This is week #1

I just remembered...just now...that this is week #1 of my base training. "Pre" base training is, as of Monday, over. What does this mean? I will be running/working out e v e r y  d a y (except Fridays) until October 9th.

Ouch.

Yesterday I decided to make an appearance at the Y...soooo not a good idea. That place was so stinkin' hot...and I mean STINKIN' HOT. The guy on the treadmill next to me literally smelled as though he was wearing clothes that had been soaked in swamp water, balled up in a musty heap and thrown on the floor to dry, then once dried he put it back on to add his sweat to the wonderful mix of smells. I did a little celebratory dance in my head when he left his post.
Sadly, I forgot my IPOD at home and it took all I had to squeeze out any energy for a sufficient workout. Because of this I was unwillingly exposed to the audio world of the gym...dude huffing and hacking across the room...someone pummeling the life out of their weight machine...the lady on the other side of me carrying on a conversation with her bestest BFF on her cell, "I know RIGHT?! I mean, who would DO such a thing?! That girl is such a _______." Color. So much color at that gym.

sigh...

Today I am tired... and looking forward to tomorrows rest day. I ran 2 miles this morning and his time it was light enough that I didn't even need my headlamp and I almost didn't need a jacket. Even though it's been super windy and sometimes rainy, the temperature sure was mild and comfortable.

-------------------------------

Marissa was right. I wore those darned Teva's to Bible study on Tuesday. I literally put them on, walked straight to my car, drove, got out and walked straight into Tia's house, took them off and did the same routine on the way home. THAT WAS IT. Marissa lovingly reminded me that those shoes don't work for me and I explained that I thought the short timeframe sould be fine. NOPE. My feet hurt again...thankfully not as bad. Thinkin' the Teva's need a new set of feet to call home.

Sunday Runday...late

Hmmm...no embarassing tales, only a tight shin muscle thingy, sunshine and the knowledge of lunch and friends to greet me at the end. T'was a good Sunday Runday!

“I'm singing in the rain, just singing in the rain; What a wonderful feeling, I'm happy again.”

This morning however...WAS SATISFYING!!! It rained. And I loved it. The tight shin muscle thingy? Well that was still hanging around but not nearly as much as last week. A quick stretch mid-run and it worked itself out. I realize now that I have no hat to run in the rain with. I have a hat for snow and a viser for sun but no hat for rain. Mental note: must get hat...after all, I AM training for a marathon in PORTLAND and I should be equipped for it!

How amazing was it to run in the rain, stretch in the rain, and watch steam rise off my shoulders all by the early morning light. My soul's thirst was quenched!

gimme some words!

Everyone needs some words of encouragement for motivation at some point. I’ve learned that I need motivation nearly every single day.  If I want to stay focused and achieve rockstar status, I need daily motivation.  Sometimes, it’s found by looking at and reading up on articles and magazines (like Runners World and the like) or sometimes I'm driven by the pure desire to just be outside.  It’s always nice to have a running quote to go to that will  either make me laugh or make me want to lace up my beloved Brooks and hit the pavement.  I have signed up for daily inspirational running quotes from Runnersworld.com. I've listed my favorites below for no real reason but to one day have something to come back to. If boredom creeps in, keep reading. There's a kick in the pants in the form of ideas for signage at races and runs to follow these quotes. Quite comical, really!

I don't think jogging is healthy, especially morning jogging.  If morning joggers knew how tempting they looked to morning motorists, they would stay home and do sit-ups.  ~Rita Rudner

To a runner, a side stich is like a car alarm.  It signifies something is wrong, but you ignore it until it goes away.  ~Author Unknown

If God invented marathons to keep people from doing anything more stupid, the triathlon must have taken Him completely by surprise.  ~P.Z. Pearce

"No doubt a brain and some shoes are essential for marathon success, although if it comes down to a choice, pick the shoes. More people finish marathons with no brains than with no shoes." - Don Kardong (quite possibly my favorite quote this time around)

"Your body will argue that there is no justifiable reason to continue. Your only recourse is to call on your spirit, which fortunately functions independently of logic." - Tim Noakes

"Aspire to be great instead of good, aspire to be remembered instead of forgotten, aspire to accompish what others have and have not done, aspire to be yourself and nothing else for when you strive to be yourself everything is limitless because you are not holding yourself to the limits of others." - Troy Streacker

"Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it." - Oprah Winfrey (and sometimes crap just happens that you have no control over...yup.)

