Holding It Together

Nov20

So there is a heavyness that it starting to press on my chest. It started this morning as this is the day I am planning to get all my sh*t together. Ok, I will never have it all together, but this is the day that I plan to get all my gear together for this weekend. I need to start getting it together today as tomorrow and Saturday morning is just going to be crazy as normal in my house.

Tomorrow night we are going out with my Middle Guy’s soccer team to celebrate them winning their league championship.

Yeah Middle Guy~

Then Saturday morning I have to wake up early and take Big Guy and Little Guy to pick up their Scouting for Food Bags. Shortly after that I’m off to Philly.

I admit it. I’m nervous. I’m nervous more than I thought I would be. I can’t really put my finger on it either. I’m not nervous about finishing as I think I will. I’m not worried about my time as that will be irrelevant to me as long as I finish. What I’m really most nervous about is how I am going to feel afterwards. One of my running friends told me that she doesn’t think that she will ever do a Marathon because someone she knows did one injuring herself and now can’t run. That thought actually never occurred to me (until now).

Yes, I’m expecting blisters.

I’m expecting pain.

I’m expecting sore muscles like never before.

Why am I doing this again? lol

What never occurred to me though is that I could injure myself and not be able to run again.

You know I worry about my foot.

Now, I know that I am being silly because I know A LOT of 1 percenters.

Not the rich 1%, but the 1% of the population that has run marathons.

None of them has ever been permanently sidelined.

So I need to stop freaking myself out.

I need to start focusing on the important things, like

What to wear?

Yes, that is always important. Seems like the weather is going to cooperate!

But since I won’t be home, I do need to make sure that I take extra just in case the weather forecast is wrong

because we all know that never happens:)

Looking Forward Not Back

Nov18

It’s funny the things that a person can find inspiration in. I was reading to my son before bed. We were reading Geronimo Stilton A Very Merry Christmas because you know it’s Christmas time already. (Yes, we have jumped the shark a little, but don’t worry I don’t have my decorations up yet). Anyway as I’m reading, this jumped out at me.

“I didn’t know if I could go on. I was exhausted. But I couldn’t give up now. I had to prove to myself.”

No I am not a mouse on an adventure in New York City, but these words jumped off the page at me. I thought immediately that this is probably how I am going to feel on Sunday. Hopefully I won’t feel this way till well after mile 20, but one never knows. I need to remember these words. When I think of the actually number of miles that I will be running on Sunday, it boggles my mind. So I try not to think of it. It’s just another long run with lots of people in a big city. I wonder why not only am I doing it, but why I’m paying good money to do it. It really is a strange concept but to know that I will be willingly pushing myself to the limit as never before is both exciting and scary.

I have been inspired by many Mama runners some that I know personally and some that I only know from what they share on their blogs. They push themselves inspiring me to push myself like never before. Because of them, I believe that I can do things that were unimaginable to me before. It’s a beautiful thing when instead of constantly telling yourself that you can’t do something that you start to asking yourself,

“Why Not?”

Honestly,

Why Not?

All my life, I was typecast. I allowed it to happen. I’m breaking the mold now. I’ve been doing it for a long time, but there has always been a part of me still stuck in the mold. This is my time to prove to myself not to anyone else but myself that I can do anything I want. Totally shattering the mold. I am no longer the “fat kid” who when I look at pictures really wasn’t that fat. I haven’t been that person in a long time even before I started on this journey, but I always carried a small part of her with me. A tinge of her doubts. She has made me the person that I am today and I owe this to her. I owe it to the strong determined woman that I am today. I will push myself like I’ve never pushed before all the while knowing that there is no reason I can’t do it.

I’ve also been told by a few people recently that my journey is inspiring them to start on their own personal journey as each journey is unique and personal. If you had ever told me that there would be a day that I would be inspiring other people, I would have flat out told you that you didn’t know what you were talking about. There was a time that I couldn’t even inspire myself but those days are gone. Long Gone. It’s not that I am some super athlete because I’m not. Not even close. It’s not because I am super knowledgeable about running because I’m still learning. But I think I make up for not being a “traditional athlete” with sheer determination. I’ve said it before, I can be one determined SOB.

Eye on the Prize.

You Asked me What???

Nov15

As I’ve mentioned before, the word is out about next weeks Marathon.

Yes, Next week?

Whose freaking out???

But I digress….

Anyway, it really is interesting some of the questions being asked me about my Marathon attempt.

The first one always makes me scratch my head.

Do you think you will finish???

Really, did you just ask me that????

