I never quite know how to make sense of eating while on vacation. On the one hand, I eat WAY better than I eat at home, as I really do like healthy fresh foods, but find I lack motivation to prepare them for myself at home. On the other hand, I feel like "Hey -- it's vacation and I can indulge!". So I end up with ridiculous contrasts, like yesterday when I started the day with a tofu scramble (took some tofu from the miso soup area of the buffet and asked the omlette person to cook it with every vegetable she had) and lots of fresh fruit, but ended the day with a King Sized bag of M&Ms plus a pack of Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Why? Because my inner three-year-old wanted them!
This bipolar eating wouldn't be a problem, I suppose, if not for how it affects my mood. Woke up this morning with my own personal rain cloud, and I know it was from the interaction between sugar and my brain. When did I start to feel better? After doing a P90X video with Tim. And then felt amazing after a 9 mile run and a nice swim in the pool.
The exercise thing I seem to have down as a habit (but after this week I'm going to be changing up what I do to get some different results -- stay tuned for more on that), but the food is a different story. I'm definitely eating better with every year that passes, and the years of the 3 Ds (Diet Pepsi, Doritos, and doughnuts) seem a very long time ago. But I'm feeling ready and willing to ... to ... I guess to uncover the next layer or go to the next level (don't really know what to call it). What I'm really saying is that it's time to tune up what I eat a little more. Why? Because I'm feeling ready.
Tonight's our last night on Maui and tomorrow we fly home. I'm feeling ready to get back to my kids and back to real life. But I'm happy I have one more night here with Tim. It's been a very romantic, very rejuvenating trip!
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Paradise
Having a great time in Maui. You know how your iPod can have that little slice of red in the battery indicator when it desperately needs charging? That's kind of how I was feeling. But now? I'm feeling rejuvenated and happy!
My handsome husband on the balcony of our room.
On Valentine's Day I found that I could shape my hands to look like a heart, and because I'm still quite juvenile, I spent a lot of time annoying my husband by making the heart sign.
Me making the heart sign and Tim expressing his opinion!
On Sunday we took the ferry to Lanai, an island off the coast of Maui. Tim was playing golf and I decided to tag along and run. It was a blast! I walked/ran up to a water tower, then got on the road, and tried to make it to the top of the island. After 3 miles of up, I decided I'd gone far enough. (Lest anyone confuse me with Wonder Woman, there was way more walking than running on that part of the excursion.) (Now it's Tuesday and my quads are still painfully sore -- guess that's what 3 solid miles of running downhill will do.)
The view from about half-way up.
The Nathan backpack I used (Catra and Jo Lynn use the same one!) was WONDERFUL! It held everything from water to my phone to snacks to a book to sunscreen -- it worked out just great! But like I said, my pace was SLOW and I finished 15 miles in a little under 3 hours.
Yesterday we spent most of the day at the pool and the ocean.
Me heading back from filling Tim's water bottle.
My favorite picture of us. Sure do love that man!
Last night we went on a whale watching catamaran cruise. The boat left around 5:00 and we got back to shore right after sunset. We spent most of our time hanging out with a pod of about 10 humpback whales. I don't even have the words to express how amazing it was to watch them as they jumped, tail slapped, and generally played. Well, actually the captain said they were in competition over a female, so what we were watching was a giant game of king of the hill, where the prize would be the girl whale.
One of the best photos of the whales.
Us, windblown and very very happy!
My handsome husband on the balcony of our room.
On Valentine's Day I found that I could shape my hands to look like a heart, and because I'm still quite juvenile, I spent a lot of time annoying my husband by making the heart sign.
Me making the heart sign and Tim expressing his opinion!
On Sunday we took the ferry to Lanai, an island off the coast of Maui. Tim was playing golf and I decided to tag along and run. It was a blast! I walked/ran up to a water tower, then got on the road, and tried to make it to the top of the island. After 3 miles of up, I decided I'd gone far enough. (Lest anyone confuse me with Wonder Woman, there was way more walking than running on that part of the excursion.) (Now it's Tuesday and my quads are still painfully sore -- guess that's what 3 solid miles of running downhill will do.)
The view from about half-way up.
The Nathan backpack I used (Catra and Jo Lynn use the same one!) was WONDERFUL! It held everything from water to my phone to snacks to a book to sunscreen -- it worked out just great! But like I said, my pace was SLOW and I finished 15 miles in a little under 3 hours.
Yesterday we spent most of the day at the pool and the ocean.
Me heading back from filling Tim's water bottle.
My favorite picture of us. Sure do love that man!
Last night we went on a whale watching catamaran cruise. The boat left around 5:00 and we got back to shore right after sunset. We spent most of our time hanging out with a pod of about 10 humpback whales. I don't even have the words to express how amazing it was to watch them as they jumped, tail slapped, and generally played. Well, actually the captain said they were in competition over a female, so what we were watching was a giant game of king of the hill, where the prize would be the girl whale.
One of the best photos of the whales.
Us, windblown and very very happy!
Friday, February 13, 2009
Aloha!
We head to Hawaii in a few hours. My dad got a GREAT report from his doctor -- his arm is healing well and he is cleared to drive. I'm gonna miss my kids like crazy while I'm gone, but I'm sure Tim and I will have a great time together. I'll catch up with you from the land of sunshine and pineapples!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Shopping for bathing suits
Yesterday I went shopping for bathing suits. This is one of my least favorite activities -- in fact, picking up dog poop is higher on my list (for reals!) than shopping for the beach. I think the main problem is the fluorescent lights. They emphasize everything that's imperfect. Don't stores know they'd sell more suits if they had incandescent lights in the swimwear department dressing rooms?
So yeah, I shopped for suits and guess what? It didn't completely suck! I was actually able to just a teensy bit enjoy the process, and somehow found a way to focus on the positive instead of zeroing in on the negative. And guess what else? I bought a bikini! Yep, at age 48 I'll be sporting a bikini in Hawaii! Certainly the ultra race helped -- running 33 miles can't hurt when it comes to calorie burn, right? As did smaller food intake in January from stress about parents. But yeah, I'm pretty excited!
Today I take my dad for follow-up x-rays and a doctors appt. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that his arm will be as good as new and that he'll get what he wants -- clearance to drive!
So yeah, I shopped for suits and guess what? It didn't completely suck! I was actually able to just a teensy bit enjoy the process, and somehow found a way to focus on the positive instead of zeroing in on the negative. And guess what else? I bought a bikini! Yep, at age 48 I'll be sporting a bikini in Hawaii! Certainly the ultra race helped -- running 33 miles can't hurt when it comes to calorie burn, right? As did smaller food intake in January from stress about parents. But yeah, I'm pretty excited!
Today I take my dad for follow-up x-rays and a doctors appt. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that his arm will be as good as new and that he'll get what he wants -- clearance to drive!
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Contradictions
I eat raw almonds and drink Diet Pepsi for breakfast.
I used to smoke cigarettes after doing aerobics classes. (This was many years ago, but completely true!)
I believe whole foods are the best thing you can do for your body, and I LOVE manufactured foods (protein bars in particular).
I'm a committed vegetarian who loves caffeine way more than the average bear!
The dissonance in my habits is starting to get annoying. I may be ready to make some changes soon. As awareness precedes change, I figured I should write this stuff down. Anyone else have any contradictory habits? I'd sure love to know that I'm not alone...
I used to smoke cigarettes after doing aerobics classes. (This was many years ago, but completely true!)
I believe whole foods are the best thing you can do for your body, and I LOVE manufactured foods (protein bars in particular).
I'm a committed vegetarian who loves caffeine way more than the average bear!
The dissonance in my habits is starting to get annoying. I may be ready to make some changes soon. As awareness precedes change, I figured I should write this stuff down. Anyone else have any contradictory habits? I'd sure love to know that I'm not alone...
Monday, February 09, 2009
Something to ponder
We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us really happy is something to be enthusiastic about.
-Charles Kingsley
(I found this on PMKU today.)
-Charles Kingsley
(I found this on PMKU today.)
Sunday, February 08, 2009
Jed Smith 50K, the long version
So it's the day after my first ultra, and the body is sore, but the spirit is elated! Let's take it from the beginning, shall we?
I packed up the night before, trying to remember all I'd learned both from my own training mistakes and from other people's suggestions. Remembering my post-marathon underarm chafing (two areas the size of an entire large bandaid, stickey part and all!!!) I resolved to Body Glide anything that might even hint at chafing! I also brought a spare pair of shoes and socks, as well as some shorts (although when it's cold I prefer to run in long pants). Food-wise, I figured the aid stations would be enough, but I also brought some Accelerade powder (it works really well for me), a couple of Clif gels, as well as some Clif Shot Blocks, the margarita kind with extra salt.
So I got to the race and it was COLD! Picked up reg stuff, then set up my chair and my backpack full of goodies. (The course was a 3 mile figure 8, so I'd be passing by my stuff every 30 minutes or so.) One thing I noticed was that there was a line for the MEN'S bathroom, but none for the women. Don't think I've ever seen that! I went back and sat in my car and cleaned out the console and the glove box (I never seem to find the time to do this) and listened to music. Got out of the car with 10 minutes till the race start and there was my birth father!
I may not have mentioned this, but my birth father, in addition to being a great guy, is a record-holding ultra runner. When he was 56 or 57, he set the North American record in his age group for the 48 hour race, running 214 miles! So having him out there was like being with a celebrity who knows everyone. We chatted before the starting gun, and then it was time to run. Jim stayed out there for 4 hours and it felt so good to have someone who was there for ME, you know? Plus he's great at reminding you to take care of yourself out there, as he has so much experience with running ultras.
So the first 10 miles were a blast! The day was perfect for running, crisp temps, a slight breeze, no rain. The course was 1/2 flat trails and 1/2 paved and there was lots to look at, but during these easy miles, I spent most of the time chatting with other runners. Each time I saw Jim, I'd stop for anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes and talk. (I was SERIOUS about this not being a race where I focused on time.) And eat a Fig Newton. And drink something.
After 10 miles I pulled out my iPod and started listening to music, mostly the stuff from the SF Marathon, with some new songs thrown in (Mr. Blue Sky by ELO and Next Phase by The Isley Brothers are current favorites). Since I almost always run to podcasts, the music was a nice change of pace.
By mile 15, I was toying with the idea of running the 50 mile distance, but as my brain was a little befuddled (which I find highly amusing) it took quite a while to do the simple math of "Ok, so if I run 10 minute miles, that's 6 miles per hour. I started at 8:30, so by 9:30 I'd be at 6, by 10:30 it would be 12..." and so on. But as I approached mile 20, all thoughts of going another 30 were out the window.
I knew that Tim would show up at some point during the day and I was looking forward to seeing him. Well, as I finished mile 21, there he was! It was so great to see him. He'd come out ready to run with me. At this pont, I decided to change shoes (turns out to have been a good decision as I had no blisters after the race.) Then he snapped a quick picture of me doing more math, indicating 21 miles:
...and then we headed out together. I'm used to Tim being the faster runner, but today as I already had some miles under my belt, I got to set the pace and it was a slow one. (My Garmin, which is set to turn off when I stop moving, showed my overall pace as a 10:05 for the entire race.) After about a half mile, he was able to hold back enough so that I wasn't just trotting behind him. (Thanks Tim!) We chatted and waved at fellow runners and it was just so fun to have my husband out there with me. He stayed for 6 miles and took some video as I ran:
After Tim left it started to get harder and I could tell I was slowing down. I'd started the race slowly, but still faster than I'd planned, but I think what made this race tough is that I really didn't train for it. Yes, I've been running this year, but my longest run was a 15 miler on January 3rd and finding the time to run while helping my parents with their stuff has not been easy. So while slowing down didn't come as a surprise, it had me questioning my "I'm gonna do 39.3 miles because I can!!!" goal.
