Life as a Goose

It has been a long time. I have been struggling with running, weight, and life in general. I, like many, started running because I was overweight. I ended up losing 50 lbs. by training for a triathlon. I learned so much about myself and my strengths and weaknesses from running. I am in one of those lows, where I just want to quit. I am fighting to keep going. Maybe it is the weather. Today I read a blog about a lady who is on the same relative journey as I have been on. She talked about how she would never let herself be that person again who over-ate, who was heavy. I remember thinking that myself, but now, the numbers on the scale just keep creeping up. They are not jumping, but I am a good 10-15 lbs. (depending on the day) heavier then I was six years ago. I can't seem to remember what I did differently then. I am still exercising regularly. I have even picked up the pace, but the scale stays the same or goes up.

So, I was thinking about my ride yesterday, and how I need to incorporate that idea into my life. On Tuesdays, I ride with a road bike group. There was a relatively small group this week (maybe around 12), and they decided to do something they called pop and drop. Basically, when you ride, you can draft off of the person in front of you, making it easier to ride. (same idea as geese flying in a v formation) So we made two lines, the line on the right was the line where you drafted, when you got to the front of the line, you pulled the rest of the line for about 5-10 seconds, then dropped off to the front of the left line, which goes about 2 mph slower. You then stay in that line until you are last in that line, and pop back in the fast line. The idea being, you can ride faster together then you can alone. Why ride for 26 miles all alone, working hard to ride 18 mph, when you can work with others, allowing all to share the work, and ride 20 mph. So I ask myself why I am not doing that in my own life. I tend to try and do it all myself. Lately I have been reading many blogs, and they have inspired me. I have decided this may be one way to share the work. I will try again to post ideas and questions in the hopes that I can work with a group to accomplish a common goal. So my question for the day is, "What is the best food to refuel after a recovery run. When should I eat it, and how much?" Any ideas would be appreciated.

I still need to celebrate. Today I celebrate 60 degrees. Who knew 60 degrees could feel so wonderful. I am ready to pull out the swimsuit and jump in the river. However, for a few more weeks, I guess I will stick to running.

Insanity and Rain

October! How can it have been so long. I have been running, but not as much as I would like. I did do a half marathon in September, just for fun. I hadn't run long for quite some time. I was a little disappointed because I walked some of the last 3/4 mile. How do you run that far and give up in the end? It was all mental. There was a hill at mile 10-11 that I didn't know about, and when I saw it, I was finished. Before that, I felt amazing. I have been coaching a jr. high cross country team this fall, and always tell them to let their minds win over their bodies. I just wish I would do the same. I guess it is true what they say...Running is a mental sport...we are all crazy. I guess I would rather be crazy than go crazy. I tell you, running keeps insanity at bay.

Today I would like to celebrate rain. I love the rain. That may be because I live in the desert and don't see it much, but nonetheless, I love it. I love the way it smells, the way it feels, and the way I feel when it is around. It may have something to do with its life giving qualities. Have you ever noticed how clean it smells after rain, or just how green things look after a good rain. The lighting is breathtaking after a nice rain. I can't wait to run in the rain today!

Spudman Triathlon and Kindness

That is me in the green and blue, in the background. The biker is my friend, Alice.

Spudman 2010! I can't believe it was here, and now is gone. This summer has flown by. It is funny how my summer is kind of defined by the Spudman. So much of what I do in the summer is determined by the Spudman. Now that the race is over, I feel like summer is over; but lucky me, I still have another month until school starts. Maybe even another triathlon before the season is over. I have never done more then one in a season (okay, I have done a short little tri besides the Spudman the last two years, but it is not really a race.??? I guess it is, but I don't consider it one.)

How did I do, you ask? Depends on who you are. Some may say I should not even run, because there is no chance for me to win. Others may think I am Superwoman, just because I finished. All that matters is what I think, I think I did well, but could be so much better....

I love the whole feeling of the Spudman event. It starts for me Friday morning. I know they are setting up for the event, so I have to drive to the park. It is an amazing transformation there. Porta-potties like you wouldn't believe line the park. Tables and chairs, fences and booths start to fill up the grass. Then about 10:00, the roads start to fill with cars littered with bikes. There are cars with bikes on top, cars with bikes on back, and cars with bikes inside. I don't know what I think is so great about seeing those cars, but it is an amazing site. Soon, the parks all around are filled with tents and campers. I am in awe at those people who sleep in a tent, then run that race the next day. Many have small children....sleep??? I guess most people don't sleep much the night before anyway, too many nerves. (I do not have this problem.)

Packet pickup and the carbo loading dinner are also exciting to me. There is something so energizing about so many people talking and anticipating the same event. People are comparing notes, bragging about past events, and making excuses for why they will not do there best the next day. I love to listen to these conversations. I don't mean to eavesdrop, but I can't help to listen to people's reasons for running, worries about the race, and expectations for the next day. So many people with the same goal in sight.

Choosing where to place your belongings in the transitions is also an interesting task. Everyone has their ideas of the best way to do this. My strategy this year was to just get out of the transitions with everything I needed. I got a great spot for both the bike and run transition. I felt good.

As I said, I do not have a problem sleeping the night before, and had a good night's sleep. We headed out to the race about 6:00. My brother Don raced also, so we had our dad take us in to drop us off. We headed to T1 (transition 1 where you come out of the water and get your bike.) to check our bikes, and leave our gear. Last year Don had a flat tire, and almost didn't get to race. This year, no problems. I try to take my time, and not rush before the event, because feeling rushed really gets my nerves going. Many people used my pump before we left, and many well wishes were exchanged. It was nearly 7:00 by the time we left the transition area. raced at 7:30 and Don raced at 8:10. The cars really get backed up between T1 and the start, so it took us a few minutes to get to the drop off. By the time we got to the park, the were starting wave 2, it was 7:10. I had 20 minutes. All of a sudden, I felt rushed. I still needed to put up my running stuff in T2 (end of bike, start of run. T1 and T2 are in two different places.), go to the bathroom (very important to do, and the wait time can be tremendous, even with 50+ porta-potties.), and put on my wetsuit. Those 20 minutes rushed by, and by the time I got to the water, there was 2 minutes left. I said a little prayer, slid into the water, and got ready to swim.

My swim is slow, and this year much slower, even though some amazing person gave me a brand new wet suit. (21:40ish)My transition was slow also (4:18). I flipped all my stuff all over when I grabbed my towel (next year I will just put my towel on top) and stuffed my helmet in my gear bag, then had to try to fish it out. But then I was off. I grabbed my bike and ran to the bike start. I love to bike, but my odometer was not working, so I had no idea how fast or far I was going. I just rode, and loved it. I passed a lot of people. Less then ten men passed me, and no women. It is amazing how fast those guys can pass you. You can even hear them coming up behind you, and they sound fast. I thought a couple times as I passed someone, "I bet I sound fast." I guess you can always dream. I passed a couple women who decided they were not going to let me pass them, and they sped up to pass me again. I love it when they do that, it gives me extra energy. Anyway, needless to say, I blew them away. I cruised into T2, left my bike, and grabbed my race number. It was only when I got outside the T2 area that I realized I still had on my helmet. (Not the first time this has happened, I am an idiot.) Anyway, I snatched it off and left it at the aid station. I was off. I felt slow on the run, and had more women pass me then I remember other years. The first two miles I felt okay. Mile three had me thinking the run was going by pretty fast. Then, between three and four I got a little tired. Four to five, I just kept telling myself, run to the aid station (it was at mile five). I walk through the water stations, so I kept telling myself, water=walk, water=walk. Usually, this is where my body takes down my brain, and I walk. However, this time, I made it to the water station. One cup of water over my head, one in my mouth, and I was off. I decided it was time to run. One mile and I was finished. I took off (not as fast as I thought, I am sure) and finally felt pretty good. I started passing people who had passed me between mile 4 and 5, and then even passed some of those women who passed me at the first of the race (even the Hammer women who looked like she was invincible). Just when I thought I would have to give up, I saw people I knew running the other way, Don, my cousin Carl, some of the boys from our scout group. After too many good jobs (I can't believe how much energy telling someone good job can take.) I was on the last hill. It is downhill, so I ran. The finish line.....yeah for me! 2:31. (55:04 run). Not my best time, but I will take it. I felt great though, and can't wait til next year. Reflections later about what I learned about myself, and how I will get faster. This post is already too long.

I do, however, need to celebrate. Today I celebrate anyone who has done something kind for another. I mentioned earlier how someone had given me a wetsuit. This was my 6th Spudman, and I have considered buying a wetsuit many times, however, I can never justify it. Well, last Thursday, my friend stopped by with a box. She told me she had been given instruction to give it to me, take a picture, and never tell who had given it to her. I couldn't imagine what it could be. I opened it, and still had no idea. It was something in a bag. Then I opened the bag and was floored. I could tell as soon as I opened it what it was. I am not good at accepting things from others, especially something so expensive. I was in awe. I don't think I have ever felt like that before, and I know I have never received a better present. I think it was the whole fact that I never expected it, and had done nothing to deserve it. It was one of the most amazing moments of my life. I feel so undeserving and so grateful. It is amazing what a small act of kindness can do for another. I know you all have done kind acts in your lives, and I thank all of you. You may not have done this for me, but you have done others things for me, and for other people. THANK YOU! I love to hear about acts of kindness, what is one kind act someone has done for you?

Thursday evening: 5 miles; basketball
Friday: 4 miles
Saturday: 20 mile bike; 5.75 mile run
Monday: 10.5 mile
Tuesday: 20 mile bike
Wednesday: off
Thursday: 26 mile bike easy, 4 mile run, basketball
Friday: 5K race 23:27
Saturday: 8 miles

Summer has been crazy, without much time for anything but the essentials. I have trained pretty hard the last two weeks, and even got a decent bike in on Tuesday night. I didn't do any real bricks last week, but did do three the week before. Iwill be up in the mountains the next few days for a family reunion and hope to get in some workouts. It gets hard with so many people around. Duty calls!