Do I think I can finish?

Maybe. I hope so. I’ve been running my @ss all over town, so I have a pretty decent shot of being able to finish. I didn’t just decide on the fly (ok that part is true) to run this race. It’s not like I was sitting on my couch eating a bucket of chicken and thought, let me run a marathon. I’m running it because I do think that I can finish it. It might not be pretty. It sure as Hell is going to be hard, but I do think I can do it. Thanks for asking though and planting another seed of doubt.

Question 2

Are you going to run the whole thing?

Really. If I answer that I may walk a few steps does that somehow diminish the fact that I will be moving 26.2 miles in around 5 hours or so? I don’t think so. Besides, there are people whose whole running strategy is based on walking every couple of minutes (think Jeff Galloway). When I ran my last Half Marathon, there was a guy in my pace group who was following the Jeff Galloway plan. You know what, he finished with his pace group. He finished well too. So the fact that someone walks (and I might even though I’m not following this plan yet), does not take away from anything. 26.2 miles is 26.2 miles.

Will you place for your age group?

No. Not even close. Yes, for elite athletes and some this is important and what they train for. But most of the people I know, it is more about competing with themselves than worrying about placement. The competition is with your own PR, bragging rights and not everyone else. We are all just running the best we can at this point in our life.

One of my many motto’s is

“There will always be someone faster than you and with any luck there will always be someone slower.”

Middle of the pack is a nice place to be.

But even if I were to come in dead last, I still finished:)

My personal favorite

Why?

That’s a loaded question. I don’t really know what inside me is driving me to do this. I think that might require more time and maybe a therapist couch to dig that deep:) It’s just what I want to do. Everyone has something that they make time for in their life that they enjoy. This is my time. This is what I want to do. The better question is…..

Why Not?

What is your favorite question you’ve been asked about your fitness journey?

One Hot Mama!

Nov14

I must admit that I am one Hot Running Mama!

Unfortunately for me, I am Hot as in I heat up as I run

and

not Hot as in “Wow look at that Mama run:)”

This makes running in the cold difficult for me as I want to dress appropriately, but I also don’t want to give myself heat stroke.

What to do?

What do do?

Well first I’m going to link up for Cold Weather Running Tip Friday Five

through You signed up for what, Eat Pray Run DC

and Mar on the Run!

Then I’m going to plan my cold running strategy.

Last year I will admit, I was a bit of a baby when it came running in the snow and cold.

Not like one of my awesome running on a streak, more motivated than anyone I know, Running Mama’s!

Case in point

This is a woman who knows how to dress and run in anything.

Proven by the fact that she is almost at a year of her running streak without missing a day.

She’s more reliable than the Mailman!

Me, not so much.

But seeing as I’ve already signed up to do a half in Central Park in January, I better get it together.

What I do know is that I’m going to need to go shopping!

Boo Hoo

Just kidding!

1. Proper Running Jacket!! – I need one that will be breathable, will keep me dry, and isn’t heavy. I think I may get it and wrap it up for myself for Christmas (but of course using it right up till Christmas Eve)!

2. Hat – Normally, I run with a bolder band and they do have some new winter ones that I will try; but it really is important to keep the head covered and the ears! Don’t forget the ears. Love my running hat with a slot for my pony tail too. It’s the little things that make me happy.

3. Chapstick – Yes, chapstick. Do you want to spend all winter with chapped lips? I don’t think so. Don’t forget to apply it before and during your runs.

4. Yatracks – Although, I bought them last year, I haven’t tried them yet; I know they will get a workout this year. It’s hard enough running with the roads clear, I don’t want to worry about falling in the snow/ice!

5. Layers, Layers, Layers – As I said, I’m a hot Mama, so I need to be able to cool off even when it’s cool outside. In the fall, I’ve discovered the joy of running in arm warmers. This way once I warm up, I can take them off while running and loop them into my belt. So not only layers, but layers you can easily take off and still run with unless you have a place to stash your running clothes on the fly. (although, I have mentioned to my friends that might just happen at their house:)

So now I’m off to see what everyone else is doing and get some more ideas how not to freeze my behind off this winter!

Word of the Week – Taper

Nov12

As with any specialized activity, there are lots of words that get thrown around. Sometimes those on the outside (by choice because anyone is welcome) don’t either appreciate our vocabulary or those of us new don’t understand it. I’m the later and once was the previous:) I’m learning so much and still realize that I don’t know anything. So please take everything that I say with a grain of salt. Preferable with a Margarita! Please also remember that I am no expert and am just a novice trying to figure it all out.

