Forward Movement

     Another week of training under my belt (yes I LOVE my Nathan belt, in case you weren't sure). I want need it for every run, just in case I decide to go skydiving while I'm out. Mine is pink cuz I run like a girl .

This week has been full of accomplishment, sadness, fear of the unknown and complete turn of events. I think it makes for extreme vertigo symptoms  an eventful week. The week began as usual.... nothing too exciting. I like my job and all, but you get it. In the Local 18 family, there was a double dose of tragedy. 2 members of the Local had their lives taken from here on this earth very tragically & unexpectedly. It's difficult to understand or process these kind of things sometimes. I have thought of them and their friends and families often this week.

                                                          RIP Rick Ingram and Randy Carter Jr.

     Due to scheduling, I had to move my long run to Tuesday. It was a new PDR of 7 miles. My mind was spinning, my thoughts spiraled out of control. I was still patiently impatiently waiting for my test results, just heard the news of the Local 18 members, and suffered from self doubt of the distance of the run. I knew I was capable of finishing the 7 miles, but allowed my negative thoughts to overwhelm me. I was 100% anxious before the run, almost to the point of feeling ill. I had to put my thoughts in check and take it a mile at a time. The weather was 60s and sunny. I found myself enjoying the run once I relaxed and let it all go. My pace was decent, considering how I was 5 mins before I left the house. As usual, when I was done I felt fantastic & had ZERO regrets. But, everything else was waiting for me when I got back. No phone call with results, people with sadness & pain, and now the possibility of Steve leaving for a job far away. Things always work themselves out, but when I give my mind even 10 mins of control, it has NO problem stepping up & taking over. There were important decisions that needed to be made, and I needed to be on top of my game. One day at a time right? My week continued. I went out to do a mid week 4.5 miler. This is particularly amazing to me this week. Here's why: When I started training, my LONG run was 3 or 4 miles. Now the 4.5 miler is a mid week training run. Another reason Hal's training rocks. It's gradual, and not so impossible  scary. I had some speed records set this week. One of my 4.5 milers was and average pace of 9:33, today's pace was UNDER 9 min mile. I am sure thinking it is a malfunction of the droid, but even looking at the time on the clocks, I think I may have to stop doubting. * GASP*....  Not until I take back control of my thoughts & relax & enjoy the beauty around me, the weather, the exercise & benefits do I take control of the runs. Lessons learned. Forward Movement. It was a very very great week for me personally as well as for my running progress. I think. See,  the DOUBT! SIGH. I need help.. See below. Great timing. <3 it!

     

May 1st 2009 -day before we were baptised TOGETHER!

       We went to church today.  We are so blessed to have the pastor we do, Jud Wilhite. SO very real & relevant. I am listened & laughed and hoped for the OH YEAH moment I typically get when attending. And about halfway through the sermon, there it was! Manage what God has given you, everything he has given you, the good AND the bad. Give it your best & be your best. No matter what it is. You can ALWAYS find a way to compare, but if you focus on what was given to you, you will find happiness. Make the absolute most of your circumstances. Don't be afraid of it, embrace it. Honor God in what you do & what you are given & he will bless you with more. Most successful people FAILED several times, they just choose to try AGAIN & AGAIN.  So what if some of my runs are awful less than stellar, they all can't be perfect. Life is FULL of junk & trials.... but I CHOOSE to keep trying. I am embracing each blessing I can from my family being separated temporarily. I am embracing the upcoming surgery I need to have, I will be a better healthier me. I am having a time of extreme gratefulness that my husband came home to my the nights those men lost their lives unexpectedly. I am happy to have occasional disagreements with my girls, because I am blessed to get to be their momma and get a new chance every day to be a better one. This reminded me of something my brother told me a year or so ago & I think & say it all of the time..... "You bring about what you think about". I LML and everything about it. It's not perfect, far from it, but if it was, there would be no need for tomorrow. Rock out whatever it is you do this week. Whether it's your  praying, parenting, singing, leadership, your job search, your workout, your relationships. Give it what you have & expect great things, and accept failure as a challenge to get back on your own personal horse. MAKE IT a fantabulous week!

