Yep, you heard me correctly...I am leaving on Monday for a 7 day kayaking trip in the Bahamas. So, needless to say, I will be taking a little hiatus from training. BUT I'm bring my running shoes and I will get to swim in the ocean, so maybe I will not lose too much ground. UGH! I'm really getting nervous for this Ironman race.
:-}
So, until March 6th, train hard and I'll post pictures/stories as soon as I'm back!
Ciao amici!
Friday, February 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Night Running
After a frustrating day yesterday, and after almost wanting to ram this poor person off the road in front of me, I realized that driving to the crowded 24 Hour Hollywood gym to exercise in my already agitated state was PROBABLY not the BEST idea. Instead I opted to drive home and go for a run around 6:50 at night. I HAD SO MUCH FUN! It was quiet, I could think, and I wasn't scared at all! I think that the run did agitate my cold, but otherwise, it cleared my head and was exciting.
I did get a little lost though w/ no sun as a guide/marker. I was running in NE Portland and got turned around on Alameda St. It curves and I thought I was still running West when I got to an intersection that said "24th & Mason" and I was on 24th! "Wait, don't the numbered streets run North/South?!" But instead of stopping and investigating, I kept running, thinking that the sign must have been turned around. I still literally "felt" that I was running West. Nope. It was so weird when I realized that I was actually running North. I felt so disoriented and wacky. But I corrected my mistake and continued on.
I won't make it a habit to run at night, but it was a beautiful night and I REALLY enjoyed the run!
I did get a little lost though w/ no sun as a guide/marker. I was running in NE Portland and got turned around on Alameda St. It curves and I thought I was still running West when I got to an intersection that said "24th & Mason" and I was on 24th! "Wait, don't the numbered streets run North/South?!" But instead of stopping and investigating, I kept running, thinking that the sign must have been turned around. I still literally "felt" that I was running West. Nope. It was so weird when I realized that I was actually running North. I felt so disoriented and wacky. But I corrected my mistake and continued on.
I won't make it a habit to run at night, but it was a beautiful night and I REALLY enjoyed the run!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
On a roll...
...to not making it to the finish line.
So this week (thus far) has been a no-exercise week for me. I'm sick, I leave today for Boise, and I am not very motivated. I keep thinking "ok, next week will be different." But unless I say "today will be different" and I ACTUALLY do something about it (oh, like getting my butt to the gym), I will never get to that finish line in June.
So, I am bringing my running shoes with me to Boise and am hoping that I will get some form of cardio in for the weekend.
So, there is my update...pretty much NOTHING really to update you about other than the fact that this week I have not made ONE SINGLE TRAINING DAY! I hate being sick!
So this week (thus far) has been a no-exercise week for me. I'm sick, I leave today for Boise, and I am not very motivated. I keep thinking "ok, next week will be different." But unless I say "today will be different" and I ACTUALLY do something about it (oh, like getting my butt to the gym), I will never get to that finish line in June.
So, I am bringing my running shoes with me to Boise and am hoping that I will get some form of cardio in for the weekend.
So, there is my update...pretty much NOTHING really to update you about other than the fact that this week I have not made ONE SINGLE TRAINING DAY! I hate being sick!
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Rez-is-tance
So, I am learning things on this journey. For instance, last Saturday I went on a six mile run up at Forrest Park with my pal Molly. We started at the mile 0 marker at the NW Thurman entrance. I set my watch at zero, ready to start the watch once my feet started to move. I looked at Molly, most likely groaned, and then proceeded to run.
The run was slow going. I had stayed up too late the night before and basically have not been taking very good care of myself lately. At mile marker 1, I was at about a 10:50 minute per mile pace. But I was feeling good, breathing steadily, and was actually enjoying my run.
Long-legged Molly picked it up (she's such a good runner and a good friend - I love that girl), and I was left with my thoughts, the view, and the sounds of my feet pounding on the gravel and my breaths breathing in and out. I just focused on relaxing and on stopping the limiting thoughts that keep me feeling like I have to run at a certain slow pace. The irony is that once I stopped resisting and thinking too hard, I was actually able to run faster than I usually do without much more effort.
I was reminded of a quote from Danny Dreyer's Chi Running book, and it was this basic concept that I focused on during my run on Saturday:
On that run, I was offering no resistance. I was focusing on my body and how it felt to run. When I developed a painful side-stitch at mile 4.5, I just focused on deep breathing through my nose, and within minutes, the pain was gone. I focused on form and on being 100% present to what I was doing, which was running. And amazingly, I had no knee pain and was able to pick up my pace. I finished the 6 miles in about 59 minutes, which means I was able to pick up my pace to faster than an 11 minute per mile pace. Of course, the run back from the 3 mile marker was mostly downhill, which helped! But usually downhill wreaks major havoc on my knees (stupid FLAT feet)! But no, Saturday was a good run!
And I know that during the next 20 weeks, I will have some horrible, painful, should-have-stayed-in-bed kind of runs, but I suppose it is all a part of the journey. I need to stop resisting and trying to control what I do or don't do. And this motto needs to extend beyond my workouts. I know that when I stop resisting, life happens. And how much more peaceful and calm and enjoyable is life when I'm not kicking and screaming and resisting?!
But this is just all a part of the process. And I can't get caught up in what everyone else is doing and what I'm "not" doing. This is about me and my journey to that finish line in June. It's about pushing myself to limits that I have yet to experience. It's about finding out what I'm truly made of. Can I do this? Yes, I think that I can.
The run was slow going. I had stayed up too late the night before and basically have not been taking very good care of myself lately. At mile marker 1, I was at about a 10:50 minute per mile pace. But I was feeling good, breathing steadily, and was actually enjoying my run.
Long-legged Molly picked it up (she's such a good runner and a good friend - I love that girl), and I was left with my thoughts, the view, and the sounds of my feet pounding on the gravel and my breaths breathing in and out. I just focused on relaxing and on stopping the limiting thoughts that keep me feeling like I have to run at a certain slow pace. The irony is that once I stopped resisting and thinking too hard, I was actually able to run faster than I usually do without much more effort.
I was reminded of a quote from Danny Dreyer's Chi Running book, and it was this basic concept that I focused on during my run on Saturday:
"I've been using the theme of Relaxation to learn to run more effortlessly and, also to see how it applies to the rest of my life as well. So far it seems to apply in every situation. As long as I stay relaxed and centered, I more easily accomplish any job set before me -- whether it's running a 10K, cooking a meal, or commuting in rush-hour traffic. It seems so much easier to do anything when you offer up no resistance to doing it, especially when it's something that you don't like to do! If my legs offer no resistance, the run happens as it should. If I offer no resistance, my life happens as it should" (pg. 56).
On that run, I was offering no resistance. I was focusing on my body and how it felt to run. When I developed a painful side-stitch at mile 4.5, I just focused on deep breathing through my nose, and within minutes, the pain was gone. I focused on form and on being 100% present to what I was doing, which was running. And amazingly, I had no knee pain and was able to pick up my pace. I finished the 6 miles in about 59 minutes, which means I was able to pick up my pace to faster than an 11 minute per mile pace. Of course, the run back from the 3 mile marker was mostly downhill, which helped! But usually downhill wreaks major havoc on my knees (stupid FLAT feet)! But no, Saturday was a good run!
And I know that during the next 20 weeks, I will have some horrible, painful, should-have-stayed-in-bed kind of runs, but I suppose it is all a part of the journey. I need to stop resisting and trying to control what I do or don't do. And this motto needs to extend beyond my workouts. I know that when I stop resisting, life happens. And how much more peaceful and calm and enjoyable is life when I'm not kicking and screaming and resisting?!
But this is just all a part of the process. And I can't get caught up in what everyone else is doing and what I'm "not" doing. This is about me and my journey to that finish line in June. It's about pushing myself to limits that I have yet to experience. It's about finding out what I'm truly made of. Can I do this? Yes, I think that I can.
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