It's the one thing that's mine. My runs everyday are my thing. It's my therapy, my hour to myself. Nobody can really take it away from me... It's such a huge part of me. I love to say that I'm a runner.

Summer Sanders, Olympic gold-medalist in swimming

When you put yourself on the line in a race and expose yourself to the unknown, you learn things about yourself that are very exciting. -Doris Brown Heritage, Five-time World Cross-Country Champ

Whenever you have any bump in the road, whether it's two weeks or two years, there are so many naysayers. Let it fuel you. Don't take it personally. Go out and prove them wrong.

Jenny (Barringer) Simpson, Olympian and American recordholder in the steeplechase

Every day gives you an opportunity to improve. With every run, you can try to be better. Not just a better runner, but a better person. -John "The Penguin" Bingham, The Courage to Start

Think positive. You are a special person. Reward yourself with self-praise as you achieve each interim goal en route to the marathon. -Hal Higdon, Marathon: The Ultimate Training Guide

(good reminder!)

The more you frame the marathon as a stressful experience, the more negative messages you'll receive. But it's just as easy to frame it as a positively challenging journey. -Jeff Galloway, Marathon

The challenge of a significant physical journey on foot unleashes some primitive connections to our identity as human beings. -Jeff Galloway, Marathon

The race, the marathon, is a renewal of belief in one's self and the ultimate expression of confidence that you have created the foundation that enables you to go the distance.

Dolores E. Cross, Breaking Through the Wall

The challenge in running is not to aim at doing the things no one else has done, but to keep doing things anyone could do—but most never will. -Joe Henderson in The Complete Book of Running (hmmm...intriguing thought, isn't it?)

Running is essentially private and, if you like, selfish, and all the more valuable for being so.

Roger Robinson, Heroes and Sparrows: A Celebration of Running

 ( won't lie, I kinda like the idea of being selfish and private in some of my runs...mine!)

The faster you run.  The sooner you’re done.

Sorry, I’ve got to run. Pun intended. (haha! I'll have to remember this one.)

And for the signage..... 

Marathon runners love to read signs along the race course to help break the monotony. If you're planning on watching a marathon or any run or race for that matter, make some signs -– the runners will love you for it. Funny spectator signs are always a good distraction. Here are some ideas:

        "In our minds, you're all Kenyans."

        "Your feet hurt because you are kicking so much butt!"

       "Your legs will forgive you...eventually."

       "Don't stop -- people are watching."

      "That's not sweat, it's your fat cells crying."

       "If it was easy, I would do it."

       "Run like you stole something."

      "This is easier than labor and delivery."

       "You're not slow. You're just enjoying the course."

        "Stop reading this and keep running!

      “Beat Oprah!"

       "Puke and rally!"

      "Don't worry, toenails are overrated."

     "Run like someone's chasing you."

      "It'll feel better when it stops hurting."

      "Mortuary ahead....look alive!"

      "If I ran it, by God, you can, too."

     "Chuck Norris never ran a marathon." 

    "Staying up all night making this sign was hard too."

   "You are NOT almost there." (seen at mile 1) 

     "The end is near." (Sign held by man dressed as the Grim Reaper at mile 21 of the 2010 Marine Corps Marathon, which was on Halloween)

If anyone holds signs for me, I'm thanking them in advance. "Thank you"

"Girl please!  My mascara runs faster than you do."

(yeah...probably)

such a pain in the....

...foot. Or feet. Depends on the day.
Yesterday's run was...hard. I was an emotional wreck due to I-don't-know-why (it certainly was "one of those days") and I couldn't get my head on straight. Thinking my run would clear me up a bit, I took off...only, within 2 minutes I was in discomfort in my right foot/leg and I couldn't shake it. This was disappointing to me because I had spent the last 2 days off of my feet due to discomfort in my LEFT foot from what I thought was bad support from a favorite pair of Teva's. That left foot pain is now only residual and barely noticable and I'm thankful, but this new thing in my right foot is frustrating. I thought I'd 'walk it off' and once it died down, I'd take off running again. But the walk didn't change things. So I stopped to stretch and I felt a tightness that I've never felt before spanning from the top of my foot up through my shins. There is not a single pain/discomfort so far that has been eased by touch/massage. I've only found it by stretching and contorting my joints in directions I'd never thought of. I know stretching is important and I love it so much but when time is limited, stretching is the first to go. This is an unfortunate thing.

In addition to all the above, yesterday was the kind of day all guys run from. I was, by my definition enraged, saddened, defeated, unlovely, large and 'alone'. Feeling all those scary thoughts at one time almost always means one thing...dun dun dun....PMS! Fawesome.

This reality presented itself with a frustrating issue. My mind knows something that my heart refuses to acknowledge because my heart does not want to hurt my feelings. Oh what a nice heart I have! I have to come to grips with the fact that I might not be able to run free of pain/discomfort due to my --ahem-- "extra baggage". Aside from the discomfort I felt yesterday, I felt as though I was carrying a large bag of rocks. I was not smooth or rhythmic. My breathing was off. My legs like lead. Combine this with the afore mentioned emotional rampage and you have "I'M TOO FAAAAAT TO DOOOO THIIIIS!" And the 'poor me'-ness ensued. (Sorry if you didn't get an invite to the pity party...it's all about me so why invite others, right? But they say 'misery loves company'...dang it, I'm so confused...which is right on par, I think.)

So this morning when I woke before (yes, before) the crack of dawn to run my run, I was met with a few decisions and/or distractions. Did I want to face the possibility of the same disheartening run as yesterday? Did I want to run in the dark, in Browne's Addition, alone? Did I have the energy and gusto? With a deep sigh and the verbal push from Bobby, Yes, Yes and Yes. I pulled on my brighter-than-neon yellow jacket, strapped on my headlamp and for the sake of safety, left my IPOD at home. I took off into the night er, morning to find myself not alone in the dark after all. I was accompanied by two other runners in my general vicinity nearly the entire time. I ran a 10 minute mile and the pain I felt yesterday, while still present, was not as terrible. I did make sure I stretched like a mad dog though...and it felt amazing! All in all, it was successful and I felt redeemed...well, until I found out I was scheduled to do TWO miles and not one. oops.

“Burning desire to be or do something gives us staying power - a reason to get up every morning or to pick ourselves up and start in again after a disappointment"

SUNDAY RUN DAY

"I always feeeeel liiike somebody's waaatching meeeee" ~Rockwell, R&B artist, 1984

Hiking up your running pants, in the middle of the Browne's neighborhood, to the point that there is no possible way you could get them up any further and then wrestling with the drawstring only to look up and find you have an audience perched on the balcony across the street...oh happy Sunday Run Day.
The thing that makes me feel safe while living in Browne's Addition is that virtually no matter the time of day, someone is always watching. Now this sounds creepy and I don't mean it to be. What I mean is, people are always out and about either heading to the Elk/Tulley's turnabout or walking their dogs to and fro so if something were to happen (ie, accident/stalker etc) someone should, hopefully, be available to help or be an eyewitness. But the fact is, someone will also always be watching when you're doing something stupid or embarrassing. Today's blunder is not too much of an issue in my eyes but it makes me nervous for the future when I forget again that someone is always watching.
Today's run, the actual running part, was difficult for the first 10 minutes. It seems to be getting that way more often. I struggle with my ankle the most during this time and it nearly defeats me. But, after that initial warm-up period I feel like I run like a gold medalist...though I'm sure I don't resemble one...which is why running outside with no mirrors is preferable but that's another rant. It took me 12:28 to run my first mile because of stopping to stretch my right shin and shake out my right ankle 3 separate times. I was getting frustrated and seriously considered turning around and walking home. But then something miraculous happened. The discomfort disappeared. I don't want to say that this issue is painful because it is not. It is uncomfortable and I could certainly keep going if I had/needed to. So I did. Because I do. And I hope that when I come to making the decision to quit and walk home or keep going, I remember days like today when I chose to keep going and succeeded. My return mile home was completed in 10:26.
It was a successful Sunday Run Day.

Reasoning

"If passion drives you, let reason hold the reins."

-Benjamin Franklin

I have a passion...and for some reason today, I'm refusing to let 'reason' hold the reins. Actually, I refused last night. I felt lazy and uninspired to go to the gym and get my tiny 1.5 miles in with strength exercises. I don't know if it is due to the stresses at work and being mentally shot by the time 5 o'clock rolls around or if it's just 'one of those days' but it was really difficult.

