How Does One Do It?

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

I have had quite a time trying to figure out how to do it all. I read about some of my fellow sparks and they can be great family people, carry on full time jobs (sometimes even 2) and make time to go to the farmers market, run/exercise, cook healthy food and even grab chances to get away for weekends. I just can't seem to do it!

Some of you may or may not know that I have recently started a full time job after being a mom and working part time or not at all for the last 22 years. Also added to the mix is that I have started going back to school. Trying to find the time for me, exercise and healthy shopping is quite a challenge.

I am just afraid that all I have accomplished will be for nothing if I can't figure this out soon! That is just a scary thing for me. I am trying to be on top of it but still - the possibility still looms over me!

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

Getting the Family Involved

Monday, June 14, 2010

I have been running races for about 2 years now. Not ever has a family member ever wanted to participate. I never even asked anyone because I knew what the answer would be. No one in this family runs. Of course, I didn't run either until I started to run!!!

Anyway, I was talking to one of my Spark team mates about a race called the Warrior Dash. When I looked up that race for my area I found that the closest one to my area is next April. I was looking over the site and I ran into a race called the Great Urban Race! It is in my town and they have a family team event. It sounds just like a mini city version of the Amazing Race TV show! My son was hooked immediately. He is already strategizing about how we can win! I am very excited to be able to share something like this with him.

That is not the only thing that was discovered this weekend! I found another race, a biking tour, not really a race but an event. My husband wants to do that with me!! How great is that?! It is pretty long so we will have to train for it but again it is so exciting to share something like this with him too!

I know I will have a great time at both events. I just hope they do too!

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

Not Much of A Blogger

Saturday, June 12, 2010

I am not big on blogging as you all can probably see from my very few past blogs - mostly race reports. I am only blogging for the points. Yup I said it! Only for the points! The thing is......I have started doing a lot of new healthy things "only for the points".

I began running .....just for the points
I began drinking tons of water. .....just for the points
I began trying all kinds of new foods .....just for the points
I began doing pushups and sit ups .....just for the points
I began tracking my food .....just for the points
I began counting my steps .....just for the points

So what good are the points? Well....Let's see...

I lost 55 pounds ....BECAUSE of the points
I am a maintainer ....BECAUSE of the points
I am a runner ....BECAUSE of the points
I am a healthy eater ....BECAUSE of the points
I am in a fitness certification program ....BECAUSE of the points
I have so many new friends ....BECAUSE of the points

So just maybe...... I will be a blogger some day.........because of the points.

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

DISAPPOINTMENT BY DESIGN: My Race Report - AFC- Last leg of the Triple Crown

Friday, August 21, 2009

The day was just wonderful. I woke up at 4:30, ate my usual oatmeal, and got out the door. Everything couldn’t have worked out better. I drove up to the zoo, and the busses were there. I didn’t even have to wait in line! Bus rides, for any of you who know me, are not my favorite. I am very susceptible to motion sickness, so I avoid them. I had no choice for this race. No cars were allowed near the start. I boarded the bus and the front seat was vacant. Wow! What luck, this is gonna be a great day.

Once we got up to Cabrillo everything again was perfect. Little lines for the bathroom, met some other racers from my team, relaxed, ate a snack, drank some water and we were off. I never would have thought that I would be disappointed with my performance today. Everything was too perfect.

The race started easily on a long down hill. Beautiful scenery on all sides from the tip of Point Loma as we ran through the National Cemetery overlooking the ocean. Peaceful, beautiful, and almost silent with only the pounding of thousands of feet making noise. I was a little over pace at 10:30 mile. I was okay with that though. I knew I could keep it up. Once down the hill, it was all flat until mile 11-12.

The race went on without a hitch. Hubby and my son met me at mile 5. I was feeling great, just finished the hill and ready to run by the airport and the harbor. By mile 7, I was running into a problem. Where was the water?? Everybody was saying the same thing. Finally it was there, but it was almost 3 miles without anything. I was thirsty. I took the water and drank it all, slowly. I really needed it. It seemed to give me the push I needed to keep going but again, by mile 9-10, I was really thirsty. I don’t know as if I have ever been thirsty in a race before but this time my mouth was dry and I was failing fast. Luckily for me, we were along the boardwalk and I found a water fountain. I was able to push on because I knew another aid station was coming. Finally when I got there I took my drink and began walking. I needed to get all that water in me.

