Inspiration and Motivation

I have learned this at least by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in te direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours. Henry David Thoreau

30 Days Baby!

I didn't realize until just this second that there are 30 Days left until Seattle. It is unbelievable how fast the days can go by. It makes me realize how precious life is and it makes me happy that I'm here living it. My run today was a good one with stops only to drink fluids. I am making sure I have a high carb dinner before I get out there to do the longer runs. Just wanted to wish everyone a great weekend....time to celebrate the season of the great pumpkin. :)

Looking forward to the weekend!

Been a little busy with school...ok ALOT busy. Paper on Monday, test and 2 papers on Tuesday, test on Wednesday, paper on Thursday and take home test due Friday. Oh yes and a nice big FAT Anatomy and Physiology Midterm on Monday. Hopefully it will let up a little next week.

Tomorrow Jake is coming home and we get to see Shelby. Yay! This weekend we are going to run the Omak Autumn Leaf and this will be Sunny girls first race. Jakes second (first being the Saint Paddies Day Dash in which someone got SMOKED :) ) (and someone else got run over by a baby stroller) (and people were milking serious hangovers before after and during the race.) (thank god for Rockstars).

Tomm is a nice easy 8 miler and then on Saturday is our one mile race. Sunday is the real 18 miler. If I can get through these next two long runs I know I can make it. After next week I will begin to taper off on the runs so my body can rest up. I can't believe I'm almost through with week 12. I feel a little better this week but still a little TY-RED. Exercising my brain and body is exhausting....gonna catch up on some zzzzzz's. Thanks everyone again....for all your support.

One BIG OOPS!

I thank god that a new week has begun. I think I lost little pieces of my brain last week. Where they dribbled out of my ear and landed....I just don't know. As you can see my running schedule only called for a long run of 16 miles. I had scared myself sh*&tless thinking I had 18 loooooooong miles to run on my own.

Ok look! I know 18 miles is 16 miles + 2. But I had been lacking in the positive thinking department (a little). And I was running alone this time. No smiling pit crew to cheer me on and bring me jelly beans or a granola bar. To make a loooooong story very short......I ran 15 miles. Thats all I had to give. I kicked Omaks ass until my blood sugar dropped. Then I knew it was time to politely take a bow and eat massive quantities of pasta. And go to bed. Of course not before I beat the hell out of myself for not going the full 18 miles. Um and word to the wise.....carbohydrates are not overrated. They really serve purpose and function. Ok so maybe not one but two big OOP's-ez.

So you can imagine my surprise and joy (not true feelings...I don't think I can express how I truly felt without using many four letter expletives) when I realized I had looked at the wrong training week. For some reason I was pushing forward into week 12 and I think maybe I wasn't mentally prepared to be there.

I learned some very VALUABLE and IMPORTANT lessons from last week. Maybe lessons I may not have learned if I thought I was in week 11. I now know I need to strengthen my mental "focus". The mental training is as important as the physical training if not more so in completing this race. (Double duh! :) )

I also have to say that I am really lucky to have such a supportive partner (and a half) :). I really missed them.

Never Enough Time

I swear it's still Monday. A whole entire week has gone by and I have no idea where it just went. All of the sudden it is Sunday and I am sitting here bewildered and confused. How does that happen? I think that not having enough minutes in a day has something to do with it. And I miss Jake and he's only been gone for three hours. He's the calm to my stormy waters. It's pathetic I know....but today is my 18 miler. I must be strong and do this thing on my own....grasshoppaaaa.

I had a busy, hectic, chaotic, crazy week. I actually heard myself whining inside my own head. I missed my 8 miler this week because of a million lame reasons/excuses.....I was tired, it was too late, I was hungry, my head hurt and at 7 pm Thursday night after 6 hours on my feet at work, 2 hours writing a paper and another 2 and a half hours in class I just didn't have the energy to eat my dinner let alone run. The rest of the week is a blur but I managed to kick my own ass into gear and run my two 5 milers. But I will say with honesty...... UNDER PROTEST. This week was my first real "crappy"week since I started my training. I was dragging. I was not feeling the love. I for the first time in a long while felt that I had NO motivation.

That was how I was feeling just yesterday. Today is a whole new ball game however. Somehow getting up at 4 in the morning gives you a sense of well being when you are up to see the sunrise. The world seems to be at peace and it seems to feel so full of life. Whatever motivation I had lost throughout this past week was renewed ten fold this morning. It took me a minute to stop and smell the foliage.



I have 18 miles to run today. It's me against the mean ol streets of Omak.....and I am going to kick Omaks ass! So I say bring it on.....this Massachusetts girl isn't afraid of you my friend.....I'll be kicken your butt......and your little dogs too!

My challenge lies below.......

Week 11 is HERE!