Last night before bed I was excited for my morning run around a 2 mile loop in Browne's Addition and head to work all fresh and peppy. But the morning came around and not only was I still mentally shot, but physically...dead. My legs felt as though they were made of lead and all excitement was nowhere to be found. 7 o'clock rolled around and I finally got the guts to throw my shoes on, convincing myself that I'll feel better about going out and at least trying. I made it 4 stupid blocks before my suddenly sore ankle got the best of me. But not all was lost. I decided to walk at least one of those two loops so I could say I did something. (after note: I spoke with my inspiration, Kathi, and she told me this was good...that even a 5 mile race like the St. Paddy's will be enough to make me sluggish from the buildup of lactic acid in my muscles....ooooh, k makes sense and makes me feel better!)

The air was brisk and clean feeling, the sun was just coming up (thanks to the recent daylight savings thing we do) and I felt a calming quietness inside my tired self. I was quickly remembering why morning workouts were so great...and when I came to work (I was not excited about being there due to recent events), I read an email from Active.com about the reasons to work out in the morning that ended up squashing all of my reasons to not:



5 Reasons to Work Out in the Morning
*The bonus of the morning plan: Our workouts rarely get bumped. Also, people who work out in the mornings are more likely to make exercise a habit. not convinced? Here are five more reasons to work out in the a.m.
One Shower
Work out before you get all fancy for the day and you don't have to go through the whole shower/dry hair/moisturize routine on your lunch hour or later. It saves time, water and energy. (wow, who new a.m. workouts could be 'green' too?)
The Best Parties Aren't Breakfast Parties
You're less likely to scrap your workout for the can't-miss-get-together with friends if you work out at daybreak.
Accomplishment is a Beautiful Thing
As everyone else stumbles to the bus stop or the office, you're flying. Not only did your workout get your energy up in a way coffee just can't, but you are d-o-n-e! It's a great feeling to have one "to-do" completely nixed when most people are still figuring out what's on their lists for the day. (glorious-ness, huh?)
Less Hassle, More Joy
Mornings have less traffic, as well as less heat and humidity in the summer. Enjoy the fresh morning sounds and smells. ( yes, and yes.)
There is Nothing Like Morning Sunshine
Just as the days are getting longer. What a way to start the day! (with a dash of prayer and God-time...I couldn't agree more!)



Now, if I could just figure out how to not let the stresses of the day affect me to the point of choosing the couch and a bag of potato chips over a workout...

St. Paddy's 5

I tossed and turned all night last night because I was afraid I'd miss out on the St. Paddy's run with Ali due to Daylight Savings. I'm never confident that I have it right when I go to bed the night before. Luckily, Bobby created a back-up system with his watch to make sure I was awake and ready to go on time. That made me smile.

I woke this morning with a worry in my head that I wouldn't/shouldn't be running 5 miles right now. I'm only at 2 miles for my longest run in my pre base training...would I excel?

Yup.

All of the run was done at conversation pace with Ali. We chatted about everything...from babies and puppies to the length of our fingernails. I felt good the entire time. I was also worried that the time I spent at the gym yesterday (1 hour on elliptical/treadmills and 1 hour Zumba) combined with the loss in that one hour would kill my lungs/legs/endurance. But I have to say, once I crossed that finish line at 56:??, I was instantly pleased! I mean, we ran approximately 11 min/miles while having a conversation. Awesome! Go us, right?

So the only thing I need to figure out asap would be food. What could/should I eat so that my stomach doesn't retaliate after my workouts/races? I don't even know where to start. But I did have a conversation with Bobby regarding the unpleasantries that abound after a race...chaffing...stomach/bowel issues...not the best conversation to have if you're trying to be attractive to someone. (Good thing we're married!!!) His response? "I think I know what it is your stomach doesn't like...RUNNING". Haha...I married a comedian. But I love him and I loved that comeback.

All in all, today was/is a great day.

Tidbits

"We can complain because rose bushes have thorns, or rejoice because thorn bushes have roses."
Abraham Lincoln


I'm happy to say that Wednesday's treadmill run was super easy! I don't mean that I didn't push myself...it was just smooth and I felt really great about it. Like a freshly oiled Tin Man instead of a rusty ol' pile of junk metal. I can't remember the last time I ran a mile without losing my breath. What a wonderful gift!