I don’t recall the exact time or the exact point where I made the decision to walk but I made it. I knew that I could finish this race in under 3 hours even if I walked the rest of the way. I felt lousy, and didn’t care. I wanted to get my medal for the triple crown and that was it. When I started my journey my only goal was to do these 3 races in under 3 hours. I would do that, even if I walked now.

Poor Leah, along with Maria and J, were there cheering me on and I was walking, with no intention of running. The funny part was they were there to help me up the hill, but the hill was not what was holding me back. It was ME that was holding me back. Leah walked with me, after trying to get me to run. We talked and walked a bit and then she sent me off with encouraging words and I ran the rest of the way in.

After the race I was so disappointed in myself and the choices I made during the race. But most of it was exactly that: choices. I chose to not carry my own hydration when I knew how few aid stations there were. I chose to walk because I didn’t want to feel miserable after the race. I hated that I didn’t PR but mid race I decided finishing in under 3hours was what I wanted to accomplish. I was embarrassed about my time and for walking, yet they were direct results of my decisions!

I thought I was miserable during the latter part of the race but a photographer captured a wonderful picture of Leah and I walking and smiling. I think that picture summed it up for me. It is not all about times and PR’s. It is about friends, family, health and fun. That is why I do it.



Sure, I didn’t do my best. I don’t even think I tried my hardest. I know I could have toughed it out and I probably would have PR’d. I just opted not to. I don’t really know why. I will probably never figure it out. What I did figure out is: It doesn’t matter. I did it therefore I succeeded. I shared it with friends and family. I felt great after. I reached my goal and earned the Triple Crown. A picture tells a thousand words.
I will try to remember that for my next race.

OH YA! My time: 2:46:05 :-) Yes, I am smiling. (Cringing a little, but smiling)

"You are only as good as you are on that particular day, on that particular course, under those particular circumstances." Coach Lee (Quote I got from SP Nancy’s page that pretty much sums up this race)

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

A YEAR AGO.........

Monday, May 25, 2009

A YEAR AGO……
A lot has happened in a year. When I get down on my weight, my training, or any aspect of my new healthier life I remember:

A YEAR AGO……….

I was carrying around 25 extra pounds and didn’t know that 25+ will still be coming off

I had a waist 4 in wider and thighs 4.75 inches thicker

My core was the leftover part of my apple

A long run was anything longer than 25 ft. - Now my longest so far is 16mi.

LSD was a hallucinogenic – Ok so it is but it is also a Long Slow Distance Run!

A track work out was something the High School Track Team did - now I do them!

A stick had nothing to do with running it was just something you played hockey with

PR stood for Public Relations (well it still does but not for a runner) – Now I have PR’s for 5K, 10K and half marathon

I hadn’t even thought of running let alone racing and WCRR, Huh? Now I have done 3 5Ks, 2 10K’s and 3 half marathons and belong to a running club. (WCRR)

Lake Murray was a place I drove to and maybe walked a little. I have actually run to it, around it, and back home again!

10 miles was too far to drive for dinner, now it is ONLY a 10 mile run.

I had Never heard of Spark People - now I know SO many Spark People and many have become good friends, running buddies, motivators or all of the above.

A year ago….. I went out on a huge limb and joined a group of women that I didn’t even know, who wanted to do something so outrageous, like run a half marathon. We called it couch to ½ marathon and we trained all on our own, communicating only on line since we lived all over the country. We compared training, aches and pains and anything else on our minds and then 4 mos. Later we all met in Long Beach and we did it! Fast or slow, walking or even watching (one women was pregnant) we did it! It was amazing .

A year ago…. This is what my journal said, “Worked in garage had a good breakfast missed morning snack had a good lunch then went for long walk at the lake. 6 miles it said. Surprised I could do it. It took about an hour and half which seems fast but that is what the mile markers said.”

A lot can happen in a year. I can never forget that and I will never forget all the amazing people I have met on this journey so far and lots that I still haven’t met. I can’t wait for next year to see what new things I will do, new people I will meet, and accomplishments that I never could have imagined doing this year!

  Member Comments About This Blog Post: