The Little Things
November 9, 2011

Ah, pinterest. Love it, hate it, don’t care about it- for those who have heard about it, there seems to be some strong feelings and opinions. While I spend very little time on the site, there ARE things on it that are inspiring and certainly give me motivation in the realm of fitness. Here are a few things that are inspiring me right now:

Well, I think that’s enough to motivate me on my most difficult days! Sometimes we need a little nudge to make healthy choices, and for me, this is often enough!

Now it’s your turn: What are you motivated by? How do you force yourself out of the house to work out on lazy days? 

November 6, 2011

Sorry for my lack of posting this past week! I picked up another 9 clients at work, so that mixed with being sick has led to a lot less free time. I’m thankful for the extra clients, and would definitely rather have more clients then more free time to blog:) Sorry guys! For the last 10 days I’ve felt pretty sick, and most days have consisted of going to work and coming home to the couch for the rest of the night. It was a long week because of this, but I’m finally starting to feel better. Sunday & Monday of last week I went on about a 2.5 mile run both days, but barely made it a mile each time before having to walk because I was gasping for air. I was frustrated to say the least. On Tuesday night I finally decided to see what was up- I took my temperature and it was 101.5. No wonder I could barely run. Lesson learned- I should NOT have run either of those days, and I decided to take the rest of the week off to rest.

Today I decided to go out for a gentle run to get back into working out. After a week break, and seeing all the updates from the Savannah and New York Marathons this weekend, I was more then ready to get out there again!

Here are my splits for the run:

Not too bad considering I’ve spent my week either sitting in my chair at work or curled up on my couch! Today was a beautiful, sunny day in the upper 50’s, which is absolutely perfect for running! I went 3.1 miles in 36 minutes, and I felt great!

Clearly I’m VERY happy to finally be able to run again!

I hope this means that I’ll be able to get back to running a few times a week now! Alright, off to finish icing my knee and foam rolling. I’ve continued to do my plank a day challenge even through being sick, and I’m shocked at how much easier it’s gotten to hold for a minute. The first few days I was shaking pretty badly, but now I can hold it for a minute with very little effort. I think I’m going to add a few more planks a day to increase the challenge.

Now it’s your turn: Did you enjoy your extra hour to sleep in today? What was your favorite part of this weekend? Do you do planks at all? Why or why not? 

October 26, 2011

I used to be flexible. Doing the splits? No problem. Now? It’s a BIG problem. The more I run, the more stiff I get, and I’m not a big fan. Because of the various health issues I have, I am choosing to only run 2-3 days a week. I walk anywhere from 1-3 times a week, but that’s not high impact. On my rest days, I’ve decided to add a healthy stretching practice.

I always foam roll after I run. I think it’s crucial to not only avoid injury, but to avoid that pesky IT pain that creeps up ever so quickly. I can tell a huge difference if I’ve foam rolled the day after a run, and definitely feel a much stronger pain in my legs when i don’t foam roll. Stretching is important, whether we are exercising or not. As we age, stretching is a healthy practice for each of us. I try to do this 10-15 minutes a day 4-5 days a week. It’s really easy to do while watching TV (I love multi-tasking!).

Back when I danced regularly, I was required by my dance teacher to do a certain number of planks every week. Once I stopped dancing, I lost the ability to easily do these. I’m taking back my ability to do these, and am adding a plank to my normal day. I still haven’t decided how many to do/when to do it, but I hope to have that figured out by the start of November- it’s my challenge to myself in November!

Now it’s your turn: What do you think of foam rolling? Do you do it/Feel like you should but forget/don’t do it? What do you think of doing planks? Do you find them helpful?

October 21, 2011

A week ago I ran my first official race! Even though it’s been a week, I still feel like I’m on a little bit of a high about it. I ran a race, I controlled my breathing, my POTS didn’t get in the way, and I ran my fastest time yet. CLEARLY, I was really excited about it:)

Although I did a slow “shake out” run on Sunday, this week has been all about resting. I think I’ve mentioned before that I’ve been struggling with some slight foot pain, so I’ve taken more rest days then work out days this week.

