90 Days of Me

A few weeks ago, my friend Sandra had the following post on her Facebook page:

Today starts 90 days of me... hard workouts, clean eating, body pampering and new experiences.

 

Since I saw this post, I've been thinking a lot about it. After a lot of thinking, and way too much indulging, I am ready to start my 90 Days of Me. You see, I've thought about what I might be giving up if I went on a diet...which I really need to do. Sandra's post made me realize that my mindset was all wrong. Eating healthy is NOT giving anything up! It's choosing to put my body before food.

 

Another post that has convinced me to start 90 Days of Me was by my friend Lisa who posted a photo of a very fit woman with the words "No Food Tastes as Good as Being Fit Feels". SOOO true! I deserve to feel better than I do...and when I am feeling better physically, I will be performing better in the athletic endeavors I want to undertake.

 

So you might be wondering why I am choosing to start my 90 Days right before Thanksgiving. Well, in all honesty, it's because I want to prove it to myself that I can do this even with the holidays and all of the temptations that they bring. If I can handle it now, I will be able to change my lifestyle permanently.

 

Eating is only part of this change. Working out is going to become a priority during this "off season".  The running group starts their winter training session Dec. 15th. I will continue to run with them on Saturdays and Wednesdays. I will continue to meet with Clara on Mondays, but I will also do the work I'm supposed to be doing the rest of the week. I am going to come out of this offseason in better shape than I've been in a long time!

 

I know this is a running blog, but I hope you will indulge me in detailing my progress in the 90 Days of Me. If there's one thing I can promise, I will try to make it interesting!!!

Run For Your Cookies 5K

This past week was my birthday.  I don't want to write a post about my birthday celebrations, but I will mention that I had a happy hour on Friday night.  I agreed to run a 5K on Saturday morning with Daryl.  It was his first 5K.  I figured that since I have him to thank for my new interest in cycling, I should probably support his first running effort. 

I was concerned that I might be a little hung over.  I've run a long run hung over, but never a race.  However, this was my first race since the Baltimore Half and I've done very little since then in the way of training.  So I wasn't expecting a great time...I just wanted to be there to cheer on Daryl.

I woke up to a cold morning.  I dressed in layers and headed down the road. I got there before Daryl so I got myself registered and put my bag of goodies in the car.  The race supported the Girl Scouts and was called "Run For Your Cookies".  I was really hoping there would be a box of cookies in my goodie bag, but unfortunately there wasn't.

Daryl and his wife Cindy showed up a few minutes later.  It was her first 5K also.  I warmed up and walked with them to the starting line.  Based on the number of kids running the race, I knew it would be one of those starts that annoys me...where the kids start out sprinting and then just stop.  I decided that since it was benefitting the Girl Scouts, I should probably either be more accepting of the kids or I should do something to avoid the situation.  I decided to go the avoidance route...I lined up right up front with the really fast runners.

Lining up with fast runners is always a problem for me because it makes me think that I'm one of them. Especially without much training and coming off an injury...the last thing I need to be doing is going out fast in a race.  But that's exactly what I did.  Mile 1 was 8:40 pace...that's a normal 5K 1st mile pace for me, but I am not in a "normal 5K" condition.

The majority of the course was along a pretty paved path.  I spent most of Mile 2 looking around and enjoying the scenery.  Mile 2 pace was above 9 minutes which is where I should have been for Mile 1.  So by the time Mile 3 rolled around, I was struggling.  The only uphills on the course came in Mile 3.  I had a few other issues going on...namely I was overheating and should have taken off my outer layer but didn't want to be bothered...and the uphills were aggravating my knee.  On the longest hill, I actually walked.  I never walk in a 5K! 

So I crossed the finish line in just under 30 minutes...29:49.  However, full disclosure, the course was not a full 5K.  After crossing the finish line, I walked across the street and watched for Daryl.  It wasn't as long as I thought it might be...in no time at all, I saw Daryl trucking along.  He had a great stride going and (more importantly) a smile on his face.  I cheered him on as he passed and ran back across the street to see him cross the finish line.  I don't remember his exact time but it was somewhere close to 31:30.  That's an AWESOME time for his first 5K!!!