I crossed the finish line, but I don't know how long I took, as my Garmin was stopping when I stopped, and I didn't check the clock time. A volunteer removed my shoe tag and I was done right? Nope! I changed into a fresh shirt and trotted back out again, only I'd underestimated how difficult it would be, emotionally, to start running again after I'd finished! Also my left hamstring was starting to feel a little twingey -- never a good thing. So once again I was trotting and doing mental math, and when I realized I'd be out there for more than an hour more to hit my goal, I decided to stop at a nice number (33.3 miles in case you're wondering) and call it good.
And you know what, I really do feel great about the race! At one point I was feeling kinda bad that I was only doing the 50K, but then I thought back to the race in November where I had so much respect for the 50K people, and I thought, "Hey, I'm one of those people today!"
This brings us to today. My lower back, hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, knees and ankles all feel overworked. Well, duh! I just made them run 33.3 miles! After church this morning we stopped by Starbucks. The day after an ultra, when you can't decide between a glazed old-fashioned donut and an apple fritter, guess what you do? YOU GET BOTH!!!
I packed up the night before, trying to remember all I'd learned both from my own training mistakes and from other people's suggestions. Remembering my post-marathon underarm chafing (two areas the size of an entire large bandaid, stickey part and all!!!) I resolved to Body Glide anything that might even hint at chafing! I also brought a spare pair of shoes and socks, as well as some shorts (although when it's cold I prefer to run in long pants). Food-wise, I figured the aid stations would be enough, but I also brought some Accelerade powder (it works really well for me), a couple of Clif gels, as well as some Clif Shot Blocks, the margarita kind with extra salt.
So I got to the race and it was COLD! Picked up reg stuff, then set up my chair and my backpack full of goodies. (The course was a 3 mile figure 8, so I'd be passing by my stuff every 30 minutes or so.) One thing I noticed was that there was a line for the MEN'S bathroom, but none for the women. Don't think I've ever seen that! I went back and sat in my car and cleaned out the console and the glove box (I never seem to find the time to do this) and listened to music. Got out of the car with 10 minutes till the race start and there was my birth father!
I may not have mentioned this, but my birth father, in addition to being a great guy, is a record-holding ultra runner. When he was 56 or 57, he set the North American record in his age group for the 48 hour race, running 214 miles! So having him out there was like being with a celebrity who knows everyone. We chatted before the starting gun, and then it was time to run. Jim stayed out there for 4 hours and it felt so good to have someone who was there for ME, you know? Plus he's great at reminding you to take care of yourself out there, as he has so much experience with running ultras.
So the first 10 miles were a blast! The day was perfect for running, crisp temps, a slight breeze, no rain. The course was 1/2 flat trails and 1/2 paved and there was lots to look at, but during these easy miles, I spent most of the time chatting with other runners. Each time I saw Jim, I'd stop for anywhere from 2 to 4 minutes and talk. (I was SERIOUS about this not being a race where I focused on time.) And eat a Fig Newton. And drink something.
After 10 miles I pulled out my iPod and started listening to music, mostly the stuff from the SF Marathon, with some new songs thrown in (Mr. Blue Sky by ELO and Next Phase by The Isley Brothers are current favorites). Since I almost always run to podcasts, the music was a nice change of pace.
By mile 15, I was toying with the idea of running the 50 mile distance, but as my brain was a little befuddled (which I find highly amusing) it took quite a while to do the simple math of "Ok, so if I run 10 minute miles, that's 6 miles per hour. I started at 8:30, so by 9:30 I'd be at 6, by 10:30 it would be 12..." and so on. But as I approached mile 20, all thoughts of going another 30 were out the window.
I knew that Tim would show up at some point during the day and I was looking forward to seeing him. Well, as I finished mile 21, there he was! It was so great to see him. He'd come out ready to run with me. At this pont, I decided to change shoes (turns out to have been a good decision as I had no blisters after the race.) Then he snapped a quick picture of me doing more math, indicating 21 miles:
...and then we headed out together. I'm used to Tim being the faster runner, but today as I already had some miles under my belt, I got to set the pace and it was a slow one. (My Garmin, which is set to turn off when I stop moving, showed my overall pace as a 10:05 for the entire race.) After about a half mile, he was able to hold back enough so that I wasn't just trotting behind him. (Thanks Tim!) We chatted and waved at fellow runners and it was just so fun to have my husband out there with me. He stayed for 6 miles and took some video as I ran:
After Tim left it started to get harder and I could tell I was slowing down. I'd started the race slowly, but still faster than I'd planned, but I think what made this race tough is that I really didn't train for it. Yes, I've been running this year, but my longest run was a 15 miler on January 3rd and finding the time to run while helping my parents with their stuff has not been easy. So while slowing down didn't come as a surprise, it had me questioning my "I'm gonna do 39.3 miles because I can!!!" goal.
I crossed the finish line, but I don't know how long I took, as my Garmin was stopping when I stopped, and I didn't check the clock time. A volunteer removed my shoe tag and I was done right? Nope! I changed into a fresh shirt and trotted back out again, only I'd underestimated how difficult it would be, emotionally, to start running again after I'd finished! Also my left hamstring was starting to feel a little twingey -- never a good thing. So once again I was trotting and doing mental math, and when I realized I'd be out there for more than an hour more to hit my goal, I decided to stop at a nice number (33.3 miles in case you're wondering) and call it good.
And you know what, I really do feel great about the race! At one point I was feeling kinda bad that I was only doing the 50K, but then I thought back to the race in November where I had so much respect for the 50K people, and I thought, "Hey, I'm one of those people today!"
This brings us to today. My lower back, hamstrings, glutes, quads, calves, knees and ankles all feel overworked. Well, duh! I just made them run 33.3 miles! After church this morning we stopped by Starbucks. The day after an ultra, when you can't decide between a glazed old-fashioned donut and an apple fritter, guess what you do? YOU GET BOTH!!!
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Friday, February 06, 2009
Melange
"Melange" is French for mixture, and that's what I'm about to create -- a mixture with no rhyme or reason except that these are the thoughts that have been passing through my head.
- When you have NOTHING going on over the weekend, every cashier asks "So do you have any fun plans for the weekend?" Today as I was running errands (Vitamin Shoppe, Nordstrom, Buckle, Nugget Market, Sports Chalet) not one single person asked what I was doing, so I couldn't tell anyone. But in case you've forgotten, I'll tell you...
- I'm running 39.3 miles tomorrow! I know I signed up for a 50K (31 miles) but I want to do just a little bit more. So the plan is to run 39.3 (a marathon plus a half marathon). I'll be starting at 8:30 and finishing up by 3:00 or 3:30, I think. (As I've never done this, that's just an educated guess based on an 11 minute mile pace.)
- Running almost 40 miles doesn't seem like that big of a deal when the people I most want to be like when I grow up (Catra!) regularly run 100 miles. But when I step back and consider actually running for 6 or 7 hours, it strikes me that even though it's not 100 miles it's still a big deal! Right?!
- I'm starting to get a little of ME back. For a while there, it really felt like I was disappearing under a crushing workload and too little sleep. But as my parents situation gets more manageable, I can feel my sense of humor and optimism start returning. And I feel like once again, I can breathe deeply.
- Will I EVER feel thin? Probably not. I haven't been weighing myself, but my pants are all really loose, even the ones that I can only wear when I'm at my lightest. So I weighed myself this afternoon and the scale said 135.5. That makes me thin, as I've been carb loading for two days and not exercising, and afternoon weight is always heavier than morning weight, right? So I go into Abercrombie (I have a gift card I need to use) and try on a sweatshirt in a medium. It's too tight. So now I'm fat. And I buy nothing. Then I go to Sports Chalet to get a long sleeve shirt for tomorrow. I try on an Adidas medium. It fits just fine. But I'm still fat because the small is too tight, and if I'm not small, then I'm huge, right? (Please tell there's someone who can relate to this kind of thinking!!!)
- The Chicken-less Chicken was wonderful! Texture was so much like how I remember chicken (I haven't eaten it in over 2 years) that I double checked the label.
- One week from today Tim and I will be in Maui and I will be swimming in the warm Pacific Ocean!!! And one of the days we're there, we're taking a ferry to an island off the coast of Maui where Tim will be golfing and I'll be running for a couple of hours. I can't wait!
Wednesday, February 04, 2009
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Half Habits
If you're looking for ways to get healthier (and who isn't?) check out this post on Zen Habits titled "Two Simple Ways to Form New Habits Without Really Trying." For some of us the all or nothing approach works. But for most, a gentler approach is in order, and that's what I like about these ideas.
Heading out to do this CrossFit workout:
Run 1.5 miles
50 air squats
Run 1.5 miles
40 pushups
Run 1.5 miles
30 walking lunges
Run 1.5 miles
20 squat jumps
Run 1.5 miles
10 burpees
Run 1/2 mile
50K race is just 4 days away!!!
Heading out to do this CrossFit workout:
Run 1.5 miles
50 air squats
Run 1.5 miles
40 pushups
Run 1.5 miles
30 walking lunges
Run 1.5 miles
20 squat jumps
Run 1.5 miles
10 burpees
Run 1/2 mile
50K race is just 4 days away!!!
Friday, January 30, 2009
Appreciation
Your comments have been wonderful! Thank you to everyone who wrote about their own experiences, those who are going through something similar, and those who wrote to say "hang in there!"
I only have a moment to write, but thought I'd answer a question. My daily grades are assigned by me, just for me. Thinking of myself as being in boot camp and assigning a grade has helped me to move in a more positive direction. Yesterday gets a good solid B+. I worked for 6 hours at my parents house, again clearing out boxes and drawers and cabinets of unneeded stuff, in an attempt to make their house more peaceful and more functional. My mom said she was not up to taking a bath, which gave me more time to clear things out. (I felt bad that I was relieved, but we'll take care of this on Sunday.)
I really am starting to feel a little more like me, and part of that yesterday was running. I ran twice, 4 miles each time. Is this ideal? Heck, no! But it's what my schedule would allow. So I ran a fast 4 miles in the late afternoon. Then went to a trail running meeting at Fleet Feet in Roseville. (I'd signed up for this several weeks ago.) And then ran another 4 miles. Right after my second run, I drove carpool for my son's water polo practice, which meant 45 minutes in the car. Let me tell you, getting out of a car after sitting for 45 minutes immediately following a run makes for some comical first steps!
Today's plan? Plan client workouts (doing that immediately after I post this). Run 4 miles. Get my dad and take him home! Train clients. Then back into mom mode.
Hope this is a fabulous Friday for everyone!
I only have a moment to write, but thought I'd answer a question. My daily grades are assigned by me, just for me. Thinking of myself as being in boot camp and assigning a grade has helped me to move in a more positive direction. Yesterday gets a good solid B+. I worked for 6 hours at my parents house, again clearing out boxes and drawers and cabinets of unneeded stuff, in an attempt to make their house more peaceful and more functional. My mom said she was not up to taking a bath, which gave me more time to clear things out. (I felt bad that I was relieved, but we'll take care of this on Sunday.)
I really am starting to feel a little more like me, and part of that yesterday was running. I ran twice, 4 miles each time. Is this ideal? Heck, no! But it's what my schedule would allow. So I ran a fast 4 miles in the late afternoon. Then went to a trail running meeting at Fleet Feet in Roseville. (I'd signed up for this several weeks ago.) And then ran another 4 miles. Right after my second run, I drove carpool for my son's water polo practice, which meant 45 minutes in the car. Let me tell you, getting out of a car after sitting for 45 minutes immediately following a run makes for some comical first steps!
Today's plan? Plan client workouts (doing that immediately after I post this). Run 4 miles. Get my dad and take him home! Train clients. Then back into mom mode.
Hope this is a fabulous Friday for everyone!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Day 3
Day 2's grade was a C-. On the positive side, I helped my mom, visited my dad, and ran 7 miles. On the negative side, I canceled a client's training session because I just couldn't shift from one mode to the other. (She's getting a free session on Friday to make up for my flakiness.)
Today probably gets an A- or a B+. I will have trained 5 clients today. I did P90X arms and shoulders which felt great. Wanted to run, but I've gone 17 miles in the past 2 days, and I had paperwork for my parents and for our family building up, so opted for some desk time to get caught up.
