Small Redemption maybe?

Ok, so after having a lazy few days earlier this week I came back and made up for it a little Thursday and Friday.  Thursday I ran 5 miles on the treadmill then played soccer later that night without any subs really.  Friday I got up and drug my butt to spin class and, as usual, was really glad that I did.  After those two days I've decided that I am officially a cold weather outdoor runner.  I think that as long as the weather doesn't get ridiculously cold then I'm going to try and log my miles outside.  The treadmill wasn't absolutely horrendous but it definitely wasn't pleasant.  By the 2.3 mile mark I was trying to convince myself that I was almost half way done with my goal and that I wasn't tired but was definitely bored.  The problem with running though is that it truly is about 80-90% mental and the rest is physical.  Your body is completely capable of running and doing whatever distance you want, but the problem is convincing your body to do what you want.  Once my mind shuts off and decides it's not interested in whatever I'm doing then that's it.  It takes a lot of effort to get it back on track, and usually a new tactic or two to get me going again.  I made it through all 5 miles with a 9:30 pace which is definitely not bad, but I felt like it took a small lifetime.  When I run outside I feel like everything goes so much faster simply because the scenery changes.  I tried to watch tv which helped immensely but it just wasn't the same.  It would probably help if it was a movie that I was interested in instead of a talk show.  Oh, speaking of those talk shows, the one I watched some guy was talking to a guest who said it was a "deal breaker" in a relationship if her boyfriend won't eat at the dinner table and insists on eating on the couch.  Really?  Yep, really.  And that right there is why I prefer books and don't watch a whole lot of tv.  It's ok, I didn't regret it at all, I just know for certain that I will have to bundle up and face the cold.

The soccer game was quite nice, first off we won 6-2 which was SWEET, I had an assist, and I actually felt really really good.  We had one sub for the whole team and I think that we played smarter because of it.  We played how we needed to instead of trying to be 5 minute heroes and hoping for a sub if we wanted it.  We knew we didn't have real subs for everyone so everyone stayed where they needed to and didn't leave patches of field open hoping to cover the distance later when the ball moved to it.  This was a very nice game and made it actually enjoyable to play!

On to Friday!  My poor legs were not extremely happy with me come 6:45am Friday morning because I made them run twice the day before and then went to spin class at 5:45am.  Meh.  I enjoyed it.  The music selection is definitely the "deal breaker" for me.  In this case it is more of a deal maker.  The gal that leads our class has us climbing hills and telling us to push the resistance and keep our cadence and chooses music that actually coincides with what we need to be feeling.  The music is still intense but the beat is slower, so you're engaged but not feeling amped up and wanting to push faster instead of being stronger.  We did 15 minutes of a climbing standing hill.  That was slightly rough.  We did 15 minutes of "rollers" which wasn't terrible but meh, then the last 15 minutes we did jumps with sprints which I actually enjoyed, I know I'm weird.  Yes my legs were tired, yes I decided that Saturday would be a rest day, but no I did not regret a single decision to do all of that running and biking while continuing to work.  That's right, Friday I worked at Jewish and was getting my butt kicked having to migrate throughout the entire hospital for 8.5 hours with virtually no break.  I also worked at Bath and Body Works Thursday and today, I don't mind though because I actually like that job, I get to talk to a lot of people all the time and I'm not doing something pointless just because my boss doesn't like me.  It also helps that my boss actually likes me at Bath and Body.

Ok, well tomorrow is Sunday.  I plan on going to church in the morning and working at Bath and Body but what else I do is still in the air.  I'm thinking maybe yoga, swimming, something, but what I don't know.  Hopefully Red feels better tomorrow to join me because he's been under the weather the past couple of days.  He's looking and sounding better today so there's hope!

Lazy days are here again...

Ok, well I feel incredibly lazy as of right now but on a plus side I will be solving that problem soon, I hope.  This is partially my own laziness and partial injury/funny story.  Last week I ran on Tuesday and Thursday and felt wonderful.  I wasn't overly exerting myself, I felt comfortable jogging along my miles, chatting with friends, or just enjoying the scenery.  Then Thursday night I decided to play soccer which was a great idea until nearly the end.  I was sprinting, playing, being competitive, hitting people as I was getting hit, normal soccer right?  Then my feet come flying out from under me, fantastic.  I go into the air and look like a "v" only the point on the V is my tukus and I landed squarely on it.  During the game it didn't hurt right then and I was fine most the evening.  The next day...much less comfort and far more discomfort.  It hurt to walk, stand, move, and most definitely sitting was not pleasant.  So that ruled out any activity Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.  I would have sworn that I broke my tail bone like I did in high school but apparently it's just a bruise because my comfort level is thousands of times better than it was before!

