Mother nature gave us a glimmer of hope last week. We had 50 degree temps in february. Things started melting. One could even see brown grass exposed on hillsides and from the window at work. I went for a glorious 3.1 mile run in a t-shirt. Everyone in Minnesota was walking with a little more spring in their step; a sparkle in their eyes. But alas, it was a ruse. Mother Nature was just giving us hug before she smacked us across the face with a snowstorm. We got 19" of new snow here in my 'burb. Our temps are plunging back down below 20 degrees. Just a reminder that winter truly is still going and that we aren't ever out of the woods until May.
Along with this snow, my motivation slowed a bit. I was all pumped to start my strength training and up my number of running times up to 2-3. Well, its been since Friday that I've run. :( I got down to the hamster wheel and redeemed myself a little. But I have yet to continue my plank and strength training challenge. Probably because I hate strength and flexibility training more than I hate running on the treadmill. No matter how many times I hear on the news that strength training regularly throughout life helps decrease the risks of osteoporosis, it still is like pulling teeth to get me to do it. Maybe this spring will be different.... maybe.
Upcoming races:
-- Get Lucky 7K March 19th : This one should be fun! I know many people doing it including my co-worker. I get a medal and a hoodie for participating. There's free beer tickets too!
-- MDRA 7miler on March 26th: I get this one for free as a member of the Minnesota Distance Running Association -- $25 got me 3 free races, a calendar, invites to parties and a monthly magazine, a pretty good deal to me! -- Even if I can't actually run the whole thing it would be foolish not to go and try.
-- Autism 5K on May 14th: knowing several people raising kids with autism, this is a favorite race for me. Maybe this year I can do it in less than 30 minutes. Last year I ran it in about 40...
-- Go Commando 5K adventure race on June 25th-- Its a bootcamp style 5K with mud, water, obstacles. More beer abounds and you get to get all dirty with friends!
Monday, February 21, 2011
Where have I been?
Busy busy busy. Lets see, since Jan 1, I've run a 5K in almost 0 temps, worked 48-55 hrs/week, planned and attended a convention for 220 some women from around the state, had a further excision of a suspicious mole -- which gave me the 1 and only week I didn't make it outside for a run.
I've been adjusting to the new job. They really like me and feel I'm catching on quickly. In fact, I'm picking up more hours here and there which is awesome! Extra hours there = a lot more money than I made at the coffeeshop!
Oh yeah, I'm still working there. In fact, the next 3 weeks of my life involve working every single day at one or both jobs. As of February 13th, My next day off is March 12! I'm kind of nervous about working that many days in a row. The only thing that's saving me is that most days I don't work til afternoon and because he's got me on full weekends, I'm working less 5am shifts during the week at the shop.
The other things in my life are still hapening so during that time I'll be ramping up the wedding planning, continuing to train for the Get Lucky 7K and the MDRA 7 miler on March 19 and March 26th respectively. Oh yeah and my women's group stuff. So when I say I'm busy, I'm not kidding!
Everyone has their own form of busy though. Everyone has their stuff so I'm not complaining, I'm just explaining. When I start getting down about things or when I start feeling like I need to whine and be all "woe is me" I'm trying to remind myself that everyone has their own drama going on. Mine is by no means any more or less important than anyone elses.
The coolest thing with running is that my pace is holding at between 10 and 11 minute miles. This is pretty amazing to me. I may not be running 5 miles, but I'm doing 2.5-3 at a pretty good clip. I'm looking forward to taking that speed with me and increasing the mileage for those longer races and picking out my half marathon for sometimes between August and October.
Wedding planning: well.... it needs to happen. I'm hitting the 100 days mark. Yikes. So much to do, so little time! My ring is being resized so my finger is naked! I had to put on my class ring in order to not feel off.
I've been adjusting to the new job. They really like me and feel I'm catching on quickly. In fact, I'm picking up more hours here and there which is awesome! Extra hours there = a lot more money than I made at the coffeeshop!
