Tuesday Links!

Alright, before we get to a day in the life of the Realist, let's do some Tuesday links!

First, I'm making this tomorrow night:
Moroccan Pita Sandwich; at 370 calories, that's a nice, big dinner.  It'll make great leftovers, too.
I recommend to everyone embarking on a weightloss/healthy change journey to roll up their sleeves and try one new recipe a week from something like Cooking Light.  My parents gave me the Cooking Light massive binder cookbook and it basically is the best thing since Splenda.  All calories, fat, carbs, protein, etc. is listed. If you have issues that require you to be aware of any part of your dietary intake, switch to recipes that let you know their total ahead of time.

This is a great article from my Pact Buddy, B.
Put "I" Into Your Workout
This article talks about making yourself responsible for your own well being.  The knife cuts both ways.  Consider this in terms of excuses and praise:
Excuse: It's too cold to go to the gym today.
I statement Excuse: I am letting the cold stop me from going to the gym today.

oooooh.   Suddenly it's not the cold, but YOU deterring yourself from the gym.

Praise: Man, my cycle instructor is great.  She's made me work really hard lately.
I statement Praise: Man, I am awesome at cycle.  I listened to my instructor and I really pushed myself.

Is the scale making you sad?  IT'S JUST A MACHINE.
Take the Stress Out of Weighing-In
Part two in a three part article from the same guy above.  This is a great way to remind yourself that it's not all about weight.  It's about your health.  I'm guilty of feeling caught by a lot of the feelings in this article.  It's a nice perspective check.

And for a little inspiration:
Notes from the Universe
My mom told me about this site and honestly, I love it.  I signed up to receive the daily Notes from the Universe.  They're a little weird, but never in a way that actually weirded me out.  It actually, honestly, makes me feel special.  I look forward to this email every morning.  One from the other day that has stuck with me:

If you knew how much you have in common with every single person now living in time and space Mia - in terms of your greatest hopes and dreams, and your deepest fears and worries - you'd wonder how I manage to tell you all apart.
And from this day forward you'd likely think of every single one of them as "dearest," just as I do.


Tallyho,

The Universe
 
P.S. Yeah, like twins, to the power of 7 billion. But not to worry, dearest Mia, I can always tell it's you by your saunter.
 
I couldn't tell you why, but that, for some reason, has stayed with me.  It's like a hug from the universe every morning.
 
And with that, you have your second issue of Tuesday Links!  Please let me know if anyone is interested in becoming a guest blogger for next Monday!  Don't worry, you don't have to ID yourself.  You can be Jane or John Guest Blogger!
 
Prepare for the day in the life coming up later today!

The Best Laid Plans

Remember how I mentioned our little snow situation up here?  Well, it got worse.  Worse to the point of a whiteout and even things that were managing to stay opened through the first part of this blizzard are closed. 

In addition, I could not for the life of me fall asleep last night.  I tried watching two episodes of BBC's Wild Pacific. Maybe it's because it's not narrated by David Attenborough, maybe it was just because Chadd wasn't home,who knows, I could not sleep.

When I finally did drift off around 3, the damn cat got up and started howling for water.  I turned on the faucet and he drank for about a solid 5 minutes.

7 am, the winds started.  The window above my head creaks like crazy in a wind storm, add the snow and ice and as it shattered against our window, I was woken to the sound of shattering.  Thankfully not the windows, probably just the ice build up around it.  Not ideal for getting up at 8 am to hit the gym, if it's even opened.

New plan involves a home work out, which I almost never do.  I'm going to call the gym after I finish my work, but for now, the I'll be running the stairs until I can't anymore, then getting creative with my bosu that I am now so glad that I haven't sold.

100 Posts Later, I Stood Up For Myself

I want to be an Olympian.  It's terribly depressing to me that I generally suck at every sport or physical activity I've ever done aside from aerobics and running.  Last I checked, there isn't a gold metal in yelling and stepping in place, and I'm not built for running that turns into competitive running.  I'm not just saying that--I have a broken foot (now healed)  to prove it.

I hope everyone's been watching the Olympics.  This is actually my first year of really truly watching the winter Olympics, which I usually watch for the ice skating and then forget are on.  I really think that the winter Olympics are by far the most dangerous combination of sports that exist.  Sadly, we have a reminder of that with the death of the Georgian luger, and you only need to watch a downhill alpine skiing race for 5 minutes to see a wipe out that could potentially kill or severely injure anyone.  Like any NASCAR fan, I've waited for the crashes, but I've also come to hail these athletes as some of the best in existence.  I'm amazed by their abilities.  It inspires me to do better, to train harder, and to say something to my counselor at work I hadn't really expected to say.

We have a review 2x a year where we're given a rating on a scale.  My counselor is a good guy, he works hard and he cares about my progress.  He began our conversation by talking a little bit about the next step in my career and the types of activities I'd need to be doing to move from being a good, solid employee, to an exemplary one.  I've seen friends of mine hit this point in their career and I want nothing to do with it.  Work life balance becomes a lot more of a work life blend.  I could go on, but I won't.  It's a choice that people make and if that's their passion, far be it from me to condemn them.  It just isn't mine.

I stopped him and told him that I was fine being a good, solid employee, that my passion was really in what I did outside of the office (fitness), and since its company policy that they're okay with me having a work/life balance, and that they are happy when we're good, solid employees, then I had made up my mind.

Bottom line: For the first time in my life, I haven't given 110% to something.  I've only given 100% because I want to dedicate whatever spare time I have to being an instructor, a trainer, and an athlete in my own right.  Why?  Because it makes me want to get up in the morning.  Simply and honestly put, it's my passion.

My counselor, bless him, looked at me for a moment and then really surprised me by saying:
"I am really glad to hear you say that.  It's really the first time I've gotten to see your personality, normally you just tell me everything's fine.  You seem a lot happier; I'll support you in that decision and I'll defend you if it comes to that."

What a weight off of my shoulders.  So, with that, I'm ordering my personal training studying materials, and getting to work. I now have 120 days to certify.

One of my gyms has also asked if I would be interested in representing them at a Les Mills certification for Body Pump (one of my favorite classes).  Three days of learning and doing, and I cannot wait.  What an great gift to be chosen!

