tempted to say that Oprah was just too distracting--and yes, medical mistakes CAN be quite distracting--but nothing is THAT distracting when you're having a hard run.
It's when it's easy that I lose myself and feel like I could run forever.
I went home afterwards, and longingly looked at the Honolulu Marathon website. I kept thinking, "I ran 20 miles. I was going to do San Francisco, but then the move from hell happened, and I never did it...I knew when I did that 20 miler that I could have definitely done six more. I nearly did then. I wish I had...but that's OK. Now, I want to do THIS marathon!"
I blurted it out to Kent. "Hon, I want to do the Honolulu Marathon. It's the one I really wanted to do. It was my first goal. I think I want to go for it this year."
His reaction?
"OK."
...Oh. OK then! We're on!
My new goal: December 13, 2009: The Honolulu Marathon. It'll give me a chance to go back to my old stomping grounds. I haven't been there since that summer of 1982. It's been so long. I want to see the old apartment complex, and walk my favorite walk from Kapiolani Park down to the Hale Koa hotel. I want to check out Ala Moana, and take the tram at Pearlridge. And I want to smell all the plumeria I can get my hands on. They're still one of my favorite flowers.
It's my goal. I am already checking out flights, and now I simply need either to reserve a room at a hostel, or find someone to go with me to split the hotel costs. Kent is willing to stay with the girls, although perhaps our parents can watch them and we can go together. It's a thought.
But this time, I'm not going to stress over whether I can go fast enough to beat 5 hours. I will train to complete it; if I break 5 hours, great. If not, I just want to finish it. It's a better goal for a marathon "virgin" anyway.
Anyway, this morning, since Kara was better and I didn't feel like I'd subject other kids to her cold, I planned to go to the Y to do weight training and then simply walk for a bit, but after almost an hour of Cybex (including a very humbling assisted-weight pullup session lasting for exactly THREE pullups), I got on the treadmill and soon was doing what I call "reverse intervals", with 2 minutes' walking and 30 seconds in an all-out sprint.
I used to do these on a six-minute-per-mile pace; the best I could scrape out was an 8-minute-per-mile pace today. It was tough, but I had a good time with it.
Tomorrow, more running on tap. I think I'll aim for another four miles. I am hopeful that I'll have another "flying" day, but if there is one thing I have found in running, it is that the days you expect to be easy rarely are; and sometimes, the days you expect to be the most impossible end up being the kind of days you live for.
Have a lovely day, and here's to an even better tomorrow...we hope!
I know, I know. That probably sounds a lot like, "Wow, I forgot how much having a root canal with no anesthesia can be!"
But it's true. When everything "clicks", running is just...joyous. I had completely forgotten that in all the chaos of the past eight months or so.
Last week, when I was into my 2nd week of my couch-to-Bay-To-Breakers-12K program that I made up for myself, I was seriously wondering if I had completely lost my mind. I have been starting slow, doing run/walk intervals. In my past running life, that meant run 2 miles, walk a minute. My new goal was to simply run for three minutes, after which I would reward myself with 30 seconds of walking.
Oh, and that run? Yeah. It was at a 5 mph pace, which is a 12-minute mile. That's my former "I'm dilly-dallying" or "I'm running 20 miles today so I'm taking it easy" pace.
Was it a "taking it easy pace" last week? Heck no! It was almost an all-out, do-it-or-die sprint!
That's how fast you lose your running mojo. Three months and wham, I'm back to being a beginner.
But wait? What glimmer of hope was that? I ran a 5K one day, and 4 miles two days later.
I know, I know. I had to walk 1 1/2 minutes of every darned mile, but I did it. I put in the mileage.
Fast-forward to St. Patrick's Day. Despite it being a "Baby Gymnastics" day, I didn't dare take Karalyn to the YMCA child care center. She was still too sick. So I had to wait until Kent got home, at which time I dashed off to do a quick hour on the treadmill.
See what I mean? An hour on the treadmill. And I'm treating it like a "quick hour" running.
That's how fast the running bug bites you.
So anyway, I realized that if I intended to get everyone fed and to bed on time, I really only had about 40 minutes, plus driving time, but I thought I might be able to get a 5K out of it. I started two weeks ago with 2 minute run/30 second walk intervals; last week, I went to 3 minute run/30 second walk. Naturally, this week, I went to 4 minute run/30 second walk.
