I'm a Junkie!

Recently, it has come to my attention that I am a full on junkie. I don't mean this to alarm anyone - or to belittle issues involved with serious and life threatening addiction - but I believe in always being honest with my peeps. And, honestly, I have some serious attachment stuff going on these days. For example, let me share with you that my "smart phone" is like my life support. It is an extension of my person. Nowhere do I go without it - walking the dog, getting my baby off to sleep, out for a run, at work, it's even my alarm clock! I have full on anxiety at the thought of leaving it at home in the morning, it being stolen, the screen cracking, etc. And really, don't we all use these mobile devices less as a phone than anything else. I access Facebook, take pictures, play games, check email, text, look up recipes, get directions, and on and on and on. It's amazing. Really, I LOVE MY PHONE (and yes, I love it so much I could marry it, if I wasn't already taken)! What really brought my junkie status to light, though, was what happened to me this past Wednesday. I received an email about a 5K race on Sunday. I barely blinked before checking with my hubby about the date/time and registering. As I write this, I am only two days from race day. What?! Who is this person? I am addicted to races. I mean, I love running, but come on, this is getting silly. The email was like a super strong and uber intense magnet pulling me in. It was as if I had no chance of deleting the message. I was destined to run again. After my last race, where you will remember my hands nearly fell off from being so frozen, I had thought it was time to hang up my running shoes for the season. Ummm...apparently not. I've decided running doesn't have to stop for the cold - nor do I. Today, I am headed to a running store here in Rockville to invest in some good cold gear - gloves, something for my ears, and some running tights. Nothing is going to sideline this chica! I am in it for the long haul...or at least 3.1 miles. :) To round this post out, aside from the obvious obsession I have with my hubby and girls, I will also have you know that I can not live without McDonald's coffee at least once a day (large, three creams) and at least one fistfull of almonds. These are imperative to my existence, well-being, and happiness. Without these things, you'd just want to stand clear. So, there you have it - I am a junkie...and I like it!

Realizations

My most recent running experience was the Rockville 10K/5K. I participated in the 5K portion, which was grueling enough. It was an eye opening day for me, and it didn't take long for me to make some pretty big realizations. This was my fourth timed race and the largest I've participated in. As a person that doesn't enjoy crowds, the start was hard for me. I huddled on the right edge of the road to steer as clear of the mob at the gun as possible, but I was still knocked into pretty hard once and bumped on another occasion...not my fave! Once I reached the one mile marker it all seemed to calm down and people settled into their pace group. Phew! The only issue was that the first mile nearly took it all out of me. It was cold - really cold. My hands were burning and hurt to open up. There was a pre-race warm-up, but that was about 20 minutes before the start of the 5K. By the time I took off, my muscles were tight again. That, and the first mile included a very slow and steady incline that never seemed to end. I know all miles are literally the same length, but this one felt like it was at least 100. At 1.2 miles into the race I noticed that I was closer to where I'd parked my car than the end of the course, and I truly considered giving up and going home. Fortunately, though, the fighter in me wouldn't give up, and I pushed through the next hill, and the next hill, until I was on flat surface kicking it to the finish line. When I made it, I sat down to take the timing chip off my shoe and contemplated throwing up. Thankfully, that feeling passed...phew!...but a few thoughts and feelings stuck with me. And they were: 1. I am not a natural born runner. This is HARD work for me! This distance of 3.1 miles is still a challenge, and while I will keep working on it, I think this is where I am meant to be as a runner. In no way does this upset me. Some people never run a mile, much less complete a race. I'm simply proud that I show up and finish each and every 5K for which I register. I may never place against the other runners, but I am always winning the biggest battle, which is with myself. And I don't quit! 2. I am in complete and utter awe of those who are natural born runners. When I was nearing the finish, I was thinking, how are people running 6.2 miles today, much less running 15Ks, 10 milers, half marathons, marathons, and so on. Long distance runners are (a little crazy) to be admired. Seriously, I tip my hat to you - BRAVO! 3. I am going to encourage my daughters to participate in athletics throughout life, so that maybe they won't have as hard time being fit as an adult as me. Norah already loves running and push ups and sit ups and jumping jacks, which are also fun to watch her do. My job is to continue to be a model for her and allow her as many opportunities to exercise as possible. The same will go for Lillian once she gets beyond the "drunken toddler walk". I'm actually excited to see what they choose for themselves and what we'll be able to do as a family. There were many parent/child teams doing the race alongside me, and I found it inspiring and heartwarming. I hope to have that kind of experience with my girls one day. My official time was 35:58, :49 seconds behind my personal best. That said, I think this was my greatest effort. I had more obstacles to overcome to finish, and I did so with gusto. For having not trained well, running in colder weather than I've ever run, battling constant low grade inclines, and warding off tons of nutty runners on the course, I did the best I could do. Noone can ask more from themselves than that. I don't have any more races scheduled, so for now, there's boot camp and pull ups. Fitness isn't just the ability to run long distance, I also need to continue to work on my strength. Look for details on that very soon. Until then, don't give up! You may not be a natural born runner, but you are naturally YOU - and noone else in the world is that! Celebrate! :)

It's Sandy's Fault!

