Resolutions and Reflections

2011 was the year that I became a runner.  It was a resolution and a task all about me and giving back to myself.

I took on the challenge December 17, 2010, but the bulk of the challenge was in keeping it going in 2011.  Though injuries, pain and determination, I came across the other side down 15 pounds and at least 2 inches per area measured, with more areas down even more inches.

2011 was the first time in my life I proclaimed myself, “a runner.”

Calling yourself a runner is a big step in taking up the sport/hobby/sanity-keeping-system.  Especially for those of us who grew up hating running and being the slowest on in gym class or on the team. I always thought being a runner is something you were born with: long legs, long stride, thin as a rail body-type.

Running started as an experiment to learn to love what I’ve always hated.  In this past year I’ve learned not only about the joys of running, but also that you really can do anything you set your mind to.  If you take the thing you’ve always hated most, something you convinced yourself you just weren’t born to do, you can learn not only to do that thing, but also to love it.

Running 12 minute miles, I’m certainly not fast by any stretch of the imagination.  I’m also not ashamed of saying that’s my pace because I know what it took to get to a 12 minute mile average.  To me, that number represents strength and the future that I hold before myself.  In five years will I say I’m at 10 or 9 minute miles? I hope so, but even if I can’t say that, I know I will still be running because of all the things this past year has taught me.  It’s pushed me to open my eyes to the possibilities of sprint triathlons in the coming years, and maybe even a marathon before I’m thirty.

There are so many joys in running, but the best reward doesn’t come at the end of a race or even at the end of a good day.  The greatest reward is as I look back over the past year and see that what I’ve accomplished took the full year.  It’s not something that can be rushed, it’s changing everything at a snail’s pace.  Real change doesn’t happen overnight, real change is a lifestyle adjustment that, when made, makes it unthinkable to imagine going back to where you were before you started.

While 2011 was a year focused on myself, 2012 is a year focused on making my running more of a group activity.  I’m no longer shy about asking others if they want to run with me, or worried about not being able to keep up.  I know that my pace is my pace and having support along the trail will only get me further on my path in life.

The resolution for 2012 is to run one race per month for the entire year.  I’ve already signed up for races through May and I’m eager to accomplish the races and continue to trail all year.  I invite you to join me on the road, or the trail, as I go through 2012’s journey.

January: 5k Legacy Loop

February: 5k 500 Festival Training Race

March: 10k 500 Festival Training Race

April: 15k 500 Festival Training Race

May: 13.1 500 Festival Mini Marathon

Comfort Foods

It’s a cold and rainy day today (even though Christmas is a few days away and snow would be much more festive.)

What’s better to have for dinner than belly-warming, filling comfort food? That used to mean hidden hotdogs with mac and cheese.

*Sidenote: “Hidden Hotdogs” are clearly something no one else has ever heard of.  For those of you who did not grow up in my parent’s house, that refers to what you probably know as “pigs in a blanket”.  This is a constant correction in our house now when I refer to them as hidden hot dogs and my husband insists there is no such thing, in fact, they are called pigs in a blanket. 

But, these days cheese is not on the menu, so I’ve been forced to reevaluate comfort food options.  Hidden hotdogs are fantastic – but they generally require making at least 8 for only the 2 of us and are pretty fatty and calorie-packed.  One crescent roll has 110 calories, plus 150 for the average hot dog.  That puts the first delight at 260 calories.  And there is never a way that I can eat just one.  So already, before sides, dinner’s at 520 calories.

My second favorite comfort food is chicken packets. These gooey, warm treats are another “family recipe” (translation – from a cookbook we bought and used a lot) that consist of boiled chicken cut into square, mixed with cream cheese and chives, then wrapped in two crescent rolls, dipped in butter, rolled in bread crumbs and then baked.  Hello again, calories, but at least one is more than enough for that dinner.  Due to the size of our kitchen (we have 20 square inches of counterspace, total) I can’t personally make those, so they’re a 1-2x a year treat when my mom makes them.

So, that leads me to today’s answer to cold, dreary day.  Gooey, warm and unhealthy enough to fit the “comfort food” category, but not a diet-buster.  Voila’s Chicken & Vegetables in a Pot Pie Gravy skillet meal.