I was prepared to die on that treadmill. Last week I was seriously dying, slogging through those three minutes, watching the clock, counting each 60 seconds, thinking there had to be something wrong with my watch interval timer. I scraped through by my fingernails, and worried about what this week would bring.
So I got on the treadmill, hit the button to start my 12 min/mile pace, and went at it. 4 minutes run, 30 seconds walk.
2 miles in, I'm thinking, what's going on here? I didn't get it. I wasn't nearly as winded as I had been last week. I was flying right along, barely noticing until the timer beeped that it was time to do the walk. I seriously debated running through the intervals but decided to do it the right way. But after 2 miles, I kept thinking, "This should be harder."
I was flying! It was slow, but I had that "flying" feeling back, just like I used to get on my favorite five-mile run, the Presidential Loop in Kennebunkport, Maine.
Like the running was effortless.
Light.
Fun!
So, being the glutton for punishment that I am, I upped the speed. I thought, "I should be working harder here. I'm not nearly winded enough." (I'm such a dork!) So I bumped it up to a 10 minute 56 second-per-mile pace, with 4 minutes run/30 seconds walk.
That felt a little tougher, but even that wasn't quite enough. I did another mile, and thought, for the last tenth, I'll just bump it up to a ten-minute-per-mile pace for the last tenth.
My vanity got the best of me; after a tenth of a mile, I thought, "That was it?" and ran another tenth.
My Personal St. Patrick's Day 5K turned into a 5K-Plus-1/10th-mile run!
Time? 38:56.
No, it was definitely not blazingly fast, but better than, oh, say, three weeks ago when I wasn't running AT ALL.
But in the meantime, I discovered this visceral joy in running. It was so easy and effortless that I was watching Oprah and not even noticing the time go by. I was tempted to say that Oprah was just too distracting--and yes, medical mistakes CAN be quite distracting--but nothing is THAT distracting when you're having a hard run.
It's when it's easy that I lose myself and feel like I could run forever.
I went home afterwards, and longingly looked at the Honolulu Marathon website. I kept thinking, "I ran 20 miles. I was going to do San Francisco, but then the move from hell happened, and I never did it...I knew when I did that 20 miler that I could have definitely done six more. I nearly did then. I wish I had...but that's OK. Now, I want to do THIS marathon!"
I blurted it out to Kent. "Hon, I want to do the Honolulu Marathon. It's the one I really wanted to do. It was my first goal. I think I want to go for it this year."
His reaction?
"OK."
...Oh. OK then! We're on!
My new goal: December 13, 2009: The Honolulu Marathon. It'll give me a chance to go back to my old stomping grounds. I haven't been there since that summer of 1982. It's been so long. I want to see the old apartment complex, and walk my favorite walk from Kapiolani Park down to the Hale Koa hotel. I want to check out Ala Moana, and take the tram at Pearlridge. And I want to smell all the plumeria I can get my hands on. They're still one of my favorite flowers.
It's my goal. I am already checking out flights, and now I simply need either to reserve a room at a hostel, or find someone to go with me to split the hotel costs. Kent is willing to stay with the girls, although perhaps our parents can watch them and we can go together. It's a thought.
But this time, I'm not going to stress over whether I can go fast enough to beat 5 hours. I will train to complete it; if I break 5 hours, great. If not, I just want to finish it. It's a better goal for a marathon "virgin" anyway.
Anyway, this morning, since Kara was better and I didn't feel like I'd subject other kids to her cold, I planned to go to the Y to do weight training and then simply walk for a bit, but after almost an hour of Cybex (including a very humbling assisted-weight pullup session lasting for exactly THREE pullups), I got on the treadmill and soon was doing what I call "reverse intervals", with 2 minutes' walking and 30 seconds in an all-out sprint.
I used to do these on a six-minute-per-mile pace; the best I could scrape out was an 8-minute-per-mile pace today. It was tough, but I had a good time with it.
Tomorrow, more running on tap. I think I'll aim for another four miles. I am hopeful that I'll have another "flying" day, but if there is one thing I have found in running, it is that the days you expect to be easy rarely are; and sometimes, the days you expect to be the most impossible end up being the kind of days you live for.
Have a lovely day, and here's to an even better tomorrow...we hope!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Officially Back in Training
Today was my 2nd day of run training. I am back at it. But to explain how, I first have to back up a bit...
