Starting Over - Again!

Starting over, again.  After several months off to let my hip heal and then simply losing the drive to get out there in the snow and rain than the heat... It is time to get back into my running shoes! Tomorrow. 

I think I could make a career out of procrastinating lately.  But I actually have a plan that starts tomorrow with a new running group.  Makes me accountable this time.  I do miss running.  I have stayed on the fringes by volunteering at several races.  During the Lansing Half Marathon/Marathon, I was assigned to Mile 11 - same mile I fell in October.  So I was the biggest cheerleader on the course.  I know how hard it gets at Mile 11.  My hands were chapped from clapping and my legs were as sore as if I had ran myself because I was jumping up and down for 6 hours.  I will never forget the lady coming in last - she had the biggest smile on her face.  I will always wonder what her story is.  She was clearly excited about her accomplishment regardless of how she was placing.  As an end of the packer - I get it.  But I have never been as happy as she was!

This time around, the plan is to try the Galloway run/walk method.  Hoping that helps keep me motivated and injury free this time around.  I joined a women's walking/running group and my first running partner is moving back to town and joining the group too.  This should be both inspirational and great accountability.  

The second part of the plan is getting my diet back in order.  This not so new job anymore has completely distracted me from my healthy habits.  I put in too many hours, forget to eat and crave the pizza a block away.  And my secretary - the drug pusher!  Buys me a Mt. Dew everyday.  I am such an addict.  I break every weekend, but can't get through Monday without it.   Have been going back over some old diet notes, and I think the runners - high carb - diet was also an issue for me.  I have to remember what works for me and stop listening to everyone else.  I tend to forget important things, like I am anemic so iron filled protein is good for me.  I do better on protein/fat rich diets than carb based diets.  Considering the Paleo Diet to jump start healthy eating again.  And I bought a juicer - love it!   Just have to start using it more than just Sunday morning.

One step at a time though - walk/run group first, then starting in August, will start focusing on the diet again.  Need time to mentally prepare for that change.  Will be a crabby - headache filled few days when I break up with sugar again. Best to plan a weekend home alone for that.  My poor dogs ...

Cheers to one last night of procrastination! 

Team Playmakers

Training with Team Playmakers officially started last Sunday, January 15, 2011.  I am loving it!!!  I made it to Saturday's 8:00a.m. training at Hawk Island and the unofficial training from the MAC on Tuesday night.  It felt great to get out there and have so many people out there with you.  On Tuesday I was partnered up with Jackie.  She is fantastic.  She pushed me to run more then I normally would have.  It was nice to have someone pushing me for a change.  We are planning to run together this Tuesday again. 

This Saturday I skipped the training at Playmakers and ran on my treadmill.  My goal was to up my distance to .75 without walking and I did it.  The weather was below zero with crazy wind chills and I was chicken.  Weather is supposed to get back into 20's this week though so I will get back out there.  This morning I had my first yoga class.  Love it.  I can do all the poses well, but can't hold them for long.  I have a race next week, so I won't make the 2nd class.  Sort of bummed about that, but Sunday's race will be fun.  Kim is coming out with the boys.  Can't wait to meet them!!

Here's what I did:
Saturday: 2.5 miles
Sunday: Wii Fit
Monday: Rest - body was sore!!
Tuesday: MAC run - 2 miles
Wednesday: Rest - went to parent's
Thursday: Worked late - skipped training
Friday: Hockey
Saturday: 3 miles on treadmill & Wii Fit
Sunday: Yoga & 2 miles on treadmill
Total: 9.5 since training started   :-) 
(Note the first week has odd number of days - weeks will normally go from Monday - Sunday)

Looking forward to my continued journey and proud of myself for getting in all my miles even when I skipped the official session.  Yeah!  I am going to do this.

But the truly important part - meeting myself.  I am so excited that I am finally finding out who I am.  I am someone that cares about my health and loves to be active.  I like to read, love my animals, and I am actually starting to enjoy cooking when I can come up with something to make!  Tonight Laura told me she made fish, green beans and brown rice and I realized, I have all that.  I can make that.  So I did and have enough for a couple of meals during the week so I can eat healthier this week.  Last week I struggled with my food so this is good.  I was then motivated to make chocolate covered strawberries and raspberries for snacks this week.  I used semi-sweet dark chocolate so at least it is the healthy chocolate if there really is such a thing.