Chadd, the most wonderful boyfriend, gave me my birthday present last weekend at dinner:  personal training sessions.  Ever concerned about my self image, he prefaced the gift by saying that if I wasn't interested, I didn't have to accept the gift and that this shouldn't reflect at all on me, but that he thought this was something I would enjoy.  You can imagine my reaction...

OMG WHY WOULD YOU THINK I WOULDN'T WANT THIS OMG OMG OMG THIS IS THE BEST GIFT EVER

I freaked out a little. I have always wanted my own trainer to push me.  Hell, Olympians have trainers!  The most elite athletes in the world have trainers!  SIGN ME UP!  Chadd's intention was two fold: not only do I want my own trainer, but since I'm taking my exam soon, he wanted to make sure that I had someone who could help me as I got ready.  How awesome.

In summation, on this Friday afternoon, I feel like I've done a Herculean feat--I stood up for my passion and I was supported.  Do something today to stand up for your passion and tell me how good it feels

The Beginning of March...and on to May

And another month rolls around! 

Well, I have mixed news.  The first and only bit, really, is that I haven't really gained or lost weight in the month of February.  I suppose the good news in all of that is that with my birthday, a massive snowstorm, staying up late to pick up Chadd and entirely too much snacking, I haven't gained...so I've found the right method of maintaining.  6 pounds from now, I'll have an idea of how to maintain that weight.  That's the hardest part, in my opinion.

Of course, the bad news is that I am no closer to my goal than I was a month ago.  Thankfully March is a very active month for me and my pact buddy and I are back on track, too, so we're all set to give a one-two punch to March and get that much closer to our goal.

My March looks as follows:
Weekend 1: Les Mills Training (Friday-Sunday)
Weekend 2: Snowboarding (Saturday)
Weekend 3: Colorado! (Wednesday-Monday)
Weekend 4: 10K Run to Register
Weekend 5: Easter (Chadd's mom comes to visit, likely)
Weekend 6: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler
Weekend 7: Open
Weekend 8: Open
Weekend 9: Run Amuck 5k
Weekend 10: Visit J in NYC
Weekend 11: Historic Half Marathon

Which brings us to the middle of May.  No kidding.  Like poof there go March and April!

My goal is to get through 3 pounds before I go to see my bro in Colorado.  That gives me roughly 2 weeks at a pace I'm comfortable meeting, especially since I'll be meeting with my nutritionist on Wednesday for the first time!  Cross you fingers and wish me luck.  I'm SO close.

On another note--the 7 day work til exhaustion workout didn't make it 7 days. I strongly suggest clearing your date book because any other gym date literally kills this.  I managed to teach it into my class (which I'm sure my class was less than thrilled about), but post boxing, I couldn't lift my arms, much less a weight.  Tuesday, teaching no-tap killed me, and then I had a sore wrist for whatever reason for 2 days. So, basically, be careful what you under take.  I do recommend trying the work to exhaustion workout 1x a week just to give yourself an extra uumph somewhere in your weekly workout!

Make March a healthy month--hopefully one filled with sunshine and warm weather too!

Old Habits, New Ways of Life

I had some awesome ideas on what to blog about today, but go figure, they literally flew out of my head.  So instead, I'm going to talk a little bit about how I'm trying to stay healthy with my new life.

When I joined my last job, I was more focused on the fact that I was working my first full time job and that I wanted to make a good impression.  My focus was entirely on my career, which was the right mindset...but it blew up in my face because I neglected everything else.

Over the course of two years, no joke, I gained nearly 20 pounds.  I can't even tell you how hard it is to write that.  We've all read those magazine articles about how if you do x (ex: drink a whole milk chai latte) x times a week (how about 3 times) over the course of x years (let's say 2), you will gain x pounds (how about 20?).  My downfall was not chai lattes (at least not totally), it was the general lifestyle where I didn't focus on the pizza, the happy hours, the venti coffee drinks...and then I woke up one morning (when I started this blog) and asked myself "what have you done?"  I lost 8 pounds.  Then I celebrated and crapped out.  Gained the 8 back, plus 1.

About the time that I began to realize I couldn't be happy and stay in my previous job, I also began to realize that I couldn't continue to treat myself the way I was treating myself.

You've read the story of how I managed to get through those months before I joined my new company, so now you know it's possible, but I was really worried about the transition.  As unhappy as I was, I had a schedule I knew how to maintain, but I also had horrible habits.

If I didn't get up to go to the gym, I was usually up about 15 minutes before I had to walk out the door.  I was hitting the right caloric intake, but at the risk of of getting the wrong nutrition.  How do you make a day's worth of food in 5 minutes?  Easy!  You throw a lean cuisine, a 100 calorie pack, and some other processed stuff into a bag and off you go.

I promised myself when I started this job that I would live my life in a way that I was enjoying it.  Every minute of it.

I have promised myself to do the following:
- Make a meal plan every weekend that does not involved processed food
- Wake up an hour before I have to leave
- Eat breakfast EVERY morning
- Make my lunch every day or have a plan if I have a client lunch meeting
- Make a gym schedule and stick to it (schedule must be flexible)
- Enjoy every meal that I eat (because calories suck if they taste bad)

I know it's only day three, but I've gotten up consistently an hour before I had to leave for work, gotten to work early for 30 minutes alone to have coffee and watch the news.  I made a menu plan, cooked on Sunday, and have stuck with it.  My gym schedule hit a bump tonight, but because it was flexible, I'm going tomorrow night and taking tonight to relax.

I have 8 pounds to go--I added two pounds to my goal weight loss, otherwise, I am proud to say that I've maintained my weightloss for the past two months and that as soon as I sign up for my trainer, I'll be back on track with all systems go to burn off 8 pounds by the middle of June.

I think the bottom line of this meandering post is this: if you're unhappy with where you are, nothing says you cannot change that.  I know that I need milestones to help me change things, but think about what it is that you're dissatisfied with.  Do you rush in the morning?  Skip the gym?  Rely on take out?  Make an action plan and change it, because from where I'm sitting, and maybe it's the new job talking (it's so awesome, btw, I love being there), but changing something that makes you unhappy, as small as it may be, magnifies in how happy it makes you when you change it.

Weekend of Car Problems

Hello from hot and humid DC...I had intended to spend this Saturday morning getting up early and getting out for my first long run...but in case you weren't aware, we're in the middle of a sever heat wave.  It literally says on the weather map "oppressive" across the DC area.  I didn't even know that was a category...