So why the A- or B+? Because I CAN'T SEEM TO STOP EATING! Yeah, just one of those "I am always hungry" days. I know they don't last, but when you're prowling the pantry, it's easy to feel scared that you'll never be able to stop eating, and none of your clothes will fit, and on and on and on.
(Yeah, I'm eating my second Cadbury Creme Egg as I type this. Life's too short to eat yucky treats, right?)
Tomorrow I'll be at my parents house most of the day. I'll be bathing my mom (we've got this bath thing down to a science now), grocery shopping, and prepping her breakfast and lunch. And I'll be getting my dad's room ready because HE'S COMING HOME ON FRIDAY!!! My hope is that both of their lives will be better as a result of this tough time.
Today probably gets an A- or a B+. I will have trained 5 clients today. I did P90X arms and shoulders which felt great. Wanted to run, but I've gone 17 miles in the past 2 days, and I had paperwork for my parents and for our family building up, so opted for some desk time to get caught up.
So why the A- or B+? Because I CAN'T SEEM TO STOP EATING! Yeah, just one of those "I am always hungry" days. I know they don't last, but when you're prowling the pantry, it's easy to feel scared that you'll never be able to stop eating, and none of your clothes will fit, and on and on and on.
(Yeah, I'm eating my second Cadbury Creme Egg as I type this. Life's too short to eat yucky treats, right?)
Tomorrow I'll be at my parents house most of the day. I'll be bathing my mom (we've got this bath thing down to a science now), grocery shopping, and prepping her breakfast and lunch. And I'll be getting my dad's room ready because HE'S COMING HOME ON FRIDAY!!! My hope is that both of their lives will be better as a result of this tough time.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Starting Day 2
Slept better. Woke up scared. What am I afraid of? Integrating my two lives -- caring for parents with caring for family. I can do one or the other, but this is my first week of doing both. (The all or nothing girl inside LOVES extremes, and struggles with balance.) What's the solution? Put one foot in front of the other and do the next right thing, I guess.
Today I'll be at my parents house again. Breakfast for mom. Organize. Will be seeing if my mom can get her own lunch out of the fridge -- sounds small, but it's a big thing, or it will be a big thing if she can do it.
To create some physical balance, I'm back to doing weights at night. Last night I used some 15 lb dumbbells to do chest press and alternating chest press, overhead presses, "heavy pants" (a la Tony Horton of P90X), bicep curls, and overhead tricep extensions. Bodybuilders would not respect my little workout, but I'm happy with my 2 to 3 sets of 13 reps (why 13? Cuz it's my favorite number!) in front of the TV.
Today I'll be at my parents house again. Breakfast for mom. Organize. Will be seeing if my mom can get her own lunch out of the fridge -- sounds small, but it's a big thing, or it will be a big thing if she can do it.
To create some physical balance, I'm back to doing weights at night. Last night I used some 15 lb dumbbells to do chest press and alternating chest press, overhead presses, "heavy pants" (a la Tony Horton of P90X), bicep curls, and overhead tricep extensions. Bodybuilders would not respect my little workout, but I'm happy with my 2 to 3 sets of 13 reps (why 13? Cuz it's my favorite number!) in front of the TV.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Boot Camp, Day 1
Grade for the day: B. (That's a grade on my behavior, not on my circumstances.)
Day started tough. Was up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night -- nightmares again. :( So I started the day groggy and irritable. But I dug in to all the tasks that have been neglected here (laundry, organization, budget stuff, errands) and worked on those for 5 hours. Tried to keep a positive frame of mind in the process.
In the afternoon I got hungry and ate a bunch of Dots and Twizzlers (big growed-up girl that I am!). But I also had an Amy's frozen Indian meal for lunch.
Decided to run 10. Started running. Running is HARD -- considered just turning around and going back home. But I ran a slow, steady 10. Sometimes you just do what you've gotta do, right?
Right now Tim's visiting my dad at the care facility. I thought he was going to call me about 30 minutes ago, so I've called him twice, and he's not answering his phone. This has me worried -- all sorts of scenarios about my dad falling or having a heart attack or something are playing through my head. But I'm working on dinner (frozen thin-crust pizzas from Costco, killer salad) and keeping my fingers crossed.
(Note -- Tim just walked in the door, so I guess all is well!)
Day started tough. Was up for a couple of hours in the middle of the night -- nightmares again. :( So I started the day groggy and irritable. But I dug in to all the tasks that have been neglected here (laundry, organization, budget stuff, errands) and worked on those for 5 hours. Tried to keep a positive frame of mind in the process.
In the afternoon I got hungry and ate a bunch of Dots and Twizzlers (big growed-up girl that I am!). But I also had an Amy's frozen Indian meal for lunch.
Decided to run 10. Started running. Running is HARD -- considered just turning around and going back home. But I ran a slow, steady 10. Sometimes you just do what you've gotta do, right?
Right now Tim's visiting my dad at the care facility. I thought he was going to call me about 30 minutes ago, so I've called him twice, and he's not answering his phone. This has me worried -- all sorts of scenarios about my dad falling or having a heart attack or something are playing through my head. But I'm working on dinner (frozen thin-crust pizzas from Costco, killer salad) and keeping my fingers crossed.
(Note -- Tim just walked in the door, so I guess all is well!)
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Mental Health Boot Camp
I haven't written because I write from the heart, and what my heart has been feeling I've been unwilling to share. Let's just say that the rip tide pull of my old ways has had a fierce grip on me. Yesterday I talked to Tim about how I'd been feeling and that helped. And today is a new day!
As of today I'm enrolling myself into Mental Health Boot Camp. It's time to get some optimism and hope and sunshine back into my life. What's involved in boot camp? Well, that I'm really not sure of. But I'll be taking time to write down the actions I'm going to take every day (including wearing something other than an oversized black jacket and jeans, exercising, eating healthy foods, and calling a friend) and will have a written plan before I go to bed tonight.
And to focus on the positive, here are a few very good things happening in my life:
My dad is getting better and should be released from the care facility within the next week, and hopefully within the next few days. His mind is clear, his balance and strength are improving, and his arm is healing well.
After hours and hours of work, my parents house is starting to feel like a home. My brother and I have put our lives on hold and cleared out more than 40 years of accumulated stuff. It's been really really tough, and although we're not done yet, their house now has some life in it. As my mom doesn't really react to anything, she seems quite unaffected by the changes. But I feel like I can go there and breathe now, and I can't wait to see how my dad will react. (We've kept him apprised of what we've been doing, but hearing about it and seeing it are two very different things.)
I'm running my first ultra in 13 days. Have I been training for this? Ummmmm, I dunno. I've been running when I can (34 miles this week). But I'm signed up, and I'm just planning on going out there and seeing what I've got. I considered bailing out (which I can make a very legitimate case for, given my parents circumstances) but I think I'd feel sad and resentful if I did that. So I'll be running a 50K (that's 31 miles) on February 7th!
My NASM CEU's are completed! As is often the case, the anticipation was way worse than actually doing the work. So now I just need to renew my CPR certification, and I'll be NASM certified for another two years -- whew!
Tim and I are heading to Maui on February 11th!!! This trip has been planned for a long time, and it's just the two of us going away for 6 days. I can't wait to swim in the ocean, run in the heat, and see the whales! The timing of this seems about perfect and I really really really can't wait!
As of today I'm enrolling myself into Mental Health Boot Camp. It's time to get some optimism and hope and sunshine back into my life. What's involved in boot camp? Well, that I'm really not sure of. But I'll be taking time to write down the actions I'm going to take every day (including wearing something other than an oversized black jacket and jeans, exercising, eating healthy foods, and calling a friend) and will have a written plan before I go to bed tonight.
And to focus on the positive, here are a few very good things happening in my life:
My dad is getting better and should be released from the care facility within the next week, and hopefully within the next few days. His mind is clear, his balance and strength are improving, and his arm is healing well.
After hours and hours of work, my parents house is starting to feel like a home. My brother and I have put our lives on hold and cleared out more than 40 years of accumulated stuff. It's been really really tough, and although we're not done yet, their house now has some life in it. As my mom doesn't really react to anything, she seems quite unaffected by the changes. But I feel like I can go there and breathe now, and I can't wait to see how my dad will react. (We've kept him apprised of what we've been doing, but hearing about it and seeing it are two very different things.)
I'm running my first ultra in 13 days. Have I been training for this? Ummmmm, I dunno. I've been running when I can (34 miles this week). But I'm signed up, and I'm just planning on going out there and seeing what I've got. I considered bailing out (which I can make a very legitimate case for, given my parents circumstances) but I think I'd feel sad and resentful if I did that. So I'll be running a 50K (that's 31 miles) on February 7th!
My NASM CEU's are completed! As is often the case, the anticipation was way worse than actually doing the work. So now I just need to renew my CPR certification, and I'll be NASM certified for another two years -- whew!
Tim and I are heading to Maui on February 11th!!! This trip has been planned for a long time, and it's just the two of us going away for 6 days. I can't wait to swim in the ocean, run in the heat, and see the whales! The timing of this seems about perfect and I really really really can't wait!
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Stress can make you thin!
(Katie posted the link where you can submit your picture and have it "Obama-ized." I wrote that I'd love to do it, but I just don't have time. So Katie sent me this picture. Way to make my day, Katie!)
It's the middle of the night, and although I need sleep, it's just not working for me right now. My dad's still in the hospital. He is getting better, but they're just not ready to send him home. So every day I've been at my parents house for 6 - 8 hours, caring for my mom, and trying to clean up 40 years of accumulated stuff. The good news is that my appetite is practically gone, and even though I've barely exercised this week (no time and no energy) I'm losing weight. The bad news is that, try as I might, it's hard to feel like I'm making progress when the job I've undertaken is so big.
There have been some funny discoveries in my attempt to make their house more livable. I came across some Weight Watchers magazines from the mid-1970's with the subtitle, "The Magazine for Attractive People." My how our language has changed! This same issue had an article answering the question "Is exercise necessary for weight loss?" with an emphatic NO. I'm sure I'll find more pearls of wisdom when I have the time to read it thoroughly.
Tomorrow Tim and the kids are going snowboarding. I wish I could go, but my brother and I have been splitting the task of caring for our mother, and I'm on lunch and dinner detail. In the morning though I'm running with the Folsom Trail Runners group for the first time. Twenty people are signed up for the run, and you run however far you want to run. I'm looking forward to doing something that's not related to organizing!
I don't know how this bodes for my 50K in February. Ideally I'd be running long this weekend. But that's just not in the cards for me. I know that taking a rest week is probably good. But I'm feeling nervous about the distance...
Finally, I need to complete my NASM CEUs to recertify. Before my dad's surgery, my plan was to be studying this week. Now I've got just two weeks to complete three CEU courses. I was a good student and a great test taker in high school and college. Let's hope that's still true today, as I've definitely got my work cut out for me in taking "Understanding Kinetic Chain Dysfunction", "Fitness and Aging", and "Speed, Agility, and Quickness Training."
Looking forward to getting back to normal life soon...
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Happy update!
My dad made it through surgery and is doing fine! Thank you for your thoughts and prayers for his safety and recovery.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Quick update
Thank you EVERYONE for the wonderful bday wishes. I felt virtually hugged with each and every message!
On the fitness front, I've found a podcast that I just love. It's called The Nutrition Diva and it's part of the Quick and Dirty podcast family. The episodes are short (6 to 8 minutes) and cover everything from nutrition fads to anti-aging strategies to dispelling nutrition myths, and more. (For anyone who's a word and grammar geek like me, the other Quick and Dirty podcast I love is Grammar Girl.)
For now, if you could say a prayer for my dad, that would be great. His arm is not healing well (bones not lining up on their own) so he's going in for surgery tomorrow where the doctor will insert a rod into the bone to stabilize it. Having surgery is a calculated risk for anyone. My dad's at a higher risk, as he is 78, diabetic, and has significant weight to lose.
I will be dividing time between home, the hospital, and my parents home (my mom needs quite a bit of help) so I may be MIA for a while. I'll read what you write as often as I can, and feel very happy that such a wonderful community of friends exists in this world -- in my world!