Thursday's run was a 2 miler which I had done after work and outside. I'm so glad that I waited to do so because I had a stressful day at work and my run served as my counselor. Also, yesterday was a super rainy day...until I got off work. The sun shone bright and certainly helped to lift my spirits. Yet another gift!

I appologize to myself for using random images from the internet for my blog posts. I plan to make things a little more fun and personal once I can find my camera charger...darnit.

I find it interesting and almost comical how we can, within 2 minutes, shove over 100 calories into our mouths when it takes nearly 10 minutes to burn it off. I thank the treadmill and eliptical calorie counters for making me see the light.

I read an article that tells me to make sure I take into consideration my friends' schedules when deciding when to run so that I can include them. Apparently, this person doesn't know the busyness surrounding my friends' schedules...I would never get a run in! Of course, that's not entirely true...but it's pretty close!
Here's why...

Once the training schedule is in full force, this is what it will look like:
Monday: morning XT(cross train), ie: swimming 30, 45 or 60 min.
Tuesday: Quality run in the a.m. before work (gotta make it to BS on time after work!)
Wednesday: Short(er) run and weights at night at the gym
Thursday: Tempo run in the a.m. before work (gotta make it to comm. group on time after work!)
Friday: rest...yay!
Saturday: short(er) run
Sunday: Long runs...weeeeee!
Starting this month, Dr. Crum decided to start late on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Hooray for me because I can now get those important runs in in the morning and have the rest of the day free for the other things I managed to schedule. Definitely a gift. Love it!

Afraid of Fearing Fear?

"It is wonderful that life continues to challenge and define us, great that there is always more to strive for and assuring that we will always grow from these experiences so the future will be better still."
-Deena Kastor

Bobby and I had a conversation last night surrounding the idea of living in fear and using fear to drive us to do or not do certain things. Then, I get to work and found an email from a good friend regarding the same idea.

"FEAR:  It can be the feeling that protects us or it can be the feeling that cripples us. 


When all of the kids are lined up on the cliff and they are jumping and diving into the river below, it is the acknowledgement of the fear of the fall and injury that convinces you to step away from the ledge.  Fear of an accident and the possible results of such an event, help to remind us to drive safely.  Fear of a ticket from a police officer does the same.  Fear of an opponent in an athletic event, usually cripples your performance.  It is difficult to compete confidently when you are battling fear and failure in your heart and mind.


Once Cheryl and I had a prowler sneaking around the house.  We could hear him outside the windows and I snuck out to confront him.  I remember being in the dark, with my robe on (or Cheryl’s), and holding my weapon of choice, an iron.  Once I snuck out the front door and made my way around the corner into the darkness, I remember my heart racing so fast and my body beginning to lock up.  I could hear the burglar just around the corner, and I couldn’t move.  The fear of the possible confrontation was locking me up.  My confidence was dropping quickly.  I had all kinds of crazy thoughts racing through my head.  I had to recollect myself, get myself back into battle mode, and make the move to protect my family.  I finally mustered up the courage and chased the guy out of the yard.  He cleared the fence a little faster than me in my very tough looking pink robe (I did grab Cheryl’s). 


Fear can cripple us in athletics and at work in our careers as well.  What does the Bible have to say about dealing with this fear and particularly mastering our feelings when preparing to head into battle.  In Deuteronomy chapter 20 we read:  “When you go out to war against your enemies, and see horses and chariots of an army larger than your own, you shall not be afraid of them, for the Lord your God is with you, …let not your heart panic or be in dread…
We each need to find a method of handling fear when we face tough situations.  If you are being challenged with a tough project at work or school and fear failure, remember God’s words and promise.  He is with you.  Athletics are a great place for us to practice our ability to handle fear and doubt.  It is common when facing great challenges in athletics to doubt and to allow fear to cripple you. 


