Tues Training ~ Isn't it Ironic?

A few weeks ago, I began noticing some ironies while starting summer training and planning a schedule.  

They look something like this:

1. The days are longer, yet you have to go to bed earlier (when it's still light out!).
2. More weekend BBQs and get-togethers, yet you want to skip alcohol the night before a long run (usually a Sat or Sun).
3. Lots of good summer TV and movies, yet you have to ..... (see #1).
4. Takes less time to dress for summer running, so you can sleep in an extra 15 minutes, right? Nope.  You have to get up and out earlier to beat the heat (which leads to #1).
5. Fewer clothes to wear for summer running, yet extra water bottles to carry.

Can you add any to the list?  I'm sure I'm missing bunches. 


Happy running, friends....

Robin
Own your journey.  One run at a time.™

Monday Motivation - Week 26 ~ Looking in the Mirror

"You cannot perform in a manner

inconsistent with the way

you see yourself."

~ Zig Ziglar

A new friend recently described herself as

"old, wrinkled, and overweight."

And I thought to myself, 

"Give yourself credit. You are here.

You are owning the next steps of your journey."

Look in the mirror. 

No.... Really look in the mirror.

What do you see?

Who do you see?

Is your self-image

supporting or sabotaging

your performance?

Happy running, friends...

Own your journey.  One run at a time.™

Group Training Continues ~ The Honeymoon is Definitely Over!

If you’re a regular reader, bet you’re wondering what happened to the Group Training Stories?  :) 

Well, we local bloggers have admittedly

been slacking lately for one simple reason:

We are exhausted! 

 

This o’dark thirty training could be compared to a MACK truck (cue whistle sound) rolling over us again and again and again….

With exhaustion (and a hundred other things going on behind the scenes), my brain was fuzzy and I wasn't sure how I wanted to tell the most recent (groovy!) stories ~ what the "angle" would be, until Thursday of this week. 

Then it hit me as Kitzzy and I were driving to our early morning track session.  She was scheduled to ride her bike that morning, but texted me at 4:00 a.m.... "Hey!  Could I possibly catch a ride with you?  I just don't feel like riding today..."  and the post began to write itself in my head. 

You see, Kitzzy is a seasoned group training participant and a triathlete (read: lots o' experience), and she too was just simply.... tired.  I felt better instantly.  Misery loves company?  Not really.  Well maybe a little....  More like a group training newbie appreciates knowing she's not the only one!

I thought it was just me and I needed to suck it up.  Turns out, I learned this week, that it’s a common problem right now. The honeymoon is (apparently) over!  Even Lauren, our peppy runner-girl in the Marathonfest group, admitted she was feeling a bit rundown by Thursday's run.

Now, going back to the earlier school analogy, I found this particularly interesting.

You see, as a 16-year educator, I've always known about the 'honeymoon period,' that time in which students  are on their best behavior, getting used to routines, new people, new expectations and rules... (fellow teachers, you know what I'm talking about!)  

Then, one day, BAM!  The party is over.  The 'real' children begin to come out from behind those cherubic faces  (I was a middle school teacher for much of my classroom career).  Yes, parents... YOUR kids are awesome(!) and we love them, but when they get with all their buddies.... the days can be challenging... 

Just like in any long-term relationship, we begin to let our hair down ~ students and teachers alike.  As an educator, I can explain this from 'my side of the desk,' but to be on the other side ~ to be 'the student' ~ has been an eye-opening experience, and since my work is with teachers and  instructional methods/student engagement, this has proved to be defacto 'research' that is  invaluable in understanding the learning process.  (sorry... went a little researchy there!)  

As a 'student' in this group-training-thing, I've learned that once routines are in place, schedules established, and the novelty wears off  (the honeymoon is over),  it's very easy to become tired, lackluster, and going through the motions ~ even if I'm really interested in the topic (which I am, in this case!). 

As a student: 

I may need a regular push to excel (getting that).  I may benefit from having others share how they're feeling (they are) and know that I'm not the only one feeling this way.  I need to have self-initiative and self-direction (I do).  And if I don't have that, then I need my teacher/pace group leader/etc.... to recognize that and support me in nurturing  my own learning/push to improve  performance.  (Our group leaders have been terrific!)