Anyway, it doesn't matter anyway because I had to take the car to the dealership at 7:30 for repairs (sigh.  $$$$$) and I'm still there right now.  It's only been an hour, but it feels like some sort of time warp.  And place warp.

I'm not kidding, the guy to my right is drawing some sort of psychadelic butterfly woman with a rainbow background.  Not like doodling, either, like full on massive sheet of paper with pastels.  Sooner I can go home, the better.  There are at least three other people in the room with me who are conversing with the tv.  Not in a crazy kind of way, but in the way that they're literally having a conversation with the today show.  Example: TV: "If you have an allergy to wheat gluten...it can cause *list symptoms" Person: Mmmmmhmm, sure nuff!

I'm in a real conundrum.  I took about a week off of working out.  Mostly because this week was hell on wheels at work.  Don't get me wrong, unlike my last job, I actually enjoy my work and so it hasn't been horrible, but it's taken a toll on my exercise and sleep time.

But that's not the conundrum.  The real reason I've taken a week off is because I really hate running on a treadmill.  Really hate it, but it's been too hot to go outside unless I'm up really early, and I've been too tired to do that.

I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to motivate myself to get up and get out there.  I have a marathon AND a Ragnar relay breathing down my neck, so I really don't have a negotiable way out.

Since Chadd's out of town this weekend, I have plenty of time to plan.  What do I do well?  I plan.

If I ever get to leave the dealership, then I'm going to go home and after some fun time with my weightloss buddy, start doing some planning.  I'm going to come up with my meal plans again, I always prefer to do that because it takes all the last minute what to eat guess work out of my nights, especially when making a quesadilla sounds like the only option.

I'm also going to brainstorm things to do instead of running ... maybe it's that I have to go and spend an hour on the bike or cross trainer (x-train), maybe it's that I go swimming at the Y (in this heat? yes please...), or a walk.  It's still hot outside, but I could probably manage walking (knowing that I'll likely jog)

So.  That was written a while ago, in between then and now, I stopped by the diner next door for food, then walked the mile to Ikea to look for a new solution for our desk (we're getting rid of it, since we never use it...) but we need something to put all the stuff in that was in the desk.

Can I just tell you....it's ridiculously hot outside.  I literally was sweating through my shirt walking the mile back from Ikea.  I'm sure I looked like a crazy homeless person, walking down the highway, but whatever, better than sitting here in the mechanic's...which is playing some terrible 3-d animated kid's show about dogs that race car.

Okay.  Thank God.  I'm writing this at 10:45 at night...the car is almost repaired (a long story that isn't worth getting into) and my weightloss buddy and I had a great day at Joann fabrics, crafting, eating pizza, and chatting.

Hopefully I'll actually get my food/workout plans together tomorrow.  I'll share them soon, whether it's tomorrow or the day after...or the day after that!

False Starts

It is so hard to get started back on a routine, isn't it?

I did a lot of great planning this weekend (see last post).  I went to the grocery and did a power sweep through the store--bought lots of fresh veggies, stuff for healthy lunches, and good filling snacks.  I made a running plan that I'm comfortable with...then last night, the sneaky Sunday night time warp happened.

It's that weird time vortex where one second, it's 9:30 and you're excited that you're going to go to bed before 11, then something happens (I called my mom because I thought I had SO much time to kill before 10:30...) then I looked up at it was 10:30.  No big deal, takes me 10 minutes to get ready for bed...I'd still make my mark of before 11.

I was certainly IN bed before 11, but somehow I wasted like 2 hours on the internets and all of a sudden, past midnight.

I knew then that my 6:30 gym time was just not gonna happen.  Didn't help that one of the cats is on steroids, and they make him thirsty...and because of course he's the special one and of course, he only drinks water out of the running faucet...so I was woken up twice through the night because he was thirsty.  Poor kitty.  

So, my gym time didn't happen this morning.  It's okay because, unlike most of my days, I actually have time for the gym tonight.

20 minutes on the dreadmill, then 20-30 minutes of weights.  

I did a few good things though--my bodybugg subscription recently expired, so I renewed it for 6 months.  I'm getting back on this daily, even though I need to be careful of obsessively calorie counting, because with training, I need to keep an eye on my intake and on food trends that might show up in my training/recovery.

I also packed a healthy lunch last night (turkey breast, pita sandwich, carrots, and a beautiful peach from the market) that was ready to go when I woke up late this morning (typical.)  It seriously takes 5 minutes to make lunch the night before, I need to make a commitment to just do this.

The thing I don't want to do?  Get on the scale.  

It's such a headgame because I recognize I've gained a little weight back (I'd guess about 5 pounds), but somehow, I feel like if I don't step on that scale it won't be true?  Go figure.  

I should take my own advice: "don't obsess on the number because it's one of the least accurate representation of how healthy you are when you're a fairly healthy weight to begin with...and because it can always always change...it just takes time."

So here's to taking time...

More Exciting Things: A Month in the Life of Me

My Trainer Bob inspired me--he has a 4 week program (involving his videos) that you follow with his commentary.

If you give me 1 month, watch what you eat/drink (don't cheat) and do what I'm telling you to do here, I'll show you at least 5 pounds of weight loss.  Ready?  Sure you are.

Monday:

- Run, jog, or walk for 1 hour.  This may also be elliptical, biking, or swimming.  If you are walking, keep the pace going.  Got some energy?  Give me 1 minute of jogging per 2, 3, 4, or 5 minutes of running.  Try to spike your cardio at LEAST 1 minute for every 10.  

- Stretch

- Drink 3 full bottles of water throughout the day

- Tell yourself one thing that you love about your body.  Mine?  I love my slight ab definition at the top of my abs.

Tomorrow is group fitness!

When Running Becomes Who You Are, Not What You Do

The first mile I ever ran (without stopping) took me 15 minutes, flat. Huffing and puffing, I hit STOP on the treadmill and felt like I had just climbed Everest. I felt so proud of myself. I ran a mile. Without stopping. I can still feel the blood pulsing in my temple as I woozily got off the treadmill at the Y in Oviedo.

Thursday night after my spin class, half way through my half hour core workout, I was thinking about how I'd found myself on the road to an Ironman 70.3 and, let's be real, a full Ironman. I thought of myself on that treadmill and the dogged pursuit of a full, running mile.