God, help us to remember that you are with us when we have fear.  Remind us that you never leave us.  That you know us by name and are prepared to carry us when we are weak.  Allow the feeling of fear to protect me when needed; and allow me to tackle those feelings when they are not meant to protect, but it is simply the enemy attempting to cripple me.  Thank you for being with me and carrying me to victory.  Give me the confidence of a warrior in Jesus’ army.  Help me to practice this faith and trust in you while I work today, while I practice today, in my studies, and in my athletic challenges.  It is rather simple I am very powerful with you, and somewhat weak and crippled without you.  Walk with me victoriously into battle today.  Amen
Let God help you in your next interview, dance performance, big presentation, meeting with that difficult client, national championship, etc.  He can release you and help you to perform to your best ability.  In those old biblical stories, he helped many warriors tackle opponents (many times superior) victoriously.  In the face of fear, stress, mental struggles, pain, and suffering, call on your creator to assist. "

1.) I am training for a marathon.
2.) Three years ago I broke my ankle and to this day I still suffer discomfort.
3.) Two years ago I attempted a half marathon and got up to 11 miles in my training and 2 weeks from the race when my right knee decided to disagree with my plans.
4.) This time last year I was diagnosed with Ventricular Tachycardia (arrhythmia) and my medication makes me sometimes feel sluggish.
5.) I am overweight (obese according to that stupid BMI chart)

I'm afraid I won't have it in me to complete this training and the marathon in the way I feel I can, largely due to the last 4 items I listed. I am afraid to express any excitement regarding this race to anyone, even my husband, because I don't want to end up failing. In my mind, if I don't let anyone know I'm doing this then I won't look like a failure when I don't finish. When it comes to this goal I have set before me, I live in FEAR and when I'm reminded to let God in to this, another 'problem' occurs. I cannot justify asking for God's help when I don't see how the time and energy that goes into this can glorify Him. I asked for guidance with this in my bible study prayer card last night. 'How can I glorify God in this?' I don't want to simply throw on a shirt that spouts Christianese Bible verses or mark my calves with John 3:16 the day of the race. I do know that when I am out and about alone, it is good God time for me...but is this enough? I suppose I'm going to find out! I will start with Scott's suggestion above and make sure I let God in on this one.

My Turtle Outback

Sunday Run-Day came and went. But not without a run this time! I rolled out of bed around 7am and told myself to munch a piece of PB toast and head out. I'd look at the clock and make a deal with myself, "ok, 10 minutes and you have to get ready to go." then 20 minutes would go by and I'd find myself still sitting, with the thought, "you'd be done by now if you weren't so lazy". 5 hours later I was still sitting on the couch... only now wondering if I'd get my run in by the time I needed to leave for church! I sure hope I lose this procrastination thing before I have to head out for 10+ miles or I'll find myself running at midnight...or, maybe I should start midnight Saturday night? I might then get started by noon on Sunday.

I headed out from my place and made a bee-line for the Spokane Club. This out-and-back gives me about 2 miles according to mapmyrun.com. It was a balmy 45ish and sunny with a slight breeze. I noticed my hands were cold and my ears were chilled but I know better...I'd have thrown my gloves off within 10 minutes if I'd had worn them. I start to feel irritated if I end up wearing or carrying anything extra which means I am perfectly ok with freezing at the start of my run because in no way do I want to be uncomfortably hot. I certainly deal with cold a ton better than heat. Heat gives me the feeling of claustrophobia or suffocation...just thinking about it makes me cringe.  For this reason I'm thankful that Bloomsday volunteers make it possible to discard layers for charity along the route or I'd be super cold or super cranky!

About 3 years ago I decided it would be fun to roll my ankle during the intense routines of step-aerobics. I thought I had a bad sprain but apparently I actually broke off a piece of bone in my joint. I was out for 6 weeks on crutches and a waking boot and was basically given the choice to 'let it be' or have an arthroscopy done to remove the piece. The combination of possibly being off my feet for the entire summer and with the online research I had done regarding arthroscopy, I decided to let it be. The result has been a finicky ankle that flares up with the change of the weather or within the first 5 or so minutes of any physical activity. I usually ignore it and it soon goes away. So on this run when my ankle threw a little tantrum, I told the discomfort to take a hike and once it warmed up a bit, it did. Other than that, the run was smooth.



I thought about doing something along the lines of a 'Kenyan Outback' which is running an 'out-and-back' only your 'back' is faster than your 'out'. After fussing with my IPOD (which decided to freeze on me) my out ended up around the 11:30 range while my back was around 10:20. Technically this is a successful Kenyan Outback but because of the s-l-o-w time....I'm going to call it a Turtle Outback.