On the fitness front, I've found a podcast that I just love. It's called The Nutrition Diva and it's part of the Quick and Dirty podcast family. The episodes are short (6 to 8 minutes) and cover everything from nutrition fads to anti-aging strategies to dispelling nutrition myths, and more. (For anyone who's a word and grammar geek like me, the other Quick and Dirty podcast I love is Grammar Girl.)
For now, if you could say a prayer for my dad, that would be great. His arm is not healing well (bones not lining up on their own) so he's going in for surgery tomorrow where the doctor will insert a rod into the bone to stabilize it. Having surgery is a calculated risk for anyone. My dad's at a higher risk, as he is 78, diabetic, and has significant weight to lose.
I will be dividing time between home, the hospital, and my parents home (my mom needs quite a bit of help) so I may be MIA for a while. I'll read what you write as often as I can, and feel very happy that such a wonderful community of friends exists in this world -- in my world!
Friday, January 09, 2009
Birthday!
Hi friends!
Well, I think I've got my head on straight and I'm ready to write again. Two health issues in my family have contributed to my absence: my darling niece Macy was diagnosed with diabetes (she's 7), and my father fell and broke his arm (he's 78). Between reading all I can about diabetes and wishing this wasn't Macy's road, and spending every other day with my mom and dad helping them with whatever needs doing, my time has been scarce and my mind scattered.
But I thought I'd take a minute to write today. It's my birthday! I'm 48 years young today, and I can't decide if I feel more like 4 12-year-olds or 12 4-year-olds! My family has treated me like a princess. I'm heading to my mom and dad's house now, then training clients, and then I'm off to Dillon Beach for the weekend with some wonderful girlfriends.
On the fitness front, I'm still running (I track all workouts on the right-hand side of the weblog) and incorporating more cross-training into my life (at least that's what I'm shooting for). The 50K race is in 4 weeks, so I'll have a few long runs coming up, and then we'll see how 31 miles goes.
Eating-wise, I'm dropping a little bit of weight through not eating holiday crap foods. Right after the 50K (which is on February 7th) Tim and I leave for Maui for six lovely just-the-two-of-us days. The thought of putting on a bikini in just over a month is enough to keep me (mostly) on the straight and narrow in terms of diet, let me tell you!
And finally, here's a link to a post on Serious Eats about reducing meat consumption. As my veg mentor Colleen Patrick-Goudreau says, "Don't do nothing just because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything!"
Make it a great day, friends!
Well, I think I've got my head on straight and I'm ready to write again. Two health issues in my family have contributed to my absence: my darling niece Macy was diagnosed with diabetes (she's 7), and my father fell and broke his arm (he's 78). Between reading all I can about diabetes and wishing this wasn't Macy's road, and spending every other day with my mom and dad helping them with whatever needs doing, my time has been scarce and my mind scattered.
But I thought I'd take a minute to write today. It's my birthday! I'm 48 years young today, and I can't decide if I feel more like 4 12-year-olds or 12 4-year-olds! My family has treated me like a princess. I'm heading to my mom and dad's house now, then training clients, and then I'm off to Dillon Beach for the weekend with some wonderful girlfriends.
On the fitness front, I'm still running (I track all workouts on the right-hand side of the weblog) and incorporating more cross-training into my life (at least that's what I'm shooting for). The 50K race is in 4 weeks, so I'll have a few long runs coming up, and then we'll see how 31 miles goes.
Eating-wise, I'm dropping a little bit of weight through not eating holiday crap foods. Right after the 50K (which is on February 7th) Tim and I leave for Maui for six lovely just-the-two-of-us days. The thought of putting on a bikini in just over a month is enough to keep me (mostly) on the straight and narrow in terms of diet, let me tell you!
And finally, here's a link to a post on Serious Eats about reducing meat consumption. As my veg mentor Colleen Patrick-Goudreau says, "Don't do nothing just because you can't do everything. Do something. Anything!"
Make it a great day, friends!
Friday, January 02, 2009
A wonderful gift
The last few days my head has NOT been right. The dismal cloud that is depression is getting bigger and that makes normal life feel tough. So yesterday I went out running, intending to go 13 miles, because I wanted to get a good run in on the first day of the year, because 13 is my favorite number, and just because I can. Mood-wise I did not want to run at all, but as someone who keeps her commitments most of the time, I headed out.
During the two hours that I was gone, my husband and kids took down and put away all of the Christmas decorations. Every single bit of it! What an amazing gift, don't you think?
I'm going to take a few days off from writing to get my head straight. Catch up with y'all really soon!
During the two hours that I was gone, my husband and kids took down and put away all of the Christmas decorations. Every single bit of it! What an amazing gift, don't you think?
I'm going to take a few days off from writing to get my head straight. Catch up with y'all really soon!
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Sports Chalet sale!
If anyone lives near a Sports Chalet, they have all Go Fit products (including kettlebells) on sale for 25% off the normal price. So if you're looking to pick up a kettlebell, now may be the most cost-effective time to do it!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Merci!
Big thank yous to everyone who provided wonderful suggestions for my dinnertime dilemmas. I'll comment more specifically when I have time, but for now know that your wisdom is appreciated, and as a result, here was tonight's dinner:
Jerk Chicken (pre-marinated from Nugget Market, Tim and Austin ate this)
Steamed broccoli (everyone ate this)
Tater Tots (the kids and I ate these)
Salad (Tim and I ate this)
Believe it or not, my family LOVES Brussels sprouts (Austin's just ok with them), so it wasn't quite as much of a setup for disaster as it might have seemed for me to cook them. And the dinner recipe wasn't chosen to impress. It actually didn't take that long to make and I chose it because it looked like it had a lot of flavor, it was reasonably healthy, and it seemed like something my family would like. (I used to make a honey and curry chicken dish that everyone loved until I made it too much and they OD'd on it.)
I'm considering starting a different blog to record dinners -- what works, what doesn't, and what I learn. If I go this route, I'll let you know in case you want to play along!
Last night ended with us watching a scary movie, and Tucker unable to sleep. So I spent most of the night on the floor of his room and then I was unable to sleep. So I'm heading off to bed now.
Jerk Chicken (pre-marinated from Nugget Market, Tim and Austin ate this)
Steamed broccoli (everyone ate this)
Tater Tots (the kids and I ate these)
Salad (Tim and I ate this)
Believe it or not, my family LOVES Brussels sprouts (Austin's just ok with them), so it wasn't quite as much of a setup for disaster as it might have seemed for me to cook them. And the dinner recipe wasn't chosen to impress. It actually didn't take that long to make and I chose it because it looked like it had a lot of flavor, it was reasonably healthy, and it seemed like something my family would like. (I used to make a honey and curry chicken dish that everyone loved until I made it too much and they OD'd on it.)
I'm considering starting a different blog to record dinners -- what works, what doesn't, and what I learn. If I go this route, I'll let you know in case you want to play along!
Last night ended with us watching a scary movie, and Tucker unable to sleep. So I spent most of the night on the floor of his room and then I was unable to sleep. So I'm heading off to bed now.
Kettlebells with Tracy
Tracy Reifkind is teaching kettlebell swing classes in Palo Alto in January. I took her class in Healdsburg in September and it was wonderful! Here's a video from the Healdsburg class. I'm in the pink t-shirt and black shorts. There are more videos on Tracy's website.
If you've ever wanted to learn to swing a kettlebell, get yourself to Palo Alto to learn from one of the best.
If you've ever wanted to learn to swing a kettlebell, get yourself to Palo Alto to learn from one of the best.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
The problem with dinner?
(Warning -- this is a free-form stream of consciousness post, and since it's from my point of view, may not be very fair to everyone involved. But it's what's going on for me...)
The ultimate problem may be that I'm asking for too much. What I want is for everyone to like and eat what I cook. I'll even settle for 3 out of 4. But it rarely goes that way.
Tonight I tried a new recipe: Curried Chicken Flatbread with Chutney and Yogurt Drizzle. Sounds good, right? I also made some roasted brussels sprouts with apples and walnuts (another new recipe). So I started on the veggies, mixing up the dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt), trimming the brussels sprouts, prepping the apples (thick slices) and chopping the walnuts. Mixed all and put into the oven.
Now onto the flatbread. There was an option to make your own dough, but I opted for a thin-crust Boboli. Started cooking the chicken (seasoned with garlic and pepper). Made the sauce (chutney, rice vinegar, curry powder). Chopped the veggies (scallions and jalapenos) for garnish. Once that was in the oven, started cleaning the kitchen.
Tucker comes downstairs with his hand covering his nose. The smell is making him nauseated. This irritates Tim (who knows how frustrating dinners are for me), but I don't take it personally. I start scrambling some eggs. Then grab the veggies out of the oven. We sit and eat.
Tim and Austin LOVE the flatbread. Apparently the flavor is wonderful, and the yogurt, scallions, and jalapenos that top it perfectly offset the rest of the dish. Veggies are another story. Recipe called for putting whole brussels sprouts into 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. I should have known that wasn't long enough, but it was written down so it has to be right, right? So brussels sprouts were undercooked. Apples and walnuts tasted good, and I'll try that recipe again, halving the sprouts and cooking a little longer.
The big problem here is the takeaway. I feel discouraged after yet another failed dinner. And I'm hungry, as I didn't even cook something I could really eat. And I'm lonely because I was all by myself during dinner prep. (Tim offered to help, but I just couldn't bring myself to ask him. In retrospect, it would have been a nice way for us to spend time together.)
I feel like no matter what I try, I can't get it right. If I cook anything with beef, Tim doesn't like it, as he's kind of done with beef. When I do "normal" foods -- straightforward basic flavors -- the kids don't really care for them. Actually, it feels like Tucker doesn't care for much of anything these days, and maybe that's something I need to remember, as the truth is that 66% of the people who COULD eat the dinner LOVED the dinner. And the loneliness is my own fault. So maybe I've come to my own answer here. The good news is that as discouraging as this whole dinnertime thing is, and as much as I'm tempted to just grab a box of cereal and some soy milk, and say "So what are y'all havin' tonight?", I'm still in there trying. And that has to count for something, right?
The ultimate problem may be that I'm asking for too much. What I want is for everyone to like and eat what I cook. I'll even settle for 3 out of 4. But it rarely goes that way.
Tonight I tried a new recipe: Curried Chicken Flatbread with Chutney and Yogurt Drizzle. Sounds good, right? I also made some roasted brussels sprouts with apples and walnuts (another new recipe). So I started on the veggies, mixing up the dressing (olive oil, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt), trimming the brussels sprouts, prepping the apples (thick slices) and chopping the walnuts. Mixed all and put into the oven.
Now onto the flatbread. There was an option to make your own dough, but I opted for a thin-crust Boboli. Started cooking the chicken (seasoned with garlic and pepper). Made the sauce (chutney, rice vinegar, curry powder). Chopped the veggies (scallions and jalapenos) for garnish. Once that was in the oven, started cleaning the kitchen.
Tucker comes downstairs with his hand covering his nose. The smell is making him nauseated. This irritates Tim (who knows how frustrating dinners are for me), but I don't take it personally. I start scrambling some eggs. Then grab the veggies out of the oven. We sit and eat.
Tim and Austin LOVE the flatbread. Apparently the flavor is wonderful, and the yogurt, scallions, and jalapenos that top it perfectly offset the rest of the dish. Veggies are another story. Recipe called for putting whole brussels sprouts into 350 degree oven for 30 minutes. I should have known that wasn't long enough, but it was written down so it has to be right, right? So brussels sprouts were undercooked. Apples and walnuts tasted good, and I'll try that recipe again, halving the sprouts and cooking a little longer.
The big problem here is the takeaway. I feel discouraged after yet another failed dinner. And I'm hungry, as I didn't even cook something I could really eat. And I'm lonely because I was all by myself during dinner prep. (Tim offered to help, but I just couldn't bring myself to ask him. In retrospect, it would have been a nice way for us to spend time together.)