Chadd is fond of reminding me that I can run a half marathon with very little training when I'm down on myself. How did I get from that 1, 15 minute mile to a half marathon in the tank? I wished I knew. I felt like I had accidentally stumbled into this life. Don't get me wrong, I still felt very grateful, but it felt less like a goal, more like an accident on Thursday.

Sunday afternoon, while I was cleaning the house and Chadd was at the gym, I had a bit of an emotional breakdown. Bryan, the voice of sanity in my crazy workout world , and I made a pact a few years ago: I would do an Ironman if he would do a marathon (right, Bryan? I can't remember the exact terms, but they were outrageous). I was at a point in the job I held then where I was so miserable and down on myself (just like I felt before I registered for the half Ironman) that I was ready to take the deal. Whenever Bryan or I have been particularly down or in need of encouragement, this video gets passed back and forth via email. Maybe y'all think that's the exact opposite of encouragement, but between Bryan and myself, it's the perfect medicine.

My joints aching, I decided to watch that video again. Halfway through, I totally lost my cool and started crying. As I described to Bryan, "I legit had a 'hold the cat and sob' moment while watching the 'you will do this' video." But I wasn't crying from sadness or exhaustion (ok, maybe some exhaustion). I was crying because I so clearly saw myself on that treadmill, 10 years ago, begging my body for that mile and because I am so proud of myself. It was like watching myself through all my running accomplishments:

- the first, wretched mile
- the first long run (9 miles, in a victoria's secret cotton outfit - bad bad bad plan)
- the first time I did 20 miles
- my first expo (Marine Corps marathon!)
- running a 5k turkey trot with my brother and mom
- the first time I ran after foot surgery
- the second marathon and all the tears, toenails and blood that came from that one
- Ragnar.
- Ragnar Ragnar Ragnar
- My first sub-8 mile (downhill at the 4 courts 4)
- The first time I pulled a half marathon out of thin air on no training (Marine Corps Half Marathon)
- My brother's first half marathon

The list goes on. But suddenly, running didn't seem like something I do...it became something I am. And I was so damn proud that all I could do was cry. I clutched our big, stupid cat, crying into his fur and said, "this isn't very iron, is it?" Or maybe that's what being Iron is all about.

This week was a great week in training - I almost hit 9 hours of training, and minus a very tweaky shoulder, I felt fabulous. I can see myself getting in better shape, stronger, healthier. I learned how to swim effectively (and less scarily!), ran 12 miles at a decent pace and got away with not being sore on Sunday.

Best part of the week? My Saturday run showed off weather like this:

So, moral of the story is this - you have it in you, whatever it is that you want to do. Sometimes, you just have to make it past the first 15 minute mile of your life with one foot in front of the other.

Wednesday Motivation and Affirmation

Just a quick post on this rainy day to remind you that whatever it is that you are chasing, be it a 5k, a marathon, an Ironman or any other goal in life that you can do it if you dedicate yourself to it.

I strongly recommend signing up for daily emails from Tut's Adventurers' Club. It's a little new agey sometimes for my taste, but then I get emails like this:

The presumption, Mia, at all times and under all circumstances, should always be that you are good enough, worthy enough, and lovable enough. And that you are exactly the right kind of person, in the right place, at the right time. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been instilled with such dreams in the first place.

Ain't that the truth.

From the girl who never thought she'd run more than a 15 minute mile, let me promise you that amazing things are possible if you believe you can do it.

Happy Wednesday!

When Life Happens

For the past three weeks, I've had a lot of flexibility, low work load, and general open schedule for workouts. I knew this was living a pipe dream and that I was bound to wake up in a mess of schedule conflicts, a gym that doesn't open early enough (who knew), and work that will not stay within a 40 hours a week boundary.

That wake up was this morning. My schedule SHOULD look like this:
Monday - 1 hour upper body and core workout (with Blair!)
Tuesday -  AM Swim, PM - 1 hour spin class
Wednesday - Track Practice
Thursday - 1 hour of spin and 45 minutes of core work
Friday - 30 minute swim

Instead, my week is going to look like this:
Monday - as planned
Tuesday - AM - Miriam's, PM: Spin and Swim
Wednesday: re-creating track practice on the dreadmill (AM), PM: Concert with Chadd
Thursday: 4 am. I repeat, 4 am, 1 hour on the bike trainer (my first time!) 45 minutes in the gym for weights; Thursday PM - girls' night
Friday - 30 minute swim and total exhaustion.

I suppose it's not as big of a change as I think it is. One of the things I'm struggling most with and simultaneously love is how scheduled my life has become. If you knew me in high school or college, you'd have seen my hard copy planner (oh before google calendar....). I had highlights, check boxes, pages folded, specific instructions, etc. I seem to be able to handle a strict schedule (or diet) or nothing at all. Reminds me vaguely of my swimming issues (full power or sink) So, when the slightest thing comes up, like having to stay late at work, I get totally stressed out beyond reasonable proportions.

I also let things that I need to do on the regular totally slide. For example:
- My roots are horrific. I absolutely must find a new hair stylist yesterday.
- Eye liner. I've been out of make up, most specifically eye liner, for probably a month now.
- Manicure. I know these things all sound super stupid, but my nails are like... my thing.
- Pedicure. A must for distance runners. I don't like losing toenails.
- Taxes. They are literally 75% complete and have been for...oh, a month?
- Writing my grandmother. I used to do this weekly. I've been a terrible granddaughter.
- Making food. I have never eaten out as much as I do these days. I used to love cooking...I still do! But I am so tired/apathetic when I get home from work and training that I care about 0 percent.

I wish I had a solution. Maybe with practice will come some sort of ease of mind. Maybe I'll learn to balance myself out without strict schedule or going hog wild when I have nothing planned. Until then, I'm trying to focus on the wins of the day, remind myself that very few things are ABSOLUTELY CRUCIAL and look for enjoyment in the craziness I signed myself up for. Because, really, when is it ever worth being miserable for months just to feel glory in the end? Don't worry. I'm not feeling miserable, more just like I need a vacation.

But as far as wins of the day go...yesterday...