We both went back across the street and watched for Cindy.  Once we cheered her on to the finish, we chatted about our various experiences.  My favorite comment that Daryl made was "that's such a good time for my first 5K that I'm concerned there's not much room for improvement". I chuckled and said "oh you would be surprised".  Daryl still prefers the speed of cycling, but I think he had a good time with the race and I think he'll do more.  I hope so anyway!

How Travel Has Become My Latest Excuse

I am in Las Vegas for a work convention.  I came in late on Friday night and will not leave until Tuesday evening.  So this is a long trip. I was really hoping to get some good runs in while I was here.  Unfortunately I find myself making a lot of excuses about why I can't run while I'm here.

The biggest excuse is my absolute loathing of treadmills.  I am a little concerned about running outside because I don't want to get lost.  But it's COLD here and I did not pack to run in cold weather.  It's currently 37 degrees here in Vegas.  Brrr.  So outside running is out.  But there's no good reason for me not to go to the fitness center and run on the treadmill...except that it's a treadmill.  Ugh.  Have I mentioned that I hate the treadmill?

As I sit here typing this entry, I really should be putting on my running shoes and getting on the elevator to go run.  If I don't go soon, it will get too close to the convention start for me to get any distance in.  Ugh...so this post is short.  I'm going to force myself to go to the fitness center.

I am really looking forward to the winter training session to start in December.  I am much better at my training when there's accountability and when I make appointments on the calendar to meet the group for runs.

I'm Running and Other Random Thoughts

I've been running a little bit...a very little bit...but I've been running! The knee is holding up pretty well. So I'm really happy about that.  My physical therapist has cleared me for all activities.  YAY!

I'm leaving for a work trip on Friday and I would really like to run while I'm gone.  However I'm a little concerned about safety. I know that they have a gym in the hotel but I hate treadmills. Plus I have a big problem with being motivated to run by myself. So we'll see how well I do while I'm gone.

My friend Daryl is running his first 5K on Nov. 17th. I have decided to run the race too. I will try to "take it easy".

I really need to get back to running with my running group. I don't know why I find it so hard to get myself out there for a run when I'm not meeting a group. The winter training session starts in mid-December. I can't wait!!

That's it for now...

Memories

Since it's been almost 3 weeks since I've run, I don't have a lot to blog about in the area of my personal running. So I would like to take this opportunity to mention some important people in my running life. I'll do this chronologically.

Anna Kartalia (now Ferguson) - Anna and I took ballet classes together for years. We were good friends and I still consider her to be one of the funniest people I know. The summer before we started high school, she asked me if I would go out for cross country with her. Now I have to say that I've never been what is considered to be a natual athlete. Anna, on the other hand, came from a running family. Her older brother was already a star runner in high school. But I figured that even if I couldn't keep up with her, at least I'd be able to play a high school sport...and not have to worry about cuts...because everyone knows that no one gets cut from cross country! It is all thanks to Anna that I ever started running.

Ned Coslett - or Mr. Coslett - as I called him. Mr. Coslett was the father of a family that lived outside of Philadelphia and had a summer house in Betterton. Mr. Coslett was a runner and even though he suffered from various health issues in his life, he always ran. I can remember his unique running form. He amazed me with his determination to run no matter what. Mr. Coslett passed away several years ago, but I think about him often. When I am facing a particularly difficult mental barrier, I try to remember Mr. Coslett and his determination. During a mental struggle in the Salisbury Half, I was running by the University's fields and Bruce Springsteen started playing over the speakers. Bruce Springsteen was a favorite of Mr. Coslett's...so I took it as a message from Mr. Coslett and it gave me the boost I needed. 

Lisa Long - After knee surgery in college, I stopped running. In 2009 I met Lisa and started working out at her gym. She is completely responsible for getting me back into running. All it took was her asking me to run in a 5K that she was putting together. I've blogged about that race before. It was an immediate spark. The whole atmosphere was magic to me. I loved running (although I was so out of shape that I walked a large portion of the race), I loved hearing the age group winners (a year later I was one of them!) and I loved seeing the other runners. I was hooked. I went from struggling to run a half mile to running a half marathon...all with Lisa's encouragement and training. 

Colleen Denston - my running buddy, my workout partner, my friend. Colleen and I first met at Lisa's gym. We would work out together every day at ungodly hours of the morning. We would run together and talk about everything under the sun. When I moved back to the Baltimore area, I can say that the biggest change was not having Colleen to keep me motivated. She always says that I'm the one who is a motivator for other people but in reality having her with me was a huge motivational value. I love that Colleen and I are still in touch and still running together. I can't wait to run the next race with her!