I'm thinking about running tonight after my final but we'll see.  I know one of my goals for the rest of this month and going into next year is working on my time management.  I'm hoping that this week I will make it to at least one spin class, maybe two, then run at least once and start fresh next week with getting something accomplished every day.  This whole nonsense of it being so dark when I wake up doesn't help motivate me for the day but I'll get over it eventually...

Ok, on a more positive note I have my final tonight in biochem!  That means that studying for this ridiculous class is about to FINALLY come to an end!  I'm still going to take classes next quarter but I'm at least interested in them instead of just taking it to attempt to look good.  Ok, back to studying and enjoying the comforts of my wood burning stove! :D

First snowy winter run!

Ok, so if anyone knows me they know that I hate winter.  I am not a fan, I do not like snow, I do not like to be cold, and I most certainly do not like to be cold AND wet.  Well, winter brings all of those things when you are outside but the one thing that I cannot fight is that I am most definitely a cold weather runner.  Whenever I get a new PR it's always cold out, I don't know if that's because my body isn't trying so hard to cool down or if I subconsciously just really want to get the run over and be done. Who knows.  Regardless of what the reasoning is I actually enjoy running outside when it's cold once I get past the point of "dear sweet Jesus it's cold and I should be back inside", once that part is over it is quite peaceful.  Another perk of running outside and in a nice neighborhood is the fact that people have started putting out their Christmas lights which means that running at 9:00pm is not only quiet, peaceful, and enjoyable, but it is also quite pretty.  

Something that I know that helps with running outside is that I do believe I have finally mastered the art of having the correct number of layers on for the appropriate temperature.  I used to make sure I was cozy no matter where I was and invariably ended up stripping off layers mid run and trying to figure out what to do with said layers once I didn't want to wear them anymore.  Well now I've realized that I can wear fewer layers and stay just as warm so long as I'm layering with the correct clothes.  If anyone is seriously considering running in the winter it is definitely a worthwhile investment to buy a good pair of running tights and a warm running top.  Yes they are expensive but they are definitely worth the money.  I have two pairs of running tights and I think the "cheap" pair were still $45 on sale and they are from when I was in 7th or maybe 8th grade, I am now 26 years old.  The other pair is thicker than my old pair which mean I think they were $60 and they are reebok but I love them.  My mom made the comment that I spend a lot of money on running gear but I tell her I never regret it because I definitely get my use out of everything.  I'm pretty rough on everything I own so it's a great idea for me to consider buying quality stuff over quantity.  Sure I could have bought something cheaper but it wouldn't work as well, wear as well, and I would probably be uncomfortable/cold and not want to run, thereby completely defeating the purpose of buying the stuff in the first place.  

Meanwhile.  After that little rant I do believe that I am going to go eat something then clean up the house and probably do something productive for a bit.  I started this post last night right after my run but then I got side tracked with dinner and a shower and forgot to finish until this morning.  Oh well.  So long as it gets done right?  My goal for tonight is to head to the gym and get some weight training in and see what all I can my my poor upper body do.  My body is very disproportional when it comes to strength.  My lower half is crazy strong for my size but my upper half leaves much to be desired.  I am strong yes but.....yeah...it still needs work.  