Week 8 of Hal Higdon's Half Marathon Training ( with a few variations this week, but all miles accounted for.. the 9 on Sunday are next week's)

 Monday: 4.5 miles and strength

 Tuesday: 8.0 miles
 Wed: rest

 Thursday: 3.0 miles

 Friday: Strength & stretch

 Sat: 4.5 miles

 Sunday:9.0 miles            I am doing next weeks long run this week for 2 reasons.. #1 it's a virtual race 

                                                                 #2 avoid long run week of "tune up"

Half Empty Half Full

     Training is officially half OVER!  Week 6 CHECK! DONE! OVER! I am typically a positive person, but in this case, the positive is that I am on the downhill spiral slope. It has been very doable so far. I love Hal's training plan. I can't lie, it takes a lot of time & work and effort. Not to mention thinking. Every single day you think about it, you plan it & then DO IT. Then you come home and recover, rehydrate & prepare for the next day.  No escaping it, not even rest day--you are thinking about tomorrow. It can be overwhelming at times. You have to want it & love it. Sometimes I question my reasoning or my time spent killing myself doing what I love. After working and being a momma & wife, sometimes there is not much leftover for myself or running. Other days I feel like I NEED the running to be a better wife, mom, employee & friend. It clears my head, fuels my day, and gives me goals for me myself and I . I can pick the training, the pace, the music, the races. No one can argue with me, it's all my choice. Another plus. Just sayin'.

     This week was a supposed to be a slower easier week, because of the scheduled 5k. I have to wonder if Hal knows at the halfway point we NEED a lil break. So, I went into it giving it my all, like usual. I found the week to get tougher and tougher as the days passed drug. There was not good workout this week. EVERYTHING was tough. I did it, but i struggled. Still, trying to rehydrate and get back on track, I had a setback that changed the whole week. I went to the doctor expecting a basic check up & a change in prescription. But, uh, no. I was taken back by his findings, and concerns & requests for tests. I don't have time for this, not in my thoughts, not in my daily mom & wife gig, let alone my training plan..( see 1st paragraph). I then realized he was right, there were things that needed addressing. How can I expect so much from my body if I don't take care of it?? I told him about training ( it follows you everywhere you go, everything you do) and my desire need to continue with it. He was very understanding ( for now). I got all the tests done & now am playing the waiting game. I am not very good  suck at the waiting game. I have been paying closer attention to things, and yep prolly need some tuning up. I am hoping not an overhaul. :/



At the start.... hoping for a good race.



     So, the highlight of the week was the Thin Mint Sprint 5K. Well, it was supposed to be anyway. I was so so so nervous. I get nervous before races, but more excited than nervous. This was 100% nerves. It was my 1st Nevada race, my 1st race without a friend running with me, and with the waiting game cloud over my head. It was also my family's 1st race experience. I wanted so badly for them to experience the excitement of the crowd, the music & event in general. So, we pull into the park. NO signs, so traffic, not many people. I pulled out my paper to verify we were there on the right day. Yep , that small. So, now I am nervous my family will hate it & be bored & never want to go with me again. SIGH. We figure out where the small crowd is finally. There was 1 table for packet pick up, 1 for late registration. I was told to "be back here by 9 for the start." ME: Here? Her: Yes , here. ---- I look around and think...ummm do we need a start finish line? A timing mat? Music? Isn't there a festival after the race? Oh boy. Ok... LOL! About 8:50, the mat is being thrown down & set up. At 8:55 NO ONE is in line to start- just a slight gathering of people. 9 am comes and goes. I'd say about 10 after , we get called for instructions. So finally we start. 2 laps around... The walkers start after us. I take off feeling good & excited. My music is going, my family is snapping photos--here I go. That was the best I felt. No endorphins, nothing. Just struggled . All 3 miles. Pandora let me down. (Music makes a difference). I never felt even halfway good. I felt shaky, uneasy, outta place, weak & just plain out of it the whole time. I gave up on my goal of sub 30 mins early on. I forgot to look at my watch when I started. No clue what my time was. On the 2nd lap, we caught up to the walkers, strollers, etc. There were some spots where you couldn't pass, etc, etc. I seriously thought I would be about 34 minutes at the finish. So when Kynzie told me 30:25 I was happy & disappointed all at once. Happy I even got that good of time, but disappointed that I was THAT close to being under 30 mins!!! I woulda dug deeper & got that 30 secs shaved off. I was soooo happy to see my family at the finish taking pics. I felt sooooooo weak & strange.. I run more than 3 miles at a time several times a WEEK. Sometimes it's just not your day. And with the events of this week, I am happy to have got the time I did. But, I got race #1 of #12 for Race for the Bling of it under my belt. :) Not all races will be big & elaborate I know, I was just hoping for my family's 1st it would have been a little larger. At least a cop directing or blocking traffic or even someone's boom box for music overhead. Not every race can be my best & after this week , I will sooooo take 30:25.

It's finally OVER!

WEEK 7: ALL mileage increases as well as cardio day time. :) Please pray. Thanks & Come Again

4.5 miles

2 miles

Strength & stretch

4.5 miles & strength

50 mins cardio

7 miles

       

There's a Goal for Everything ?