It’s meant to taste like a chicken pot pie and it hits the spot.  To prepare, we place the frozen meal in the skillet, add some water, and let it heat stirring occasionally.  It takes about 15 minutes total to prepare, so it’s perfect for nights we would be tempted to turn to eating out.  It’s so easy, even my husband can make it, and it always tastes fantastic.  At 2.5 servings per bag, and 290 calories per serving, we both enjoy a full dinner for under 375 calories.  It’s packed with vegetables and chicken, so it’s protein-filled. There are even biscuit crumbs to add at the end to make it really thick and yummy.

While frozen meals are never as healthy as making them from scratch, we’ve found this particular meal is exactly what we need a lot of nights after long days or long workouts.

Delicious, warm, filling all from a fast, easy-t0-make, affordable meal. 

And runnin runnin and runnin runnin

I’ve been dealing with an annoying little cold for the past week.

I woke up last Monday and I could feel it coming on, but Tuesday when I woke up, the brunt of it had hit.  My throat was totally closed off, my sinuses were clogged and my temp was up 4-5 degrees.  Nothing near the flu (*Thank you flu shot…) but still not fun to have.  In the past week it just hasn’t gone away, even today.

*Side note- that jumbo, combo box of Dayquil/Nyquil that I bought months ago with a coupon at walmart – TOTALLY coming in handy this week.*

Sickness aside, what really gets me is that I’ve been unable to run, or work out, in that entire time.  With traveling that makes ten straight days of no aerobic activity, which is driving me CRAZY!

No running, no lifting, no anything.  I’m dying to get back into a routine, especially with a race only 2  weeks away, but it’s hard to do when I can’t breathe and I’m sneezing all the time.

This post doesn’t have a real purpose other that to vent my frustrations and reflect on the changes that a year can make.

I started running in December 2010 and that first day was PAINFUL.  I kept telling myself to appreciate the small milestones each time I met a new goal.  Looking back, a year later, the change is incredible.  Not just physically (down 13 pounds and 7 inches) but also mentally.

Running has changed the way I look at the world and everything in it, and I encourage anyone who thinks that they can’t do it – that they can’t be a runner – to try it for one year.  If you’re not hooked on it by then, then find something else, but my hunch is that it will change your world, too.

A Very Mexico Thanksgiving

This year my husband and I started a fabulous new holiday tradition.  We claimed a holiday for ourselves.

While we are happy to split Christmas between our two families, we decided Thanksgiving was going to be “our holiday.”  A lot of the other holidays during the year where people typically get long weekends, I’m working, so Thanksgiving and Christmas are the two holidays that neither of us has to work all year.  With Christmas being a holiday we think is important to spend with our parents and my siblings, Thanksgiving became the logical holiday to take for “us.”

We got the idea from some friends of ours who have done this for years.  Each Thanksgiving, rather than split it between her four siblings’ families and parents and his sibling’s family and parents, they long ago claimed the weekend to give thanks for their own family.  After giving it some thought, we decided to do the same this year and found it was a fantastic idea.

Too many people wait until they have kids to make “family traditions.”  The two of us (and the cat, but she didn’t come…) are a family, even without kids, so why not make a family tradition of our own.

We were planning on going somewhere warm, to a beach, the week of Thanksgiving and it was fate that we happened to win a 3-night, 4-day stay at the JW Marriott Cancun Resort and Spa.  We purchased an additional night, got our passports in order (mine needed a name change, and the husband need his first passport) and soon enough we were off to sunny Mexico!

The following is a rave review for the hotel.  We were not compensated for the review, but we did win 3 nights of the lodging portion of the stay.  We were overwhelmingly satisfied with the hotel’s friendly staff, lush amenities and clean outdoor areas.

We arrived in Cancun on Monday afternoon and caught our shuttle to the hotel.  Walking in, the view was stunning.  The lobby opens onto a step-down bar, which features an expansive window that showcases the beach.  Tired from our trip (we woke up at 4 a.m. that morning to catch our first flight), we went to check out the room before finding food at one of the many on-site restaurants.  The room was large for a standard room, the bed was comfortable and the bathroom was about as large as our kitchen at home! The bathroom featured 2 sinks, a stand-up shower, a bathtub and separate toilet room.