If I could just make healthy choices all week ...  some day.  Small steps and I will make eventually make good choices a habit right?  Maybe they can carry over into my love life someday!  That is a joke!!!  :)  Seriously - that needs more than help.  It needs major surgery.  And I don't do surgery.  But seriously, I am finally learning to love my life and do things for me that I enjoy.  I can feel myself coming back to life.  I am starting to care about others again, remember the little things about others, am enjoy spending time with friends and of course - hockey! 

I have been busy again these days and exhausted at night which is always a great thing - I am sleeping again finally.  And I am happy to get up in the morning, going into work earlier.  To feel alive again.  I know up and downs are part of life, but I really don't want to put myself in a position to go through that again. 

To Life!!  How good it is.   

1.1.11 - The Day of New Beginnings!

After just and hour of sleep, my alarm went off this morning.  Needless to say I hit the snooze button for an hour before I dragged myself out of bed.  It is New Year's Day 2011 and I had a 5k scheduled.  I have to admit, I talked myself in and out of attending it all day yesterday, but in the end I knew I would be disappointed in myself if I skipped it.  So I got up, took a quick shower that was supposed to wake me up, but didn't and headed to the west side of Lansing.

The race was at Our Savoir Lutheran Church. They have a school and were raising money for the althetics department. It is over offSt. Joe behind Walmart - close to Grand Ledge.  The course took us up Upton Rd, to Saginaw down to Broadbent and Broadbent back to St. Joe and the church.  I told myself through the entire race - I better be happy I did it when I finish!!

I walked/ran it since I haven't ran a step since Lisa and didn't run in New Baltimore.  But I still finished in my best time yet!  40:23.  The Turkey Trot time was 45:27, Fantasy 5k was 41:19 and the Jingle Bell in Lansing was 41:56. 

When the race was over, I stuck around to watch the awards ceremony.  They are so casual it seems odd to call it a ceremony. Anyway, it was nice to see the people that were winning.  And I was and still am happy with myself for going out there and doing it.  It was hard because I was so tired and I realized once I was in the Jeep on the way there that I forgot to eat before I left and didn't bring water.

I wore my Thanskgiving Day race shirt - a few people commented on it and how nice it was.I felt like a real runner in my previous race shirt!  :)  At first when I got there today, it looked like only 50 people were there and they all looked like experienced runners, but the total was 224 by the beginning of the race and several people were at the same level as I am.  About 50 people came in after me still.

I did this one alone today and with no training for a month - so I am really happy with my time.  Laura and Kim are coming out for the Polar Bear 5k in Meridian Twp. on Jan 30.  Lisa hasn't decided either way yet. But I am going to set a goal to finish in 39 minutes.  That's not a big difference from today, but I should be able to do it. After that, I never want to be over 40 minutes again unless I am doing strictly a walk.

Next Sunday is the Playmakers training information night.The training starts Jan 15. I am definitely going to train with them.  I am also considering canceling my gym membership and taking yoga classes instead. But I haven't decided yet.  I have until January 20th to make that decision.   I keep going back and forth with it.  I would think Yoga would help my running though - stretch me out better.

I am so exhausted tonight, but I am staying up until 10:00 without a nap because I need to get my sleep schedule back on track. My New Year's resolution is to get more disciplined this year, so  I can get the things I want to do done. Like be ready to run the half marathon in Detroit in October.

Cheers to 2011~ It is going to be a good year!

To become a runner...

I tasted it ...the feel of being a runner.  I dream of it, the freedom of running mile after mile.  The feel of the wind on my face,  the beauty of the woods around me, the peace of mind.  I am strong and untouchable...

Even my body wants it - to feel strong, to be healthy, and to be happy. To run.

I dream of running on the beach, watching the freighters in the distance and hearing the crash of the waves.

Or the sound of the fall leaves under my feet...

I dream of runner in the snow on my snowshoes, the beauty of the snow on the trees all around me, the silence of nature ... being part of the absolute perfection of a sunny winter day.