Abby Glassberg - Abby and I have known each other for 13 years. She is an amazing runner. She has done ultra-marathons, the IronMan, endurance events and numerous "regular" marathons. The greatest thing about Abby is her encouragement. Whenever I've asked her for her advice on any event, she has honestly told me her thoughts and opinions. Abby was so helpful in providing me with some of the accessories I would need for the triathlon. She is such a good resource and I enjoy picking her brain...if I can keep up with her thought processes!

Everyone at the CCR Training Group - Instead of doing a full paragraph on each one, I just wanted to mention the entire group.  Meghan is such a fun person and I love the workouts that she puts together for us. I have felt extremely prepared for my races even though I haven't followed the training program to a tee. Erin, Andi, Heather, Glenda, Clarese, Denise, Katy, Margaret, Cassandra...and I'm sure that I'm forgetting someone...but these women have gone from complete strangers to friends in a very short period of time. I love running with them and miss seeing them since I've been sidelined with my knee issue. Every single one of them have reached out to me to see how I'm doing physically and mentally. Thank you guys!!!

I've been cleared to "jog" this weekend. Lookout! I'm hitting the streets this weekend! Of course I'll report about it here.

Commitments

It has been 2 weeks since the Baltimore half marathon and I haven't been able to run at all during that time. While this has been a painful time with my knee, this has been an enlightening time when I think about my motivation. A year ago I stopped running because I had no motivation...I was making excuses and finding all sorts of reasons why I couldn't run. Now that I really can't run, it gives me some time to think about my priorities.

Clara is my personal trainer. I meet with her every Monday. She adds strength training to my running workouts.  I'm sure she has been frustrated with me over the last few months. I've been doing just the basic and have not been eating properly. So I'm publicly promising her that I'm going to dedicate myself to doing the right things in terms of food and strength training. I am stating it now, with her help, I'm going to lose the 10 pounds that I really need to lose by the end of the year. With 10 fewer pounds to lug around, I can be leaner and faster! I am also committing to her that I'm going to continue our work throughout the week. One day of strength training is good, but I should be doing more to supplement my running.

In addition to those commitments, I'm making a commitment to myself. I have certain goals that I would like to achieve with my running. Anyone who knows me knows how important it is for me to break 2 hours. I know that I can do this. However, it's going to take some prioritizing on the days where I've formerly struggled to fit running into my schedule. This past training cycle, I really only ran on Saturdays and Wednesdays when the training group was meeting. This coming training cycle is going to be different...if I have to get up super early to fit in a run, I'm going to do that.

I am going to break that 2 hour mark. I'm going to train better in all areaas and I'm going to prove to myself that I can fit proper training into my schedule.

The Marine Corps Marathon is today. I watched the start of it. My friend Andi is running it as her very first marathon. She has accomplished so many amazing athletic feats in the last year and she inspires me so much. I hope she has a great run today and I can't wait to hear all about it. She definitely trains right...and she does running and triathlon training together...this is possible. I can do this! I just need to be focused and not let life get in the way.

I should be cleared to run again on Monday. I will take this time to get myself where I need to be so that when the next training cycle starts, I am ready.

Networking

Last night I attended the Howard County Economic Development Authority's annual meeting.  Since my dad was the CEO for 18 years prior to retiring a year ago, I have attended MANY annual meetings.  This year's was really cool because they presented my dad with the very first ever Lifetime Achievement Award.  This doesn't have anything to do with running...

Except for the networking prior to the ceremony...

Matt was there and we started talking with several people about our experience with the triathlon.  We both reflected on our race.  I spoke with Zack who I have known was a marathon runner.  We talked about triathlons...he and his wife are avid triathletes.  They both encouraged me to sign up for the Columbia Triathlon which is an Olympic distance.  I would love to do that...I'm concerned about training for it though.  I need to find somewhere to swim.  I need to get more time on the bike.  Apparently Zack and his wife are part of a cycling group and they invited me to join them any time.  YAY!

So while most people were networking for business, I am networking for training partners!

Follow up on the knee...on Monday's appointment, she is going to show me how to properly tape my knee and I'm going to be cleared to run again!!! 

Things are looking up.