TV or no TV?

If you're going to run on a treadmill equipped with a TV, you might as well turn the TV on, right?
This was my dilemma yesterday. My calendar informed me that I was to complete only 1 small mile so I thought maybe I'd go in earlier than my 9:30 Zumba time to conveniently get that mile in before class. Unfortunately, this meant I had a high probability of scoring an exercise wheel with a TV. Why is this a problem? Well until recently, I hadn't thought it could be. I mean, what better thing is there than taking your mind off of the grueling task of getting fit and losing weight with technology and media?

So there I was, stuck with a TV about three feet from my face wondering what I should do. Should I stare at the reflection of my head bobbing up and down or give in to the gods of media and numb my brain to the signs and signals my body would love to be giving me while running?

Think back with me to the scene in WALL-E. All the humans were so incredibly unfit...sodas in their hands, everything they needed was attainable with the push of a button and a TV within inches of their face.Could this be where we are headed? Since when did convenience and the need to be constantly in the know take a front seat to the enjoyment of being active? And why? This question is the reason why I decided to turn on the ol' boob tube (that's what my mom called it...still don't really know why?) and see what was playing. First of all, I got 3 times more channels on that thing then I do at home. Score: TV 1, sanity 0. I surfed through about half of those channels and found one of two things: kid shows and news. Now, I'm normally ok with either one but I can't listen to nonsense, small people and creepy story lines while running so I turned to the kids channels...same darned thing. Not to mention the negativity that comes from the news these days...why can't the good stuff shine through?! I suppose that's another subject for another day.

I don't really know what good reason there is for a TV...in or out of the gym. I guess it doesn't help that I'm not all-together sold on the idea of even owning a TV at home...but again, that's another subject completely.

Fits and Starts

"You can't cross the sea merely by standing and staring at the water."

-Rabindranath Tagore, Indian Poet

So far there's one thing I'm sure of when it comes to goal setting and completion and that is the phenomenon called 'Fits and Starts'. Sunday, February 27th was supposed to be my first day of 'pre' base training. I knew it was coming up well in advance and I had it written on my calendars...all three of them! And yet, I woke Sunday morning simply not feeling like doing a thing. This wasn't just a bout of laziness or indifference. It was my first battle in the war of acheivements; my first 'fit'. 

I've been reading a weight loss memoir called "Half-Assed" by Jeanette Fulda. She's been my comedic relief from this sometimes overbearing thing we call LIFE. One of the things she mentioned in her book this morning is how she has looked back at her blog archives and realized that her journey was made up of many 'battles' in an all out war on obesity. Some battles were won and some were lost...badly. But the greatest victories exsisted because she kept going. She noticed that she had forgotten what it felt like to feel bad about herself and her apparent iniquities, and while she skimmed over her early entries her eyes were opened to how far she'd actually come.

This gives me hope.

Earlier this week I had been frustrated because I thought, "Man, if I poop out on the very first day of this thing...what does that mean for the rest of my training?" Sunday was just a tiny 1 mile long battle among other daily battles. I remember as a youngster being told to "choose your battles" ...so I chose to stay home and pout.

Thankfully, Wednesday rolled around and Melissa and Tara were relying on me to put them through a hellish exercise routine at the gym. If I retained anything from my previous weight loss experience, it's the ability to know how to kick my own butt...and bring others along with me! I got my scheduled amount of mileage in that day too and it felt awesome...my first 'start'. This is one of the million reasons why buddies along the way will prove to be very helpful.

Thursday afternoon found me scrambling from work to make it to my 6:30 meeting with Mel and Tara at the Y. They've begun to profess undying hate for me during these workouts...I wouldn't want to let them down, now would I? The only 'problem' I had was, I couldn't complete my mileage in the amount of time I had while getting all the other strength and stretching routines in. Luckily, Thursday nights will no longer exsist past St. Paddy's day since we will be hosting a community group out of our home those nights. This means I'll have to get the mileage in BEFORE work...good thing the good ol' Dr. decided to start at 9am on Tuesdays and Thursdays instead of 8am. I get a whole extra hour to get my workout in before the day begins.

I'm one blessed duck!

Now if I could only get the warm season to cooperate and get here. I need extra motivation getting out of bed in the mornings and the cold doesn't help at all!