I must beat the battle of the mind.  The body can do it, the mind is stopping it. How can your mind want two things and fight itself? The mental battle is exhausting and ridiculous really. How can you want something so badly and your mind dream about it so clearly, yet your mind also be your biggest enemy?  How do you get your mind to push your body further instead of stopping your body before it even begins to reach its limit? 

My friends say anything I put my mind to I accomplish. But what happens when the mind says no?  And when did I lose control of my mind that it is allowed to say no?    This New Year, I am taking it back and I am going to beat the battle of my mind and I am going to run ... and run ... and run.

Running = freedom

I will find that freedom in 2011 and I will run the Detroit FP half marathon in October.

Training progress - or lack thereof!

It has been several weeks since I last posted.  My training hasn't been going well - but I have been working on Christmas stuff so my time has been limited.  My goal is to start running again after Christmas and get serious about training for a half marathon after New Years.

That said, I have completed two more 5k since my last blog!  December 11 - the Jingle Bell 5k in Delta Twp with Katie and on December 12 - the Jingle Bell 5k in New Baltimore with Lisa. 

December 11 - Jingle Bell in Delta Twp. 
This was an all women race.  Katie and I did it together.  She finished a few minutes faster then at the Fantasy 5k. It was so much fun - I was yelling at her to start running again every few minutes - she was hating me.  :)  We joked afterward that she would be filing for divorce, not against her husband, but against her sister-in-law! lol

 That is Katie's stance to look skinny!  lol   She looks great - but I am not sure the stance had anything to do with it!  lol  The weather was great this day - for a winter run.  A little ice on the route but not much and they had people standing around it so no one would slip and fall. 

Now the New Baltimore race - that was a different story!  I walked/run with Katie on Saturday and the plan was to run the entire 5k on Sunday.  We were lucky to survive the drive!  The worse winter storm so far this winter hit about noon on Sunday, the same time I left Lansing to go get Lisa and head to New Baltimore.  But we went, our clothes were frozen by the end and the drive back from SCS was almost 3 hours.  Needless to say, we didn't run because of the ice, snow and slush on the road.  We were almost dead last! lol  But neither of us cared and at least we got some exercise that day.  While we were walking neither of us were cold, but our eyelashes had icicles on them!! Lisa got hit in the head with a big piece of ice that blew off the electric lines.  

Before

After - check out the ice on Lisa's hat!

 This race had a little bit of a different personal meaning for me to.  My grandparents lived in New Baltimore when I was little.  The race course took uspast their street and grandma Nana's house.  We drove by the old house before we left town.  Amazing that the white house is still white.  Looks exactly the same - but smaller then I remember it.  And that Hill!!  Amazing the way you remember things and the way they really are. 

What was really nice though was for all the nightmares at that house, I was able to think of all the good memories.  The bad ones aren't important anymore.  Such a great thing to experience finally.  I remember grandma's roast dinners, corn on the cob, chocolate malts, sledding on the hill...  Even the carols at the church were a good memory. :)    They were out caroling during the race.  It was a good day even for the weather and the drive!

 Well - time to start planning for the next running goal.  The New Years Day 5k and the whether or not to join the Playmakers training team. 

A Simple Day is a Good Day.

Today has been a relaxing day.  Got all my errands done this morning and found out I need new brakes on my Jeep - that of course was more stressful than relaxing, but it didn't put me in a panic either.   While the Jeep was getting its oil changed, I was planning to do my 40 minute "long" run, however, I forgot my Nike+ transmitter so I lost my motivation to run. I want it to count!!  I still ran from the Marathon to the library, hung out there and then ran back. I would say it was about a half mile total.

Once I got home I decided I really needed to do some exercise today.  I got on my eliptical for 10 minutes.  It made me feel better, so I jumped on the treadmill with the goal of completing the rest of my 10,000 steps for the day. Mainly I walked, but I did some stregnth training for my arms and some incline workwhile on the treadmill.  Did 3.1 miles in 51 minutes...not bad for walking.  I felt great and was motivated to eat a healthy dinner before the hockey game instead of grabbing pizza at the game.  I burned about 500 calories and 160 fat calories. :)

While on the treadmill, I was thinking about my New Year's Resolution for this year. I usually make my resolutions on my birthday, my own personal New Year, instead of January 1. But this year I have decided to set some goals on January1 and re-assess on my birthday.  I would really like to start eating better and stop drinking any and all pop. I am hopeful that stopping the pop will help me lose the rest of my belly.    I want to become a true runner and start to think of food as fuel for my body instead of just eating because of boredom.