     Finished with week 5..... YAY!!!!! How do I feel you ask? TIRED. Overall it's great & I'm energized, but this is the real deal Holyfield. There is a lot of time and energy spent training for something this big. It's a commitment for sure. When you are tired from work, or have a day off or not feeling the workout that particular day, a choice has to be made. Sometimes those workouts or runs end up the best, I"ll get surprised at how much better I feel, others I am counting the seconds until it's over. No one said it was going to be easy. But, really, are any goals easy? I don't think there would be much point setting goals if it wasn't a challenge of some sort. I am a goal setter, every single day there's at least one goal  many goals I set. That's how I get through each day. Get all the laundry done, scrub the shower today, pay the bills before work or I have to do this now or I won't have time later, etc. etc- you get the idea. If I am in bed and realize that I forgot something , I HAVE to get up to do it. So, this particular training plan is a blessing & works very well for me. Mr. Higdon  "Hal" ( I don't think he minds me calling him that, for we have spent HOURS together) , just spells it out all on black and white. So all that's left to do, is complete the task... some days are easier than others. I look at the calender & what is scheduled, that's what I do.. unless I switch days to accommodate work. But I have to do all of it.  It's right there is black & white... giving me the stink eye until I accomplish that goal. Then on to the next one. It's a vicious cycle I tell ya.

     Physically I am feeling better, still some residual side effects I am working through, but over all so much more energy. I can tell you my appetite is way up with all of this cardio! It's all about what I am eating next. I can not get enough peanut butter. It never gets old.EVER. I read  a magazine an article this week called "What's in the Bag" which features various celebs & what he or she has in his or her bag this issue featured Tracy Anderson-- trainer for Shakira, Gweneth & who knows who else, she also created The Method . I saw a Think Thin bar ( as well as various things she supposedly keeps in her purse).. On the front wrapper of Think Thin is a picture of a peanut butter spoon.... WHAT ?? JACKPOT!  .  She trains celebs so she knows her stuff, right?? Of course she probably doesn't ever eat more than spinach & carrots, but I'll eat the heck outta these bars.

     I accomplished a new PDR ( Personal Distance Record) this week... 6 miles at a time.. after 3 miles I walked 1 lap (12 laps is a mile) IDK why I walked it maybe doubt that I could finish the 6 without stopping?... I felt great during the run... so at the end of the 6, I sprinted a lap to make up for the one I walked. So I feel good saying I RAN 6 miles without stopping. I used to not like running with music... as the runs are getting longer, I NEED the music. I don't like to hear the same stuff over & over, so the ipod is out... I am rocking the Pandora Radio, but I am hoping I keep getting fresh music. I love getting surprised by a song that I love, but forgot about, or hearing a song for the 1st time & instantly falling in love. <3    I will say though I HATE my ear buds, or any ear buds in general. I am taking any and all suggestions for earbuds that are made for people who have strange ear canals or for runners. I don't think I should feel bruised in the ear after I have to shove the bud in to stay put. Why is it too much to ask to stay in my ear? If there aren't any good ones, my invention process commences now.

     So I can't lie, sometimes it's frustrating when Steve doesn't share the same thrill & excitement for running that I do. I understand, but it's one of those things that I wish I could really share with him. He is typically bored with my rambling about running. But this week he booked a hotel room on La Jolla beach ( hotel is at the finish line & beer garden party of the La Jolla half marathon) WHAT??? I nearly fell over...in addition, that is HIS birthday, and I was already on a runner's high after completing week 5 of training... So yesterday was a good day :) I am sure it had nothing at all to do   everything to do with the fact it's on the ocean.  I am sure it won't be long before he reminds me what a great deed he did for me, but for now I'm so pumped~ except for the hill at Torry Pines. *shrieking* http://www.lajollahalfmarathon.com/.... I have 5 of my 12 races scheduled from now through April , so I'm right on track for my "Run For The Bling of It " medal :D. I hope this coming week is just as good .......

Mon: 4 miles & weights

Tues: 50 mins cardio-elliptical

Wed: 2 miles--- I am gonna attempt some speed training for this

Thurs: 4 miles & weights

Fri: Rest

Sat: Thin Mint Sprint 5K ( this is in place of the 6 milers)

Sun: possibly hills or rest....

Be Good To Yourself

     I am so grateful to be sitting at my laptop, feeling good,  grateful for the hard lesson I learned & the people who blessed my life this week. Things could have turned out very differently for me at the end of  this week----week 4 of 12 of my mini marathon training. I am a lucky girl.

