12.75 miles of training this week; 30 minutes of cross-training
12 mile long run @ 2:13:29 (weak, I know)
Week 2 of training and the reality of meshing training and the rest of my life has reared it's ugly head. Had to skip speed training this week because of my little blood donation incident and didn't quite make my full 3 miles on Tuesday morning's early am run. The good news is that I didn't let it keep me from doing 12 miles today. Not my best 12, but 12 none the less.
Today was a little slower than usual, and I had to take breaks to stretch and let my body catch up with me. The nurse said that the shock of my blood donation fiasco would make running difficult (less oxygen delivered in my blood=less efficiency), so I am not surprised today was such a crappy run. But I did it, I feel good, had a great stretching session when I got home (man, will I be sore tomorrow, I can already feel it!), and I am going into the third of training with a positive, can do, gonna kick some butt attitude.
I was pretty nervous about passing out/getting ill because I had been pretty light headed and easily sick since the donation, so I chose to do a short route along the river near my house and just do laps (5 to be exact). Kinda boring, but safe because I was never more than 1.2 miles from the house. It was a good choice because there were lots of people around, just in case.
Good news, no tightness in the right hip today. Still having the left foot go numb in the first 8 miles (part of the reason I had to stop a lot), and my left knee and hip got a little irritated after mile 10. I am going to take pain as progress, because I had no troubles until I passed the distance I had covered in a previous long run. I think this is a message that it is going to be super important to get at least 20 miles before the marathon so my knee can get comfortable with the distance and not give me troubles on heartbreak hill.
This week's schedule:
Tuesday: Easy Run 3 miles
Thursday or Friday: Speed work 6 miles
Sunday: Long Run 14 miles
We are going to hopefully make up the speed work this week. I present for my MA Friday, so I think the speed work in the AM will be a good way to ease the nerves, build up my confidence, and make me feel good before I go before the panel. I am curious to see how I do tacking another 2 miles onto my long run, and excited to pass the half-marathon point in training. Maybe I will be ready for Boston after all!
And a final thought, thanks for all the kind wishes and support. Life seems crazy (almost too crazy right now), and the fact that people I have never met in my life care enough to say something to help me feel good about my training, well, it means so much. I am so thankful that the blogging community can bring you together with people you otherwise would have never had the pleasure of having in your life. Someday I want to meet you all!
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Saturday, February 26, 2011
First goal for 2011 met!
I case you missed it, my goals for the new year are here. In summary, they are to donate blood at least once (needle phobia), run an entire marathon (not walk parts due to poor training), and set new PR's for 5k, 10k, half and full marathons.
The good news: I donated blood and fulfilled one of my three goals for the new year. I didn't get much feedback on my blood donation post so I assumed marathon runners don't give blood or it was just one of those lazy weeks where people don't feel like posting. Or my post was just super crappy. But probably not ;)
Now I know that people training for marathons probably aren't blood donors because it really screws up your training. The goals was to donate Friday and maybe become a regular blood donor. I hear that giving blood saves the lives of a million babies per pint, saves the world, and pretty much makes you everyone's hero. Who wouldn't want to save a million babies in 30 minutes? Instead we relived the "let's pass out in front of the students" and see the light/speak to God" experience of 2008. I believe the technical term I overheard them use as I drifted off to that mansion in the sky was "code light blue". Aren't I dramatic? Or is it just the over-use of "quotation marks"?
Long story short, they got the blood so the goal was met. Bad news is that the kind head nurse explained that some people are just not blood donors, and that I shouldn't come back for another donation. The jury is out on whether I should get a second opinion. My painfully stiff arm and my dear mother say no, the jolly phlebotomist who nursed me back to life says yes. I think we might wait 3 more years for a verdict.
Oh, and I can't do any moderate to strenuous activity for 2 days. At least I will be in the clear for my long run Sunday. I might be a bad patient and try an easy 2 miles today so I am only 4 miles behind instead of 6. Boo.
The bright side is that I am sooooo close to being done with UC Davis. My research poster looks AMAZING and it is over 50% done. Once I present on Friday (6 days!!!!!) I will pretty much be done with my Master's Degree. Sweet relief!
Next goal: run the Boston Marathon, no injuries, no walking breaks!
The good news: I donated blood and fulfilled one of my three goals for the new year. I didn't get much feedback on my blood donation post so I assumed marathon runners don't give blood or it was just one of those lazy weeks where people don't feel like posting. Or my post was just super crappy. But probably not ;)Now I know that people training for marathons probably aren't blood donors because it really screws up your training. The goals was to donate Friday and maybe become a regular blood donor. I hear that giving blood saves the lives of a million babies per pint, saves the world, and pretty much makes you everyone's hero. Who wouldn't want to save a million babies in 30 minutes? Instead we relived the "let's pass out in front of the students" and see the light/speak to God" experience of 2008. I believe the technical term I overheard them use as I drifted off to that mansion in the sky was "code light blue". Aren't I dramatic? Or is it just the over-use of "quotation marks"?
Long story short, they got the blood so the goal was met. Bad news is that the kind head nurse explained that some people are just not blood donors, and that I shouldn't come back for another donation. The jury is out on whether I should get a second opinion. My painfully stiff arm and my dear mother say no, the jolly phlebotomist who nursed me back to life says yes. I think we might wait 3 more years for a verdict.
Oh, and I can't do any moderate to strenuous activity for 2 days. At least I will be in the clear for my long run Sunday. I might be a bad patient and try an easy 2 miles today so I am only 4 miles behind instead of 6. Boo.
The bright side is that I am sooooo close to being done with UC Davis. My research poster looks AMAZING and it is over 50% done. Once I present on Friday (6 days!!!!!) I will pretty much be done with my Master's Degree. Sweet relief!
Next goal: run the Boston Marathon, no injuries, no walking breaks!
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Anatomy of an early morning run
I have always considered myself a morning person. Sleeping in typically makes me cranky because I don't get to tear into that To-Do list as much as I would hope to. Today I learned there is a distinction between morning people and early morning people. They are not cut from the same cloth. I think you will figure out which one I am NOT in my breakdown of the early morning run(similar to my breakdown of a long run).
Anatomy of an Early Morning Run:
The Wake-Up
Alarm goes off at 4:45 am. You have to snooze it twice to be able to convince yourself that you have to get up and run if you am going to run (not walk) across the finish line in Boston. Even though you rationalized in my brain what time to set the alarm the night before, you still have this little mental battle at o-dark-thirty. Tonight you have to submit two documents for your Master's and you have seriously procrastinated. You will have to stay after school to tutor the kiddos, as well as make lesson plans and an assessment. You know that if you don't run now, today's run does not happen. Finally, you get out of bed.
The Suit-Up
Of course, you did not have the foresight the night before to situate keys/headphones/water bottle/shoes so you can sneak out of the house without disturbing anyone. Even if you did, you are sure they would get moved around after you went to bed or the cats would haul them off in the night (they like to do that with headphones and then chew through the wires. Little angels). Once you rattle the entire house looking for my keys, you give up on the headphones and settle for lip-reading the morning news. Entertaining when you are trying creatively to make a treadmill session fun in the afternoon. Not so entertaining at 5am when you just don't give a....
Warming-Up
Already it is 5:15 am, and you know you have to be in the shower by 6:00 am if you are going to be ready in time to get to work, make copies, update the whiteboards, blah blah blah. So, warm-ups and stretching are cut short. You know this is probably where the morning workout goes to hell, but you can't get there any faster or wake-up any earlier. You have to make the training schedule!!!!! So you do a little jog without stretching, because, after all, it's only 3 miles, right? No big deal?
The Big Deal
Ok, after a quarter of a mile of jogging, you try to step it up and get your run on. At first it feels absurdly fast, even though you usually start at the same pace when you run in the afternoons. You can kinda feel your feet going off the back of the treadmill, and hustle the pace because you don't want this morning to be the first time you fall off the treadmill. Talk about ruining the rest of your day!
Then the intestinal system wakes up. You feel sick. Time to run to the bathroom. Get back on. Run another three quarter miles. Run to the bathroom. Continue in this pattern until it is 10 after 6, you still haven't run your full 3 miles, and know you are going to be late for work. But at least you didn't fall off the treadmill.
The Hangover
Rush through the shower process, throw your hair up wet so you look like a sick gremlin. Manage some make-up, grab a protein shake for breakfast, throw together a lunch so you don't have to eat what the kids eat, and then rush out the door. As you wait for the car to defrost because it is covered in a sheet of ice, puke in the parking lot. You didn't need that protein shake anyways.
The Deal Breaker
In the staff room, copy room, office, people ask if you are feeling OK. Which you don't because your body has found a new way to punish you for punishing it with a 5 am run. You look terrible. You feel terrible. How are you going to manage 160 high school students in remedial math? This is where you throw in the towel, ask for a sub, and take your sick butt home. After laying fetal with a gurgling belly for 3 hours, you finally can emerge for a meager lunch of toast.
Some people can run in the morning. 5 am is exhilarating for them. Me? I need time to wake up. I can run at 7, after getting up at 6:00 am to eat my toast and go through a wake-up routine. But bed to tread at 5 am? Not for me. So today I put the early morning workouts to rest, thankful that I am almost finished with my Master's and know that early morning runs just aren't necessary. I'd rather run at midnight, thank you very much.
Here's a Rodale artilcle I recently read about morning running, and it sheds more light/supports some of my concerns. Are you an early morning runner? How do you do it? Doesn't it screw up your stomach for the rest of the day? And no, I am not pregnant.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
8 Weeks Until Boston
19 miles of training this week
10 miles long run @ 1:47:22
Not too bad for week 1 of training, especially considering I am less than two weeks from presenting my work for my Master's degree, progress report grades were due, and wicked migraines kept trying to keep me down. Very proud of how I am making it happen and super excited to see all this hard work pay off! In the next 8 weeks I will have a Masters of Arts in Education and a Boston finishers medal.