Post Thanksgiving Workout Goals

Ok, so Turkey Day was fantastic! Lots of food, family, and fun now it's time to get back into a real workout schedule and get something accomplished!  I feel like a slug because I haven't worked out since the day before Thanksgiving (Wednesday) because I've been crazy busy with work, travel, food, and more work.  Now I work again all day tomorrow but Monday is the beginning of a new week and it involves spin class!  I didn't go to spin last Monday but Red did and he said it wasn't too bad so I think I'll try it out and see what happens.  My idea goals for this week will be spinning Monday and Friday, running at lunch or lifting after class Tues/Thurs, and lifting/swimming/running after either early Wednesday morning or after work Wednesday.  I really would love to do something all 5 days next week plus play soccer after class on Thursday which will be fantastic!  If I could start and maintain this kind of a routine that would make me a very happy midget and would mean getting a lot accomplished on my journey/training for my crazy 2012 race year!  California is just 2 months away which means I really need to get training.  If I stop thinking of it as "next year" and start thinking of it realistically as two months away that may entice me to train more and quit being a couch potato.  My productivity has slacked severely and I need to work on that a lot.  I have a shirt that says "Every Damn Day" and another that says "Move Your Ass", I think I need to really think about wearing them more frequently and actually paying attention and listening to them when they say to move my ass. My new favorite quote just popped in my mind saying "I'm not done when I'm tired, I'm done when I'm finished" another variation is "Don't quit when you're tired, you can quit when you finish" but I don't like the quitting one because I don't like the idea of quitting.  I like the idea of being done with something because that is a feeling of accomplishment.  Now with that thought I shall go to bed and try to get some sleep.  I have another long day of work tomorrow and a couple of errands before even going to work plus I would like to attempt to go to church in the morning if at all possible.  Ugh, should probably go to sleep considering it's almost 1:30am.

Just keep spinning spinning spinning...

Ok, Fridays are officially my favorite spin days.  The music is awesome and keeps us pumped up and the instructor keeps us motivated and works hard herself.  She took us through a series yesterday that she called the "Upchuck" Series.  I do believe that her naming was completely and totally accurate, no I did not get sick but that's not without thinking about it strongly.  We had long sitting hills at a fast pace, then a standing 15 minute continuous hill and then an awesome series of jumps.  I say awesome with the largest amount of sarcasm that the word will allow.  She had a fast 4 count, slow 4 count, and a long 4 count.  The only one that allowed you to count to 4 without having to count by more than 2s was the long 4 count.  The fast "4 count" barely got you out of the saddle before you were supposed to attempt to sit again all the while spinning as hard as you could.  I was definitely tired by the time we were finished but I felt good too.  I'm starting to get used to what all I can and should do in spin class which makes life easier and I can get more out of it.  With Thanksgiving coming up my only option will be Monday morning spin class so we'll see how that works out and what that instructor is like.  If there are a ton of empty bikes a minute before the class I may be doing my own workout on different machines or something.

On a different note, I was talking to some of my friends that are also doing the Tough Mudder in April and I am stoked!  I can not wait until April to see what this race will throw at us!  The videos show ridiculous hills, ice cold water, monkey bars from hell, flaming piles of straw, and my personal favorite, the five yards of 10,000V wires dangling everywhere that you have to run through to get to the finish.  I'm not really excited about that part, more scared out of my mind.  I figure I'll just run like hell and hope to not get shocked like crazy.  The only part that I'm actually concerned about really is the water tube deals.  They have tubes that a large man can fit through but they are half submerged in water so you have to crawl through with water up to your chin in a small tight tube with people in front of and behind you.  I'm kind of claustrophobic despite my small size and have an ironic fear of drowning considering I love water and being a strong swimmer.  Ironic, I know.  But besides all of that nonsense I am seriously curious as to how hard this really will be.  Those are just two of the obstacles out of the 14 that we get to conquer.  I did the Warrior Dash this past summer and really didn't think it was that bad.  It was supposedly 3 miles but it felt like 1 or maybe 2 because of all the obstacles and it definitely was fun which helped.  I'm curious as to how bad this race will be considering it was designed by the british special forces....interesting.  Before I get too sidetracked though I need to remember that I am running a half marathon in California in February.  You know, on this side of the New Year February sounds really far away but I'm certain that will change here quickly, maybe even by December when someone goes "Hey, you only have 2 months until California" and I'll go "Oh yeah...crap." lol  Looks like cold winter runs coming up!

Food!