As an educator, this is a powerful learning experience.  As many of you are also experienced educators, I thought you might find my group training/realization  interesting.  *If not, feel free to skim and read on....   :) 

"Re-learning" the learning process helps me continue to put teaching/instructional methods in perspective.   My professional philosophy has always been "Engage learners.  Make learning interesting, hands-on, interactive, useful and purposeful.  Teach students to own their learning."  

Who knew my running training  would have me thinking (even more) about staff development & training, instructional methods, and how we "do" school?   Powerful stuff.  

By the way, parents - when your kids tell you they're 'bored' at school, this info may be a place to start.  How engaged is your child when he or she is in the classroom?  I will be exploring this running/classroom correlation over at my professional blog this summer, as training continues...

Okay ~ so back to the story .....  enough of the educator-speak!

In a nutshell, here’s the weekly synopsis to date:

Week 1:  Like the first week of school – awkward at best – finding our way around, meeting new people, learning new routines, finding our classrooms, getting our schedules changed

Week 2:  The novelty seemed to drive us. Up before the 3:30 a.m. alarm, excited to get out there  with our rose-colored glasses firmly in place.  Still meeting new people. Learning new skills (track work still boggles me: 400s, 600s, 800s… )

By week's end.....fatigue noticeably kicking in…  Naps becoming increasingly necessary.  Rest days absolutely necessary!

Week 3: The Honeymoon is Over. Exhausted. Contemplating skipping an early-morning workout (NOT happening!). Dragging.  Need sleep.  Need recovery time.  Need fuel.   Need to blog!  I'm fortunate that I'm on  summer (teacher) schedule and able to take little naps as needed. 

I'm feeling for my fellow training partners whose schedules don't allow them naps during the day. They say they are  struggling to get through their work and/or school days....

During weeks 2 and 3, I'm happy to share that I bonded with my new/old/new group.  After some initial changing of groups the first week, I settled back into my original group which is admittedly slower than many, but faster than a few, but hey, we've got endurance and commitment ~ a perfect fit for this turtle runner! 

I chuckle when all the groups head out to run.  Like cliques in school, you can see each group's characteristics, with members looking similar within their 'class' -  fast and lean runners;  mostly in shape and middle-of-the-pack runners;  and us...  a  nice mix  of  back-of-the-pack runners in  all  shapes and sizes. 

Interestly, the average age of the runners in the entire Galloway training group is considerably higher than I would've thought - probably early to mid 40's as an overall average.

The second Saturday of the new training season was my first long run with the slower group, at a pace that was (thankfully) just right.  We averaged  13:30 - 14:30/mile, which is about right for our group's  long run - slow it way down!  We ran six miles, the same as Week 1's distance, but this time I could keep up and get this* ~ talked with every single group member while we ran. 

Remember, I've been a solo runner with anxiety about running w/ others.  I think I've conquered it!  Yay me!  When we get to longer distances, I definitely won't be talking, but it was great to meet my fellow group members and talk shop.  :)  This was much better than my disastrous first Saturday in which I just couldn't keep up.  If you missed it, you can read about it here. 

We even stopped for a pic after our long run..... 

 This is half of The Trail Blazers, our group of about 15(?),

half of whom are training for full mary races (pictured).

The other half of our entire group is training for half-mary races

and we'll catch them next time for a picture.

Since I'm scheduled for the Chicago Half in early Sept, 
I need the mileage and run between the groups.

So as Week 3 comes to a close, and a long run is on the schedule for Saturday morning, we are tired, we are happy with our progress, and we are looking forward to upcoming weeks.

We're also told our bodies will adjust. 

We’re still waiting.

Happy running, friends....

Robin
Own your journey.  One run at a time. ™

Friday Photo ~ Avocado Addiction!

I admit it.

I eat avocado before 12:00 noon.

In fact, this time of the year,

I eat avocado every chance I get.

Okay, one per day,

but you get the idea.

I'm addicted to the avocado.

I know.   I hear you.

They are high in fat and calories.  True.  But they're also high in potassium (Remember my recent post about  potassium?  Needed for cell hydration ... especially important in summer training) and theirs  is the 'good fat.'  

The nutritional value of avocados is worth budgeting

your daily caloric intake to include this "super-food."

Anyone have the number to AEA?

Avocado Eaters Anonymous

I'm pretty sure I need a front-row seat....

*sigh*

 

By the way .....

Not sure which was better:

the mini bagel or egg whites

smeared with smashed avocado

The only thing missing:

a little fresh cilantro,

chopped and sprinkled

on top.