Oh yeah, I'm still working there. In fact, the next 3 weeks of my life involve working every single day at one or both jobs. As of February 13th, My next day off is March 12! I'm kind of nervous about working that many days in a row. The only thing that's saving me is that most days I don't work til afternoon and because he's got me on full weekends, I'm working less 5am shifts during the week at the shop.
The other things in my life are still hapening so during that time I'll be ramping up the wedding planning, continuing to train for the Get Lucky 7K and the MDRA 7 miler on March 19 and March 26th respectively. Oh yeah and my women's group stuff. So when I say I'm busy, I'm not kidding!
Everyone has their own form of busy though. Everyone has their stuff so I'm not complaining, I'm just explaining. When I start getting down about things or when I start feeling like I need to whine and be all "woe is me" I'm trying to remind myself that everyone has their own drama going on. Mine is by no means any more or less important than anyone elses.
The coolest thing with running is that my pace is holding at between 10 and 11 minute miles. This is pretty amazing to me. I may not be running 5 miles, but I'm doing 2.5-3 at a pretty good clip. I'm looking forward to taking that speed with me and increasing the mileage for those longer races and picking out my half marathon for sometimes between August and October.
Wedding planning: well.... it needs to happen. I'm hitting the 100 days mark. Yikes. So much to do, so little time! My ring is being resized so my finger is naked! I had to put on my class ring in order to not feel off.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Happy 2011! -- a realization
2011 is off to a much better start, direction than 2010!
Today I realized that while I may not be doing what I set out to do, while I occasionally will feel like a failure for not having a masters or doctorate degree or some fancy title, I'm happier than I was doing lab work.
I am occasionally plagued by sleep issues, but since leaving the lab work, I am not plagued like I was before. I remember constantly fighting against the clock both in falling asleep and waking up. I remember the days when I couldn't sleep til 8am, even 10am and would oversleep for a 4pm shift. I remember dragging through every day barely able to do the minimum and feeling like a failure at the whole science thing and being mad at myself for how apathetic I was. While I still fight with waking up it has more to do with having to be into work by 5am than a general malaise I used to feel. I also remember feeling that I put more into my coffeeshop job that I ever did into my "fancy" jobs.
Right now I've come to terms with my loss of identity because I may have found a new one. It took only a year and a half and countless rejections and someone FINALLY being willing to take a chance on me!
Today I realized that while I may not be doing what I set out to do, while I occasionally will feel like a failure for not having a masters or doctorate degree or some fancy title, I'm happier than I was doing lab work.
I am occasionally plagued by sleep issues, but since leaving the lab work, I am not plagued like I was before. I remember constantly fighting against the clock both in falling asleep and waking up. I remember the days when I couldn't sleep til 8am, even 10am and would oversleep for a 4pm shift. I remember dragging through every day barely able to do the minimum and feeling like a failure at the whole science thing and being mad at myself for how apathetic I was. While I still fight with waking up it has more to do with having to be into work by 5am than a general malaise I used to feel. I also remember feeling that I put more into my coffeeshop job that I ever did into my "fancy" jobs.
Right now I've come to terms with my loss of identity because I may have found a new one. It took only a year and a half and countless rejections and someone FINALLY being willing to take a chance on me!
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Polar Dash 1-1-11 Race recap; looking back and ahead too!
I can't believe I did it! The air temp was a chilly 7 degrees with windchills supposedly around 10 below. While most people were hibernating, Mike, Amber and I jumped in my car and trekked over to Eastern Minneapolis/Western St. Paul to partake in a crazy New Years tradition for a crowd of 2000+ people, the Team Ortho Foundation Polar Dash 5K.
Winter running has been a bit of a challenge trying to figure out what to wear in order to tread that fine line between comfortable and overheating. Today it involved 2 layers of running pants topped with wind pants; smartwool socks; underlayer shirt, official polar dash fleece, jacket, neck gaitor, hat, hood and mittens. That's ALOT of stuff to wear! But I wasn't not willing to take chances with the windchills!