My workout with Blair last night was seriously awesome. We tried kettlebells for the first time and they were excruciating...I should look into a specific kettlebell class. But whoa this morning, hello hip flexors. And my entire right ass check is a knot. BTW, if you don't already, you should follow me on Fitocracy. That link will get you an account (free!) and we can compete and stuff. It'll be fun.

How do you balance all of it? What is your stress breaking point? What were your wins of the day?

Breaking Through

If I could bottle and sell the way I felt in the pool Tuesday night, I could be a billionaire.

I'll admit, I had some hesitation going into Tuesday night's workout. I had to be at Miriam's Kitchen in the morning, so my normal 2 a day was going to be compressed into one, huge workout after work.

My day was stressful at the office so by the time I left, I was pretty keyed up and already stressing about my workout. Once I got home I realized I was doing exactly what I'd said I wouldn't do in my last post...go into a workout knowing I was going to be miserable.

Instead, I pulled together a spin class that I was really excited about. Three huge mountains, some speed work, but mostly strength work. Class looked like this:

Walking in Memphis (Marc Cohn): Warm Up

Sweet Thing (Keith Urban): Warm Up 

Impossible (Anberlin): Climb (alternate 2 minutes in saddle, 2 out, moderate incline)

The End With You (Box Car Racer): Climb (alternate 2 minutes in saddle, 2 out, strong incline)

Think About Me (Goo Goo Dolls): Hill Spikes (seated, 30 seconds fast flat, 30 seconds strong resistance)

Bleed American (Jimmy Eat World): Speed work: 30 seconds fast, 30 seconds normal (1x) 45-15 (remainder)

Injection (Rise Against): Running

Breakdown (Forever the Sickest Kids): Jumps (4 beats, full song) 

Scartissue (Red Hot Chili Peppers): Fast Flat/Recovery

Drive (Incubus): Seated strong incline

This is Who We Are (Cartel): standing strong incline

One in a Lifetime (Talking Heads): seated flat for 15 seconds, strong standing incline 45 seconds

Your Misfortune (Mike Doughty): 3 minutes in saddle with moderate resistance, 1 minute out of saddle, strong resistance 

Forever Lost (Pretty Lights): 3 minutes in saddle with moderate resistance, 1 minute out of saddle, strong resistance

Druken Lullabies (Flogging Molly): 30 seconds surge, 30 seconds running, 30 seconds out of saddle climb

Summer Skin (Death Cab for Cutie): Cool Down

You Are Mine (Mute Math): Cool Down

Aria and I chatted while I closed up the class. She'd stayed for my class, so she'd already done her two hours and I thought "Mia, it's only two hours...this isn't some sort of Mt. Everest. Just go do it." I threw on my bathing suit, rinsed off my sweat, and headed down to the pool.

I strongly suggest hitting up the pool at night at the Y. Around 8:30, no one is in the pool. Even with two lanes reserved for the Masters Swim, I had an entire lane to myself for an hour. The only downer about this whole experience were the foot/toe cramps and the charlie horse that kept flaring up. I get it, bananas, I promise I'll start eating you again.

My swim workout was: 

200 Warm Up

3 x 75 (25 drill, 25 fast, 25 easy)

1 x 400

4 x 150 (odd fast, even easy)

1 x 400

5 x 25 (all fast with 15 seconds rest between each)

200 Cool Down

This was my first time trying out drills. Here's a great video that Coach sent out with basic drills. I tried the catch up drill and the one armed drill and was pleasantly surprised. I will say that maybe I need to take the video's advice and try using an object in front of me to accurately do the catch-up drill. I was constantly starting with my other arm too early.

The first 200 was easy. I mean, it's a warm up, so it should be. But y'all, three short weeks ago, a 200 was a death march. Heart rate up, I tackled the 3x75s and blew through those.

The first four hundred. Talk about a mental hurdle. This is 16 lengths of my pool. For you new runners out there, it's the same mental freak out as me saying "let's do 16 laps of the track!" I got through the 4 hundred with only a few seconds of clinging to the edge here and there. 

The 4x150's took a surprisingly long time, but, for the first time, I FINALLY felt like I had some speed control. And let me tell you, the fast odd lengths were amazing. I kept saying to myself over and over again, "triathlete, triathlete, triathlete" "iron, iron, iron."

I finished the rest of the workout with minimal cramping and headed home. The soreness kicked in halfway through the biggest loser, but it HURT SO GOOD. This isn't the first time I've done two hours of workouts in a row. I've going to Les Mills certifications and gone for 2+ hour training runs, but for some reason, Tuesday night was different. Maybe it was the pool? Regardless.

That accomplishment, that pain I experienced waking up on Wednesday was a great feeling. My muscles were tired, but happy. For the first time, I felt like a triathlete. And that's why it's worth it.

Rock'n'Roll Half Marathon

I don't even know where to start this blog post because I have SO many great things to say about Saturday's race.

First of all, I had SO many friends who were also doing it. Even if we didn't meet up at the race, I got to enjoy the pre-race Twitter and IRL conversations with everyone. Even MORE exciting was that this was Amanda and Alicia's first half marathon and I have so enjoyed watching them train and become strong, amazing runners over the past few months.

Bryan came into town from Chicago on Wednesday, and after track practice, we got to hang out at my place and chat. Thursday, we met up with Eliot and Alicia to hit the expo, pick up our bibs, and shop a little.

I picked up some more Sweaty Bands. If you need headbands for active use...this is your best bet. I know there are a lot of cheaper imitators, but don't be fooled. Pay the difference and I promise you won't regret it.

They have skull patterns. Clearly, I'm their target demographic.

Then we got dinner in Eastern Market. I had a bit of a snit regarding food and man, can I tell you that you learn who your real friends are when they tolerate you until you stuff your face with chips and salsa. Chadd met up with us for margaritas and dinner then we parted ways and I sat on the bike trainer for an hour. See also: dedication.

Saturday morning, we got up in enough time to use the metro...because my car was locked in the garage (awesome.) Thankfully, the metro was easy to navigate and despite an almost 20 minute wait, we wound up at RFK around 6:15 where we met up with Amanda. After the usual "I have to pee, wait, where did I put my timing chip, can you hold this gu pack?", we ran over to see Coach T so I could get a pep talk, a hug and a high five.

Then we jumped into the corral, and slowly moved forward as the wave starts were released.