We walked onto the balcony that opened with a sliding door and our ocean/pool view was expansive and beautiful.  We could see the lagoon to our left, the ocean to our right and part of the hotel’s expansive pool before us.  We spent a lot of time on the patio that week reading, eating, drinking and watching the sun set.

We walked the beach and checked out the pool before grabbing dinner on our first night at the Beachwalk restaurant, overlooking the sand and surf.

The sun sets around 5:30 p.m. in Cancun and after eating dinner outside we went back into the hotel to explore a bit more.

The next day we upgraded to “Club 91” for the first of our remaining 3 night stays.  This upgrade allowed us each 5 meals a day and an open bar from 6 p.m. – 10 p.m. each night.  We took full advantage of the offerings and got more than our money’s worth each day.  The meals and drinks were served on the top floor of the hotel with a room that overlooked the beach.

The hotel provided beach towels at our request, which was a nice touch.  Each time we went to enjoy the water we were able to get a clean, dry towel and didn’t have to worry about drying ours or cleaning them while we were there.

Each day we started off working out in the spa’s fitness room, a favorite of mine on vacation.  The fitness room was well equipped, if not a bit hot.   Following working out, we had breakfast, lounged by the pool, grabbed lunch, lounged on the beach, had afternoon snacks and more lounging/reading.  We then got cleaned up for dinner, drinks and relaxing.  Three full days in Mexico and I finished four books, got a massage, enjoyed all three days of sunny weather and swimming – the perfect vacation, hands down.

P.S. Thanksgiving dinner itself was a sushi buffet and we loved it!

If you have the chance to get to Cancun we both highly recommend staying at the JW Cancun.  A friendly staff, top-notch amenities and a great stay for our week of rest and relaxation.

Chasing the High

I’ve run many 5ks in my life.  Many I ran even before I was a runner by hobby.

I remember participating in Race for the Cures in high school with my softball team each year.  The years I was more fit, the more I loved the race.  It felt good each year, though, despite those being the only time I ever ran without a coach blowing a whistle to start and stop conditioning.

Now, as a runner by choice, I revel in the “good days” when I feel invincible after finishing mileage.  There are still “bad days” when I fight to complete the  mileage and “regular days” when I have to fight through the middle, but enjoy the sweetness of the energy and accomplishment at the end.

Saturday I had hoped to run my first half marathon.  I downgraded to the 5k for a number of reasons and set a goal to finish under a certain time.  I wasn’t thinking much of the morning and was hoping just for a good, regular run.  Nothing stressful, nothing to injure myself, just a solid run.

What I had was a fantastic 5k that was more than I could have hoped for.  I felt strong, had a great run the whole race.  I was so in the zone I didn’t even notice the mileage pass and suddenly I was at the end.  I sprinted out the last stretch and happily finished :30 seconds/mile faster than the last race I completed and :30 seconds total under my goal time.  It was a feeling I hadn’t felt since finishing my first 10k in March and one that I won’t soon forget.

I’ve got one race per month scheduled through next May (excluding January) and I don’t know if I’ll have that same feeling again in any of the next races.  But, felling what I felt when I crossed the finish line with thundering strength this Saturday, THAT is why I keep running and why I can’t imagine giving this up anytime soon.

Photo my husband took after I crossed the finish line.

The Monon Trail Top Three

The Monon Trail is one of my favorite parts of the city.

The fact that I live, essentially, on the trial only makes it better.  It’s my escape, just a few steps away and it links me to nearly the entire city north and to downtown. Bike, run, walk – I use the trail every month of the year and love nearly everything about it.

That said, while trapped behind a number of increasingly familiar sights today on my attempted bike-ride home, I’ve come up with some additional rules I think the trail and its users can benefit from that will keep it as a treasure of the city.

TOP THREE THINGS YOU DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE MONON TRAIL

3. OMG, MY BFF AND ARE ARE LIKE TOTALLY INSEPARABLE!

Teenage cliques and new families with new puppies and new mega-big strollers – I’m looking at you.  I get it, you want to spend time with your friends (furry or 2-legged) on the trail. The Monon is a GREAT place for that! I often use the trail with my friends as well.  Here’s where the trouble begins though… you seem to think that you are being rude by not walking side-by-side-by-side-by-side with your friends, mega-strollers, puppies or other friends who have brought their own mega-strollers and new puppies.