I have been trying to learn how to eat better from my magazines, but I think I should just reread the Chris Johnson book.  And start cooking! lol   Healthy food does not come in a box or in a potato chip bag! If only I had the will power to stop buying frozen mac & cheese and cook my own healthier version.  I did make mashed sweet potato's a couple of weeks ago.  They taste great and froze/thawed just as good.  They should be a staple food in my freezer all times.  I am not sure I can go back to just plain mashed white potato's.

Truly the only reason I don't eat better is just laziness.  I stay in bed an extra 10 minutes in the morning so I don't have time to make a healthly lunch to take to work. Although, this past week, I did grab a can of tuna to make a sandwich at work.  That is healthy.

Speaking of work, I also want to start working out over lunch. If I can't walk outside, I can at least start walking the stairs. It seems to me that would be a great cross training activity - walking the stairs a few times a day. 

Goals to consider:
1.  10,000 steps a day.  (I was doing this consistently until Scott and I split up - no reason I can't do it again.)

2.   Run 15 miles  a week, with at least one 4 - 5 mile run each week.

3.   Drink 64 oz of water everyday.   (I might have to go back to buying bottled water to make this happen.)

4.   Start cooking dinner at least 4 times a week.  (I have healthy breakfast down, and usually a healthy lunch,but fall apart in the evening - so cooking should help. And the off nights can be left overs.)

5.  Work outs at lunch at the office.

Well - I am getting tired finally, so off to bed.   Tomorrow's goal - get in a 4 mile run!   I have 2 races next weekend - need to be ready!

PS. I wanted to mention that I was able to re-connect with an old childhood friend today through FB - I am so excited to finally be in contact with her again.   That was the highlight of my day.

Why I am running

I started running a September to help deal with anger I was trying to deal with over a break up.  I wasn't doing so well committing to it, but knew it would help.  So I came up with a plan to run a race and decided that the Detroit Thanksgiving Day Turkey Trot would be the perfect goal.  I convinced a few friends to run with me and we all committed to training.  I don't know what I would have done without my girlfriends.  They may live an hour away but they have helped me more then they will ever know!

Anyway, at first I tried to just try walk/running and increasing my running time.  But it wasn't really working.  I finally found a 6 week couch to 5k training program and stuck to it - well part of it.  :)  I can't say I did the cross training piece faithfully, but I did the running as recommended.

In the meantime, my sister-in-law decided she was going to start running too.  So we signed up for the Run thru Hell on Halloween.  I walk/ran it and finished in about 48 minutes, but I got to learn how the race registration and start works so I didn't have to figure it out and be nervous about it on Thanksgiving. 

My goal was to be able to run the entire race on Thanksgiving, no walking!  And I did it!  But only because I ran super slow.  One of my friends has some foot issues, so I asked her to walk so I could run at her walk pace.  She was fantastic and did it for me!!  Love her!!  I think she is the only reason I made it through the entire race.

Now it it is the Friday after Thanskgiving and I have another race scheduled with my sister-in-law.  (Yes the very next day after my furst run!)  This was an evening 5k in Howell, before the Festival of Lights parade.  I really wasn't sure I would be able to run the Friday run, but again, I DID IT!  I was so excited.  And I improved my Thursday time by 4 minutes.  :)  I just kept telling myself I know I can do this - I just did it yesterday, so no walking allowed.  And to the guy in the crowd at the top of the last hill - loved you!  When I was ready to I can't go one more step he said - "doing great hon, only 2 more blocks".  He totally motivated me to finish! 

So that is my running story in a nut shell to date.  I decided I wanted to start this blog in hopes that it will help motivate me to keep going.  It is the Thursday after Thanksgiving and I have only ran about 2 miles this week so far.   I have two more races in about 10 days and one on New Years day.  So continuing to train is important.  Next year, we are all running the Turkey Trot again, but instead of the 5k (really called the Stuffing Strut) we are planning to try to 10k. So training is really important!! 

Now it's time to get off the couch and run!!