It Isn't Always Pretty

Tuesday night I got home from work and was supposed to head out for an 80 minute aerobic (re: easy) run. I had nailed my 70 minutes the Tuesday before, so I figured 80 minutes was a walk in the park and it wouldn't be hard. It'd been a long day at work, and I should have gotten my run in before the sun was up, but whatever, life happens.

I got to the gym at the apartment complex and ready to go. The fans were on high, so I tried getting them to shut off. The janky remote wasn't doing anything, so I figured that I'd deal with the cold until I'd warmed up, and then I'd appreciate it. TV wouldn't turn on, so I tried to watch some Friends episdoes on my phone. I was so defeated already (from fans and a TV!) that I covered up the treadmill screen in the hopes that I'd forget how far I need to go. Wrong. 16 minutes in, I was over it. Done.

I went home and called it quits.

There are lot of things that I can attribute - the gym was super cold, the TV wasn't working, it was that time of the month, long day at work... but let's be real. Mentally, I just wasn't there. I looked for any reason to call it quits and just be done with it. So I was.

After the baller week I had had the week before, I went in with a lot of confidence and this run (or lack there of) just totally knocked me off that confidence wagon for the rest of the week. Yoga on Wednesday felt like a "I have to go..." rather that an "I get to go..." (no regrets though, that felt amazing!). Doug practically pushed me out the door to go.

So when I got to last night's run at Fleet Feet, I was really wanting to knock it out of the park. 45 minutes at race pace (8;30 pace) seemed totally do-able and I really wanted to make it count - and especially make up for Tuesday's craptastic treadmill defeat. Sandy joined me and helped push me a bit for 5 miles at exactly an 8:30 pace overall, and crushed the last mile in 8:06. Boom. 

Carlee wrote a few weeks back about having a positive outlook on your fitness, and sometimes it's just that. You need to go in with the positive attitude to make the workout work! I just told someone the other day too that sometimes these bad runs keep you humble - the bad runs make you appreciate the good ones even more! An awesome week followed by a bad week reminds me that I'm only human and I can only do so much. And then it's upwards and onwards to the next week and ready to kill the next workouts.

But as my friend Meb says...

don't give up. 

How do you move past those bad runs?

5 Ways to Keep On Your Running Game

… especially after you start a new job and your whole (previous) life’s schedule is turned upside down. As you know, I started a new job about 5 months ago that is (currently) 7 am - 5:30 pm demanding and, until I moved at the end of June, was a 40-minute commute. My previous (temporary) gig was substitute teaching, where I was home by 3:30 every afternoon and could run when I pleased. Needless to say, going back to an 8-to-5 was pretty tough and even these few months in, I’m still struggling a little with finding the balance, and sometimes the desire, to make sure I get out the door. Now that I'm past orientation season and those 4-day, 70-hour work weeks, it's time to get my figurative ball moving again. 

I shared this on Carlee's blog a number of weeks ago, but thought I'd share here too. Here’s a few tips, partially by science and partially straight from yours truly, on ways to take advantage of the time you have and the energy you’re given on how to make sure you’re still lacing up to your satisfaction.

11.    Schedule!

I fortunately/unfortunately live by a planner and a to-do list. My summer is swallowed whole by work, so it’s tough for my time to get quickly commandeered by other ‘life’ things. Just like you would write a to-do list of the things you need to get done at work, consider adding your run to your to-do list, too – it’s just one more check-mark to add to your notes! Maybe it also means putting it into your Outlook with a reminder so that you have a regularly scheduled workout time built into your day for you.

2. Runch

If you haven’t heard of the runch, you’re missing out. I mean, check out all these people that do it! Runching asks more of you, especially if you value your lunch hour more than anything, but it’s a great way to combine two loves: getting out of the office and getting your run in! This is hard logistically sometimes, especially if you’re super-sweaty and don’t have access to a shower at your work (lucky for me, I work on a college campus with a gym). I took advantage of this often in Georgia in the winter and spring, and would get a solid 2-3 miles in and time to chow down! Total time maximization.

3.    Incorporate it Into What You Do

Because I work on college campuses, and students are typically super cautious or interested in building a fitness-based lifestyle, it’s often been easy to incorporate running and exercise into what I already do day-to-day. At my last school, I was given the opportunity to coordinate a student trip to a local 5K – many of these students ran/walked their first 5K ever that day! How lucky am I that one of my passions, running, can be easily interwoven into my work life too?

MCU students at the Didi Hirsch Alive and Running 5K, 2013.