Happy running (and eating), friends...

Own your journey.  One run at a time. ™

TGIF!

Happy Friday, friends!

What's on your mind today?

(Greek yogurt, social media,

new running shoes, and group training on mine)

What's on your agenda this weekend?

(Group training, movie date w/ hubs,

and IKEA shopping on mine ...woo hoo!)

Good luck to our racing buddies!

Happy running, friends....

Robin
Own your journey.  One run at a time. ™

Wednesday Winner - Meet Ann!

Happy Wednesday, everybody!

It's time to meet another blogging/running buddy....

This week I'd like to introduce you to a fellow "turtle pace runner"  whose running blog, which was recently updated to a very edgy design (cool!), is sprinkled with life and family posts  as she talks about running as a  mom and a wife, while working full-time.  Life is hectic, but she finds time to make it all work in her corner of the world, and I'm still hoping we get make the opportunity to run together one of these days!  Friends, I'd like you to meet .....

Ann, of .....

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

How would you describe yourself as a runner?

 Swift and speedy

 Slow and steady

 Somewhere in between

Ageless and Beautiful…. Are you:

 Tweaking the Twenties

 Thinking through the Thirties

 Forty-plus and feeling fine

Are you:

 A starting-line show-stopper

 A middle-of-the-pack mover

 A back-of-the-pack ‘better-late-than-not-at-all’ runner

 Somewhere in between? If so, which ones?

How long have you been running and why did you start running?

A:  I started running in November 2008.  A friend talked me into training for a 5K with her. I don’t know how she did it.  At first, I told her the only reason I would run  is  if  I  was being chased. We used the Couch to 5K training program and once I made it to running 3 miles, I felt like I could accomplish just about any distance.  However, 26.2 still scares me and I can’t quite commit to training for it.   *NOTE:  Ann has recently begun training for a full mary and writes about her ups and downs related to this daunting task. 

Favorite running gear and why?

A:  Under Armor is a favorite and I like some of the NikePro stuff.   I also love my Garmin.

What do you listen to when you run?

A:  I love 80’s music. I like Pina Colada’s and getting caught in the rain. I will also listen to some techno if I need something the push me along. Some other random artists are: Cake, Morphine, The Pixies, De La Soul, Snow Patrol and Jane’s Addiction.

What is something you cannot run without, and why?

A:  I really just need my running clothes and my shoes. I am not a streaker and I don’t think I am cut out to be a barefoot runner.

What race distance is your favorite and why?

A:   I haven’t run a 10K race, but I think that would be my favorite. I usually feel my best between miles 3-6.   It takes a few miles for me to get my rhythm.

What time of day do you usually run, and why?

A:  Depends on the season. Fall, Winter, and first part of Spring I run at lunch during the week and mid morning on the weekend. During the Summer it is early morning since it is so hot and humid mid day.

Treadmill, streets, or trails, and why?

A:   I am a road runner. I would probably like trails too. I mostly run roads because it is what is easiest for me to do with the limited time I have to run. I work full time and have a 3 year old, so I fit it in where I can.

What has been your most significant running-related learning experience to date?

A:   I think I have learned something from all the injuries I have dealt with. The biggest lesson from all of them has been to never give up.  An injury might put you on the bench for a while, but it doesn’t ever have to stop you completely.  Learn from it and keep moving forward. I know the importance of buying new shoes now and taking my training s-l-o-w-l-y.

What advice would you give to someone new to running?

A:   Listen to your body. It tells you everything you need to know. If you are running too fast, you can’t breathe.  If your shoes need to be replaced, you might feel little aches and pains in your legs/ankles/knees/hips.  My body throws pebbles at me before I get hit with a brick.

Short-term and long-term running goals?

A:   I want to reach 500 miles for the year for the Pay It Forward 500 Club. I am also kicking around the idea of a full marathon.  *She's doing more than kicking lately!

Mileage goal for 2010?

A:   500 miles

Do you have a blog, blog(s), or a website you’d like to share?
A:   You can find me at http://rubber7soul.wordpress.com

Any additional info you’d like to share??

Thanks Robin for letting me share.   I really enjoy reading these and it is great to be a part of it!

Thanks, Ann! 

 Happy running, friends....

Robin

Own your journey.  One run at a time. ™

Coming  Soon:

-  More group training details to share!  *I can do (almost) anything for 1:30 minutes!

-  What kind of runner are YOU?

-  The next segment in the Lessons from my Laces series, to be published online in July  at flrunning.com. 

Monday Motivation - Week 25 ~ What Counts.....

"Anyone can run 20 miles.

It's the next six that count."

  ~  Barry Magee, marathon bronze in Rome, 1960

As a half-marathon enthusiast and newbie runner,

I'd say the same thing, but this way:

"Anyone can run 10 miles. 

It's the next three that count."

Or maybe this....

"Anyone can say they're going to run/walk.

It's getting out the door that counts."

(That's what counts in my world!)

What counts in

your

healthy world?  

Own your journey.  One run at a time. ™

TGIF! Summer Reading and Weekend Events: What's on Your Agenda?

Happy Friday!

Found a few minutes to go here yesterday ....

and get a *few* of these .....

(I went with a list of five books. You see how THAT worked out.)

to go along with these that I already had at home

(waiting to be read or finished!)....

(Thank  you Barnes & Noble, Borders, AND Amazon.com!)

Yay!

Commence

summer

reading,

writing,

researching,

creating. 

Woo Hoo!

  

Do you like to read? 

Do you make time to read?

Bookstores, library, or online buying?

And now back to our

regularly scheduled programming.... 

Good luck runners and triathletes this weekend!

Lots of events and training going on... 

The Turtle Runner will be heading out

with her new/old training group for another six-miler.

Let's hope this one proves more successful than last weekend's.

LOL

What's on your agenda? 

Happy running, friends....

Robin

Own your journey. One run at a time.™

Negative Nancy and Lazy Larry, YOU are on my Last Nerve! An Open Letter to The Naysayers ....

A few weeks ago, as many of you were celebrating National Running Day by well, running, I found myself ironically celebrating the day by not running and worse yet, defending running. 

Yes ~ you read that correctly.  For some strange reason, (well, not that strange, I was dealing with a sore back and tight hamstring that made me limp), everyone around me six different people in the span of 24 hours,  felt compelled to ask me, "Why do you keep running?" or a slightly different version: "Do you really HAVE to run?"

The second question rolled off the lips of the sports massage therapist who had, in an attempt to loosen my hip/glute joint area, manipulated (read: grossly twisted and rotated) my knees so much that I ended up not being able to run for the next five, yes, five days, starting with ~  you guessed it:  National Running Day.  Thank, Mr. Sports Massage Therapist.  And he wanted to know if I really had to run.  

Well,  let's see .... I'm thinking.... wait for it .... YES, I really have to run!  And no thank you, I won't be needing the $5.00 discount for another appointment with you. 

It isn't running that makes my body hurt. 

It's all the other stuff:  sitting for countless hours at a desk job in a cubicle cave, the sidebar illnesses that come with being diabetic, and the biomechanical imbalances that have resulted from old Navy injuries and accumulated years. 

Running isn't bad.

Running doesn't damage you.

Being negative and lazy is bad.

Being negative and lazy does damage you.

 

Is NOT running an option?  Um, no.  Please quit asking what is to me, frankly, a really dumb question.

But Robin, you say you don't really like running... Why do you keep doing it? True, I'm not keen on the act of running.  It's uncomfortable.  It makes me winded.  It makes me sweat buckets.  Sometimes, it makes my chest hurt.  Sometimes, when I try to sprint to the finish,  it makes me feel like I'm going to throw up.  Often, it makes my body ache for a little while.  What?  Muscles are sore from use???  Oh, no!  Not that!  That can't be good!  And..... if I overdo it, I need a nap that would rival most bears in the winter months. 

But hey, as Dr. Phil would say,

"It's working for me."

Yes, to all those who wonder aloud with a look of uncertainty or disbelief, and feel compelled to question my decisions, running is working for me.  Finishing those miles feels good. Accomplishing a goal feels good.  Demonstrating self-discipline feels good.  Being willing to do it and committed to doing it even when it doesn't feel good,  feels good.

You say you're too tired. Me, too.  You say you're too busy.  Me, too.  You say your knees, back - fill in the blank - hurts.  Me, too.  You say you're too old.  Not buying it.  You say you're too heavy.  How do you think you got that way???  (Been there, too.)

You say you can't. 

You're right. 

You can't. 

Because you are choosing not to. 