I feel like no matter what I try, I can't get it right. If I cook anything with beef, Tim doesn't like it, as he's kind of done with beef. When I do "normal" foods -- straightforward basic flavors -- the kids don't really care for them. Actually, it feels like Tucker doesn't care for much of anything these days, and maybe that's something I need to remember, as the truth is that 66% of the people who COULD eat the dinner LOVED the dinner. And the loneliness is my own fault. So maybe I've come to my own answer here. The good news is that as discouraging as this whole dinnertime thing is, and as much as I'm tempted to just grab a box of cereal and some soy milk, and say "So what are y'all havin' tonight?", I'm still in there trying. And that has to count for something, right?
My new vibrator!
I got a Clarisonic, but I love calling it my "face vibrator" which is proof positive that my inner 12-year-old is alive and well.
In 12 days I will be 48 years old, and I'm still working on the habit of washing my face, morning and night. Somehow having a toy to play with is helping, and for the past few days I've been faithfully vibrating (washing) my face twice a day. It helps that it feels nice. And I think I'm noticing an difference in my skin, which is a welcome thing at any age, but especially as I edge closer to 50.
Need more to read?
Fit Bottomed Girls posted some fit links, including a great list of health and wellness blogs that I'm dying to check out. Yeah, like I need MORE time at the computer, right??? Also worth a look are the Nike ad link and the People Jam link.
I'm recovering from a quick, violent case of stomach flu. Friday night was yucky. Saturday was somewhat better, but I went to bed at 8:30 last night and didn't get up till 6:30 this morning. Today I've eaten some oatmeal which feels good, so that's a step in the right direction. If I keep feeling good, I'm going to do a slow 12 mile run, reserving the option to cut it short if running feels bad.
That's all the news from here for the moment. Have a wonderful day, friends!
I'm recovering from a quick, violent case of stomach flu. Friday night was yucky. Saturday was somewhat better, but I went to bed at 8:30 last night and didn't get up till 6:30 this morning. Today I've eaten some oatmeal which feels good, so that's a step in the right direction. If I keep feeling good, I'm going to do a slow 12 mile run, reserving the option to cut it short if running feels bad.
That's all the news from here for the moment. Have a wonderful day, friends!
Friday, December 26, 2008
Did it!
So I did the 12 days of Christmas workout. It was tougher than I expected. It started out just fine. Quads were tired during squats, but all was great until I got to pushups. Even though I did them at an incline (to a weight bench) I had to break them up. Same with pull ups and box jumps (and I only used a 16" box!). By the time I finished those 3 exercises, it was getting very tough. Did renegade rows with 12.5 pound dumbbells. Had to break up knees to elbows into 10, 10, and 10. Did thrusters with the 12.5s, and the burpees were a joke -- almost like a dream where you're trying to run, but it's like running through honey? Yeah, that was me. But it's done. Next time I'll be trying for straight sets of each exercise.
12 Days of Christmas workout
I found this on CrossFit Fuel, and think it's going to be my workout today:
120 sec of Jump Rope
110 Lunges (each rep counts)
100 Squats
90 Sit-ups
80 Mt. Climbers
70 Push-ups
60 Jumping Pull-ups
50 Box Jumps
40 Renegade Rows 10lb DB
30 Knee to Elbows
20 Thrusters
10 Burpees
Wish me luck...
120 sec of Jump Rope
110 Lunges (each rep counts)
100 Squats
90 Sit-ups
80 Mt. Climbers
70 Push-ups
60 Jumping Pull-ups
50 Box Jumps
40 Renegade Rows 10lb DB
30 Knee to Elbows
20 Thrusters
10 Burpees
Wish me luck...
Thursday, December 25, 2008
Today
Laurie posted this quote from Kristen Armstrong's Runner's World blog regarding this wonderful season.
And here we are, a week away from Christmas, days away from Hannukah,and the pace of the season threatens to outpace us. I came to the conclusion that a great way to honor Erin, to honor each other, to honor ourselves and to honor the intended spririt of the holiday season is to give ourselves Grace. The grace to listen to our bodies when we are tired. To enjoy an extra cookie, or three. To huddle up in cold weather and snuggle our children instead of begrudging our lost workout. To take time to savor the chaos and the onslaught of relatives, knowing that soon enough things will settle back to normal and the only thing that will stand out is the reflection of how we spent our time. To hug our grandparents and listen to their stories. To let the kids wrap the gifts, decorate the cookies, sign the cards, and string the lights without our 'help.' To stretch out with a good book. To leave dirty dishes in the sink and linger at the table. To sleep in or stay up late. To include someone who feels blue this time of year. To allow our greatest gift to be our presence, in the moment and in our hearts.
Love well. Our time is now.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
3:00 pm
Just back from a 9 mile run. Julianne called me hardcore for running in this weather, but I really don't think of it like that. Here's my thinking. I have the time to do the run. I always feel better after running. And with the right layers, and a cap and a pony, running in the rain is actually a good thing.
I set out not knowing how many miles I wanted to go, but I figured on going at least 4 miles. At 5, I felt good and was just happy to be outside and running. At 8 I wasn't quite home, and figured I would finish at 9. This means that if I do a quick 3 mile run tomorrow, I'll have 1500 miles for the year, and that seems like a good thing to have happen on Christmas day, right?
Ok, time to get cleaned up and back to cooking. Tim called and both Austin and Tucker agreed that this was the best snowboarding day of their entire lives. I couldn't be happier for them!
I set out not knowing how many miles I wanted to go, but I figured on going at least 4 miles. At 5, I felt good and was just happy to be outside and running. At 8 I wasn't quite home, and figured I would finish at 9. This means that if I do a quick 3 mile run tomorrow, I'll have 1500 miles for the year, and that seems like a good thing to have happen on Christmas day, right?
Ok, time to get cleaned up and back to cooking. Tim called and both Austin and Tucker agreed that this was the best snowboarding day of their entire lives. I couldn't be happier for them!
1:15 pm
Presents are all wrapped. Stockings are filled and hidden. Nearly all the cooking and baking is done. So what's a girl to do? Go out on a lovely lovely run. It's started raining again, but with a hat and layers, rain is delightful to run in. So off I go...
Now I REALLY wish I was snowboarding!
This is the view from the chairlift. Look at all that amazing powdery snow!!!
My poetry...
...was mentioned on Cranky Fitness! I didn't win the Vita Mix (which is only fair, as I already own one), but it was fun to play.
9:30 am
The house smells amazing! The pumpkin cake is done. The tortellini soup just needs to simmer for 10 more minutes, and then it will chill (literally) till tomorrow when I'll add the tortellini and zucchini right before serving. Next up is the lasagna prep, so I'll cook the veggies (carrots, zucchini and onions) and make the sauces, but I'll assemble the lasagna tomorrow.
Here's a picture Tim took on the way up to Tahoe. Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive!
He texted me a while ago saying that there's nobody on the slopes. They may have their best day of snowboarding ever!
Here's a picture Tim took on the way up to Tahoe. Thank goodness for 4 wheel drive!
He texted me a while ago saying that there's nobody on the slopes. They may have their best day of snowboarding ever!
Getting stuff done
The fam left for Tahoe an hour ago without me. :( But it was my decision. There is no way I could in good conscience go snowboarding when tomorrow is Christmas and I'm in charge of Christmas dinner. I'm a little sad, but mostly I'm relieved, as this gives me a whole uninterrupted day to get all my Christmas ducks (geese?) all in a row. So be warned -- this could be a day of much stream-of-consciousness writing.
Lasagna noodles are cooked. Cake's about to go in the oven. Next up, tortellini soup. Also on today's agenda is a lovely lovely run!
Lasagna noodles are cooked. Cake's about to go in the oven. Next up, tortellini soup. Also on today's agenda is a lovely lovely run!
Monday, December 22, 2008
The Last Man Standing, the race report
One thing I now know is this: if your travels take you anywhere near a mall at this time of year, you should allow for some extra driving time. On Sunday I went straight from my son's water polo game to register for and run in The Last Man Standing run, a celebration for local runner Paul Kamerer's birthday.
The race shirt.
Race start time was 1:00. I cruised in at 12:55, scribbled my reg form and tossed some money along with it, then started running in the direction of the starting line, which was quite a ways away. Fortunately, they started the race a little late, but I was still on the wrong side of levee as I heard "On your marks, get set, GO!" and the race started. I wanted to scream "Wait for meeeee!" but that would have taken valuable oxygen!
So I crossed the start line a bit after the official start, but that was fine. Along the way I met the birthday boy, who was escorted by a younger woman running on either side of him. Many people were wearing party hats. There was all ages present, from high school cross country runners, to kids with their parents, to runners in their 60s, 70s, and 80s (that's my best guess on the ages).
I finished the race, and then joined two guys who were cheering people on. We chatted about marathons and ultras (one guy assured me that an ultra is WAY easier than a marathon, because you don't run the entire time -- good food for thought for sure!). After a while, they decided to go in (it was cold and raining), but I wanted to go back and see how Paul was doing. I wasn't the only one with that thought, and there was a group of maybe 30 or more runners all running behind Paul. As he approached the finish line, he sped up and we all cheered as he finished!
Me and Paul (he's wearing my gift to him -- a Zombie Runner hat).
You can read more about Paul and Pinkhouse Gym here. Paul's actual birthday is December 26th. He will be NINETY YEARS YOUNG! Isn't he what everyone wants to be when they grow up???
The race shirt.
Race start time was 1:00. I cruised in at 12:55, scribbled my reg form and tossed some money along with it, then started running in the direction of the starting line, which was quite a ways away. Fortunately, they started the race a little late, but I was still on the wrong side of levee as I heard "On your marks, get set, GO!" and the race started. I wanted to scream "Wait for meeeee!" but that would have taken valuable oxygen!
So I crossed the start line a bit after the official start, but that was fine. Along the way I met the birthday boy, who was escorted by a younger woman running on either side of him. Many people were wearing party hats. There was all ages present, from high school cross country runners, to kids with their parents, to runners in their 60s, 70s, and 80s (that's my best guess on the ages).
I finished the race, and then joined two guys who were cheering people on. We chatted about marathons and ultras (one guy assured me that an ultra is WAY easier than a marathon, because you don't run the entire time -- good food for thought for sure!). After a while, they decided to go in (it was cold and raining), but I wanted to go back and see how Paul was doing. I wasn't the only one with that thought, and there was a group of maybe 30 or more runners all running behind Paul. As he approached the finish line, he sped up and we all cheered as he finished!
Me and Paul (he's wearing my gift to him -- a Zombie Runner hat).
You can read more about Paul and Pinkhouse Gym here. Paul's actual birthday is December 26th. He will be NINETY YEARS YOUNG! Isn't he what everyone wants to be when they grow up???
My new favorite circuit
In a CrossFit-ish manner, i did this today:
7 rounds for time (took 17:30)
5 pullups (resistance band assisted)
10 incline pushups
15 deadlifts (60 lb barbell)
20 stability ball crunches
25 kettlebell swings (12 kg kb)
I also walked for 45 minutes passing out flyers about Bayside's Christmas services. It's sunny and chilly today -- perfect!!!
7 rounds for time (took 17:30)
5 pullups (resistance band assisted)
10 incline pushups
15 deadlifts (60 lb barbell)
20 stability ball crunches
25 kettlebell swings (12 kg kb)
I also walked for 45 minutes passing out flyers about Bayside's Christmas services. It's sunny and chilly today -- perfect!!!
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Christmas at Bayside
Here's a video from last year's Christmas service at our church. I hope the song translates on the computer -- experiencing this live is truly amazing!
Saturday, December 20, 2008
More goal thoughts
It's Saturday night and I'm bored. Tim and the kids went snowboarding today, and although I wanted to go too, there was too much to do with Christmas just around the corner. So I shopped and wrapped and did laundry and straightened up. I did take a few minutes to do this workout:
5 rounds of
5 pullups (with elastic band for assistance)
10 pushups
15 dead lifts (60 pounds)
20 stability ball crunches
But other than that, it was a day of rest. Seriously, it took like 13 minutes to bang those circuits out.