4.    Set a Goal

Every time I’ve felt a lull in my motivation to get up and going, I’ve found a new goal or challenge to work for. My downtime in motivation has often come after a big move or job change, and I often found it hard to just run with no goal in sight (I have a different appreciation now of just running for the sake of running). Whether that means you're tackling a summer #RWRunStreak,or have a PR in sight, create a finish line for yourself that will inspire you on the toughest days to keep going. My spring had a good schedule of races on weekends, but the weekdays were tough for me and many thanks to the run streak challenge this summer, I re-found some motivation to get me over that hump. Now that orientation is over, it's time to find it again! 

5.    Cut Yourself Some Slack

This is one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned… cut yourself some slack! It doesn’t have to happen every day, nor does it always have to be as long as you want. Keep in mind what you’re working for but listen to your body and what it’s willing to give. A friend of mine posted this article last week and it resonated with me: sometimes it’s okay to sleep in and choose a later alarm over getting in another 2-mile run. Not only are both necessary, but it’s difficult to get healthy doses of one without the other. So know that hitting snooze an extra day or two won’t make or break you… and it’s OKAY!

Orrrr you can just use motivational alarms like this one!

What other tips do you have to keep up on your running when work and life requires so much? Any great things you’ve learned?

Spring Adventures

Despite being fairly quiet here lately, there's a little bit coming up on my plate that I'm pretty excited about. I'm feeling a little more on the ball than the last few weeks, but given a 4-day trip to Florida, and then a 5-day trip to San Diego thrown in the middle of all that, training was the last thing on my mind. But that's okay.

One of the things i'm loving most about being back in California is that there are plenty of races going on at all times. I had plenty in Georgia, but I feel like I've got even more out here to choose from and can't be more excited about all the opportunities there are! Of course, I'd love to add more states but I'm not sure that'll be happening this year!

So here you have it:

Ragnar So Cal - April 4-5

Team Adventures in Runderland

Ragnar DC was a blast in 2012 and I'm so freaking excited that I get to do it again! I'm captain-ing our team with HP, naturally, and we've got a hodge podge of lovely women. There are five of us that are sorority sisters, two are friends of one them, and the rest are women we've picked up via the Ragnar site and other random connections. I'm excited to have our team finally come together. More on that on Wednesday! 

Carnival Cruise - April 17 - 20Because this doesn't have to be all running, right? :) We're taking a family cruise from Long Beach to Ensenada and back. My parents, sister is flying out from New York, grandparents, and my uncle and I are all hanging out for a few days on our way to Mexico and back. I'm pretty excited to spend some family time together, and most significantly for some extra time with my sister!  

Run Through Redlands Half Marathon - April 27

This half is not entirely flat, though apparently flatter than in recent years (though I have no reference point). But it runs through some really gorgeous areas of Redlands, so I'm excited to check it out. And what better than another fabulous local race to add to my collection?

Fontana Days Half Marathon - June 7

This half is is known as the fastest Half Marathon due to the gradual downward slope of the course - there is an elevated drop of 2,125 feet from start to finish! I think this is an appropriate time for #sub2orbust, don't you?

I'm looking for a few more spring races to add to the collection. I'm really looking forward to finally getting back in this groove and that I'm actually making some leeway already! Bring it on!

What spring races are you looking forward to?

An Open Love Letter to Running

Dear running:

We've had a tumultuous relationship the last two and a half years. Some extreme highs, some definite lows, and all the while... we've been by each other's side.

Half-mary #1!

You found me when I was at my worst. Unhappy, unexcited, lonely, and desperate for some way to feel like I mattered or did something to say that I was proud of myself for... anything. A new job had taken me to the furthest state from home at that point, into a yet new territory for me and into a job that I wasn't loving. I felt like I contributed nothing, didn't accomplish much, and was just a body at a desk for the better part of my days.

I'm a marathoner!

And then I found you. You gave me something to look forward to, to strive for, to feel good about myself again. You made me feel accomplished, challenged, motivated and encouraged me to feel like I had a purpose again. Thanks for bringing me back to life!

Simply put, you filled the void that I struggled with every day for those two years. No desire to stumble out of bed, no desire to sit at a desk for eight hours on end, and no desire to feel connected to anyone or anything. Sure, our relationship was on-again, off-again, but whenever we were back on, we were on. I felt on top of the world.

Through you, I've pushed myself beyond any limits ever thought possible. From regular 5K-er to half marathoner, knocking off PR after PR, you pushed me to my best. When I decided a marathon was in the cards, you took me to a whole new place -- you led me to that special 1% club and I can't ever thank you enough for helping me see that when I set myself up to do something, I do it. I go all out, I make sure I get there, and you were my biggest supporter.

Georgia Publix ladies -- half-marathon #8!

You connected me to a group of sorority sisters, who became merely sisters by association, to friends and running companions. You helped me reconnect with old friends, or find community members who shared my passion and my drive for finding the next great race. Friends and running nerds who I could share in my victories, challenges, excitement, and downfalls with. Partners who pushed me past my  limits to do my best, encourage them at their worst, and help push others to new places too. Crazies who ran 200-mile relays with me to seek as new sources of inspiration, camaraderie, and friendship across state lines. To friends who completed their first half, their first full, or those who even ran their first 5K, I had a whole new collection of people who understood why I crashed early each night and was up before the sun most mornings. You understood me -- and helped me find others who understood me, too.

I felt like I had something to give others -- whether it was motivation, or some words of advice, or an experience to share. I contributed, I made a difference, and I was fulfilled. I'm a helper by trade and by person, and knowing that even if it was just one person I made a difference to, I felt fulfilled, purposeful, and grateful that I could impact someone in such a way.

And now here we are. You've been strung along a bit these last few months, as I've found a new job, new home, and am learning the ropes of both. Enjoying my time here, struggling a little bit, but overall an infinite change from my last home. I don't have that void anymore -- something that I found full (finally) in the last year is now full, for good.

It's not you, it's me. I'm happy. Things are good - and while going out with you every few days is awesome, we need to find a way to still share this bond and make it work. To keep me happy, to keep me sane, and to ensure that things continue along the way they're meant to. Thanks for holding me up when I was at my worst, and hopefully you'll continue to see me at my best.

Finding My Mojo

Please. And thank you. Good grace, it's been a long time. Truth be told, I haven't thought a wink about this blog, or 'OMG, I'm so behind on reading' or 'I wonder what so-and-so is up to' because truth be told, I talk to most of you in real life, or follow you on Instagram, so I kind of know anyway. Oh, the powers of social media!

At any rate, I'm slowly getting back in this running game. I have a quick little half marathon in four weeks so it's time to at least get to the point where I can walk-run-crawl 13.1 miles and not die. Right? Right.

But this past week, I got out not once, not twice, but three whole times for some morning miles! It feels unreal that I'm celebrating three runs at a whopping total of like 7.25 miles but frankly, it's better than 0!

Tuesday - 2.01 miles
Post-work, post-commute home run while the parents went to the gym. Short, but speedy, and just the way I like it. Happy I got out the door!

Wednesday - 3.05 miles
Morning miles before I headed off to work for a really, really long day. I knew I'd need the run that morning and glad I went and knocked it out to kickstart my day.

Thursday - 2.21 miles
Morning miles again! Happy times.

And then I took the next three days off and am working on getting out the door on this fine, fine Monday mid-morning, but am enjoying in relishing the fact that I feel like I'm working on my way to being back. It's the little things.

When did you feel like you were 'back' after losing it for a bit?

Uninspired

I mean, really, the title says it all. It's how I feel lately, how dragged down I feel, and how exhausted I feel. The idea of getting up out of bed and putting my trusty, dirty Kinvaras on is just sometimes... the last thing I want to do.

Last year on National Running Day I spelled out top reasons that I love to hit the pavement:

• Stress relief
• To make myself better
• To push myself
• To stay in shape
• To find a community

I feel that, almost literally, all these things are missing right now! I don't  mean to sound the Debbie Downer I'm going to be here, but I'm also realizing why I'm struggling with so much of this. Stress relief: I'm stressed, I'm exhausted, and I'd rather sleep than go run when I have a three-hour round-trip commute ahead of me. I'm so far out of shape, I feel lousy and gross! And finding a community has been difficult, as I work Saturday mornings and nearly all our groups out here run on Saturday mornings only.

Excuses. I don't like excuses and feel like that's all these are. But I'm also trying to pin-point where my lack of motivation comes from, especially given Sunday's awesome race. Try and piece that one together - if you can, holler, because I'm sure stuck on how things just aren't matching up.

Where do you go when you're looking for inspiration?

RnR Las Vegas | Training

It's finally happening... finally running Vegas... finally running a RnR race (bad reviews aside, I still want to run one and see it for myself)... and finally, another running vacation with my best girlfriends (there's at least 8 of us that I can think of!). I. Cannot. Wait.

Training was technically supposed to begin two weeks ago, but I'm hardly calling it that I did, so I've modified my plan a bit and am cranking out a 10-week plan instead. It's grueling, it's motivating, and I just need to get back at it. I'm already signed up for a 5K in two weeks (first 5K since June, mind you) that I will be doing with work (don't you love it when worlds collide?) and am eye-balling my 10K for the first weekend in October. I have plans. I just need to make them happen.

So here you have it. The plan.