Today I decided to go out for a run. I had no plan, no goal times, and no set distance. The first 2 miles were slightly miserable. My legs felt tired and heavy, and I couldn’t get my breathing under control, which meant a lot of side cramping going on while running. Around mile 3 I started to feel much better, and finally got into a grove. At this point, I started to think about the distance i wanted to hit so I wouldn’t have to walk a mile back to the house. A few weeks back I ran 4 miles, which, up until today, has been the longest distance I’ve ever gone (and I stopped running immediately upon hitting 4.0 mi!). As I was running, I thought- why not try to hit mile 5…AND I DID IT.

Clearly I’m really happy about this!

Each time I increase my mileage I’m again amazed that I’m actually able to do it. Like I’ve said before, almost a decade ago I thought that I would never run again. My splits were SLOW today. Like I said, my legs felt heavy, and I just couldn’t move much faster then I did. For me, the time isn’t as important as just doing it. Like every time I’ve added mileage, I will get faster. Right now it’s the fact that I’m doing it that’s important.

I’m getting a little better at being more consistent with my mile times!

So, overall, while I was incredibly frustrated at first because I couldn’t get myself to move as fast as I normally do, I’m still incredibly proud of myself. I’ve worked my mileage up to 5, and I’m happy with that! And I’m very happy that I own compression socks.

Now it’s your turn: What’s been your biggest accomplishment this week?

October 16, 2011

“Sometimes your “PR” has nothing to do with time, but what you conquer inside.”

Saturday I ran my first official race: a 5K! Not a long distance, and certainly a distance that I have run many times before. This time, however, it was different. This time, for the first time, I woke up early, pinned on a race bib. stepped up to the starting line, ran with all that I had, and crossed the finish line with my head held high. I ran an official race. The only thing I was really worried about was not getting my breathing under control right off the bat. I know that if I don’t breathe right from the start, my entire run is a struggle, and I didn’t want to get into that. The other thing that made this run completely different then every other run I’ve gone on was the temperature. Let me start from the beginning.

My alarm went off at 6:30, and I forced myself out of bed quickly, refusing  to let myself hit snooze for fear of oversleeping by accident. I grabbed a Luna bar and a glass of water and sat down to check the weather while eating. The “feels like” outside was 39 degrees. My last “training run” last weekend was completed in 78 degree weather, so it was a huge difference. The coldest temperature I’ve ever really run in, given that I really started running this summer, was mid to upper 50s. I wrote my running mantra on my hand, to help keep me focused on my breathing:

It was still dark when I left my house, but that gave me a great sunrise to enjoy:

I drove to the race start, and got out to pick up my bib, and my hands immediately froze. It was so cold out!! I paced around a bit and tried to get into a good breathing pattern as I walked to the race start. I also threw a few more of these in my mouth about 25 minutes before the start of the race:

Then I was off! People were lined up every quarter to half a mile cheering and clapping, which was nice and motivating. In my training runs, my fastest first mile was 10:56, but my first mile in the race came in at 10:35. My second mile in training runs has always been substantially longer (1.5-2 minutes longer on average). During the race, my 2nd mile came in at 10:47, which was still faster then my “fastest mile” during training. I could hear the pacing over my music (i was wearing a Spi Belt so I didn’t have my phone out to see my pacing), and I got really excited at this point, realizing that I would set a PR for time if I could keep this up. I started to get a slight side cramp at about 1.5 mi, but I kept my breathing slow, and I pushed through it.

As I mentioned in my last post, my grandma died this past Monday. As I neared the three mile mark, knowing that I would be able to finish and finish strong, I looked down at my hand at saw this:

My grandma’s initials, which I had written on my hand before the race.

This gave me the final motivation to kick it hard towards the finish line, and I ran as hard as I could.

Almost to the end!

I made it, and I shaved 4 minutes off my fastest 5k training time! That left me with a time just over 32 minutes. I guess that adrenaline will do that to you! I was thrilled! Here are my splits from the race:

Pretty awesome!