Me and Bryan

Me and Amanda

This is the first of many times I'll say how well organized the Rock'n'Roll crew was. The corrals were clearly marked, the releases were adequately spaced out, and aside from slightly annoying announcers, it was a nice way to start the race.

I saw these compression socks while we were waiting...I need these:

The race was a beautiful course around DC - we went out to the Mall, up 18th Street, then on Connecticut and into Adams Morgan, then Columbia Heights, then down by Howard University, through NE into the Atlas District, then back to the stadium. Rolling hills through the course, which is my strong suit. I learned at Ragnar PA that I am an ace with rolling hills. Must be from all the spinning (shameless plug to come to my class). I also enjoy the feeling of cresting the hill and rolling down...it's like mini accomplishments through a race and for me, a good mental check point.

Source

Rolling hills. Lots of them! Source

The first few miles were kind of rough. I tried to stay with Bryan and warm up and get focused, but my mind was all over the place. My calves were in pain and I just wasn't feeling it. But around mile 3, I hit my stride, warmed up/woke up and got moving. Every mile from there out got easier (and faster!)

By the time I got to Chadd at Mile 6, I was feeling amazing. After a quick hug, I powered up the hill and enjoyed the bands, the crowds, the shot of green beer from the friendly spectators in Columbia Heights.

I saw Cyndi on H Street and waved hello frantically. I started to get distracted mentally around mile 9. I was having a good race, but for a split second, got off track, got lost in my thoughts and lost my way. Suddenly, the end felt far away, even though my normal weekend runs are around 13 miles. Then I remembered that Coach T was going to be just past the 12th mile marker. With renewed energy, I charged toward 12. I felt stronger and stronger and stronger and FASTER. I tried to slow myself down because I was afraid I was going to burn out, but I couldn't stop. I waved at Coach, then focused on a strong and controlled finish.

The Rock'n'Roll organizers did a great job with the bands and with the aid stations. Every aid stop was stationed just after the odd miles. I never wanted anything, never felt bored, and thought they did a great job with the course - especially helping people navigate the half/full split. The finish line was great and though it took a while to get out of the shoots at the end, it's only because they had a lot to offer.

I picked up water, gatorade, a banana, chocolate milk (!!), a bagel, a fruit cup, snicker's marathon bars, and had a finisher's photo taken twice. I didn't pick up the yogurt or the apples, but mostly because I was out of hands.

After I grabbed my foil blanket, I strolled out to the main stage and lay in the grass, stretching and waiting for Amanda. The music was blasting, the sun was out, and I got to enjoy my post-race feast. There is no better way to end a race than that, friends. Switchfoot played and though they're kinda meh on the radio/youtube, in person, they were a great post-race show.

Once I collected Amanda and Bryan, we headed to the beer tent.

Cheers!

In case you didn't know, I have a THING for Michelob Ultra. Marketing works well on me. I saw that series of "active people" commercials where all the hard working office folks hit the bar after a long run through the city, or a weekend biking in the mountains and went "oh, that's me! I too need Michelob Ultra."

Then, Michelob did something brilliant: they sponsored almost all of the major race beer tents in the US. You finish a race and boom, you get a Michelob. Pavlov's theory works very well with me.

Mmm beer. And a nifty banana belt.

Another cool thing that the Rock'n'Roll folks did, aside from awesome medals:

Was that they invited a medal engraver to the post-race area:

Even though it cost $20 - if you pre-made the medals for that to be engraved, I couldn't say no.

After we drained our beers, Amanda was awesome and drove us home. We all grabbed showers, then went to BGR and INHALED our food. I didn't even get the chance to take a picture of my burger. That good.

Of course, since it was St. Patrick's day, we met up later that night with Alicia and Eliot at a sports bar and were lucky enough to snag a table. Reed and some of his friends stopped by. A good time was had by ....I had such a great night, aside from how much I loved my outfit:

Every time I walked back to my table from the bar or the bathroom, I saw my boyfriend and my friends around the table. I had that cheesy realization that I wouldn't want to be anywhere else. I commented at some point that it was just like being in a group of friends like How I Met Your Mother...and it was. Laughing, drinking, talking, and really enjoying each other's company. After a couple hours, we wandered down to Flippin Pizza then passed out.

I lay in bed, about to fall asleep and reviewed the day. 

My times:

Finish: 1:58:14

The paces beside them show that interval's pace (i.e. 5k = start to 5k pace, 10k = 5k to 10k pace)

5k: 30:13 (9:43)

10k: 58:11 (9:01)

10 mile: 1:31:43 (8:49)

Finish: 1:58:14 (8:52)

Aside from a 3 second slip in my last 5k, those are some gorgeous negative splits. I was the 4086th finisher of over 1600, putting me in the top 25% range. I ran under Eliot's name, so I haven't bothered to calculate my division stats, but those concern me less.

Those numbers are amazing for me for a couple reasons - I haven't been running this fast in training and I ran without a headset for the first time since my first marathon. 

I learned a couple things: 

- Running in an event with a lot of other friends is fun

- I have a hard time running with other people because I lose focus

- I will definitely run more Rock'n'Roll events

- Trust your training

- I love rolling hills

- I don't need music to love the run

- I have awesome friends

And that is an awesome Saturday.

Collective Running Concerns, Part 2: Fear of Being Judged

The next installation of Running Fears is an important one to me...mostly because I just remembered how scary this fear can actually be as I was getting comfortable swimming with you semi-aquatic people out there. So, enjoy...

2) Are other runners are judging me? Will people laugh at me? I’m so slow, are the running articles/clothes/shoes/accessories/products even made for people like me? 

No. No. Yes.

This was basically the resounding follow up fear to problem one. I have a whole lot of theories on this, but I think the best and most simple way to say it is that this fear comes out for all of us whenever we do something new. Remember when I was learning to swim laps? I seriously over-analyzed my plain black bathing suit like it held the secret to life.

We’re afraid to be judged while we’re learning. It’s my opinion that a lot of runners are Type A personalities because we like to be in charge and in control…but we’re also intensely afraid of criticism. I’m a very outgoing person, but if you put me in a room with a new task or skill to learn, I’m a shrinking violet until I can “own” being a newbie (talk about managing expectations). Running is an easy activity to pick up because it requires a pair of shoes (and depending on who you are, those are optional). And body glide. Trust me on the body glide.