Today’s word of the week

and something that I’m still figuring out is

Tapering

Let’s go see what Webster thinks it means

ta·per

noun \ˈtā-pər\

Definition of TAPER

1 a : a slender candle ~~(not it)~~

b : a long waxed wick used especially for lighting candles, lamps, pipes, or fires ~~(not it)~~

c : a feeble light ~~(not it)~~

2 a : a tapering form or figure ~~(not it)~~

b : gradual diminution of thickness, diameter, or width in an elongated object ~~(not it)~~

c : a gradual decrease (Bingo – we have a winner!)

Now Google Runner’s taper and you will get a whole slew of responses and ways to do it. There are long tapers, short taper, no tapers, and everything in between. I, myself, am doing a short taper for my marathon. The reason being is my training has been very condensed.

Now you wouldn’t think tapering would be a hard thing, but it is. Every person is different. Every event is different and every situation is different. I’m still trying to balance what my body needs.

What I do know though is this week, my running is less than it has been.

Only 4, 6, 3 and 8.

Next week it is only 3, 4, 2.

Of course that week ends with

26.2.

I’m not sure when I crossed the border where going for a 6 mile run is a short run, but somewhere that change happened. I now need to reign it in. The thing about running a lot of miles is that your body only begins to get into the pattern around mile 3 and then your stopping. I will work on that. Who knew that one day I would actually need to work on NOT running as opposed to getting out the door to run.

Life is funny that way!

One thing that I do know that I have to be mindful of with the diminished miles is that means that I need to step back on what I am eating because less miles also means less calories burned.

Just Let The Legs Carry You…..

Nov9

I’ve got this little thing coming up in two weeks.

Just this little race that I recently signed up for.

This Philly Gore-Tex Marathon.

It is literally 2 weeks from today. Let’s just hope that by this time of night I am actually done running it and am soundly asleep!

I was talking to my friend who I am doing Philly with today. A couple of the women who were signed up to run it won’t be doing it now. Can’t really blame them at all seeing as they just both ran in the NYC Marathon. They both were amazing and rocked it! One even qualified for the Boston Marathon. They have more than earned their weekend at home and are most definitely excused even though they will be missed!

Me on the other hand, I’ve got no excuse. Yes, I haven’t been plotting this run out for a year, but I think (hope) I’m ready. I’ve been following my training plan and doing what needs to be done. Yet, the doubts still creep in. The “What was I thinking?” doubts. I don’t know why. I think it might be normal or at least normal for me. To be honest, I think my legs will hold out. It’s the feet and mind that worry me. Running really is a mental game. Many don’t realize it, but it is. The body will do what the mind tells it to do. If the mind tells it to give up, it will. If the mind tells it to keep going, it will. They key will be making sure my mind doesn’t give up.

I’ve got to work on my Manta.

My normal – “You’ve got this” won’t really work in this situation. How am I supposed to know that I’ve got this when I’ve never got this before. So that one is out.

I think I’m going to go with – “Don’t think and just let your legs carry you.”

In the whole scheme of things it really amazes me how far I have pushed my running in the last year. I didn’t run my first half until May and since then I’ve run two more and am getting ready to run my first marathon. It boggles my mind. If you had EVER asked me if I would ever run a marathon, I would have firmly told you that you were crazy. Whose the crazy one now? I guess me because I’m going to do it.

Part of me thinks that this might be my one and only marathon, but then there is the other part of me that knows this is just the beginning…….

Friday Five: Staying on Track During the Holidays!

Nov7

So after yesterday’s post Is It Really Just a Number? Yes, it is; this is a timely Friday 5!

We’ve all either been working so hard or just starting out on our journey to get fit and healthy.

Then BAM

along come the Holiday’s!

First Thanksgiving which literally revolves around food.

(yes, this is cake)

Then for my family we are off to Christmas

which means

cookie exchanges

Gingerbread houses

Family and friend gatherings

New Year’s Celebrations.

Then BAM BAM BAM

The New Year’s guilt and getting back on track

BUT

what if there didn’t have to be any New Year’s Guilt?

What if we could still enjoy all our festivities while not finding that our clothes are shrinking.