Today's run was great. I usually weave through the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley on cute country back roads. I couldn't feel my hands until mile 2 because it was a little chilly this morning, but it was incredibly beautiful outside. I love running the morning after a long rain, everything is so fresh. I saw horses and sheep, lots of walkers and cyclist, and even a hot air balloon landing outside of a winery (super cool). Everything was sparkling with dew and the asphalt was steaming from the warm sun. It was surreal.
What wasn't surreal was the tightness in my knee and the tightness in my right hip. While stretching before my run, I put a lot of time into stretching out my calves (since they have been giving me the most trouble lately) and forgot to do the hip flexors. Ooops. Maybe I need to make a pre-run stretching checklist.
This weeks schedule:
Tuesday: 3 miles easy
Thursday or Friday: 6 mile speed work
Sunday: 12 mile long run
I am VERY much looking forward to speed work this week. I am also going to start some strength and core training 2 days a week. The focus is to build up stamina so my body doesn't decide to quit on me when the miles pile up. Miles 18-24 were the hardest in San Francisco, and they are also the hardest in Boston (Heartbreak Hill anyone?).
After all, I have some awesome people coming out to see me. Within hours of my Boston announcement, they sent messages of support, telling me they were going to take the day off work to cheer me on. I feel so loved!
10 miles long run @ 1:47:22
Not too bad for week 1 of training, especially considering I am less than two weeks from presenting my work for my Master's degree, progress report grades were due, and wicked migraines kept trying to keep me down. Very proud of how I am making it happen and super excited to see all this hard work pay off! In the next 8 weeks I will have a Masters of Arts in Education and a Boston finishers medal.
 |
| Oak Knoll District: I'm down with OKD (ya you know me) |
Today's run was great. I usually weave through the Oak Knoll District of Napa Valley on cute country back roads. I couldn't feel my hands until mile 2 because it was a little chilly this morning, but it was incredibly beautiful outside. I love running the morning after a long rain, everything is so fresh. I saw horses and sheep, lots of walkers and cyclist, and even a hot air balloon landing outside of a winery (super cool). Everything was sparkling with dew and the asphalt was steaming from the warm sun. It was surreal.
What wasn't surreal was the tightness in my knee and the tightness in my right hip. While stretching before my run, I put a lot of time into stretching out my calves (since they have been giving me the most trouble lately) and forgot to do the hip flexors. Ooops. Maybe I need to make a pre-run stretching checklist.
This weeks schedule:
Tuesday: 3 miles easy
Thursday or Friday: 6 mile speed work
Sunday: 12 mile long run
I am VERY much looking forward to speed work this week. I am also going to start some strength and core training 2 days a week. The focus is to build up stamina so my body doesn't decide to quit on me when the miles pile up. Miles 18-24 were the hardest in San Francisco, and they are also the hardest in Boston (Heartbreak Hill anyone?).
After all, I have some awesome people coming out to see me. Within hours of my Boston announcement, they sent messages of support, telling me they were going to take the day off work to cheer me on. I feel so loved!
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Donating Blood
Has anyone donated blood while training for a marathon? Not literally while training, but maybe on an easy run, cross train, or rest day? I am probably going to take it easy the day I donate (or take the day off from training entirely), but wanted to see what blogger land had to say.
For many people, donating blood is not a big deal. But it is really hard for me to be in the same room where a needle is in someone's arm, so this is HUGE for me to go back and try this again. Sitting in the room with JF when he donated stem cells for the marrow donor program was extremely difficult. I had to get up and almost had to take a step outside. My mom was so proud of me for not letting my phobia trump my role as cheerleader/supporter. Here's hoping we can take the next step towards beating this irrational fear by becoming a regular blood donor!
(as far as Boston Training goes, today is an off day. Terrible migraine and to make sure I don't push it too far, I am going to have today be pure rest, tomorrow hill repeats on the elliptical, and Sunday the long run 10 miles. Let's keep those knees and feet happy for April 18th!)
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
And the training begins!
Since I have a marathon to run in 61 days, I have gone and found myself a training plan. My goal for Boston: Run a sub-5 hour marathon. Super ambitious, especially since Nike Women's Marathon found me walking towards the end due to pain in my knee. But this time I am going to train hard, train smart, and run injury free. Let's just hope it isn't raining or snowing on race day. Or blowing cold winds either.
I made my training plan using the Smart Coach at Runner's World. I had to play with the intensity and weekly mileage a bit to get something that would work for me, and I feel pretty optimistic. So far I have run an easy 3 miles and a 6 mile tempo run at a 10:31 pace. I'll run 10 miles Sunday weekend as well. All this will prime me to finish under 5 hours.
People watching in the little gym today: the guy on the elliptical next to me checking out his guns. Fawning over himself. It amazes me how self-absorbed people can be in a public place. At least it helped the time go by on the dreadmill. I was afraid to run outside because I heard there might be thunderstorms tonight I am not in the mood to be struck by lightning. Ever.