After finishing I grabbed some water and a banana, and stretched a bit. It’s now over 24 hours laster, and I’m still on a bit of a high over my race. I feel that I ate well in prep for it, my training was good, and despite the cold, I managed to wear appropriate clothing. I don’t think I could’ve done much better in the race, except started out at the front of the line instead of starting at the back (wasting another 15-20 seconds before I technically crossed the start line), and I could have started kicking it hard for the finish line a bit earlier. Now I know I can do it… you know, for next time. About 5 minutes after the race was over, I said “well now I need to start looking for a 10k to run”! I think I might be hooked on this racing thing!

So, I’ve completed my first race. I know for some a 5k would be considered an easy run, takes very little effort, and is “no big deal”. However, this is a big deal for me, considering that given some health issues I never thought this would ever be possible. I’m happy:) Thank you to each of you who encouraged me throughout a few months of training, and gave me final “race day” tips.

Now it’s your turn: Do you remember your first race? How long did the “high” last after it? What’s your best “race day” tip? 

October 14, 2011

My grandma died on Monday. It was an unexpected-expected death. We knew she wasn’t going to live another year, but we had no idea it would be this soon. I got the call immediately following my last client on Monday. I loved my grandma very much, and am sad that we can no longer spend time together on this earth.

I love you grandma!

Between grieving for her, trying to get my life in order after the jet setting I did last week for a business trip, and trying to keep up at work, training this week has been a bit difficult. Monday after I got the call that my grandma died, I went on a 3 mile walk with a friend. Tuesday was a BEAUTIFUL day, and my friend and I went on a brisk 5 mile walk. Wednesday I went on a brief 1.25 mile shake out run, which is my final run before my 1st race this coming Saturday! Right now I’m hydrating, icing my knee, and rolling my foot. I’m having a little pain in my feet, so I’m trying to be careful. My legs are feeling heavy right now, and I’m worried that it won’t go well. I’m pretty sleep deprived, which of course doesn’t help.

I will be running this race in memory of my grandma, keeping one of my favorite mantras in mind “Keep Calm & Carry On”.

October 7, 2011

It’s been a bit quiet on this blog the last few days, hasn’t it?

Here’s the truth: I didn’t walk on Monday like I normally do due to scheduling conflicts. I only walked 1.5 miles on Tuesday due to a major time crunch. And Wednesday/Thursday I was on a business trip, and time didn’t allow for a workout. Sometimes life gets in the way of our normal workout schedule, and that’s OK. It happens. The key is to be flexible and to decrease stress as things change around you. My legs are anxious to get out and run again (especially because it is supposed to be a beautiful October weekend)! However, I’m running my first “official race” in a week, and because of that I’m also trying to taper just a bit in preparation for that.

Like I said, I had a fantastic business trip this week that I enjoyed greatly! I feel so blessed to be able to share on topics about which I am so passionate. It energizes me instead of draining me, and I just feel full of gratitude right now.

Beautiful view from my hotel roomThis is the beautiful view from my hotel room. It doesn’t hurt to wake up to this, does it?

By the time I boarded my red eye flight yesterday, I had slept 2 hours of the past 46 hours. Needless to say, I was really tired and not looking forward to staying up all night. I almost never sleep on planes, but I guess I was tired enough because I fell asleep before we even took off, and slept the entire flight. Now I’ve slept 6 hours in the past 60 hours, and am anxiously looking forward to getting in a real bed tonight. I love traveling though, and am willing to sacrifice some good nights of sleep to do something that I love!

Alright, I’m off to eat lunch and start fueling for my last real run before my first race!

October 3, 2011

Yesterday was beautiful! No wind, beautiful sunshine, and upper 50s in the afternoon. In my opinion, this is perfect running weather.

See what I mean? BEAUTIFUL sunny day!