The traill has two lanes. One goes north, one goes south. You can remember this because there is a big red line going down the middle.  If your group is so wide, you’ve crossed over the red line? Consider walking in groups in front of and behind each other. I promise, your friends can still hear you, talk to you and you will still be friends after you leave the trail.

By staying on your side, you save yourself from the likelihood that someone has to go out of their way to avoid you. Someone coming from behind you that has to pass you or someone coming toward you that is trying to pass someone.  You don’t need to be single-file on the trail, but please, PLEASE, for the sake of the rest of us, stay to one lane of the trail.

2. BONFIRE SMELLS WELCOME, BUTT YOUR SMELL ISN’T.

The trail is convenient for you to get from your apartment to the bar, that’s great! During daylight hours, certainly, use the trail to commute, that’s certainly a great use for the trail.

BUT, while you’re on your way… can you not smoke like a chimney?  A majority of the people who are on the trail use it for exercise and enjoyment of being outdoors.  Walking, running, blading and biking are all frequent activities on the trail.  Sucking your smoke and staring at your cigarette butts? Not part of the intended ambiance of a nature trail. Pack away your butts while we work off ours.

1. CAN YOU HEAR ME NOW?

I may be alone on this one, but it’s a big pet peeve of mine.  When I use the trail, I look forward to getting away from the noise of the street.  If I wanted to run somewhere noisy, I’d stay on the street and run on the sidewalks.  Noise is easy to come by, the silence of the trail is not.

Just because your phone is mobile, doesn’t mean it should go everywhere you go. Carry it for safety, for music (with headphones), or for gps purposes.

DO NOT WALK DOWN THE TRAIL YACKING ON IT.

It’s annoying to everyone around you. Need to take a call? Step off the trail. It’s just that simple, step to the side.  Then we go right past you and respect the fact you tried to get off the path. When you walk (always EVER SO SLOWLY and usually in the middle of the path) you noise pollute a much greater area and just get in the way of those trying to enjoy the trail.

Gearing Up


Blogging feels very self-indulgent.

As life spun out of control, the temps crept up over the past month and work took over – the blog suffered for one simple reason.  Blogging feels self-indulgent.  As I fought for time with family and friends, as I went in early and worked late and as I even tried to scare up a few moments for “me-time” this blog suffered, my writing suffered and so did my running.

This blog, and writing in general, is very similar to running.  Both feel self-indulgent and are always the first to go when priorities start getting juggled.  Right or wrong – that’s the way it is.

So, here I stand.  I can ignore it and drop this blog and pretend that I’m perfect and totally planned to skip a month of blogging, to half-ass the first two weeks of training for the fall half marathon. Or, I can lay it all out.

I screwed up.  I put myself last for the past month.

Professionally things happen like that too, things fall through the cracks. I wish they didn’t and there are certainly days that I wish I was better than I am at catching every single detail; every single email; every single thing that passes by my desk, but there are days that I don’t.  There are times that after working 20+ days straight and 80-hour weeks that things fall through the cracks and I absolutely hate that.  The perfectionist in me wants to scream and shout and then stay up all night to fix it.

It’s harder to do that when it’s something self-indulgent like running or writing.  I move heaven and earth to serve others, to make times for family and friends and to get work done.  It’s so much harder to move heaven and earth and make time for just me.  When the results aren’t as immediate as any of those other items; it’s just plain hard.

Running progress is slow.  December 16th will mark my 1st run-aversary.  When I look at the progress in nearly 8 months it’s incredible to think of the progress so far. And yet- there’s so much farther that I hope to go.  Each run is its own challenge.  Each run is its own internal battle.  Progress is measured in miles, in months and in years.  When the stress piles on, it’s easier to knock out the small things that add up to progress quickly.  It’s easier to do what others rely on you to do.  It’s easier to serve others and spend time with others and receive that immediate feedback from others.

Part of the internal struggle that I’ve faced this summer as my plate gets more and more full is carving out a spot to keep learning, developing and making time for me.  I feel great after a run and after writing for an hour, but I feel like I still have a plate full of stuff to take care of.  When I knock some of that other stuff off, it’s easier not to feel bad about not making time 3 miles because I’m the only one I let down by not doing those miles.