The New Week 1 has started off well so far - at least in comparison to Old Week 1 and 2. I am ready to make this commitment and make it a great race and get myself back to where I used to be. Because I miss it. But look forward to the first full report on Sunday afternoon when I get through the first uber long run - I think that'll be the tell-tale sign of how this is going to go!

Will this be the magic race for #sub2orbust? I'm not sure. I think it's too early to make that call, especially given the lack of running over the course of the last two months. But maybe!. Stay tuned.

Are you running the Strip at Night with me? 

Getting Back in the Saddle & Pretty Muddy Registration

 Despite having a few races on the docket (with a few changes), last week I was super struggling with motivation and getting back in the saddle after a few weeks off. While I know I'm supposed to enjoy recovery, it really just makes me antsy and ready to get moving more.

Most excited for this one!

With three half marathons in the next nine weeks, I just want to get moving again - not that I'm going to go all hardcore or busting it out to get crazy fast in the next few weeks (in my dreams), I just want to keep up a super solid base (that I do know I have),  and keep up my fitness levels.

That being said, I also want to be sure I'm working towards my ultimate 2013 goal of a sub-2 half. The first half, Georgia Publix, is certainly not going to be that race, given Atlanta's hills and well... it's on St. Patrick's Day and I'm getting dressed up and it should be fun. The second race (is where the plans changed) is the Clemson Easter Bunny Half just two weeks later and, plans pending, I think that could be it. Seriously. The final race, of course, is NWM DC, where I intend on having fun and having a great race, but not sure I'd actually push it as we run through DC. But you know... plans change.

Part of that plan changing is going to be how I work my way out of recovery and into a training cycle. Again, I want to do this to ensure I've got a solid base, but especially these first two weeks, I'm not going to push it. I know my body needs a little more time, as much as it pains me. But that's okay, I have a plan.

And here lies the plan.Schedules are what keep me focused, and motivated, and energized. And while my motivation levels certainly aren't where they were at mid-marathon training, I know I'll get there (more to come on that on Friday). But for now, there's a plan:

Heeeere we go!

So as of this morning, I'm back on the saddle. Holding the reins lightly for now, but excited that I'm headed down the right path once again! Stay tuned!

AND as a friendly reminder, early registration for Pretty Muddy ends on Friday! It goes up $10 from there, so make sure you get in today! 

 How do you get yourself back in the saddle? Do you go all-out from the starting gate, or ease your way back in? Will I see you at Pretty Muddy?

When You're Struggling

After finishing the Run Streak challenge, I feel like I've totally fallen off the wagon! I mean, not completely, but pretty terribly. I can't attribute it to exhaustion from the challenge, because even though I felt like I was exhausted, I don't think I actually was (quite the contradiction, huh?).

Runnin' in SLC!

My streak officially ended on July 4th, with the Atlanta AJC Peachtree Road Race -- it's kind of a big deal, in case you haven't heard. After that, I took a few days off to allow my legs to catch up with themselves after pounding down 80 miles in 38 days, pretty big for me! And then it was time for Salt Lake City, where I put in a few miles. I ran three days out of four (pretty awesome for a vacation!), sometimes alone, sometimes with my sisters. All were fabulous.

7ish miles on a hot, hot Saturday.

And then I was back, and off a little bit again, and only ran once the next weekend on my mini-vacay to Arizona for the weekend. But one is better than none, right? Sure. And then Heather and I put in a long run this weekend -- somewhere between 7 and 7 1/2 miles. The longest run I've done in a long time, though of course Peachtree fell close behind. And, not to mention how freaking hot it was outside (yeah, get out of bed before 9 am if you want to get some miles in), but my head just wasn't in the game for this one. We did it, it took a long time, but we made it work somehow. And that got me thinking... 

How do you get back on the horse when you've fallen off... and you used to be BFF? I was rockin' through that streak, feeling amazing 99% of the time, and while I recognized that I had time to fill between that streak ending at Peachtree and starting up with Ragnar and Wine and Dine training, but I didn't think I'd fall too far backwards. Wrong.

This was July. Womp.

It's not like I've never fallen off the horse before. Because gosh knows that I have. So, as I'm two weeks away from starting my Wine and Dine training plan, and then working in a few doubles here and there as I prep for Ragnar at the end of September, I'm struggling with getting back in the habit. And making it a good habit that doesn't make me cry at the thought of getting out of bed in the morning. (Issue #1, I blame the Olympics. I stay up until 11 or midnight watching when I don't really need to!) So, my plan for getting back in the swing of things? Jumping in as much as I can now and getting my head in the game over the next two weeks:

... starts August 19!

How do you jump back on the wagon after you've fallen off? Tips, suggestions?