This week I have felt so clear-headed. Even though the 5 am run was tough, I felt fast today on the treadmill. I found that happy place where your feet like light, your strides make you feel like you are gliding on clouds, and you never want to stop running. It took me 4.5 miles to get there, but the last 1.5 miles were fantastic. I hope I feel this good when I do some speed intervals next week.
This week everything seems to be coming together perfectly. My kids, even some of my lowest achievers, are making excellent gains, the cats are fighting less, more cuddles, my running is fantastic, and I feel in control. I hope that getting back into a running routine has brought back the peace I had back in August.
People watching in the little gym today: the guy on the elliptical next to me checking out his guns. Fawning over himself. It amazes me how self-absorbed people can be in a public place. At least it helped the time go by on the dreadmill. I was afraid to run outside because I heard there might be thunderstorms tonight I am not in the mood to be struck by lightning. Ever.
This week I have felt so clear-headed. Even though the 5 am run was tough, I felt fast today on the treadmill. I found that happy place where your feet like light, your strides make you feel like you are gliding on clouds, and you never want to stop running. It took me 4.5 miles to get there, but the last 1.5 miles were fantastic. I hope I feel this good when I do some speed intervals next week.
This week everything seems to be coming together perfectly. My kids, even some of my lowest achievers, are making excellent gains, the cats are fighting less, more cuddles, my running is fantastic, and I feel in control. I hope that getting back into a running routine has brought back the peace I had back in August.
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Things Just Got Serious
Apparently calling your Mom on Valentines Day and starting the conversation with " I have really REALLY big news" is inappropriate unless you are telling her about an engagement. But, there was HUGE news to be shared, monumental, life changing news.
I won an entry into the Boston Marathon! Seriously. I checked the blog and my email again to make sure it wasn't an elaborate dream. In 9 weeks, I will be running the most iconic marathon in America, the place where my steamy love affair with running got started. When the Bestie said big things were coming my way, she was right. Pregnant ladies are always right (or so I have been told). Check out Beth's blog Shut Up And Run and you can see how it all went down. I also had more page hits yesterday than I usually get in an entire week thanks to her post (aka me rechecking my blogs obsessively to see if someone is going to leave a comment. Almost an internet celebrity. I am SO thankful to Beth and the committee for choosing my entry. This means more than they could imagine, and more than I can even understand myself. It feels big, it is big, but my mind just can't wrap itself around how big this really is!
Serious race mean serious training. My first 5 am run today. I am determined to log lots of miles between now and then. Lots of short runs to up my fitness as well as the long runs I have been doing since the new year (thank goodness I started a training schedule before I had a race to run!). This 5 am thing is going to have to workout, because that is the ONLY time I have time to run right now. It's nice because my body is still too sleepy to revolt, so it feels better than an afternoon run. It's bad because it is worse than 3 cups of coffee on the intestines.
I AM GOING TO BOSTON!!!!! I am in my mid twenties and checking stuff off my bucket list left and right. How did I get this lucky? (I better remind myself of how lucky I am next week when the agony of finishing my masters/marathon training on crack/prepping kids for state tests sets in). The past 48 hours have given me a clarity that I had lost, given me a shot of excitement and optimism, and revived my old self that was already ready for more challenge. I can do this, I am so excited to get it done! This feeling of empowerment is what has kept me running. The timing is perfect. ITS ALL HAPPENING!
The neatest part of all this? My two FAVORITE bloggers are running Boston. I am dead set on meeting them both! This is better than being able to go to the Grammys or Oscars.
If any of my Boston peeps are reading this, I need a room for the weekend. Can you put me up? ;)
I won an entry into the Boston Marathon! Seriously. I checked the blog and my email again to make sure it wasn't an elaborate dream. In 9 weeks, I will be running the most iconic marathon in America, the place where my steamy love affair with running got started. When the Bestie said big things were coming my way, she was right. Pregnant ladies are always right (or so I have been told). Check out Beth's blog Shut Up And Run and you can see how it all went down. I also had more page hits yesterday than I usually get in an entire week thanks to her post (aka me rechecking my blogs obsessively to see if someone is going to leave a comment. Almost an internet celebrity. I am SO thankful to Beth and the committee for choosing my entry. This means more than they could imagine, and more than I can even understand myself. It feels big, it is big, but my mind just can't wrap itself around how big this really is!
Serious race mean serious training. My first 5 am run today. I am determined to log lots of miles between now and then. Lots of short runs to up my fitness as well as the long runs I have been doing since the new year (thank goodness I started a training schedule before I had a race to run!). This 5 am thing is going to have to workout, because that is the ONLY time I have time to run right now. It's nice because my body is still too sleepy to revolt, so it feels better than an afternoon run. It's bad because it is worse than 3 cups of coffee on the intestines.