I cannot believe I have filled two whole blocks of the chart. Ten weeks I have been training. OMG! This week the runs are 5/8/5 and 18 miles. Again OMG. I'm taking the day off today to catch up on some much needed rest and try to make a dent in the piles of homework that continue to grow. Happy Monday to all!

For the Love of Running

Ok. I didn't get up at 4:30 am as planned. After tossing and turning for another night and getting very little sleep I decided to sleep in until 7:45am and run after work. And so it goes. I ran my 16 miles this afternoon. I did it. 16 whole miles in one shot. And you know what? I survived and felt pretty damn good at the end of the run. My feet didn't hurt, my calves didn't hurt and I had enough energy to dance a teeny tiny jig as I ran into the driveway. Time wise I snailed it finishing in 3 hours and 40 minutes. But you know what....I am happy with that. Today was the longest distance I have ever run at once. 16 miles. Yahoo! And I'm alive to tell.

I started the run thinking about why it is that I feel the need to do this marathon. My adrenals have been churning the past few days and I think that is why I haven't been able to sleep. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared and that somewhere deep in the bottom of my idealisticly conservatively little liberal heart and soul lay a teeny tiny shred of doubt. I think this week was the first time I let myself think about failure. And then I blinked. And the thought was gone.

Why is it that I run? I asked myself this as I ran in the rain. And again when my blood sugar dropped and I had to shovel both a banana and oatmeal cookie down. And again when I was crawling up a hill at mile 10. Believe it or not I had more answers the further I ran. I mean there were alot of reasons. And when I'm not so wiped out I think I'll share them all. For now I'll just say because I can. And just like the gentleman in the picture above, I think.....I run.....therefore I am......crazy for what I do!

I just wanted to say thank you to all you wonderful running bloggers for your sweet,and thoughtful comments. And to my friends and family. When it gets a little tough out there on the mean streets of BFE Omak I think of you guys and run a little harder and sometimes a little faster. Thank you millions! :)

Thoughts of an Overstimulated Running Insomniac

I am feeling overstimulated. I woke up at 4 this morning and just couldn't go back to sleep. I think I am gearing up for the 16 miles I have to run tomm morning. I have to get out on the road by 4:30 am so I can be done before work at 8. I will be running in the dark and I am sure that is going to be fun. Most times I don't mind because I like the quiet of the early morn. But tomm is Sunday and I know I am going to want to sleep in. As VedJen would say Whaaaaah! I know I shouldn't whine.

Somehow I found myself busy enough yesterday that by 7 pm I had only had cheese, tuna, and crackers and one....yes one glass of water. I then had to over-compensate for my lack of hydration throughout the day (dumb, dumb, dumb) and so maybe thats why I was up at four. I just can't let that happen again.

We did a three day diet analysis for my nutrition class. I was happy to see that carb, protein and fiber count was within normal limits. My fat intake on one of the days was 91.5 grams. Yowwza. My instructor had us monitor a regular week day and then the weekend. Just as she predicted my weekend nutrition kind of went to hell. She told us that on the weekends people tend to eat double the caloric intake that they do during the weekday. I don't think I doubled it but it was interesting to see the difference. I guess on the weekends is when I have been running the longer distances so I give myself permission to um.....eat yummy food.

I am off shortly to run my 5 miles that I didn't get to run yesterday. Sunny girl is here this weekend and I am looking forward to spending some time with her and Jake. My dogs really want to go for a walk. We tried to get them walking on the treadmill. Gunph actually did ok and seemed to enjoy it. Alaska just kind of freaked out and kept flying off. The cats think it makes a good resting spot. When it's off of course.

Wishing a good weekend to all!

Just a Day

This morning I ran on the treadmill. I thought I was going to go insane. How is it that people can run long distances on a treadmill? I used to run on the treadmill at the gym when the weather was really rainy. I used to enjoy it. I felt kind of trapped this morning. I love running out on the road. There is just something about the fresh air and the scenery. The treadmill does challenge me though. I upped my pace throughout the run and it kicked my butt. Yowza!

I was thinking about how I need to stop for a minute and just enjoy. Just take a nice breath and smell the crisp Autumn air. I feel like I get so caught up in the whirlwind and forget to soak it all in....the sounds, the smells. It's good to take a minute to laugh or maybe reminisce.

The picture I posted is a postcard I have had forever. I have had it on my refridgerator everywhere I have lived for over ten years. I sometimes feel like how that guy must feel. Even though it seems like the world has gone a little mad there still is a place where you can go to feel centered. And who cares if the world looks in and thinks your left of center.

I have been so engrossed in the running and the tests and the meetings that I kind of forgot to think outside of the box. Creativity and imagination seem to have been shelfed temporarily and in their place are time management and stealing glances at the world through NPR and the NY Times. I feel a little sheltered out here in the rural. Maybe just a little out of touch. I'm not complaining. I'm just realizing. And realization promotes growth. And growth means that you are aware. And awareness means your alive.....living your life fully and happily. And with a sense of humor. Thats what it's all about.....isn't it?