So while folding laundry I was thinking more about goals for the upcoming year. In the back of my mind, I've been thinking about doing a 50 mile race in April. But it just occurred to me that if I do that, it will mess up my running afterwards. And I'm not sure I want to do that. Honestly, I think I could do a 50 mile race. It wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be pretty, but I really believe I could do it. I just don't know if I'm willing to pay the price of the aftermath.
Where does that leave me? One of my goals will be 1000 miles for the year, because that really works for me. But beyond that, I just don't know. I like CrossFit. I like P90X. But am I committed to doing a full P90X rotation, or a certain number of days per week of CrossFit? I love kettlebells, and I'd LOVE to get an Art of Strength certification. But as a goal? I don't know.
Honestly, I'm not in the right frame of mind to seriously decide on goals for next year. But that's what's swirling around in my head at the moment.
5 rounds of
5 pullups (with elastic band for assistance)
10 pushups
15 dead lifts (60 pounds)
20 stability ball crunches
But other than that, it was a day of rest. Seriously, it took like 13 minutes to bang those circuits out.
So while folding laundry I was thinking more about goals for the upcoming year. In the back of my mind, I've been thinking about doing a 50 mile race in April. But it just occurred to me that if I do that, it will mess up my running afterwards. And I'm not sure I want to do that. Honestly, I think I could do a 50 mile race. It wouldn't be easy and it wouldn't be pretty, but I really believe I could do it. I just don't know if I'm willing to pay the price of the aftermath.
Where does that leave me? One of my goals will be 1000 miles for the year, because that really works for me. But beyond that, I just don't know. I like CrossFit. I like P90X. But am I committed to doing a full P90X rotation, or a certain number of days per week of CrossFit? I love kettlebells, and I'd LOVE to get an Art of Strength certification. But as a goal? I don't know.
Honestly, I'm not in the right frame of mind to seriously decide on goals for next year. But that's what's swirling around in my head at the moment.
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Goals work
I think it was February when I set my running goals for the year. I'd been tracking my miles, but with no clear idea of what I was shooting for. So at that time, I decided I wanted to do 1000 miles for the year (which I did 10 years ago when I was 37) and run a half-dozen half marathons.
These goals have worked to pull me forward and keep me on track even when I didn't feel like getting out the door. And guess what? I ran 5 half marathons and my first full marathon, and I'm just 35 miles away from hitting not 1000 but 1500 miles!!! (My last two weeks of working out, plus my yearly totals for running are on the sidebar in case you're interested.)
The thing is that whatever goal you choose has to move you towards what you want. In my case, I like that I feel athletic when I'm in half marathon shape, hence the 6 half marathons. And it just seemed fun to try to repeat what I'd done a decade earlier.
And thank goodness I run as much as I do. True confession: I bought some frosting yesterday for some Christmas cookies. Today it's gone. Yep, 1820 calories of pure sugar and trans fat (I guess they figure if you're buying frosting, you can't possibly care about the crap they put in it). The good news is that I enjoyed every single spoonful!
These goals have worked to pull me forward and keep me on track even when I didn't feel like getting out the door. And guess what? I ran 5 half marathons and my first full marathon, and I'm just 35 miles away from hitting not 1000 but 1500 miles!!! (My last two weeks of working out, plus my yearly totals for running are on the sidebar in case you're interested.)
The thing is that whatever goal you choose has to move you towards what you want. In my case, I like that I feel athletic when I'm in half marathon shape, hence the 6 half marathons. And it just seemed fun to try to repeat what I'd done a decade earlier.
And thank goodness I run as much as I do. True confession: I bought some frosting yesterday for some Christmas cookies. Today it's gone. Yep, 1820 calories of pure sugar and trans fat (I guess they figure if you're buying frosting, you can't possibly care about the crap they put in it). The good news is that I enjoyed every single spoonful!
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Comment appreciation
Ok, so about a month ago I said I'd reply to comments IN the comments. That hasn't happened. Well, it happened for a few weeks, and then -- life got in the way.
So once again I'm trying to make my actions match my words.
"Back To Running" -- all comments present and accounted for!
"Acceptance? Maybe..." -- all comments present and accounted for!
"Hi" -- all comments responded to!
"I (heart) my rope!" -- all comments responded to!
Again, thanks to everyone who takes even a moment out of your day to read something I've written, and hugs to all who go beyond that to comment. It's great to know that we're not alone, isn't it?
So once again I'm trying to make my actions match my words.
"Back To Running" -- all comments present and accounted for!
"Acceptance? Maybe..." -- all comments present and accounted for!
"Hi" -- all comments responded to!
"I (heart) my rope!" -- all comments responded to!
Again, thanks to everyone who takes even a moment out of your day to read something I've written, and hugs to all who go beyond that to comment. It's great to know that we're not alone, isn't it?
Back to running!
Yesterday was my first "real" run post marathon. I did 5 miles and did it technology-free, so no iPod and no Garmin. It was nice to just go out and run what felt good. And now that my underarm chafing is gone (thank goodness!) and my legs are feeling rested, running felt great.
Several people told me that after running a marathon I'd be hooked and would immediately want to sign up for another one. That's not happened yet. I'm thrilled to be a REAL MARATHON RUNNER, and I still can't believe I qualified for Boston. But I'm not feeling the need to sign up for another race at this point. I'm enjoying the freedom of doing other things -- P90X, playing with my new rope, doing Art of Strength DVDs -- and I think it's ok to be a little more free form for now. I will still be running, as I really want to hit 1500 miles for the year and with just 43 to go it seems pretty doable in the next 15 days.
What will next year hold? I really don't know at this point, and I'm ok with that. But since I am happiest when working towards a goal, I'll be working on finding a new goal soon.
Several people told me that after running a marathon I'd be hooked and would immediately want to sign up for another one. That's not happened yet. I'm thrilled to be a REAL MARATHON RUNNER, and I still can't believe I qualified for Boston. But I'm not feeling the need to sign up for another race at this point. I'm enjoying the freedom of doing other things -- P90X, playing with my new rope, doing Art of Strength DVDs -- and I think it's ok to be a little more free form for now. I will still be running, as I really want to hit 1500 miles for the year and with just 43 to go it seems pretty doable in the next 15 days.
What will next year hold? I really don't know at this point, and I'm ok with that. But since I am happiest when working towards a goal, I'll be working on finding a new goal soon.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Acceptance? Maybe...
(What I'm about to write makes it sound like my favorite activity is gazing at my own navel and thinking only of me. I SWEAR this does not consume my waking hours. But I had a big realization last night, and I need to write about it in hopes of helping it to stick!)
For my whole life I've felt like I was too sturdy. Regardless of my weight, I've been unhappy with the size of my "frame" for lack of a better term. Objectively, I'm 5 feet 5 inches tall and I have a medium build. But I've always wanted to be 5'3" tall and have what people would describe as a "fragile" build.
So while many of my body image issues have centered around reality (when I weighed 50 pounds more than I do now, yeah, I not only felt fat, I WAS fat), this whole "I want to change the size of my skeleton" thing has kind of made me crazy. It's led me to think of my ideal weight as in the mid-120's (10 or so pounds less than I weigh right now). And it's kept me chronically dissatisfied with my body, no matter what my size or what my weight.
So last night we had 3 Christmas parties to attend. And as Tim and I were getting ready, I started talking about this. Tim said, "You know, this is exactly like how I wish I were taller." And that was the big lightbulb moment for me. Tim is 5'10" tall and I think that's perfect. But he doesn't. His whole life he's been surrounded by guys who are 6' and over, and in an ideal world, my husband was be a critical 2 inches taller. That makes ZERO sense to me. It does not matter how tall he is. And bottom line? That's out of his control!!!
And what's something that's out of my control? The size of my freaking skeleton!!! So today, rather than feeling "too big" (begs the question "Too big for WHAT?") I'm just happy to be healthy and happy and strong. And those things are NOT negative. Yeah, I have a medium build. But that doesn't make me unfeminine or mannish or anything else negative.
Maybe it's time to let the Serenity Prayer apply here:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (the size of my skeleton!!!),
The courage to change the things I can (what I eat, what I do),
And the wisdom to know the difference!
Amen.
For my whole life I've felt like I was too sturdy. Regardless of my weight, I've been unhappy with the size of my "frame" for lack of a better term. Objectively, I'm 5 feet 5 inches tall and I have a medium build. But I've always wanted to be 5'3" tall and have what people would describe as a "fragile" build.
So while many of my body image issues have centered around reality (when I weighed 50 pounds more than I do now, yeah, I not only felt fat, I WAS fat), this whole "I want to change the size of my skeleton" thing has kind of made me crazy. It's led me to think of my ideal weight as in the mid-120's (10 or so pounds less than I weigh right now). And it's kept me chronically dissatisfied with my body, no matter what my size or what my weight.
So last night we had 3 Christmas parties to attend. And as Tim and I were getting ready, I started talking about this. Tim said, "You know, this is exactly like how I wish I were taller." And that was the big lightbulb moment for me. Tim is 5'10" tall and I think that's perfect. But he doesn't. His whole life he's been surrounded by guys who are 6' and over, and in an ideal world, my husband was be a critical 2 inches taller. That makes ZERO sense to me. It does not matter how tall he is. And bottom line? That's out of his control!!!
And what's something that's out of my control? The size of my freaking skeleton!!! So today, rather than feeling "too big" (begs the question "Too big for WHAT?") I'm just happy to be healthy and happy and strong. And those things are NOT negative. Yeah, I have a medium build. But that doesn't make me unfeminine or mannish or anything else negative.
Maybe it's time to let the Serenity Prayer apply here:
God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change (the size of my skeleton!!!),
The courage to change the things I can (what I eat, what I do),
And the wisdom to know the difference!
Amen.
Friday, December 12, 2008
Hi!
I'm still here. But life is crazy busy. Tonight is Tucker's 13th birthday party. Last night was Tim's work Christmas party. The party was tough as I'm still tired after the marathon. Believe it or not, this comes as a surprise to me. I expected the training to be tough. I expected the race to be tough. But I thought I'd be back to running a day or two after the marathon. The good news is that my underarm chafing has subsided to the point where I can now wear deodorant (thank goodness!) and wear regular shirts instead of tank tops. Lower body is still sore, but this gets better every day.
In a surprising unwelcome development, an old snowboarding injury has come back to haunt me. Maybe 4 years ago I caught an edge while learning to snowboard and fractured my tailbone. It took 6 months for the pain to go away. Now the pain is back. And I know the only thing I can do is to let it subside on its own.
Today I have 4 clients which is a great thing, as I love what I do, and a tough thing, as I need to plan 4 workouts. Guess I'd better get crackin', huh?
In a surprising unwelcome development, an old snowboarding injury has come back to haunt me. Maybe 4 years ago I caught an edge while learning to snowboard and fractured my tailbone. It took 6 months for the pain to go away. Now the pain is back. And I know the only thing I can do is to let it subside on its own.
Today I have 4 clients which is a great thing, as I love what I do, and a tough thing, as I need to plan 4 workouts. Guess I'd better get crackin', huh?
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
I (heart) my rope!
I used my new 40' long rope with two clients today and they both LOVED IT! Here's a video showing a rope in action.
Melange
- Still tired, still sore from the marathon. Did P90X shoulders and arms today and that was fine, but I still have no desire to work my lower body at all. Does anyone know when you're supposed to start running again?
- I have lots of favorite Christmas songs for lots of Christmas moods. Favorite upbeat song? Merry Christmas Baby by Lou Rawls. Sexy brass section and an edgy celebratory feel. Anyone else care to share a favorite holiday song or two?
- Got a good night's sleep last night and it felt great.
- FRUSTRATED that I have so little energy. I do understand why, but that doesn't mean I have to like it!