I AM GOING TO BOSTON!!!!! I am in my mid twenties and checking stuff off my bucket list left and right. How did I get this lucky? (I better remind myself of how lucky I am next week when the agony of finishing my masters/marathon training on crack/prepping kids for state tests sets in). The past 48 hours have given me a clarity that I had lost, given me a shot of excitement and optimism, and revived my old self that was already ready for more challenge. I can do this, I am so excited to get it done! This feeling of empowerment is what has kept me running. The timing is perfect. ITS ALL HAPPENING!
The neatest part of all this? My two FAVORITE bloggers are running Boston. I am dead set on meeting them both! This is better than being able to go to the Grammys or Oscars.
If any of my Boston peeps are reading this, I need a room for the weekend. Can you put me up? ;)
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Attack of the Allergies
So, while running yesterday I thought about all the cute little flowers and pretty little trees all abloom, and wondered when I would be under full allergy assault. It only took a few hours to find out the answer of that question. After a night of fever sweats and a super groggy am, it become clear my sinuses are in a loosing battle. Every spring, we go through the same thing. They say if you've never had allergies, move to Northern California, and then you will. Never had them in LA or Boston, but man, do I get them here! Typically, I try to tough it out, and usually get a sinus infection that knocks me out BAD. Last year earned me chest x-rays, allergic reactions to medications, and almost a trip to the ER, so this year my goals is to play it safe. The year before that I was chronically sick for the entire spring season. No good.
So, no 10 miles today. Sad to already start missing long runs. But maybe I'll make it up midweek. I need to beat 15.5 miles this week! (Hear that dreadmill? I'm coming for you!)
Instead, I decided to sleep it off. And go grocery shopping while there was still bread and milk on the shelves. Gotta love a Sunday.
A few years back I was pretty stoked to create my quick fish tacos recipe from breaded fish fillets in the freezer section. Recently, I am proud of my recent creation of BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. Although I am an avid reader of Food and Wine and love to get down with all my Cuisinart and Kitchen-Aid gadgets to create moments of culinary bliss, I can't get my cook on as much as I'd like because I'm a workin' girl doing grad school on the side. So although that recipe to make gnocchi with homemade ricotta sounds heavenly, it just isn't in the schedule. (who has time to make homemade ricotta? Seriously!).
It started as a solution for a leftover rotisserie chicken special. I had half a chicken and wanted to do something tasty with it. It took about 5 minutes to shred the chicken off the bone, and another ten to reheat it in a skillet with some BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's). Sauté some onions on the side and throw it on a sandwich roll, and you've got something as good as the local BBQ joint can whip up. You really don't need cheese on them like the photo above, there is already enough flavor. Now I buy chickens solely for this purpose. You could probably make 3 sandwiches with half a chicken, although we have no concept of portion control and just use all the meat on two. The sandwiches are always too big, but I will never learn. Making this at home instead of buying the tub of Lloyd's bbq chicken from the deli section has less sodium, no preservatives, and less fat because it using both white and dark meat.
I love cooking and miss having time to tool around in the kitchen. I already have my first culinary endeavors planned: The weekend I finish my masters I am going to make a grasshopper pie (with homemade mint dark-chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate cookie crust, and chocolate ganache topping) and Guinness Ice Cream on St. Patty's day. The pie is to celebrate Pi day March 14 (I'm such a math geek). The weekend after that, I'll be making seared ahi for my Mom and some other asian fusion dish. I'll probably make her some homemade orange juice and omelets for breakfast. I have been really into fresh squeezed orange juice lately, even though I have never been a big fan in the past. Maybe I'll make a lemon sorbet as well. Just thinking of all the yummy things I am going to make makes me excited. I wish I had more people to eat up my creations!
So, no 10 miles today. Sad to already start missing long runs. But maybe I'll make it up midweek. I need to beat 15.5 miles this week! (Hear that dreadmill? I'm coming for you!)
Instead, I decided to sleep it off. And go grocery shopping while there was still bread and milk on the shelves. Gotta love a Sunday.
A few years back I was pretty stoked to create my quick fish tacos recipe from breaded fish fillets in the freezer section. Recently, I am proud of my recent creation of BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches. Although I am an avid reader of Food and Wine and love to get down with all my Cuisinart and Kitchen-Aid gadgets to create moments of culinary bliss, I can't get my cook on as much as I'd like because I'm a workin' girl doing grad school on the side. So although that recipe to make gnocchi with homemade ricotta sounds heavenly, it just isn't in the schedule. (who has time to make homemade ricotta? Seriously!).
It started as a solution for a leftover rotisserie chicken special. I had half a chicken and wanted to do something tasty with it. It took about 5 minutes to shred the chicken off the bone, and another ten to reheat it in a skillet with some BBQ sauce (I prefer Sweet Baby Ray's). Sauté some onions on the side and throw it on a sandwich roll, and you've got something as good as the local BBQ joint can whip up. You really don't need cheese on them like the photo above, there is already enough flavor. Now I buy chickens solely for this purpose. You could probably make 3 sandwiches with half a chicken, although we have no concept of portion control and just use all the meat on two. The sandwiches are always too big, but I will never learn. Making this at home instead of buying the tub of Lloyd's bbq chicken from the deli section has less sodium, no preservatives, and less fat because it using both white and dark meat.