On Saturday, Feb. 28, I went to Sacramento on my own to get this laptop (MacBook) repaired--there was a crack in the casing. While I was there, I went to SportsAuthority, and looked for a sports watch. I needed one in the worst way. I totally scored, and found a brand new UnderArmour training watch. It was normally priced $89, and was marked down to $50. I was so excited; the price was right, and it had all the features I needed. It's pink and it has a chronometer and an interval timer. The chronometer tracks my overall time and the splits (individual laps or segments of sport, such as in a triathlon), up to 75 different splits. The interval timer lets me program run/walk intervals, with an alarm, so I can run a set time and then walk a set time, which is a standard training routine for new runners, or returning runners like me.
So now, we're heading back up to last Tuesday. I took out my new watch, and set it with two intervals: a 2 minute, and a 30 second. That is, I planned to do 2 minutes of running followed by a 30 second walk. I hoped I'd be able to handle that much running, and that I wouldn't have to dial up the walk segment to a minute or even (gasp) time equal to running.
After Karalyn went to baby Gymnastics last week, I dropped her off at child care to "play", which she willingly did in lieu of going home for a nap, and then I hit the treadmill.
I went two miles of run/walk, and walked an additional two after that. It was tough but I did it. I walked the next day, and that was it for the week.
Cue up the music for today...duh duh DUHHH! What would have happened after one single run? I decided to be positive, and so I reset my watch for a 3 minute run, 30 second walk. Once again, after baby Gymnastics, Kara went to play and I hit the treadmill.
Watching the little TV monitor on the treadmill kept me occupied so I didn't dwell on the time. I watched "What Not To Wear," which is a really fun show where people's wardrobes are hijacked, dumped, and then the two hosts give the person $5 grand to buy a new wardrobe, following their suggestions. The lady today had lost a lot of weight but still had the roll around the middle...sort of like me!...and so it was interesting to see what kind of wardrobe they had her choose. She was still a size 18 or so, which I am not any longer--I'm currently a 12, up from my former size 8 in Maine--but it was still interesting.
The time flew by and before I knew it, I had run a 5K. I did 3.2 miles! I was elated! I walked an additional 2 miles, like last week, and then realized that, along with the elation, I felt depressed at the same time.
Depressed? Why?
My pace was pretty much a 12-minute mile pace, or 5 mph. That was my slow-and-easy pace when I ran my 20 miles back in May, and even back then I wasn't doing a 3 minute run and 30 second walk. I was running pretty much the full five miles with a short break and then rehitting another 5, for four loops. My normal easy pace was 10 minute miles for 6 miles at a time (sometimes more, up to 12 miles); my race pace was around a 9 minute mile. And here I was, run/walking a 12 minute mile.
However, the sense of elation returned when I realized that after months of not running, I was able to run/walk a 5K faster than the first ever 5K I walked with Maddy, way back in 2007. I also remembered a post I saw late last night when I was perusing a site called "43 things" that there were a whole lot of people who had as a goal, "Run one mile". And I thought...I just did 3.2, on 2 days' practice.
So I'll take being elated. My training will be to compete in the 12K Bay t0 Breakers race in San Francisco. There is a killer hill early in, and I know I will probably have to walk at least some of that, but I hope to run the rest of it, at least most of the rest of it. That will be about an 8 mile run. I've walked it before, and was wicked sore afterwards, but that was back in 1992 and I was also horribly unfit back then. I have been wanting to do the Bay to Breakers for almost 2 years, now, and now I will have my chance.
I hope to run more this week. We head to Eureka for a family visit this weekend, and I plan to do some running there, too. Hopefully by the time next Tuesday rolls around, I will be able to maybe bump it up to 4 minutes' run, 30 second walk. We'll see.
Either way, I'm back in training! Yay me! :)
On Saturday, Feb. 28, I went to Sacramento on my own to get this laptop (MacBook) repaired--there was a crack in the casing. While I was there, I went to SportsAuthority, and looked for a sports watch. I needed one in the worst way. I totally scored, and found a brand new UnderArmour training watch. It was normally priced $89, and was marked down to $50. I was so excited; the price was right, and it had all the features I needed. It's pink and it has a chronometer and an interval timer. The chronometer tracks my overall time and the splits (individual laps or segments of sport, such as in a triathlon), up to 75 different splits. The interval timer lets me program run/walk intervals, with an alarm, so I can run a set time and then walk a set time, which is a standard training routine for new runners, or returning runners like me.