The Last Man Standing
I got an email today about a 90th birthday celebration run. Here's more:
Please let me know if you're a Sacramento-area runner who would like to participate. The entry form is a crack up! I tried to include it here, but had formatting issues. If only you could see it, you'd see the age groups:
0 - 69
70 - 74
75 - 79
80 - 84
85 - 89
90 - 94
95 - 99
100 and over
And of course, the Waiver and Informed Consent section of the official race registration form:
WAIVER and INFORMED CONSENT: I am aware of the hazards inherent of choosing to get fit and run to celebrate Paul Camerer’s 90th birthday. The side effects of training and finishing may include more energy, increased metabolism, sense of wellbeing and happiness, loss of body fat, more friends, and being with my loved ones. I indemnify and release my parents and all others because it isn’t their fault. In case of emergency, please contact my friends and family and ask them to continue to support my commitment to participate in the LAST MAN STANDING 5K. If found off course, please send a run angel immediately to re-direct my efforts. I have read, understood, and agree to this release.
This is a run I do NOT want to miss!
Paul Camerer is the oldest man (or woman) still running in races actively in Sacramento.
He turns 90 years old in December. When the members of his garage gym asked him how he wanted to celebrate, without a pause, he said that he wanted everone in Sacramento to join him for a 5k Run. Will you please join us on Sunday, December 21st (the last Sunday before Christmas) at "The Last Man Standing" annual 5K Walk and Run and pot luck?
Would you please also support the birthday celebration as follows:
1. Forward this invitation to your run/walk friends.
2. Include this in a newsletter of a group that you belong to.
3. Print and distribute to others.
Let's have a big party. Look at the picture below on the race entry form (entry fee is $10). Paul, aka "Pinkhouse" crossing the finish line as the runner on the last leg of the team division of the California International Marathon. Look for him at the finish line again this year and let him know that you are going to run with him at his 90th Birthday Party. Let me remind all of us who are younger than Paul but want to be running when we are 90 this: it is an honor to be able to run with a member of the Sacramento running community for the past fifty years (lifetime member of the Buffalo Chips), a decorated World War II officer, a retired Folsom High School teacher, and a volunteer to the Sacramento running community running aid stations for race directors whenever asked.
Please let me know if you're a Sacramento-area runner who would like to participate. The entry form is a crack up! I tried to include it here, but had formatting issues. If only you could see it, you'd see the age groups:
0 - 69
70 - 74
75 - 79
80 - 84
85 - 89
90 - 94
95 - 99
100 and over
And of course, the Waiver and Informed Consent section of the official race registration form:
WAIVER and INFORMED CONSENT: I am aware of the hazards inherent of choosing to get fit and run to celebrate Paul Camerer’s 90th birthday. The side effects of training and finishing may include more energy, increased metabolism, sense of wellbeing and happiness, loss of body fat, more friends, and being with my loved ones. I indemnify and release my parents and all others because it isn’t their fault. In case of emergency, please contact my friends and family and ask them to continue to support my commitment to participate in the LAST MAN STANDING 5K. If found off course, please send a run angel immediately to re-direct my efforts. I have read, understood, and agree to this release.
This is a run I do NOT want to miss!
Monday, December 08, 2008
Feeling so incredibly loved!
Thank you for every single sweet comment -- they helped make my legs feel much better today, I'm sure, although it was comical even to me to try to walk first thing this morning.
I did NOT sleep well last night which surprised me. Legs couldn't get comfortable, and I have the mother of all chafing under each arm (it's been in the 40s today and I've been wearing a tank top as much as possible because chafing HURTS!). Oh well, I've been happy enough for 10 people. And I did wear my marathon shirt while out shopping and a couple of people noticed it. I came close to wearing my medal, but decided that crossed some sort of line and decided against it.
Turns out I have two years to enter Boston, and right now I'm thinking that I'd like to run it in April 2010. But for today, I'm not running at all.
I did, however, get a new fitness toy today. My 40' long rope from Art of Strength arrived. Once my underarm woes are behind me, I can't wait to play with it!
Finally, look what Tucker put on my mirror yesterday afternoon. Isn't this sweet? I think I'm gonna keep it for a while...
I did NOT sleep well last night which surprised me. Legs couldn't get comfortable, and I have the mother of all chafing under each arm (it's been in the 40s today and I've been wearing a tank top as much as possible because chafing HURTS!). Oh well, I've been happy enough for 10 people. And I did wear my marathon shirt while out shopping and a couple of people noticed it. I came close to wearing my medal, but decided that crossed some sort of line and decided against it.
Turns out I have two years to enter Boston, and right now I'm thinking that I'd like to run it in April 2010. But for today, I'm not running at all.
I did, however, get a new fitness toy today. My 40' long rope from Art of Strength arrived. Once my underarm woes are behind me, I can't wait to play with it!
Finally, look what Tucker put on my mirror yesterday afternoon. Isn't this sweet? I think I'm gonna keep it for a while...
Sunday, December 07, 2008
California International Marathon 2008
Warning: a long-winded tired marathon runner (!) is about to write more words than should ever be in one single weblog post.
On Saturday I drove to the Expo, looking forward to meeting some people that I've only known via computer. It's quite strange to meet someone for the first time, and yet know a LOT about who they are from following their writing. But as usual, the best people are fitness or running bloggers!
Me, Laurie, and Katie (their kids were with them and are soooo cute!). Laurie's husband Jay was running CIM and Laurie and Katie were there to support him.
Me and Julianne (my blogger "daughter!").
Catra and me (Catra ran 30 trail miles in Auburn the day before the Expo!).
Michael B (from dailymile) and me (Michael is just as nice in person as he is on the dailymile boards).
Me, KK and Julianne (KK ran the 3rd leg of the marathon relay!).
I met Aron too, but fogot to get a picture. She was running the 26th CIM and she's 26 -- I think that's really cute!
After the Expo, me and the fam went to dinner at Fresh Choice. We saw a man who had a Boston Marathon jacket on and I asked him if he'd been at the Expo. He had and we talked running for a bit. He'd run quite a few marathons and ran Boston last year. When he asked what my goal time was and I answered, he looked surprised. (Guess I don't look runner-ish enough!) He told me that I had an aggressive goal for a first marathon.
We came home, played games, and I was in bed shortly after 10:00.
Morning
Got up. Did my normal computer thing. Got dressed and Tim drove me to the starting line (thanks again, Tim, for getting up so early the day after your oh-so-tough mountain bike ride).
5:50 am and nervously ready to head to the starting line.
Tim told me in the car, "You know how you've been wanting to run all week? Well today you get to run as many miles as you want to!" I kept that thought with me, and it helped me to remember that I really did want to be doing what I was doing.
So I got to the start with no problem. It seemed well organized and it was exciting being around so many runners. It was cold -- I think 37 degrees or so. Sadly, I dropped a glove about 20 minutes before the race while texting. I looked for it and couldn't find it, so I decided that maybe running with one glove would be a good thing, right? Right??? Then I found it a minute before the start and that was an even better thing. The Target sweatshirt was great, and I hung it nicely on a fence right before the race began.
I started with the 4:05 pace group, but after 5 miles, I felt good enough to go ahead and at some point before mile 10 I caught the 4:00 group. Note to anyone considering CIM: pace groups are the bomb!
The first 10 miles were easy as it was so exciting and I knew that my family would be at mile 10. When I got to that point, I didn't see them and I thought I'd missed them. I was sad, but trying to convince myself that it was ok, and then THERE THEY WERE! Tucker gave me a huge hug, Tim and Austin cheered, and I dropped my jacket with Tim and gratefully accepted the banana and ibuprofen I'd asked him to have.
Although I had my iPod with me (security blanket of sorts), I never took it out. There was a man from Canada (I called him Canada, he called me Sacramento) running nearby and we chatted off and on for about 5 miles.
Around mile 12 and feeling good!
I saw Austin again at mile 12 -- surprised and really happy. It's true that family and friends can really pull you forward. The anticipation was good for a couple of miles, and the glow of "they're here for me!" lasted for at least another mile.
Tim and the kids were planning to be at mile 20, so I had that to look forward to. Tucker managed to help hand out GU packs to the runners -- that's a very Tucker-like thing indeed. And unbeknownst to me, Tim's parents were there too, but I never saw them. Wow -- my MIL made veg stuffing at Thanksgiving, and then they were out in the 40 degree weather for over an hour? I have the BEST in-laws!
I'd read about running with your head to start, your legs next, and your heart at the end, and decided to run first 10 miles with my head, then the next 13 (not 10) with my legs, so after mile 20 when it started hurting, I kept telling myself, "I only need my legs to do 3 more miles, and then I'll run with my heart." It helped.
And guess what else helped? At mile 22 -- SURPRISE! My bestest girlfriends, Laudon and Donna were there to run with me!!! I had no idea they'd be there, and it was perfect timing, as by that point, every step felt icky. I nearly cried when I saw them, and they talked and encouraged me for the next 3-1/2 miles -- probably the toughest ones on the course.
Donna, me, and Laudon around mile 24?
Right before mile 26 I gave it everything I had. And when I could see the finish line and saw that I could come in under 4 hours on the clock, I pushed. Hard.
The finish line is in sight.
The clock said 3:59:54 when I went across, and after getting my space blanket and my medal, I dissolved into tears. And then there were my family and friends and hugs all around!
Tucker, me, Tim, and Austin -- I feel so lucky!
My bestest girlfriends, Laudon (me) and Donna!
I AM A REAL MARATHON RUNNER!!!
I didn't know my official time at the finish, as we had to leave pretty quickly after the finish. But the results have been posted and here they are:
What does it all mean? My chip time, aka official time, is 3:58:05 and that means I qualified for Boston! I am stunned, amazed, and oh so thankful to everyone who was here today, who sent emails of encouragement, and to everyone who took the time to write words of support via comments.
Nite nite, friends!
On Saturday I drove to the Expo, looking forward to meeting some people that I've only known via computer. It's quite strange to meet someone for the first time, and yet know a LOT about who they are from following their writing. But as usual, the best people are fitness or running bloggers!
Me, Laurie, and Katie (their kids were with them and are soooo cute!). Laurie's husband Jay was running CIM and Laurie and Katie were there to support him.
Me and Julianne (my blogger "daughter!").
Catra and me (Catra ran 30 trail miles in Auburn the day before the Expo!).
Michael B (from dailymile) and me (Michael is just as nice in person as he is on the dailymile boards).
Me, KK and Julianne (KK ran the 3rd leg of the marathon relay!).
I met Aron too, but fogot to get a picture. She was running the 26th CIM and she's 26 -- I think that's really cute!
After the Expo, me and the fam went to dinner at Fresh Choice. We saw a man who had a Boston Marathon jacket on and I asked him if he'd been at the Expo. He had and we talked running for a bit. He'd run quite a few marathons and ran Boston last year. When he asked what my goal time was and I answered, he looked surprised. (Guess I don't look runner-ish enough!) He told me that I had an aggressive goal for a first marathon.
We came home, played games, and I was in bed shortly after 10:00.
Morning
Got up. Did my normal computer thing. Got dressed and Tim drove me to the starting line (thanks again, Tim, for getting up so early the day after your oh-so-tough mountain bike ride).
5:50 am and nervously ready to head to the starting line.
Tim told me in the car, "You know how you've been wanting to run all week? Well today you get to run as many miles as you want to!" I kept that thought with me, and it helped me to remember that I really did want to be doing what I was doing.
So I got to the start with no problem. It seemed well organized and it was exciting being around so many runners. It was cold -- I think 37 degrees or so. Sadly, I dropped a glove about 20 minutes before the race while texting. I looked for it and couldn't find it, so I decided that maybe running with one glove would be a good thing, right? Right??? Then I found it a minute before the start and that was an even better thing. The Target sweatshirt was great, and I hung it nicely on a fence right before the race began.
I started with the 4:05 pace group, but after 5 miles, I felt good enough to go ahead and at some point before mile 10 I caught the 4:00 group. Note to anyone considering CIM: pace groups are the bomb!
The first 10 miles were easy as it was so exciting and I knew that my family would be at mile 10. When I got to that point, I didn't see them and I thought I'd missed them. I was sad, but trying to convince myself that it was ok, and then THERE THEY WERE! Tucker gave me a huge hug, Tim and Austin cheered, and I dropped my jacket with Tim and gratefully accepted the banana and ibuprofen I'd asked him to have.