I love cooking and miss having time to tool around in the kitchen. I already have my first culinary endeavors planned: The weekend I finish my masters I am going to make a grasshopper pie (with homemade mint dark-chocolate chip ice cream, chocolate cookie crust, and chocolate ganache topping) and Guinness Ice Cream on St. Patty's day. The pie is to celebrate Pi day March 14 (I'm such a math geek). The weekend after that, I'll be making seared ahi for my Mom and some other asian fusion dish. I'll probably make her some homemade orange juice and omelets for breakfast. I have been really into fresh squeezed orange juice lately, even though I have never been a big fan in the past. Maybe I'll make a lemon sorbet as well. Just thinking of all the yummy things I am going to make makes me excited. I wish I had more people to eat up my creations!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Good Things to help pull me through another week
When the going gets tough, you have to find some good things to hold onto. Now I have gained back a small bit of sanity, I need to give myself something solid to hold onto so I don't fall to pieces between now and my Master's symposium.
Good Thing #1: Despite the craziness, I am still getting in 3 runs/workouts a week. This week, which has been the hardest in a while, was the highest mileage week of 2011 with 15.5 miles run (4 runs: 6mi, 2mi, 5mi, 2.5mi). Nothing compared to the miles I was logging last summer, but not bad considering limited daylight hours, overwhelming workload, and school responsibilities. I am very excited to keep upping my long run mileage and hit 10 miles tomorrow. Hooray!
Good Thing #2: I finally am getting my grad school work under control. After much anguish, i feel like my plan is clear, I know exactly what I need to get done, and how I am going to do it. This makes me feel a lot less overwhelmed, and happy I might actually be able to take a night off for Valentines Day. In two weeks everything will be submitted, in four weeks I will be completely done. Everything is happening so fast!
Good Thing #3: Some of my classroom interventions are finally starting to show positive effects. Some of my students who failed last semester are making a comeback in a great way. They are seeing the fruition of hard work and perseverance and their self-efficacy is on the rise. There is nothing more rewarding for a teacher. I am hoping that the careful planning of polynomials and factoring unit is going to have positive effects on learning and produce lots of proficient kids. It helps that my department chair is impressed with my work and tells me that my kids are lucky to be receiving such instruction. These are all the little things that keep my going and make me consider staying in secondary education.
I can't wait to have my life back. I want to train more, cook more, and see friends more. I want to dream about making sorbet instead of have nightmares about drowning in research and forgetting to go into work. Yikes!
Good Thing #1: Despite the craziness, I am still getting in 3 runs/workouts a week. This week, which has been the hardest in a while, was the highest mileage week of 2011 with 15.5 miles run (4 runs: 6mi, 2mi, 5mi, 2.5mi). Nothing compared to the miles I was logging last summer, but not bad considering limited daylight hours, overwhelming workload, and school responsibilities. I am very excited to keep upping my long run mileage and hit 10 miles tomorrow. Hooray!
Good Thing #2: I finally am getting my grad school work under control. After much anguish, i feel like my plan is clear, I know exactly what I need to get done, and how I am going to do it. This makes me feel a lot less overwhelmed, and happy I might actually be able to take a night off for Valentines Day. In two weeks everything will be submitted, in four weeks I will be completely done. Everything is happening so fast!
Good Thing #3: Some of my classroom interventions are finally starting to show positive effects. Some of my students who failed last semester are making a comeback in a great way. They are seeing the fruition of hard work and perseverance and their self-efficacy is on the rise. There is nothing more rewarding for a teacher. I am hoping that the careful planning of polynomials and factoring unit is going to have positive effects on learning and produce lots of proficient kids. It helps that my department chair is impressed with my work and tells me that my kids are lucky to be receiving such instruction. These are all the little things that keep my going and make me consider staying in secondary education.
I can't wait to have my life back. I want to train more, cook more, and see friends more. I want to dream about making sorbet instead of have nightmares about drowning in research and forgetting to go into work. Yikes!
Friday, February 11, 2011
Running Blues
Today is a school holiday, so thankfully I have time to get caught up with grad school stuff and put in a run. A terrible, slow, sad run, but 5 miles is 5 miles, so I'll take it. My goal is to get in one more short run tomorrow (3 miles) so I can make this the highest mileage week for 2011. I also hope to log a nice long run of 10 miles on Sunday, which will help keep me on pace to get to Mexico before the end of the year. Maybe I should showcase the towns I could have run to with my miles each month. That might be humorous. I need humor right now.