I have another race in just 3 days. Why is there no fire lit under my feet, urging me to run like the wind? UGH! Even my mind is sluggish today. I'd like to blame Hurricane Sandy for my lack of enthusiasm (I mean, everybody already hates her), but I know that though she may have kept me from running outside for a few days, she is not the root cause of my laziness. Truth be told, once you fall out of routine, it's very difficult to get back in the groove - at least for me. All the work responsibilities and bad weather and colds in my house got in the way of my workouts for a bit, and next thing you know, I am easily finding excuses to sit on my behind everyday (excluding chasing my girls all over the place). I keep looking around for something to put the spark back in my step, but that has to stop. The spark comes from most often from within and much less frequently from outside sources. I need to be my own inspiration and not forget the good feeling that running and lifting weights and attempting pull ups gives. Exercise is a reward and not something to be avoided. Carving out the time for myself is always a blessing, so I need to start putting myself on the backburner! To be honest, I should be sitting over high heat with water boiling. I have another race to run! Today ends my most recent string of excuses. I will, at a minimum, do my ab and arm routines after my baby goes to bed tonight and begin a new fitness routine. Not only do I deserve good health, I deserve all the good feelings and the high from physical activity. Consider the fire lit, and I'll let you know next week how I do with Sunday's 5K!

Making Strides

This past Saturday, October 20th, I ran my third timed 5K race. The run was the American Cancer Society's annual Making Strides for Breast Cancer. I set myself a goal of raising $100 for the cause - to improve treatment, fund research, and hopefully find a cure. Having lost a friend and colleague, Elizabeth Fitch, to the disease, I felt a personal connection to this race and thought it would be the perfect way to help others while working toward my fitness goals. I was very right, but the "fit" part soon took a back seat to the helping. I was blown away and humbled by the generosity and support of my family and friends. Together, we raised $325 - more than 3 times my goal. How awesome is that? I was so empowered and proud to run for Elizabeth! It was four weeks between my last race and Making Strides. During that time, I was sick for two weeks and quite overwhelmed with my workload at the office. Unfortunately, hitting the gym or the pavement was compromised for sleep, meetings, or deadlines. I got in a few good runs and walks, and to the gym a few times, but I was nowhere near my 4 times a week routine during the month of October. I knew the race would be a flat course, since it was on the boardwalk in Ocean City, but I definitely felt a little nervous about my muscles being under prepared. While I may have earned a faster time had I trained better, I consider the race to be a victory, as I recorded another personal best (35:08, 11:20 min/mile). More important, though, was the reason I chose the race and the lesson it taught me - again!

The air was filled with hope the morning of the race. Survivors wore pink sashes and gathered at the front of the deejay's stage. There, they posed for pictures as another survivor sang a song of strength and power and an unrelenting will to never give up. I knew none of them, but felt an instant magnetism, pulling me towards their joy in winning. I wept openly, remembering my friend. She fought tirelessly - twice. And though she eventually lost her life, she never lost her light. Elizabeth was inspiring in her passion for her career, her strength to fight, and her faith in God. As I prepared to run on her behalf, I allowed her perserverance and dedication to life serve as a reminder to what a blessing it is to have health. Again, I committed to never again waste my strong and capable body. I'm too fortunate to be a couch potato.

As I ran, I felt Elizabeth with me, as if she were the wings on my back. She helped me reach the finish line and feel in my heart and soul gratitude for the family, friends, health and love in my life. I am proud to continue the battle against breast cancer and will always carry her in my heart. So, I take the motivation from Saturday's run and begin training for the next one. In less than two weeks, I am registered to race another 5K. Look for another post soon. I hope you can keep up, because a healthy body is too precious to waste!

Back on the Bandwagon

I never stopped working out, but I did take a very long hiatus from my blog. After running my first 5K in May, I guess I felt I was done with all this reflection. Alas, that was not the case. As anyone who knows me is aware, I am rarely (and I mean never) at a loss for words. So, while I achieved my Couch to 5K goal, running and fitness became a lifelong commitment. Who knew!?! Things have changed in a lot of ways, though. I wrangled my co-worker, Caitlin, who also happens to be a personal trainer, into working with me on building my strength. Once I completed the 5K, I found I needed another goal, a new sense of motivation and drive. I found it. After Caitlin led me through my first boot camp session, I nearly passed out and threw up. It consisted of two minutes cardio alternating with two minutes of strength. The original thought was to do 20-30 minutes. I made it a whopping 16 minutes. Yes, a mere 16 minutes brought me to my knees. What a lesson I learned that day. I had endurance to run 3.1 miles, but I had a lot of work to do to be "fit". From that day, I was hooked! So, where am I now? I am still working hard at strengthening and running. I do this through four workouts a week at a minimum, two days running and two days of strength training. Thank God for Caitlin, she is still whipping me into shape, pushing me to lift weights, attempt pull ups, and really work my core. I've shed more weight, but more importantly, my shape is changing. I can see muscle in my arms, back, legs, and even in my abdomen. I never thought I would look like this, but now, I know I can do even better. The time in the gym has made an immense impact on my running. I'm much more efficient and effective. That first timed 5K I ran in May was completed in 37:34. The next one I ran was on September 23rd and was completed in 35:29. Considering my running efforts have remained the same, I know this more than two minute improvement can be attributed to the weight training, boot camp, and core circuit. The hard work is paying off! The one constant through whatever exercise routine I tackle has been the way it lifts my spirits. It provides me with time to center myself and let go of the day's problems and frustrations. As a woman who worries, who never stops thinking, and very easily becomes absorbed and overwhelmed by any situation I'm in, there has been no greater therapy for me than hitting the pavement (or the gym). It makes me stronger in mind, heart, and body. It brings me joy, hope, and inspiration. For example, today I only got in a 1.45 mile run, but I did it in an admirable time for me - just 13:42. Now, that is a good break from the office! Somehow, after feeling the cold air hit my lungs and sun making me squint and legs becoming jell-o while simultaneously holding me up with great strength, I found myself in a much better place to take on the day. I truly thank God I found running! What's next? A 5K on Saturday, October 20 and another 5K on November 4. Sometime soon I look forward to sharing a video of me completing my first ever pull up, as well! For now, I am off and running... :)