We had about an hour til race start, so we hung out in the warming tent and I have to admit, we stayed pretty comfortable -- except for my feet. I lost feeling in my toes and it took til about a mile into the race for me to once again feel them. That was the hardest part. The rest of me was fine, but the toes were numb and quite painful. I found myself asking, "What would Bear Grylls do in this situation?" but decided he'd probably pee on them or something so moved my thoughts to other ideas like jumping in place, curling and un-curling them, etc.
Race time was about to start so we hurried out to the start area and aligned ourselves with the 10.5 minute mile pace. The excitement grew. The enthusiasm of the crowd was great. We were getting a lot of attention as we were still in our Happy New Years blinking hats and bound and determined to stay in them the whole race.
The race went by much faster than I expected. Usually that first mile is pretty grueling. I was definitely happy when the feeling returned to my toes. Although for a brief moment the feeling had only returned to about half my toes which was quite surreal. My running buddy, Amber was definitely the pace setter this time and at many times I felt her pulling me. What a change from earlier this fall. Its inspiring to see how far she's come in this process! The only thing is I was completely out of juice to sprint that last 0.1 miles so I merely jogged my way in. I usually can muster up a sprint so that was a bit disappointing. But I still finished running and crossed the finish line at 35:20. I knew my official time had to be less than that as I was pretty far back in the crowd.
Official time: 31:23!!!!! This is a personal record for the distance.
to review:
- Time to Fly 5K 2009: 35:36
- Autism 5K 2010: Not timed but it was somewhere around 40 minutes
- Time to Fly 5K 2010: 39 something?
- Autumn woods classic 10K: 69:58
- Diva Dash 5 miler: 53:14
I finished about 8-9 minutes FASTER than my first 5K's this year!
I do accept, though, that this may be the fastest my body will go unless I step up the other parts of the equation: strength training, flexibility work, speed work. If I am in fact serious about doing a half marathon there is definitely more hard work ahead of me. I embrace it though because in the end it's all worth it! The post run high and accompanying sense of accomplishment can't be beat! I'm addicted.
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thank you
Thank you my friends for following/participating in my journey.
I went from couch to 5K, then back to the couch. Then I literally went from the couch and did 2 5k's (no training involved). Needing the challenge, I went from barely able to complete a 5K to loving 3-4 miles as a distance and completing both a 10K AND a 5 miler. And I'll bring 2010- aka: the year I discovered I loved to run-- to a close with 200 miles logged running this year! I'll also start 2011 with a 5K. It'll be cold, but that's what happens with a race on January 1st in the upper midwest!
Looking back, I am left with a sense of accomplishment. Not a feeling I'm used to having, that's for sure. Usually the end of the year leaves me feeling like I didn't do what I set out to do. This year, I did what I set out to do and more -- as I wasn't cognizant of the desire to do a 10K until after the 2nd 5K in June. That feeling along with the friends I've made and the physical changes in myself leave me hopeful for 2011.
*I will say that even though I started the 10K journey alone, I found great friends like Sue Ellen and Amber to run with. Without Amber, I seriously question if I'd have it in me to do what has been an amazing amount of fall-winter running. I have no doubts that together she and I will motivate one another to do that half marathon next year.
The new year also has me excited to enter married life, although one could argue I'm pretty much married, just don't have the fancy paperwork and title. I've been feeling a little out of sync with my fiance lately, which I almost entirely blame on the financial stress of my life. Nothing kills the libido like stress... So with a 2nd part time job starting up I'm looking forward to getting us back. It'll involve less time but the 25 hours I'll work there will pay what I make in 35 at the coffee shop. I'm looking forward to hopefully enjoying life a little more again instead of feeling a dark cloud hanging around almost all the time.