Today was the first time I was actually sad during my run. After 2.5 miles I just wasn't getting the exhilaration that pounding pavement gives me. There is just so much going on with work, home, and school, I feel like I am going to shut down at any moment. Being sad when running is scary. Running is supposed to beat the blues. I am hoping that a longer run will produce different results. The first few miles are always a struggle for me. Today it was a little better for mile 5, but nothing like the thrills I have gotten before. I think that is why my pace was so slow and I just couldn't kick it into high gear. I am in a rut and I have to figure out how to get out of it. Maybe winning an entry to the Boston Marathon this year would help perk me up? I put in an entry on a whim, we'll see what happens :)
Today was the first time I was actually sad during my run. After 2.5 miles I just wasn't getting the exhilaration that pounding pavement gives me. There is just so much going on with work, home, and school, I feel like I am going to shut down at any moment. Being sad when running is scary. Running is supposed to beat the blues. I am hoping that a longer run will produce different results. The first few miles are always a struggle for me. Today it was a little better for mile 5, but nothing like the thrills I have gotten before. I think that is why my pace was so slow and I just couldn't kick it into high gear. I am in a rut and I have to figure out how to get out of it. Maybe winning an entry to the Boston Marathon this year would help perk me up? I put in an entry on a whim, we'll see what happens :)
Sunday, February 6, 2011
4 Stages of a Run
Stage 1: Excitement. I lay in bed and think about how much I love running and how I want to run forever. I have to give myself a pep talk to not go too far too fast so I don't get injured like last year. I envision myself running an ultra-marathon on a whim. I feel that delusional good. This stage continues as I put on my favorite running capris (don't I look cute!) and get everything lined up: ipod, gels, water bottle (too cute today for a dorky hydration belt), house key. Even as I stretch, I am already congratulating myself on a run well done. And I haven't even set foot out the door yet.
Stage 2: Reality. About half a mile in my body overpowers all those silly little thoughts I had before I walked out the door. Usually my calves talk first, and then the feet and back chime in. Today the stomach even had something to say.
Calves: Whoa Whoa Whoa. What happened to Sunday Funday? I'm not trying to be all uptight, but this is not what I signed up for on the weekends.
Back: Yeah, I was much happier in bed. All this pavement pounding is making me irritable. Knot what I want on my day off.
Calves: Why does she always do this?
Back: I hate her.
Calves: I hate her too.
Stomach: She makes me sick. So selfish. Where are my bacon and hash browns? I am about to throw this toast right back at her and send her back home.
As they go on like this, I am trying to turn the iPod up to drown out/motivate myself to just stick through it. But they just won't shut up. This is where I get the usually reminder: RUNNING IS HARD.
Stage 3: Battle. The mind is sick of the body whining and complaining. I mean, we just ran a marathon in October for heaven's sake, just suck it up and do the 7 miles! You did 9 last weekend, what's the big deal? This is where we pull out the big guns: mental images of my head of the body of a kenyan running really really fast, the Kool-Aid man bursting through the wall shouting "Oh Yeah", qualifying for the Boston Marathon, running the Boston Marathon, me at my physical worst, me at my physical best last August, the girls with tight abs in Runner's World magazine, my head on Heidi Klum's body as I relax on the beach in Tahiti. This is some powerful stuff. One more block... one more step... don't be a quitter... you can't go to Boston/wear a bikini unless you put the sweat equity in now.
Every time I run, I fight this battle between miles .5 and 2.99. I takes me 3 miles to convince my body that it is a runner's body now and there is no going back. I have been running since 2007. I am a marathon finisher. Why do I still have to convince my body it is a runner's body every time I run?
Stage 4: Victory. Somewhere shortly after mile 3, my body usually gives in. My pace picks up, there's more bounce in my step. When I look at my shadow on the road a see a lean runner, not an awkward chubby girl with too much gear on. Now we have the endorphins, I can convince myself to do one more mile instead of one more block. This is what I run for. The feeling that I am unstoppable. That I won't have to put my face on a Kenyan or Heidi Klum. I am going to have great splits and a rockin bikini body. I can do it. Oddly enough, an inspirational song will usually come on my iPod right when I need it so my mind gets the upper-hand and wins the battle. Today's song was "How you ever gonna know" by Garth Brooks. This is what stoked the coals this morning:
I am no longer a beginner runner. I am so far from being elite or even a good runner. I just run. At times, not very well. I have big dreams. I want to be fast. I want to run far. Some days I am not sure how to get there. but then I remember how crazy it is that I was able to get myself this far. For all those bloggers out there who just run, thanks for inspiring me to stay in the game. 2011 is going to be a great year for running!
Stage 2: Reality. About half a mile in my body overpowers all those silly little thoughts I had before I walked out the door. Usually my calves talk first, and then the feet and back chime in. Today the stomach even had something to say.
Calves: Whoa Whoa Whoa. What happened to Sunday Funday? I'm not trying to be all uptight, but this is not what I signed up for on the weekends.
Back: Yeah, I was much happier in bed. All this pavement pounding is making me irritable. Knot what I want on my day off.
Calves: Why does she always do this?
Back: I hate her.
Calves: I hate her too.
Stomach: She makes me sick. So selfish. Where are my bacon and hash browns? I am about to throw this toast right back at her and send her back home.
As they go on like this, I am trying to turn the iPod up to drown out/motivate myself to just stick through it. But they just won't shut up. This is where I get the usually reminder: RUNNING IS HARD.