“Anybody can be a runner. We were meant to move. We were meant to run.” – Bill Rodgers

It’s easy to judge yourself when you see other people out on the road. When I started running, I taught myself. I mean, clearly I knew HOW to run, but I didn’t know pacing, or breathing, or form, or any of those Runner Insider Club secrets. I watched svelte, even-breathed people sail by me while I chugged, red-faced and panting down the road. It’s easy to belittle yourself when it comes to a task without a set goal. You can win a tennis match, but you’ll always be in pursuit of a faster mile/better form/new PR. It’s the beauty and the terror of running. There is no finish line.

I don’t know a single seasoned runner who has ever looked at a new runner with disdain. I usually can’t tell (unless your nipples are bleeding through your shirt – dead giveaway because you’ll only make that mistake once). If I do see someone chugging along, looking pained and out of breath, I mentally cheer them on.

Generally speaking, people aren’t going to laugh at you. Runner’s laugh WITH each other. Case in point – I have a tendency to barf during Ragnar. Might have something to do with the temptation to each 3 sloppy joes and ice cream THEN run 8 miles. While I was throwing up for the millionth time behind a dumpster, I couldn’t help but laugh with my teammates.

Even that famous photo of the runner literally crapping themselves…sure, maybe non runners are laughing, but actual runners are going “oh shit…” [literally]. Like I said, we talk about poop a lot.

And yes. All the fun gadgets, clothes, and accessories for runners are made for all entry levels. May I strongly recommend The Stick? And Body Glide.  A lot of Body Glide.

A Race By Any Other Name

On May 4^th, I was halfway to Cincinnati when my phone buzzed. We were stoped at a gas station that proclaimed a very bastardized acclamation of the Gospel (sorry to anyone but rich, white landowners, heaven, apparently, just ain’t for you!). I was basically in nowheresville.

I checked my email, expecting spam or work and instead saw this:

From: Ironman 70.3 National Harbor
Subject: Important Event News

You tell me what you think when you see that. I had two thoughts: 1) I probably need to request a start time or something. 2) The race is cancelled.

#2 was the correct gut feeling. This was the content of the email:

Dear Ironman 70.3 National Harbor Athlete, 

The inaugural Ironman 70.3 National Harbor Triathlon has been cancelled. Athletes registered for the event will receive a full refund of their entry and processing fees.Refunds will be issued within 30 days and will be credited to the card used for registration through the Active Network. 

Ironman is committed to helping participants reach their goal of racing an Ironman 70.3 in 2012 and will further offer each athlete impacted by the cancellation a $50 discount to one of the events listed below: 

[Blah blah blah list of races and how to re-register] 

Thank you for your understanding and patience through this process. We wish you the best of luck with your training and racing.

I’ll leave the commentary to other bloggers who have better deconstructed this quick cancellation, but I can tell you what I thought: nothing.

I was so caught up in the travel to Cincinnati that I literally had 0 concern for this. I was really lucky. I got on the phone with my coach immediately who, of course, already knew about the cancellation. She encouraged me to not worry about it, that she already had some options lined up for me, and that we’d talk about those after Flying Pig – but not now. In case you were ever considering getting a coach, this is one of those top 5 reasons to have one.

I will admit that I did spend a good portion of the drive wondering why. Having worked in PR before, this hasty cancellation without explanation was driving me mad. I knew something else was behind it. Coach mentioned the National Harbor’s bad rap for hosting races (anyone remember the Hot Chocolate 15k?) 

I also remembered the problems that DC Rainmaker had when he previewed the course  and that the Potomac has been worse and worse for race conditions (to the point where swims are frequently cancelled). 

When Coach said that this cancellation was a good thing, I believed her. But my PR mind was still chugging. You only send out bad news at 4pm on a Friday. Twitter rumors were swirling, lots of finger pointing was going on, but in the end, this was the second email we received, almost two weeks later:

Dear Athlete,
The Ironman 70.3National Harbor Triathlon was cancelled because not enough athletes were registered for the event. 

Initially we kept quiet because Ironman asked us to stay silent, not post anything on social media and not send out any press releases so that the damage to Ironman’s brand would be minimized. We were fools to agree and that was a big mistake on our part. 

We should have communicated immediately and told you the reason from the start. We have nothing to hide from the truth and were just initially intimidated by Ironman's request. 

We apologize.

I believe almost 90% of this. There’s something else, but it’s neither here nor there.

I got an email from Coach the morning after my marathon and reviewed my options:

• Ironman 70.3 Timberman, New Hampshire
• Patriot’s Half in Williamsburg, VA
• Ironman 70.3 Austin

I also looked at the list and, at the urging of my twitter friends, added two more to the maybe pile:

• Ironman 70.3 Augusta
• Beach to Battleship, North Carolina

I nixed Timberman pretty quickly. I don’t know New Hampshire and it’s a long drive (flight?) and it just seemed like it may as well be in a foreign country when you applied a half ironman to it. Austin is a bit late in the season, and since I’m pretty sure I want to do Giant Acorn (how can you not with a name like that?), it didn’t work. Especially not if I sign up for the Richmond Marathon.

While I was batting around ideas for a new race with my friends in Cincinnati, I floated Augusta. A friend said that the swim course was the easiest for an Ironman – it’s in a river, with current. This was sorely tempting to me, but pride beat me when the same friend said, “I hear that a doritos bag made the swim in 45 minutes.” Pass.

Between B2B and Patriot’s I have two great options for a new 70.3. The only thing that stuck with me was that neither is Ironman branded. In fact, Patriot’s is actually 2 miles longer (on the bike) than an IM 70.3.

I sat down and tried to deconstruct this one night on my bike trainer. If you’ve been on a trainer at all, you’ll know that you do a lot of thinking on that bastard piece of shit (read the link, trust me, you’ll die laughing. Scroll down for description)  

I realized after an hour of going no where (literally), that a brand name doesn’t make the race. The effort and time and training I put into it makes it a race. I started out with this thought process:

My heart says I should choose Patriots. Coach will be there, Williamsburg is close, it’s cheaper than an IM race, and some of my teammates are going. I should do Patriots.