Most of all, I'm looking forward to erasing failure one step at a time on the trails. Feeling the crisp air against my skin and the power of my body to provide its own warmth as I trudge on ice and snow. I never thought I'd enjoy running outside, let alone running outside on a 12 degree day. It's on those days though, when I realize how much I've missed out on all those years I hibernated from October to March. Those days that make me grateful for fleece and comfy running shoes, for air in my lungs and the ability to do it. They make me thankful to live in an area with clean air, trails and the safety to enjoy them.
Despite completely losing my way career-wise, I'm in the best shape of my life and wouldn't trade who I was then for who I am now.
2011 will be a good year. I can feel it.
I went from couch to 5K, then back to the couch. Then I literally went from the couch and did 2 5k's (no training involved). Needing the challenge, I went from barely able to complete a 5K to loving 3-4 miles as a distance and completing both a 10K AND a 5 miler. And I'll bring 2010- aka: the year I discovered I loved to run-- to a close with 200 miles logged running this year! I'll also start 2011 with a 5K. It'll be cold, but that's what happens with a race on January 1st in the upper midwest!
Looking back, I am left with a sense of accomplishment. Not a feeling I'm used to having, that's for sure. Usually the end of the year leaves me feeling like I didn't do what I set out to do. This year, I did what I set out to do and more -- as I wasn't cognizant of the desire to do a 10K until after the 2nd 5K in June. That feeling along with the friends I've made and the physical changes in myself leave me hopeful for 2011.
*I will say that even though I started the 10K journey alone, I found great friends like Sue Ellen and Amber to run with. Without Amber, I seriously question if I'd have it in me to do what has been an amazing amount of fall-winter running. I have no doubts that together she and I will motivate one another to do that half marathon next year.
The new year also has me excited to enter married life, although one could argue I'm pretty much married, just don't have the fancy paperwork and title. I've been feeling a little out of sync with my fiance lately, which I almost entirely blame on the financial stress of my life. Nothing kills the libido like stress... So with a 2nd part time job starting up I'm looking forward to getting us back. It'll involve less time but the 25 hours I'll work there will pay what I make in 35 at the coffee shop. I'm looking forward to hopefully enjoying life a little more again instead of feeling a dark cloud hanging around almost all the time.
Most of all, I'm looking forward to erasing failure one step at a time on the trails. Feeling the crisp air against my skin and the power of my body to provide its own warmth as I trudge on ice and snow. I never thought I'd enjoy running outside, let alone running outside on a 12 degree day. It's on those days though, when I realize how much I've missed out on all those years I hibernated from October to March. Those days that make me grateful for fleece and comfy running shoes, for air in my lungs and the ability to do it. They make me thankful to live in an area with clean air, trails and the safety to enjoy them.
Despite completely losing my way career-wise, I'm in the best shape of my life and wouldn't trade who I was then for who I am now.
2011 will be a good year. I can feel it.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Good things
Today was a good day.
I was working on the espresso bar today and a customer came over. I got that little pit in my stomach that he was going to complain about his drink but he said, "I just wanted to tell you you're very pretty".
I get very awkward about compliments because I don't know how to take them very well, but it still made me smile and feel good about myself today.
Also, today, I stepped on my scale at 3:30 in the afternoon and it said 131.4!!!! OMG!
And the other good thing of today: I get to see "The Fighter" for free! I'm hoping for lots of gratuitous "Mark Wahlberg without a shirt scenes".... eee...
I was working on the espresso bar today and a customer came over. I got that little pit in my stomach that he was going to complain about his drink but he said, "I just wanted to tell you you're very pretty".
I get very awkward about compliments because I don't know how to take them very well, but it still made me smile and feel good about myself today.
Also, today, I stepped on my scale at 3:30 in the afternoon and it said 131.4!!!! OMG!
And the other good thing of today: I get to see "The Fighter" for free! I'm hoping for lots of gratuitous "Mark Wahlberg without a shirt scenes".... eee...
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
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