Choosing not to is (apparently) working for you.

Being negative and/or lazy is (apparently) working for you.

Humans were not designed to sit for hours

on a couch or in an office chair.

Yet many of us are doing exactly that.

We were designed to move.

Now, get up,

quit yapping and wasting energy,

quit raining on my healthy parade....

and move.

Walk. Run. Bike. Swim.

Just move.

Who knows?

You might even find that it's working for you!

Own your journey.  From the "InsideOut."™

Own your journey.  One run at a time.™

Wednesday Winner - Meet Alison!

Happy Wednesday, everybody!

It's time to meet another running/blogging buddy....

 

This week, I'd like to introduce you to a gal whose weight loss journey is another  'nothing less than amazing' story... the kind I find soo inspirational, and I believe you will, too.  Check out her before and 'most recent' pictures to see how beautifully vibrant this lady looks... through healthy eating and a positive, committed relationship with running.  Her blog features  fabulous food photography (and recipes), along with running stories.  Friends, I'd like you to meet...

Alison, of

Waisting Duxie

How would you describe yourself as a runner?
§ Slow and steady


Ageless and Beautiful…. Are you:
§ Thinking through the Thirties


Are you......
§ I'm a back-of-the-pack ‘better-late-than-not-at-all’ runner



How long have you been running and why did you start running?

A:  I started running in January, less than six months ago. I started running to kick up my weight loss. In 2009 I dropped over 50 pounds, I was walking 4-5 miles a day and could no longer get my heart rate up at a 4.5 mph. So I figured that I would dig into the depths of my essentially lazy soul and give couch to 5k another try, I had tried it in the past (5 years ago or so) and given up because I tried to push it too fast, this time I followed it almost exactly and look where it took me.

Favorite running gear and why?
A:  My Enell bra, without it my girls would be bouncing a foot or more each step! :P



What do you listen to when you run?
A:   Heavy Metal and 80s hair bands with some random Abba thrown in there.



What is something you cannot run without, and why?

A:  Garmin Forerunner, I noticed I always went out really fast and fizzled. So now I keep my pace to something I can maintain, it makes me enjoy running more when I don't feel like I got hit by a truck, and I'm such a gadget girl in every part of my life that a running gadget was a must.

What race distance is your favorite and why?
A:  I have only run 5k races, I'm slowly working up to the longer runs (with mention of a summer 10K on her blog!)



What time of day do you usually run, and why?
A:  As soon as I get back from taking my husband to work, otherwise I put it off and make it into a big deal and it feels like it looms over me.



Treadmill, streets, or trails, and why?
A:  I did the couch to 5k on the treadmill, it was easier to maintain a steady pace and know when to run and walk, now I run on the streets or trails, I like being outside, Mother Nature calls to me and I get to unwind mentally outside.



What has been your most significant running-related learning experience to date?
A:  Don't push yourself too far too fast, taking it slow gave me a new love of running.



What advice would you give to someone new to running?

A:  Take it slow, there is nothing wrong with slow, trust yourself and listen to your body. I still have 45 pounds to lose (I started running needing to lose 60 more) and I can run, but only because I pay attention to the extra stress I put on my joints by carrying the extra weight.

Short-term and long-term running goals?
A:  Short term: Up my mileage,    Long term: run a half marathon



Mileage goal for 2010?
A:  500 miles, I'm a member of the Pay it Forward 500 mile club  (Yay!!) 



Do you have a blog, blog(s), or a website you’d like to share? If so, please list them.
A:  http://waistingduxie.com It's more of a food and weight loss blog than a running blog, although running seems to consume many posts these days.

Any additional info you’d like to share??

A:  You can do anything you put your mind to. Losing weight this time has been easy. It is still slow, but I am not struggling. The diet portion fell into place quickly, it's not a diet it's just the way we eat now. The exercise took longer, the first year I worked out almost every day, an hour or more, but I hated it. Hated it but I did it. Running started that way too, then it started to feel good, and fun, and a stress relief and I was hooked.

But the whole losing weight thing it just felt easy, I think it was easy because I was truly doing it for me and my health. Not looks, not family pressure, not medical reasons but for me, I owed an explanation to no one but myself. I also thinking blogging really helped since I was laying it all out there for the world to see.

Thanks so much, Alison!  :) 

Happy running, friends.....

Robin
Own your journey.  One run at a time. ™