Fast v. Fun

Monday: 8 miles
Tuesday: 11 miles bike, 4 miles run; 35 miles bike very eay pace
Wednesday: 4 mile
Thursday: 20 mile bike very easy pace

I just got done riding with a women's group. It was a lot of fun. I am still freezing, though, enough that I can barely type. I enjoy riding so much, because it is so social for me. I love being able to talk to adults. A good conversation while on a ride is pretty hard to beat.

As much as I love to talk and ride, I have been a little anxious about my training. I haven't ridden hard yet on a Tuesday night ride. We have a big group ride on Tuesdays, and this is usually my "fast" ride. I haven't really rode fast yet, and was a little discouraged. I have had a lot of fun riding these rides though, and have meant some great people. There is always time to ride fast, but not always time to learn about another person. I need to remember this more often.

Tuesday was also my first brick work. Brick work is when you do more then one activity in a day. Usually, for me, it consists of riding and then running. I felt pretty good on the run. I don't even remember that rubber feeling of the legs that is usual for the first mile. Can't wait to do my next brick.

My baby is awake! Real quickly, I would like to celebrate meeting new people. Everyone has a unique story of how they started running (or exercise of choice), I love to hear them. I started running to lose weight. I remember telling myself in high school that I would never be out of shape, and definately never be fat. 10 years and three kids later, I was both. I didn't even realize how bad I was until I started exercising. My reasons evolved from there, and now I exercise for sanity, for control, for improvement, and for many more reasons. What motivated you to start running?

One may go a long way after one is tired.

French Proverb

Wednesday: 6 1/2-7 miles

I almost missed a great run last night. It got to be 8:30, and I was tired. I decided to run for awhile, thinking I would have my husband pick me up if the weather turned worse. He suggested instead I run at the track, which I did. I hate running on the track when I have further than 4 miles, it just seems like forever. Anyway, the first three miles were brutal. Finally, on lap 13, my muscles loosened and my lungs opened, and I could run. Just goes to show, sometimes, you have to run further to make it easier. Seems so backwards, that running more will make that run that day easier, but it is true. (Did that even make sense?) I ended up running a mile further than I first planned. I love those days. I even run fast the last 800.

I don't have anymore time, I have things to accomplish. I will expand on the following quote later. Kind of ironic, isn't it.

Don't let the fear of the time it will take to accomplish something

stand in the way of your doing it.

The time will pass anyway;

we might just as well put that passing time

to the best possible use.

Earl Nightingale.

Change

Wednesday: 6 miles
Thursday: Can't remember
Friday: 2 mile warm-up, 3x800, 1/2 mile cool down
Saturday: 30 miles bike tool shed and back
Monday: 4 miles pushing Jayci
Tuesday: 20 miles bike Burger King

Change is the essence of life.

Be willing to surrender what you are

for what you could become.

author unknown

I was on vacation, and have been home now for a week. I just haven't had time to recap since school was out. I did not get out much while vacationing. I did run 6 miles one day in the most wonderful rain I have ever been in. Wow!

Truthfully, I don't have much to report right now. I have decided that I definitely need to stretch, and I mean good stretch, a few days a week. I have always been very flexible, but when I first started exercising, I was coaching tumbling, and stretching 2 times a week. It is amazing how much flexibility I have lost. I imagine that I am like the tin man in the wizard of oz before he gets oiled, creaky and stiff. Stretching is like oiling a machine, it allows the joints to move more freely. I truly believe it makes a difference. However, it is just one more thing in the list of things to do, and often gets left out. Mental note, stretch!

I had a friend and a cousin that each ran their first 5K last Saturday. They did so great. My cousin called me when she finished, and was so proud, as well she should be. I tell you, it is amazing. They ran 3.1 miles, and are alive to tell about it. I was so excited for both of them, I can feel their happiness. There is something so wonderful about working towards a goal you once thought impossible, and achieving it. I think that is why running becomes so addictive to some. It is kind of a test of strength, physical and mental. It is nice to be able to control something when so many things in life leave us feeling out-of-control.

Today I would like to celebrate change. Change is something I have found hard all of my life. I like to have things stay the same, to know what to expect. Arnold Bennett said, "A change, even a change for the better, has its drawbacks and discomforts." I fear those discomforts. However, change is inevitable. It seems like the times I dread change the most, is the times the change has been the best for me. I have new neighbors who just moved in on Saturday. I think of the change they are dealing with, new friends, new community, new schools. They are in such unfamiliar territory. That is a huge discomfort and drawback to me. I am glad I am not them. This kind of change terrifies me. But on the other hand, I am somewhat jealous of them, it is a new adventure, and new chance to grow and stretch. Changes grows a man (or woman in this case.) I need to be willing to surrender what I am now for what I can become. Running helps me realize this, I am becoming something I once thought impossible. I run today to surrender the former me so I can become what I am meant to be in the future. Keep running!