That’s what today’s Friday Five is all about

5 ways to stay on track / healthy during the holidays

Now, I’m still trying to figure this out and I know that I won’t be perfect so

Maybe instead of meeting friends for lunch, we could meet for pedicures, shopping, or even a run. It’s about spending time with our friends not about the food.
Sign up for a local Turkey Tot, Jingle Fun Run or any sort of silly usually short race. They are not only fun, but it will also keep you motivated. I’ve also signed up for the Half Marathon for January. Yes, I’m going to freeze my butt off but I will have to keep running through the holiday’s to be ready for it and I won’t be alone! Grab a friend to join you.
Tweak your recipes to make them healthier. This is always a tough one, but there are ways to do it. It does take more planning, time and less processed food. Pintrest is a wonderful thing
Don’t drink your calories. For me I’m not even talking alcohol. I’m talking homemade hot chocolate with homemade marshmallows or Eggnog. I’m the only one in my house who likes Eggnog, therefore there is no reason for it to be in my fridge all month long. I vow when the container in my fridge is gone; I will not buy another one till I’m having company. I will also NOT make marshmallows until right before Christmas!
Life is short. Enjoy it which if for me means partaking in the food of the Holiday’s. So I’m going to go for it! Just don’t go for all of it. So when at cookie exchange, party, ect; I will eat. But to make sure that I’m not going over board, I will not nibble. I will make a small plate up thereby monitoring what I’m eating. It’s a lot easier to keep track of how many cookies I’ve had by making a plate up. To see the actual amount I will eat than haphazardly pick one by one up with no idea how many I’m actually eating. This strategy will work for any Holiday party too.

I do plan to enjoy my Holiday’s this year. I know that life is short and meant to be lived, so I am going to live it. That is one of the reasons that I work so hard. I do want my cake and eat it too! If I stay motivated, keep on track and maybe just tweak things just a little it will all work out. And if doesn’t that just means that I need to work out a little longer:)

Here’s hoping:)

For more ideas

check out the other blogs through

the Friday Five Link Up

hosted by DC area bloggers

Eat Pray Run DC, Mar on the Run and You Signed up for What?!!

Is it Really Just a Number? Why, yes. Yes it is!

Nov6

I bought new clothes today. I bought them because I needed too. As the season is changing, I realize that my wardrobe is not up to snuff. The reason being is that things that fit me last year don’t fit me as well this year. Luckily it’s because somehow they have gotten bigger not me. Besides having a “justifiable” reason to go shopping is always a good thing.

Now, I am by no means tooting my own horn.

Toot. Toot.

I will say that I often get asked not if I’ve lost weight, but how much weight have I lost. I’m not sure if people are just saying that because they know how hard I’ve been working or if they really think I’ve lost weight. Now if I lost a lot of weight this question would make me feel great, but the truth of the matter is that I really don’t like this question and here is the reason why. Since I’ve started my journey (and it’s been one), I have only lost 5 pounds. Yup, you heard that. When I started, I weighed 1X5 and now I weight 1X0 (Did you really think I was going to give you the number? Silly people). So when I am asked the question “How much weight did you loose,” it just reminds me that I haven’t really lost much. It used to make me sad, but I embrace it now. So now, when asked I reply, “only 5 pounds, but the rest shifted and I’ve gained more muscle.”

I am not exaggerating either. I may have only lost 5 pounds, but I have gone down 3 jean sizes. Yup, you heard me. I went from double digits down to single digits.

Exhibit A

Before

September 2013

This picture was taken at my first Sprint Triathlon before I was really bitten by the bug.

The I like running bug.

I am number 708.

So as to create a true before and after picture,

I give you

Exhibit B

Same outfit, same event one year later

September 2014

Now I would like to first of all say there are very few people who can pull off a Two Piece Tri-suit. I am, obviously, not one of them either before or after. I share these though to prove that the scale really doesn’t matter. What matters is how you feel, how your clothes fit, and how muscular you are. Patting myself on the back, I will admit that my arms are more toned now. My legs are more muscular too.

Exhibit A

Now, please don’t get me wrong I know I’m still a work in progress.

I see the love handles and the pouch.

But sometimes you have to look back to see how far you’ve come.

I will also tell you that when I first started that I obsessively weighed myself.

I very rarely get on the scale now.

I encourage you not to get on yours either.

(unless your doctor thinks you should).

To me the scale doesn’t tell the full story.

It doesn’t tell anything at all.

Except a number.

It doesn’t take into account percentage of body fat vs muscle.

It doesn’t take into account my cardiovascular health.

It doesn’t take into account, how much weight I can clean at the gym.

It doesn’t take into account how many miles I can run.

It’s just a number.

It no longer defines me.

Don’t let yours define you.

Can you step away from the scale?

Don’t do the Crime if you can’t do the Time

Nov4

So the word is out.