Although I had my iPod with me (security blanket of sorts), I never took it out. There was a man from Canada (I called him Canada, he called me Sacramento) running nearby and we chatted off and on for about 5 miles.
Around mile 12 and feeling good!
I saw Austin again at mile 12 -- surprised and really happy. It's true that family and friends can really pull you forward. The anticipation was good for a couple of miles, and the glow of "they're here for me!" lasted for at least another mile.
Tim and the kids were planning to be at mile 20, so I had that to look forward to. Tucker managed to help hand out GU packs to the runners -- that's a very Tucker-like thing indeed. And unbeknownst to me, Tim's parents were there too, but I never saw them. Wow -- my MIL made veg stuffing at Thanksgiving, and then they were out in the 40 degree weather for over an hour? I have the BEST in-laws!
I'd read about running with your head to start, your legs next, and your heart at the end, and decided to run first 10 miles with my head, then the next 13 (not 10) with my legs, so after mile 20 when it started hurting, I kept telling myself, "I only need my legs to do 3 more miles, and then I'll run with my heart." It helped.
And guess what else helped? At mile 22 -- SURPRISE! My bestest girlfriends, Laudon and Donna were there to run with me!!! I had no idea they'd be there, and it was perfect timing, as by that point, every step felt icky. I nearly cried when I saw them, and they talked and encouraged me for the next 3-1/2 miles -- probably the toughest ones on the course.
Donna, me, and Laudon around mile 24?
Right before mile 26 I gave it everything I had. And when I could see the finish line and saw that I could come in under 4 hours on the clock, I pushed. Hard.
The finish line is in sight.
The clock said 3:59:54 when I went across, and after getting my space blanket and my medal, I dissolved into tears. And then there were my family and friends and hugs all around!
Tucker, me, Tim, and Austin -- I feel so lucky!
My bestest girlfriends, Laudon (me) and Donna!
I AM A REAL MARATHON RUNNER!!!
I didn't know my official time at the finish, as we had to leave pretty quickly after the finish. But the results have been posted and here they are:
| LESLIE | GANDY | 2009 | F45-49 | 93 | F | 761 | 47 | 03:59:54 | 00:09:09 | 02:00:20 | 03:58:05 | ROCKLIN | CA |
What does it all mean? My chip time, aka official time, is 3:58:05 and that means I qualified for Boston! I am stunned, amazed, and oh so thankful to everyone who was here today, who sent emails of encouragement, and to everyone who took the time to write words of support via comments.
Nite nite, friends!
FIRST MARATHON, BABY!
Clock read 3:59:53 as I crossed the finish line, so guess what? I qualified for Boston!!! Full report later. Time to get in the pool (yikes!) for some cold water on some very tired legs.
And I'm off!
My race number is 2009 which seems like a very good thing somehow.
I've run nearly 1500 miles.
I've tapered.
I met fabulous people at the Expo.
I've tweaked my outfit a bit (white Nike hat, new black running jacket).
I got a reasonable amount of sleep.
And I'm off to run a marathon and in the process become (drum roll, please) A REAL MARATHON RUNNER!
See ya on the flip side...
I've run nearly 1500 miles.
I've tapered.
I met fabulous people at the Expo.
I've tweaked my outfit a bit (white Nike hat, new black running jacket).
I got a reasonable amount of sleep.
And I'm off to run a marathon and in the process become (drum roll, please) A REAL MARATHON RUNNER!
See ya on the flip side...
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Butterflies and running clothes
I have MAJOR butterflies in my tummy as I consider tomorrow. I'll be heading to the Expo in a couple of hours, camera in hand, excited to meet lots of dailymile and blogger friends!
Maybe later I'll post a picture of my marathon clothes, but for now, words will have to do. Starting at the top, here's what I'm wearing:
Dark grey Northstar baseball cap
Black UA short sleeve t-shirt
Black w/red flames Moben sleeves
Black running tights
White and orange Asics running shoes
(I'm not putting down the ugly but warm Target sweats that I'll be ditching at the start.)
Yesterday I listened to a Runner's Lounge podcast about running a marathon where I heard something I've read before, and was happy to be reminded of:
Run the first 10 miles with your head.
Run the next 10 miles with your legs.
Run the final 6.2 miles with your heart.
That's my plan and I'm stickin' to it!
Maybe later I'll post a picture of my marathon clothes, but for now, words will have to do. Starting at the top, here's what I'm wearing:
Dark grey Northstar baseball cap
Black UA short sleeve t-shirt
Black w/red flames Moben sleeves
Black running tights
White and orange Asics running shoes
(I'm not putting down the ugly but warm Target sweats that I'll be ditching at the start.)
Yesterday I listened to a Runner's Lounge podcast about running a marathon where I heard something I've read before, and was happy to be reminded of:
Run the first 10 miles with your head.
Run the next 10 miles with your legs.
Run the final 6.2 miles with your heart.
That's my plan and I'm stickin' to it!
I want my rope!
I have a rope on order from Art of Strength and I want it now! The rope is 40 feet long and 1-1/2" in diameter and I think it's heavy. It's probably best that it didn't arrive this week, as there's no way I could have stayed away from playing with it, and that's not consistent with tapering for a marathon. But I want my rope! (I think of it as my big-a$$ rope, but as I'm trying to clean up my language, I'm not calling it that out loud.)
Friday, December 05, 2008
Writing about something other than running
Yesterday I got false eyelashes put on at the MAC counter at Nordstrom. If you've never done this, DO IT NOW! They have lots of styles to choose from, they cost $12.00 and they will put them on for you. As an admitted mascara junkie (my goal? to look like I'm wearing false eyelashes all the time!) it was so fun having double the lashes.
If you're not wanting to try fakies, MAC also has a new mascara called Dazzle Lash. I (sadly) removed the false eyelashes last night, but awoke this morning happy to try my new mascara. I'm happy to report that I LOVE IT! It covers really well, doesn't clump, and gives a false eyelashes effect. At $12.00 it's worth a try, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
If you're not wanting to try fakies, MAC also has a new mascara called Dazzle Lash. I (sadly) removed the false eyelashes last night, but awoke this morning happy to try my new mascara. I'm happy to report that I LOVE IT! It covers really well, doesn't clump, and gives a false eyelashes effect. At $12.00 it's worth a try, and I don't think you'll be disappointed.
Thursday, December 04, 2008
Fluffy!
Whaddaya get when you combine marathon tapering with a voracious appetite (geared up for 40 - 50 miles of running per week) and a full-blown case of PMS? Yep, that's right -- it's me, FLUFFY! Don't let that smile fool you, folks. This girl is TROUBLE!
I ran 3 miles today. It felt wonderful. The worst part of tapering has been that I just don't feel like myself when I'm not moving.
The great news is that I get to meet all sorts of cool people at the CIM Expo on Saturday. I have for sure plans to meet up with Julianne, Aron, Michael, and Katie and Laurie, and of course I'll be stopping by to see Catra who's working one of the booths. And if I've missed anyone, and you're going to be at the Expo on Saturday, let me know, k?
Finally, as it's been in the high 30's/low 40's in the mornings, I went to Target today and bought a sweatshirt and sweatpants ($6.49 each) to wear in the hour before the race starts. I figure I can ditch the clothes and someone else can benefit from them, and maybe the sweats plus (just a few) jumping jacks will help to keep me warm. Anyone else have ideas of how to stay warm before a race? I'm all ears!
Ok, time to beat ... I mean FEED my dogs and get on with life!
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Lucky me!
My mother is in town from So Cal! She got in yesterday and is here through Thursday night, so I have a playmate to help me through the taper madness!
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
PROOF that I have too much time on my hands!
My fridge.
My freezer (where if you look real close, you can see the labels I applied the other day).
Monday, December 01, 2008
The weather for race day...
... couldn't be any better! Forecast is for a low of 41 degrees, and a high of 63 degrees. There's no mention of wind speeds, and there's practically no chance of rain. I'm going to focus on this as I go to sleep tonight and hopefully it will help to keep my head quiet.
Quieting my head
Ok, so here's how my thoughts are going these days:
"So if I run a 9:10 pace for the first 10 miles that's 91 minutes and 40 seconds, and then if I go a little faster for the next 10, that's 90 minutes, so now I've got ..." and on and on and on.
I just checked the CIM website, and I see that they have a 4:05 pace group. So here's my thinking. I want to start with the 4:05 pace group and run with them for the first 13 miles. If things are still feeling good at that point, I may try to get a little bit ahead of them, and eventually catch up with the 4:00 group. Does anyone have any thoughts on this plan? I'd sure like to make a decision and get some good sleep and some quiet brain time during the day!!!
"So if I run a 9:10 pace for the first 10 miles that's 91 minutes and 40 seconds, and then if I go a little faster for the next 10, that's 90 minutes, so now I've got ..." and on and on and on.
I just checked the CIM website, and I see that they have a 4:05 pace group. So here's my thinking. I want to start with the 4:05 pace group and run with them for the first 13 miles. If things are still feeling good at that point, I may try to get a little bit ahead of them, and eventually catch up with the 4:00 group. Does anyone have any thoughts on this plan? I'd sure like to make a decision and get some good sleep and some quiet brain time during the day!!!
Organization
(Note, this is not my fridge.)
I am by nature disorganized. But I'm married to Mr. Methodical. I own a LOT of organization books. In the 20 years we've been together, I've changed a lot, but it hasn't been easy.
Recently, I've been thinking about a quote I got from my niece. Remember Audrey, my 23 year old niece? We ran the SF Half Marathon together. She lives in a tiny apartment in San Francisco, and it's absolutely darling. Even though it's small, everything has a place. She had one post-it note by her computer that said, "That which must be done eventually, should be done immediately." I've been trying to practice this in my life, and it's helping.
Another lifesaving organization tool is my labelmaker. I got it at Costco quite a few years ago, and we use it a lot. I've labeled keyrings for keys that go to bike locks or bike racks or any other keys you don't use often enough to have them on your main keyring. I've labeled shelves in the linen closet. Yesterday I labeled our freezer. Now, I know that sounds kinda crazy, but we have one of those bottom drawer freezers and while I love the French door top fridge, the freezer is not my fave, as it's impossible to find stuff in it! There's a top tray where I keep Tim's oatmeal (I cook stone ground oatmeal and freeze it) and green smoothie ingredients. The bottom bin is divided into 3 parts. Yesterday I labeled them. So now we have "veggies and ice", "bread& pasta&treats", and "icky meat". Hey, a girl's gotta have fun, right?
Soy causes belly fat? Help!
I read a LOT of weblogs. I don't want to say how many, but trust me, it's lots. But I'm not on the computer all the time, because:
a) I use Bloglines so I know when someone's written something new (I'm not just stalking the blogs, randomly hoping someone will write).
b) I am a really fast reader.
c) If I don't have time to comment and don't have something to say, I don't write.
So one of the blogs I read is called Aim High. Kelly vlogs a lot (and I rarely have time to watch her posts :( ). The other day (when I did have the time to watch a video) she had a guest vlogger who was saying there's a direct connection between soy and belly fat.
In the last 6 months, I've switched from whey to soy protein, wanting to get away from all things dairy. And in that time, I have noticed more fluff in my abdomen. But I thought that was related to peri-menopause or too many candy bars. Is it possible that there's a soy connection? I'd love to hear your thoughts! (And Colette, my nutrition friend, I really want to hear your thoughts!)
a) I use Bloglines so I know when someone's written something new (I'm not just stalking the blogs, randomly hoping someone will write).
b) I am a really fast reader.
c) If I don't have time to comment and don't have something to say, I don't write.
So one of the blogs I read is called Aim High. Kelly vlogs a lot (and I rarely have time to watch her posts :( ). The other day (when I did have the time to watch a video) she had a guest vlogger who was saying there's a direct connection between soy and belly fat.
In the last 6 months, I've switched from whey to soy protein, wanting to get away from all things dairy. And in that time, I have noticed more fluff in my abdomen. But I thought that was related to peri-menopause or too many candy bars. Is it possible that there's a soy connection? I'd love to hear your thoughts! (And Colette, my nutrition friend, I really want to hear your thoughts!)
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