So now, we're heading back up to last Tuesday. I took out my new watch, and set it with two intervals: a 2 minute, and a 30 second. That is, I planned to do 2 minutes of running followed by a 30 second walk. I hoped I'd be able to handle that much running, and that I wouldn't have to dial up the walk segment to a minute or even (gasp) time equal to running.
After Karalyn went to baby Gymnastics last week, I dropped her off at child care to "play", which she willingly did in lieu of going home for a nap, and then I hit the treadmill.
I went two miles of run/walk, and walked an additional two after that. It was tough but I did it. I walked the next day, and that was it for the week.
Cue up the music for today...duh duh DUHHH! What would have happened after one single run? I decided to be positive, and so I reset my watch for a 3 minute run, 30 second walk. Once again, after baby Gymnastics, Kara went to play and I hit the treadmill.
Watching the little TV monitor on the treadmill kept me occupied so I didn't dwell on the time. I watched "What Not To Wear," which is a really fun show where people's wardrobes are hijacked, dumped, and then the two hosts give the person $5 grand to buy a new wardrobe, following their suggestions. The lady today had lost a lot of weight but still had the roll around the middle...sort of like me!...and so it was interesting to see what kind of wardrobe they had her choose. She was still a size 18 or so, which I am not any longer--I'm currently a 12, up from my former size 8 in Maine--but it was still interesting.
The time flew by and before I knew it, I had run a 5K. I did 3.2 miles! I was elated! I walked an additional 2 miles, like last week, and then realized that, along with the elation, I felt depressed at the same time.
Depressed? Why?
My pace was pretty much a 12-minute mile pace, or 5 mph. That was my slow-and-easy pace when I ran my 20 miles back in May, and even back then I wasn't doing a 3 minute run and 30 second walk. I was running pretty much the full five miles with a short break and then rehitting another 5, for four loops. My normal easy pace was 10 minute miles for 6 miles at a time (sometimes more, up to 12 miles); my race pace was around a 9 minute mile. And here I was, run/walking a 12 minute mile.
However, the sense of elation returned when I realized that after months of not running, I was able to run/walk a 5K faster than the first ever 5K I walked with Maddy, way back in 2007. I also remembered a post I saw late last night when I was perusing a site called "43 things" that there were a whole lot of people who had as a goal, "Run one mile". And I thought...I just did 3.2, on 2 days' practice.
So I'll take being elated. My training will be to compete in the 12K Bay t0 Breakers race in San Francisco. There is a killer hill early in, and I know I will probably have to walk at least some of that, but I hope to run the rest of it, at least most of the rest of it. That will be about an 8 mile run. I've walked it before, and was wicked sore afterwards, but that was back in 1992 and I was also horribly unfit back then. I have been wanting to do the Bay to Breakers for almost 2 years, now, and now I will have my chance.
I hope to run more this week. We head to Eureka for a family visit this weekend, and I plan to do some running there, too. Hopefully by the time next Tuesday rolls around, I will be able to maybe bump it up to 4 minutes' run, 30 second walk. We'll see.
Either way, I'm back in training! Yay me! :)
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Finding the Motivation
Today I did something I haven't done in two months.
I read Runner's World online.
To say I haven't been running puts it mildly. I haven't been doing ANYTHING.
But something I read on John "The Penguin" Bingham's blog got to me. I decided I'd post his blog (with the appropriate link), and the reply I added. I think it kinda sums it up.
Job 1: Get over my cold.
Job 2: Get running again.
Take care,
Karina
_______________________________________________________________
Finding the Right Distance
"Ask the Penguin" Blog
John "The Penguin" Bingham
Runner's World, Feb. 6, 2009
_______________________________________________________________
My reply: (dated Feb. 25, 2009, 5:05:24 p.m.)
__________________________________________________________
Truly a good answer to myself. Now I just need to listen, and learn.
As John says, Waddle on, my friends!
I read Runner's World online.
To say I haven't been running puts it mildly. I haven't been doing ANYTHING.
But something I read on John "The Penguin" Bingham's blog got to me. I decided I'd post his blog (with the appropriate link), and the reply I added. I think it kinda sums it up.
Job 1: Get over my cold.
Job 2: Get running again.
Take care,
Karina
_______________________________________________________________
Finding the Right Distance
"Ask the Penguin" Blog
John "The Penguin" Bingham
Runner's World, Feb. 6, 2009
Dear John,
I am 42, female, and a runner/gym enthusiast. I tried for many years to run a marathon but kept getting hurt during training. Then I decided to join running groups to help me train properly. The first time I trained with a group, in 2006, I made it to the fifth month of training but developed knee pain. Day of the marathon, I started hurting at the 6-mile mark, so I cut my race in half.