     I have a medical issue & it's 100% legit. But how I chose to treat myself was wrong WAY wrong. I knew I was not making the best choice, but I thought the alternative was worse than the risk, and I can honestly say I didn't know the extent of my risk. Let's just say telling you any more detail would possibly for sure be TMI. You may figure it out without graphic details. I debated sharing with you, but I am so so so grateful to be alive that I don't want anyone to make the poor choice I made. Prior to this weeks training, I stopped, but it was too late for some side effects. Because I stopped & felt ok when I stopped & was ignorant to what I was doing to myself... it took a while for me to figure out what I had done. Anyone who knows me, knows my hormones & I disagree from time to time   frequently. So, when we were " disagreeing" I wasn't surprised, but it was going way too long. So I wondered-briefly & intermittently. I have been training.. so the extreme muscle pain & cramps weren't all that surprising. The kidney pain was something I questioned, as well as the eye twitching. I would wake in the middle of the night with pain & muscle cramps. I thought that it seemed a little much for the training I did, but maybe I was just being a baby. I started questioning things & thinking HARD (scary I KNOW) .. I started to look online at my "treatment". After a day or so of looking & denial. I came to the realization I got very very lucky I didn't kill myself. The kidney pain was REAL, the muscle cramps & twitching was not training.. The extreme struggle to finish 2 miles when I had easily done 3 miles was real. The extreme fatigue was real. Now what? Am I ok? What do I do? What DID I do?? I asked a good & knowledgeable friend for support & advice. Good news was I already stopped, bad news is that it takes time to rehydrate, re balance electrolytes, restore normal hormone levels..... OH and the problem is STILL there!!!! She was so kind & firm at the same time.I needed to hear each and everything she said. I am starting to feel much better, probably more so than anything due to knowing how lucky I am.That and G2. ;) 



     Now for the training recap!! :) The start of the week was difficult  excruciating-physically & mentally. I felt like I was going backwards!!! Even the 2 miler & just lifting was bad. I was just so off with everything. The training exertion was actually not helping, but I didn't know & I pushed through it.  I still did it, hard as it was. I give myself props for that ! LOL.... Friday I started feeling a little better & my second 3.5 miler of the week & the elliptical were fantastic.. Not to mention I met Brittney!!!! She is going to run with me & I am so so so glad I met her. This was the perfect week to meet someone to train with. We did 5 miles together tonight.YAY.. I am so pumped to train with her.



Brittney



 However it doesn't compare to Susan's 14 miles today!!!!! She is my motivation & I'm so happy for her. WTG Susan!!! She rocks it all of the time & I just love her!! She lifts me up, grounds me, pushes me , understands me & tells me like it is!

Susan at a mini

 I am so happy for the events of this week. I am so happy my body is forgiving me & I am so happy that I signed up for the 2011 Challenge Run for the Bling of it!! 12 races in 12 months. Check it out here... http://runfortheblingofit.blogspot.com/ I can't wait to meet fellow athletes (who would have thought I would EVER be an athlete??) I am in love.  <3       Listen to your body, love what you do & if you don't keep looking until you find what you love. Surround yourself with people that care about you & lift you up. What are you rocking out this week?

WEEK 5 /12:   MON: 40 min elliptical ( new love)
                        TUES: 2 miles
                        WED: Lift & stretch
                        THU: 4 miles
                         FRI: 6 miles
                         SAT: rest
                         SUN: 4 miles and lift

New Year roller coaster

Good things this week: I did all of my training despite it being holiday week. :) This week I RAN all of my miles , no walking, no stopping. I went up in time on the elliptical. I was feeling good about this week's training!!!!! Ok now on to the struggles. I was hoping this would be a great week all around, but nooooo. I began having foot pain in my right foot. There was a big debate on an ankle brace for foot support vs shoe inserts. Since I feel the issue is mostly because I have low arches & how I strike each step....I went with the inserts. The box said orthapedic.. So, yeah that was a positive feeling. ha! It felt much much better with them, so who cares what they are. I even slapped on Ben Gay before the eliiptical so I may have stunk out the place.. but who cares , right? You do what you gotta do! I thought I made the right choice with the inserts. Now on to the long run. SIGH....( Is the long run supposed to be the hardest of the week??). I was somewhat pumped because of my good week of accomplishments. But, I had celebrated the New Year, it was 30 degrees out, and I am struggling with another medical issue... But I felt like I can show all of those things who's boss. Uh, yeah. SO I got a new app on the droid, to map my distance and time. I hope that it sucks in accuracy. I felt it was a little off in my distance, making me run longer than I needed too. I have long blisters on my arches. HOW DO YOU GET A  3" LONG BLISTER?? I was running I stopped only for a second to make a decision to turn or go straight or adjust music... I was sooooo not happy looking at time. I was running! SO I walked a min here a there, not much at all. I ran probably 98% of the 5 miles. So who knows, but I did the best I could. But I had a feeling of disappointment, and soreness from the blisters... then realized I overcame a lot of small obstacles this week. I'm ok with it... we all have better runs than others. Same training this week as last.

Mon: 3.5 miles & lift

Tues: 40 mins cardio-elliptical

Wed: 2 miles

Thursday: 3.5 miles

Friday:Strength

Saturday: rest

Sunday: 5 miles

Here's to a better long run!!!!