Although I had a lot to finish up for a presentation I have to give later this week, I decided to take a break and go out for a run. I’ve been taking a break since my half marathon walk, but yesterday I decided I couldn’t pass up a day like that to run. I laced up my shoes and headed out. I started out at my regular pace, deciding that if I felt any foot pain at all, I would slow way down. My goal for the day? Get moving again and enjoy the weather! I had no goal times or pace, but just wanted to get out and run again after a week of feeling antsy.

I felt strong as my feet hit the road and I fell into my usual 11 min/mile pace (for mile one at least). After I finished the first mile, I decided to attempt a 5k, but not allow myself to go further, even if I was feeling fine. My first mile ended up being just under 11 minutes, which is the fastest I’ve run that mile. I paid a bit for that my 2nd mile, but overall I held my pace the whole run, and didn’t need a walk break at all.

As I was running I ran past a door that had “Be strong & Courageous” written on it. It was definitely an encouragement for me, and kept me motivated as I hit the half way mark of my run. I’m slowly developing a series of mantras to keep me focused and motivated, and so far they are working out well! We’ll see how they stand up when I complete my race in a few weeks. I ran 3.1 miles in 36:30.

Splits for the run

I would like to work on staying at a more consistent pace on my runs. I’m pretty all over the place, and I think consistency may be a good thing to develop. Overall, I was really happy with my run today. No side cramps, no foot pain, and beautiful weather. It was a very good run:)

Now it’s your turn: Are you able to keep a consistent pace to your runs? What’s your advice on developing consistency? What’s your favorite weather in which to run? 

October 2, 2011

Delicious autumn!  My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.  ~George Eliot

Fall is now in full swing, and October is upon us. I love summer, and am always a bit sad to see it go, but try to embrace fall in all its beauty as well. I love fall, I really do, but I’m not a huge fan of winter, which comes after fall. For now, however, I will choose to enjoy the moment and experience fall as deeply and fully as I can.

If the sunset on October 1st is any indication of how October will be, then I'm pretty pumped about it!

Here are a few of the things I’m looking forward to this month:

1. The Changing Leaves: My drive to and from work provides me a great opportunity to view the changing colors of the fall foliage. It’s breathtaking & I can’t wait for it!

2. Speaking Engagements: I feel so blessed that I get the opportunity to share on topics that I feel deeply passionate about, and I’m thankful that people want to sit and listen. I’m excited about the things I have lined up for this month.

3. Fall Foods: Apple Cider, Starbucks Carmel Apple Spice, Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, Apples in my oatmeal, candy corn, and apples mixed with greek yogurt-just to name a few! Fall foods are fantastic and delicious, and I’m excited to indulge on a daily basis!

4. Homecoming! I love homecoming week at my alma mater! The traditions and things I love about my college come alive, and I love participating in them.

5. College Sports! I love supporting college sports, and I love getting the chance to cheer at games. I have the opportunity to go to many games this month, and I’m already looking forward to it!

6. One word: BOOTS! I waited until today to pull out a pair of boots, and I was so excited when I put them on!

7. RUNNING! This month I have my first race, and I can’t wait for it. I’m planning a few good training runs this month in the crisp and sunny weather!

Now it’s your turn! What are you looking forward to most about this month? 

September 30, 2011

When training for a race or engaging in exercise, people talk about how important it is to put in at least one rest day each week to help avoid injury. After my half marathon walk on Monday, my right foot in particular has been hurting a bit. I was torn: continue to work out and run like I wanted to, or give my foot a few days of a rest and ice and stretch it to avoid injury. I’ll be honest- I wanted to run, but I knew that in the long run icing and resting was probably best. I’ve been so antsy the last few days as I’ve iced and stretched, and dreamed of running (yes- I DO dream about it. If that makes me crazy, so be it).

What it comes down to it, what we want to do and what is healthy for us to do doesn’t always line up. When it doesn’t line up, we have to make a choice. Do we go for short term pleasure or long term health?

Tonight my “rest night” includes icing my foot, working on a presentation, and watching a movie with a friend.

Seems like a pretty good night to me.

Now it’s your turn: Are you good at taking rest days, or do they frustrate you?