The second year of training with another running group was better. I finished five months of training without incident. But on the day of the marathon, I started cramping at mile 17. The rest of the way was very painful, with me unable to move at times and in tears.
I was tired of not finishing anything, so I just grit my teeth and kept going. I ended up finishing the race an hour over my goal with both hams, quads, and calves cramping.
After training for two marathons two years back to back, I had difficulty maintaining fitness. It seems that after I run these races, my body just bonks. Three weeks post-race, I can hardly catch my breath running just one mile, depression sets in, my resting heart rate is elevated, and I just do not have any energy. This lasts seven to 11 months. I am scared now to train for another marathon.
I have just now recovered from one of these post-marathon "bonks" a year after I ran. Needless to say, I have gained weight and lost fitness. I tried several times to get back to running, but the desire and energy were just not there. I want to get fit again. Can you help me out? - Eileen
Hi, Eileen. Thanks for writing. Some of what you’re describing is fairly typical. There is a “post marathon syndrome” in which we are mentally, physically, and emotionally drained. I’ve run 45 marathons. I’ve had the exact sensation of trying to run a week or so later and wondering how in the world I ever ran 26.2 miles and how in the world did I get so out of shape so quickly.
So, as uncomfortable as you may feel, it’s not something to worry about.
Marathons have become what one writer described as “the great urban Everest.” They seem to have become the standard by which contemporary runners judge themselves. It’s unfortunate, really, because there are so many other great distances that might suit many runners better than the marathon.
The question you need to answer for yourself is, what’s your ideal race distance? What is the distance that you can enjoy both training for, and participating in? Maybe you’re a 5-K runner. You like the full-on, go-for-broke, go-hard-and-hang-on feeling that you get in a 5-K. Maybe you’re a 10-K runner. You like the artistry of finding the razor-edge between too fast and too slow.
I’ve found that I really like the half-marathon distance. It’s far enough that someone like me, who is terminally slow, can feel like we’ve accomplished something special, but no so far that I put too much stress on my body, mind, and soul.
So, find your own joy. Find the distance that gives you that joy and focus on it. My guess is that you’ll be a happier, healthier runner if you do.
Waddle on,
John
John “the Penguin” Bingham, Runner’s World columnist
Author, The Courage to Start, No Need for Speed, Marathoning for Mortals and Running for Mortals.
Have a question for John? E-mail it to thepenguin@johnbingham.com.
My reply: (dated Feb. 25, 2009, 5:05:24 p.m.)
__________________________________________________________
Truly a good answer to myself. Now I just need to listen, and learn.
As John says, Waddle on, my friends!
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I too am 42 and female...LOL there's a lot of us...and I haven't run since last December. We made a move to California from Maine which ended up being a mistake, but we're trying to deal with it...meanwhile, the upheaval of living five months out of a suitcase then the actual unpacking in December when we got a house put running dead last. Now I cannot drag myself out the door.
Prior to the move I had completed my first 20-mile run in four hours, and felt fabulous during and after. I know I can do it. So why aren't I? I would imagine some form of depression or sadness is part of it (from this horrendous relocation), stress (the daily threat of my husband losing his teaching job due to CA politics), tiredness (I have a history of anemia...but I didn't think of that as a potential cause of it), and anxiety (two houses in two states and the worry over upkeep and paying my taxes).
I know if I run, I'll run the chaos out of my brain and it will give me energy, clarity and focus...so why am I not doing it? I'm blessed because I've always run injury-free--probably because I'm also slow (and proud of it). So why can't I get out there??
Anyway, the point of this long ramble is that Eileen, you're not alone, each of us has our own running battle to fight from time to time, but in the end, running is worth it. Your email reminded me of that. I forgot how much I loved to run and that, truly, the only thing holding me back is my head. Even my toddler isn't an impediment: I've been running with her since she was 4 months old.
I would agree that you should play around and find your distance. I found that I love long distances--I can go for a couple hours and be happy as a lark--but I cannot stand 5Ks because I'm so slow and the race is over too fast. I always said that I may not be fast, but I can plod on forever.
Anyway, you can do it--and I know I can also. Time for us both to get out there and take our first baby steps! Good luck!