So, I’m laying it out.  I screwed up and I want to be accountable for it.  This past month, I let myself down and I own up to that.  All I can do is dig in and move on from here with all the purpose and motivation I can muster.

3 miles Sunday, plus cross training and two miles yesterday, plus cross training.  Three miles on tap with a running buddy tomorrow and some more cross training tonight.  So far, making time for myself feels pretty great.

Don’t Blink

The 12 days or so since my last update have been a whirlwind. It seems like I just blinked and all of the sudden it was days/weeks later.

Two yoga classes, one run, nine days worked, one friend’s wedding celebrated, three days off and one impending injury that I’m trying to ward off.

That is not a recap I’m happy with in terms of working out, but it was a wonderful weekend with three days off and I lucky enough to be a part of a beautiful wedding for two wonderful friends.

So, instead of ignoring the lack of running and the, “life getting in the way,” I’m assessing it and going to take responsibility to figure out how to fit in the runs in the future.

Missed Runs

One factor of “falling off the wagon” these past weeks is that there there wasn’t a lot of harm done to my training plan overall. I’m not in full training yet for my November 5th marathon so at this point I’m just trying to get more fit and get more comfortable for when I start building mileage. If I’m going to prioritize other things over the training plan now is the time to do it.

But, at the same time – I did miss the runs. And I need to acknowledge that. One of my mantras that I say about mid-run is, “No one can do this for you, but you. You are responsible for your own health, entirely and completely. You are the only one who can keep you healthy.” That is true and in that respect I did let myself down.

While I will have more motivation in the future to get those runs in with the help of the 13.1 goal, there will always be busy weeks, busy days and bad weather. One way I can work to not fall into that trap is to have a large repitoire of activities to keep fit when the runs don’t work out, for whatever reason. I can find different ways to work out – even if it’s 6 a.m. and raining or 11 p.m. and dark.

Good run

I tried something new for my run this week. I think overall it was a great choice and it’s something I’m going to work in to my routine once a week as I train.

I’ve been using intervals as a crutch and I want to get out of that habit. The intervals tell me when to go what speeds and I never stray beyond those. The result is completed runs as planned, but it doesn’t leave a lot of room for pushing limits.

This past Thursday, I decided to turn off the “coaching” w/ my intervals and just run. Because I had taken a week off, I cut down the mileage, but instead of set intervals and time, I decided I was going to go as far as I could, for as long as I could, mixing in intermittent slower speeds with the pushing of the faster speeds. I think it was really a great run even if it was different. I wasn’t running for time, I was just running to run, and it was a great feeling. I’m going to make sure one of my short runs each week is just that – no time, just mileage and no coaching – just pure running.

Impending Injury

I wasn’t able to run my first half marathon in May due to peroneal tendinitis in my right foot. My run this week felt great, but today when I got up to run my left foot was tight and just felt off. I need to look in to some stretches and some ways to strengthen those areas so I don’t miss another race due to the same problem. Today, instead of pushing it, I took the morning off and I plan on another run tomorrow.

I think it’s important not to injure it before I even start training so I’m going to take advantage of these few weeks that I have to learn more about strengthening the areas before I lose training time.

Yoga

I took one class of yoga per week the past week and they were night and day for one reason – me. The class was the same, the location was the same, the teacher was the same, but I was different each week.

Last week it was a frustrating class. I was unfocused and it just felt like I wasn’t doing anything right, like my body was separate from my thoughts and actions. I left frustrated and upset with myself.

This week, I took the same class and went in with a new attitude. I focused on the breathing, focused on the motions and didn’t lose myself in frustrations when my hands slipped, or when I did something wrong – I just did the motions and it made all the difference. No frustrations and I left feeling energized and strong – strong enough to go back to running on Thursday. That’s hugely important to keep in mind in the future in all actions – my attitude has more impact than anything else on the outcome.


It all goes back to intention. This week, the importance of that intention was very visible in all aspects of my life and although I certainly didn’t succeed in all areas, I can be okay with that and not be disappointed in my shortcomings or failures, but rather enjoy the progress that occurs in all areas, each day.