But it’s not an IM branded race. Do I care? I feel like I should care. You were in marketing. You realize that this is basically just good marketing. It’s 2 miles longer than an IM. That makes it more badass. They should make magnets specifically for this one. 72.3. “Well, yes, I’ve done a half IM, but it was 2 miles longer.” This isn’t my only 70.3. This is a good first one. Admit it, you had nightmares about T1 from National Harbor.

But what about Augusta? That’s close to my folks. But then you’ll have done the easiest of the half IMs. Pansy. No, not pansy. Half IM. I hate my bike trainer. This thing is a piece of crap. Why am I on this bike? I could give up training right here, right now. I could just quit while I’m ahead with a sub 4 marathon. That’s pretty beast.

After a lot [more] of inner monologue, which I will spare you, I came to the conclusion that a brand doesn’t make a race any more or less awesome. Ironman or not, I’m doing a 7[2].3 and what will make that race badass is that I will have trained and poured myself into that accomplishment.

How about you? Does race branding matter to you? If so, why?

Running Partners - An Essay

I have always been a solo runner. I trained for and ran my first marathon totally alone. I didn’t know there was a running community. I didn’t know that running groups really existed in the numbers that they do, or that there were people as slow as I was at the time. I didn’t even really know about running stores, now that I think about it. Chadd actually took me to the Georgetown Running Store after my face went numb following my first 15 mile run (I didn’t know about Gu or that perhaps running with Gatorade was a good idea). Please don’t ask how I got myself marathon-deep without knowing any of this. I ran my first marathon in a cotton, long-sleeve shirt.

I valued the time alone. When I was training that first time around, I was struggling through the aftermath of a rough break-up, a full college course load, and work. I “wrote” a lot of the creative fiction required for my English degree on the Capital Crescent Path. I listened to the same playlist for hours on end. I cried or swore my way through that final mile more times than not.

I was afraid to run with other people. I was sure everyone was so much faster than I was; that they never stopped to walk, that I would only ruin their run. I ran once or twice with a co-worker. She was gracious enough to run with me and pretend that I wasn’t pulling her back (I most certainly was). I read articles in Runners’ World about the companionship of running partners, but I felt that these people were the elites, the dedicated, the run-in-ice-and-snow types. I was not.

I trained for a second marathon, again, by myself. A lot of lonely hours spent on the Capital Crescent trail went by, and by the time it was over, I had PRed, but not met my sub-four goal. My same running friend had jumped in to run the last 6 miles with me (a gift I can never repay – I’d not have finished without her). And yet, I still didn’t want to run with people, despite that race-saving experience.

When I signed up for my third marathon, I was still without a running group, without a coach, without a running partner. One thing I did have was a massive, terrifying goal: a sub-4 marathon. I had pulled my original 4:22 to a 4:10, but I was inconsistent, not committed, and again – alone. Running alone had gone from a private, joyful experience to a self-contained torture.

Then I met Coach T. Then I went to track practice. I was still alone – not fast enough to be with one group, but not slow enough for the pack right behind them. Alone, surrounded by others. It was at least a step in the together-ness direction.

Then I had my first long run as instructed by Coach T. I drove to Peirce Mill with all of my running gear. I had my Gu, my hand fuel belt, my calf sleeves (though I don’t think I used them). I didn’t have a Garmin, or even a digital watch. Victoria had told me that she’d be at the long run and she, too, had about 10 miles to go through. My palms were sweating the whole way to the meet-up. Could I make it through 10 miles pacing with someone? What if I couldn’t keep up? What if I had to walk?
Instead, Victoria stayed with me. She encouraged me up and down the hills along Rock Creek Parkway. She let me pause to eat a Gu on the way back, but that was it. Running with her, I realized I COULD do 10 miles without stopping and that it didn’t feel bad. In fact, it felt good. Really good. Like I could do this again, and again, and again, good. But we didn’t very often – our training schedules were wildly different for the majority of 2012.

Fast forward almost a year.

We planned to race Myrtle Beach Marathon together along with Rachel. More accurately put, they convinced me to join them. It became a beacon to me while I was unemployed. I have to get up because I have to run with my partners. Saturday morning runs with Rachel and Victoria became one of the few things that I actually did with regularity and excitement.

I got home from Atlanta after Christmas, slept terribly, listening to the wind blowing in a snow and ice storm the last weekend of the year. My alarm went off and I headed to the park. I’d fumbled my way through my morning -  couldn’t find my Gus, or my handheld water belt, or my watch, and my Garmin was dead. But there was Victoria, standing there in the fog next to Coach, the rest of the group gone out for their runs.

Off we went. We only had 12 miles this morning, but the distance felt insurmountable. The air was heavy with what would soon be rain, ice, and snow.

The first few miles, we caught up on traveling for the holidays – our families, my new job, gossip from Twitter – then we fell silent. The weather had kept many people at home; we rapidly became the road's only inhabitants.

At the turn-around point, the rain began to fall.

Per usual, I stopped briefly to eat a Gu, then we began the trek home.

The weather picked up and turned to something between water and solid. My thighs were stinging with the rain and sleet. My gloves and hat were becoming water-logged and I could feel my socks absorbing any precipitation that my spandex had shed. But our bodies felt good, despite the elements. We had to pace check several times (something Victoria does since she reliably monitors her Garmin).

The only things I heard for the next few miles were the sounds of the weather falling through the branches around us, our quiet, matched footsteps, hushed exhalations from our mouths that turned to steam, and the calm, working beats of my own heart. I had a brief second imagining that our bodies were machines, or horses, with the seemingly unending ability to run the distance. This is a rare, silent moment of intense beauty that life sometimes gives you.

The rain turned to snow.

Our conversation picked up again to topics that build a friendship, or perhaps better than that – a running partnership. We ran through serious discussions as we did miles. The last three miles, we built faster and faster, silent again, intent on finishing strong, despite the weather. Sometimes, the silent miles are the most powerful, lost in your own thoughts, but unconsciously aware that you are, in fact, not alone.

------

A note: I've written, re-written, and started from scratch this essay more than I can count. It's been sitting, lonely in a word document since the afternoon after that snowy run. Despite how much effort I've put into it, I still can't find the appropriate words to describe the importance of this run and of running partners - particularly mine - but I couldn't let it sit anymore without the moment slipping further and further from thought. I feared that the more I wrote and rewrote, the more I would lose the truthfulness of that morning. Apologies to Victoria for any embarrassment this may have caused outing her as my running partner.