Stage 3: Battle. The mind is sick of the body whining and complaining. I mean, we just ran a marathon in October for heaven's sake, just suck it up and do the 7 miles! You did 9 last weekend, what's the big deal? This is where we pull out the big guns: mental images of my head of the body of a kenyan running really really fast, the Kool-Aid man bursting through the wall shouting "Oh Yeah", qualifying for the Boston Marathon, running the Boston Marathon, me at my physical worst, me at my physical best last August, the girls with tight abs in Runner's World magazine, my head on Heidi Klum's body as I relax on the beach in Tahiti. This is some powerful stuff. One more block... one more step... don't be a quitter... you can't go to Boston/wear a bikini unless you put the sweat equity in now.
Every time I run, I fight this battle between miles .5 and 2.99. I takes me 3 miles to convince my body that it is a runner's body now and there is no going back. I have been running since 2007. I am a marathon finisher. Why do I still have to convince my body it is a runner's body every time I run?
Stage 4: Victory. Somewhere shortly after mile 3, my body usually gives in. My pace picks up, there's more bounce in my step. When I look at my shadow on the road a see a lean runner, not an awkward chubby girl with too much gear on. Now we have the endorphins, I can convince myself to do one more mile instead of one more block. This is what I run for. The feeling that I am unstoppable. That I won't have to put my face on a Kenyan or Heidi Klum. I am going to have great splits and a rockin bikini body. I can do it. Oddly enough, an inspirational song will usually come on my iPod right when I need it so my mind gets the upper-hand and wins the battle. Today's song was "How you ever gonna know" by Garth Brooks. This is what stoked the coals this morning:
Anything in life worth havin'
Lord, it has its sacrifice
But the gift that you're receiving
Is worth more than a price
Someone I know quotes someone who is probably famous in saying "nothing in life worth doing is easy". Aristotle said, " Excellence is not an act, it is a habit" and the list can go on. You have to fill you mind with this stuff so you have a fully loaded arsenal against those lazy calves, back and stomach. If they keep acting up, I might just punish then with some core training. I bet that will shut them up ;)Is worth more than a price
I am no longer a beginner runner. I am so far from being elite or even a good runner. I just run. At times, not very well. I have big dreams. I want to be fast. I want to run far. Some days I am not sure how to get there. but then I remember how crazy it is that I was able to get myself this far. For all those bloggers out there who just run, thanks for inspiring me to stay in the game. 2011 is going to be a great year for running!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Good Things on a Thursday
I think getting my hair done make me more appreciative of the good things. Or the bleach on my scalp makes me dumber and think everything is good. Either way, my hair looks good, I am happy, the world keeps turning.
January brought a double digit weight loss! Hooray! I am sure it is all water weight, but it make the runs even more sweet. This week has been terrible as far as running/cross-training (February is Hell Month for the MA) but seeing the results read-out on he scale is helping to motivate me to get out on the treadmill at least once before saturday and try to get an outside done on saturday morning, even though I have grad school. The most amazing part is that this happened with 3 tons of Godiva in the house (I hid it from myself, btw). All this running might look like dedication, but really, it is just a form of self hatred ;) I am a glutton for punishment.
Also a good thing: I get to see the bestie tonight. Even though we only live 30 minutes apart, schedules just don't allow us to be up in each other's business as much as we would like (not that my business is worth being all up in). I think I am going to bring her a treat. Who doesn't love treats, right?
I am almost caught up with lesson planning, getting good reviews from administrators and my department chair, and life hasn't been so hectic I've had to miss the Bachelor. And, tomorrow is treat day at work, and Ron is in charge. I bet he brings homemade cookies! Since today is going to be a good day, I think I'll tell JF to just book the Havasu trip. I mean, why not? (btw, I won't be wearing pasties....more on that at a later time!)
January brought a double digit weight loss! Hooray! I am sure it is all water weight, but it make the runs even more sweet. This week has been terrible as far as running/cross-training (February is Hell Month for the MA) but seeing the results read-out on he scale is helping to motivate me to get out on the treadmill at least once before saturday and try to get an outside done on saturday morning, even though I have grad school. The most amazing part is that this happened with 3 tons of Godiva in the house (I hid it from myself, btw). All this running might look like dedication, but really, it is just a form of self hatred ;) I am a glutton for punishment.
Also a good thing: I get to see the bestie tonight. Even though we only live 30 minutes apart, schedules just don't allow us to be up in each other's business as much as we would like (not that my business is worth being all up in). I think I am going to bring her a treat. Who doesn't love treats, right?
I am almost caught up with lesson planning, getting good reviews from administrators and my department chair, and life hasn't been so hectic I've had to miss the Bachelor. And, tomorrow is treat day at work, and Ron is in charge. I bet he brings homemade cookies! Since today is going to be a good day, I think I'll tell JF to just book the Havasu trip. I mean, why not? (btw, I won't be wearing pasties....more on that at a later time!)
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