So I know that working out makes me hungry but I've found a way to fulfill that hunger and eat healthy!  Eating healthy is definitely one of my overall goals for my training, and actually for my life, but it tastes good, looks good, and feels good.  I was starving after my workout yesterday morning so I had my "shaka", it's just chocolate Carnation Instant Breakfast with original Silk soy milk, about 20oz and it tastes amazing!  I love that after my workouts.  A couple of hours later I had a bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich on whole wheat bread which may have totaled about 250 calories and tastes great.  The egg has lots of protein (yeah!) and so does the bacon and the bread (surprise!).  On my way to work a little bit later I had a banana then at work I had a peanut butter and apple butter sandwich on whole wheat bread, a cup of Strawberry and Banana Chobani yogurt, and a bowl of Campbell's chicken and brown rice soup.  Some people poke fun at the fact that I eat so much but that's ok because then I'm not a starving grump and I'm not eating junk so it's not a bad thing.  Besides, I'm positive that me eating a little bit all the time over the course of an entire day is still less than a lot of people eat just sitting down to a couple of meals a day.  Each meal is important and I really do not like to skip meals but if I have to then lunch would be one I would give up before anything else.  My biggest meal is always dinner and last night I had Sizzilini which is my favorite pasta dish and Red makes it perfectly :D

Sizzilini is a pasta dish made with angel hair/thin pasta, bell peppers, crushed red pepper, red pasta sauce, and chicken.  Sometimes we season the chicken separately from the pasta and mix it in later so it gets extra seasoning, or sometimes we just cook it with the peppers.  If you ever come to our house you should try this pasta because it is fantastic!  Now today I'm not training much/at all because I have to work, class, and study for a biochem test but tomorrow I am planning on spinning in the morning and potentially running at noon before going to work at 3.  :D

Spinning!

Ok!  So I am brand new to spinning and so far I'm a huge fan!  Lifetime has a class Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 5:45am which is ridiculously early but not terrible.  I went for the first time last Friday and really liked it, actually almost enjoyed it being up that early and getting stuff done and felt great all day!  The instructor was kind of annoying at first by being so chipper but she was less annoying as the class went on.  Friday's instructor also had great music that was upbeat and kept us entertained, and in some cases sort of singing/humming along while she told us to climb, or run, or push on a flat.  Friday was what made me want to go to the spin class again this morning which had a different instructor.  Wednesday's class is not for me.  There were half as many people there, the instructor talked nonstop, and her music was terrible.  I may have been old enough to remember the 90's but that doesn't mean I enjoyed the music and want to relive it.  I still got a work out which is the important part, but I couldn't wait to get out of there because the music was so bad and the instructor wouldn't stop talking.  Red and I ended up leaving early because I could only tolerate 90's music and show tunes for so long when I'm trying to work out.  I still enjoyed Friday though so I'm going back this Friday again but Wednesday's instructor is not for me.  Obviously some people enjoy her but I am not a fan.
Until then I plan on running between working and attempting to study and plan for a wedding.

Let's get this started!

Ok, so this is the beginning of a long year of posting, thinking, training, and organizing!  Just last weekend I signed up with my fiance for the Florida Full Ironman 140.6 that will be November 3, 2012.  So since starting that up I have decided that even though the race is a year away I will call anything I do now official Ironman training lol.  This is a crazy distance to even think about doing in one week let alone all in one day so I figure early training won't kill me. Plus I'm doing other races between now and then so it's not all specifically for the Ironman.  I'm doing a half marathon in Feb, a Tough Mudder in April, full marathon in May, and a half Ironman in June.  I plan on adding something else between July and November so I'm not so packed in the beginning and empty the second half of the year!  All of the distances involved I have done before but never back to back so it's kind of nerve wracking.  I always say that fear is a strong motivator, and what could be more motivating than a race that they give you 16 hour to complete?

Of course I have an attack plan but it is a very rough attack plan!  I'm certain it will get more specific as the year progresses.  I figure eating clean will be a huge factor, obviously lots of endurance training, and I'm adding weight lifting to my resume of nonsense.  I'm not a very big person so I need to increase my power to weight ratio and see what I can come up with.  I also figure that adding weight training can't hurt anything so long as I can also gain and maintain flexibility to prevent injury!  I think I'm going to add recipes if I find something fun for clean dinners and what not and also my workouts when I remember to update on here.  I'm not really positive as to what I am doing with a blog so I'm certain that there will be other shenanigans listed in here as well.  I mean I have wedding plans, school, two jobs, training, and a slew of races going on between now and next November so all kinds of shenanigans and tom foolery shall ensue :D