Probably because I’m putting it out there.

I signed up to run a marathon.

I am not crazy (ok a little), but I signed up thinking that I’m ready to do this. As I said before, I may not have been in marathon training, but the Runner’s World Hat Trick Training was very intense. My marathon training friend (yes, you Dawn), has said to me that this plan was very similar to Marathon training. Obviously, not the same but it was intense. When we ran the 20 miles, it was hard but I did it. As much as I wanted to stop, I didn’t till we hit the 20 mark. So I signed up thinking in my mind that I can do this. I’m ready. I won’t be in the front of the pack. I won’t be in the middle, but I do plan on finishing.

Now when you tell people that you are running a marathon, you get one of two reactions.

There is no middle of the road.

That’s Awesome. Good for you!
Your crazy!

Now, I’ve said it before, I know I’m crazy and if you knew my family you would know that I’m the most sane one. That being said, I am not crazy enough to sign up for this thinking that I can’t do it. I do not have a death wish nor do I wish to injure myself. Starting at the end of July with the training and running the Hat Trick, I have logged 43.21 hours and 250.3 miles in running. I’ve put in my time. I’m still training. Although I’m tapering but I’ve still got some solid runs in this week. I am not taking this lightly.

So when you call me crazy or think that I am not ready for this, I will tell you flat out that you are wrong. It may even push me to run when I do hit the wall. As those of you who know me personally know, I can be one determined SOB and right now I’m determined to cross that finish line.

And as a final thought, please remember what your mother would say to you as you were growing up and probably what you teach your own children,

“If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.”

The Runner’s Superbowl

Nov2

I’ve never really been a sports person. I never really got the excitement of watching people run around bases or down a field with a ball. I just don’t get it. Never having played sports in high school (probably because I couldn’t), I really never got into any of it. But today I might actually get why people so get excited about watching sports they are not participating in.

My sport of choice – Running.

Today was every runners Superbowl.

I sat here watching people that I don’t know cross the finish line of the New York City Marathon. Watching, cheering, and inspired. Not only was I watching on tv, I was even tracking several racers that I know too. I was nervous. I was excited. It wasn’t the elite runners that got me feeling this way either. Although I am in awe of them. I was on the edge of my seat waiting for members of my local Mom’s Run This Town (MRTT) group to finish. We had several moms running and a few husbands too. I don’t even know some of these people except in cyber world although I may have seen them in passing at a few events. Some of the Mom’s though I do know. Some I’ve run with, some I’ve baked cakes for, and some I’ve done races with. It didn’t matter if I knew them personally or not, we were a team today.

As I said before, I really have never been part of a team. I decided that I like it. Our local chapter of MRTT Facebook group was blowing up with excitement of us tracking them. I wasn’t alone in my excitement either. We were cheering for them from home even if they didn’t know it. We were concerned about how the weather would effect them. We were proud of them every step of the way. We wanted so badly for them to have a good race and cross the finish line. They all did.

I will let you in on a secret though. I would bet and bet a lot if one of these women had not crossed the finish line, that they would have been met with nothing but sincere condolences, virtual hugs, and words of encouragement. That’s what a team does for their teammates. Not until today, did I realize that I really had become part of a team. I am a MRTT Mama runner. Yes, running is an individual sport, but that does not mean that you are in this alone.

So my words of advice to you….

Find a local running group that you connect with. All running groups are not created equally, but with the right one you will be amazed at how far you can go. I firmly 100% believe that if I had not joined this group, I would not have come as far as I have in my running. I’ve made wonderful friends. Not just running friends, but real friends. I’ve been inspired by their passion, dedication, and bravery. Yes, there is bravery in running. You have to be brave to not only start running and sign up for a race, but also be brave to know when it is time to give your body a rest and pull from an event or even stop running until your body is ready. I, actually, think you have to be more brave to do the later. Either way, it is nice to have support of people who get the craziness of running.

You tell a friend, your feet hurt, you’ve got bad blisters or severe muscle pain from running, they will look at you like your crazy and tell you to stop running. But you tell your fellow running friends the same thing and they will give you words of encouragement and understanding that only another runner can give you. It’s a beautiful thing.

Yes, you can run, train, and go to events without the benefit of a running group; but why would you want to! Your running group may be an informal group too (some people you share your passion with or an online group you follow). But there really is nothing better than a group of like minded people sharing their passion that will help get you to the next level.

Do you belong to a Running Group and does it help motivate you?

The Accidentally Running Mama

Run, Bike, Swim and Have a Life!