Hope everyone is having a great week....running,working, and otherwise. Missing everyone who is far away. I will call as soon as I have a minute.

Week 9 is Down!

OMG I can't believe that week nine is over. I want it back....it went by way to fast. With 50 some odd days left until Seattle I am starting to feel that this is all becoming a reality. I am nervous and anxious and excited all at once.

This past week was a challenge due to the "sickness" and juggling everything with school, work, and training. I felt that I stayed on track and I was able to pull through it all. Saturday I ran the Leavenworth half marathon despite the sometimes runny, sometimes stuffy sometimes sneezy nose. I admit that I felt tired at the start but once I got going I felt my energy level start to rev up a little. I kept a nice 10 minute mile pace going up until the first 5 miles or so and I felt really happy. The challenge came just after mile six with the nice whopping hill that never seemed to end (until after mile 7 and I felt like I was practically crawling up the thing). But I didn't stop to walk. Not until mile 10 when I had made myself stop to (as my Nana would politely say) take a piddle.



I was a little frustrated during the last three miles because I couldn't seem to get my "sprint" on. There were people who passed me during the last leg of the race and it made me mad that my body wouldn't seem to listen to me and pick up the pace. I ended up finishing in approx 2:24. It may be a little less then that due to chip time. I wanted to finish in under 2:20. But after scowling at my time as I crossed the finishing mat, I realized that I should have felt lucky to have finished the race considering I had felt like absolute crap at the start.

I ended up doing 3 more miles later on after the race to keep up with my training schedule of 16 miles. I wish I had video taped it because I know I must have looked pitiful running the first mile until my leg muscles warmed up again. I cheated a little by splitting up the race and the warm down miles but it was 16 miles nonetheless. Longest run I've ever done thus far.

This is now Week 10. This week the runs are going to be 5/8/5 and 16. I believe this is going to be the hardest week and I feel up to it (I believe I can fly song..... inserted here for inspiration). I need to work on visualizing the race more, picking up the pace a little bit and eating a little healthier for better fuel efficiency. There seems to be so much to do in such a short amount of time. We got a treadmill and I'm so excited. I figure it'll be great for the cold and cruddy weather days and it will help me run some 8/9 minute mile runs. Any little bit will help.

I just wanted to wish TRRSF an AWESOME run this coming up weekend in Hartford. I have been following her progress and I am rootin for her all the way to the finish! :) You go girl!

Sniffles....

I HATE being sick. I HATE colds. The over production of booger-age is ok. The sniffling can be handled. Even the one nostril clogged so you have to continuously be turning to the other side while you sleep is fine. I just can't handle the run down feeling that leaves you dragging all day. And I can't just stay in bed and sleep it off because I just feel worse. I always feel like my bed turns into a petri dish full of goodies anyway....and that is just disgusting.

I have to go run 7 miles this morning. Maybe I can kick the crap out of this cold. I am sure I will be an interesting sight on the road this morning. Ahhhh the misery. I am peeling my backside out of the chair now and headed out. WML.

I am wishing everyone a very healthy and germ free day. If you see a crazy with a cold.....please don't look them in the EYE. Or shake their hand. Please take it from me. You don't wanna go there. :)



Bloomsbury

Courtesy of my Dad

The Four Stages of Life!

Week Eight is History!

I did it. I ran 14 miles and really felt great through the whole run. The only time I stopped was to drink water and swallow down a snack. My total time although not world class elite was 2:55 and my 7 mile time was 1:21. I ran with no goal in mind....I just wanted to finish and feel good throughout the run. Last week during the 12 miler my feet burned during the last two miles and I was wincing in pain until I got to the finish. Today I felt a little tired and a little sore but I really felt the "FLOW". I enjoyed myself today and had fun.....and I think it made all the difference. I had to do some fine tuning on my attitude and focus. I have been trying some positive talk during the first few miles and I found that it's not taking me three or more miles to warm up.

I am going to add some hill and speed work in on my "short" days to help me get a little stronger and faster. The heart rate monitor really has been helping me pick up my pace and stay in tune with how my body feels. I am excited to see how much I can progress within the next eight weeks. (without killing myself). 55 days or so until Seattle. I can't believe it.

This next weeks training runs are 4/7/4 and 16 miles. I can't believe I'm at the 16 miler already. I am going to run it on Saturday in Leavenworth. I am running the Octoberfest 1/2 marathon and will be adding 3 miles to that. The course is suppossed to be pretty hilly so I'm not looking to run a 1/2 marathon PR. Leavenworth is beautiful this time of year so I'm sure the run will be quite scenic. And of course theres the cold Beer.....Nothing like a little liquid gold to motivate a girl! :)

Once again I want to thank my little "pit" crew for their support and smiling faces. I love them and couldn't do it without them. And that includes Vedjen too! Go Team Chambas!