Intervals

We've been working on intervals this week, deciding times for race on Monday.  Today we did 3/2 and it worked well.  Final check on intervals and pace will be on Saturday.  Goal for Roswell Turtle Race, 5 minutes less than Alien Race.  More than 5 would be wonderful!  I am much better prepared for this race but still very nervous, does it ever get any easier?

Got my new compressions socks today...love em.  I knew my old ones were stretched out but oh man, these really feel good on my calves and shins.  And they aren't so granny looking!




Busy rest of the week, Jr. High game on Thursday, Varsity game on Friday, Texas Tech game on Saturday, leaving for Roswell Sunday afternoon, Race on Monday.

Geez, just listing all that makes me tired, I better go to bed!

Note to self!

Early morning, easy 2 miles to get the week started.

Note to self - if you use retinol before going to bed be sure to wash your face before you run the next morning, IT STINGS!

 Ouch!

Have a great day!

Dear Garmin

Dear Garmin,

These are the things I love about your product: 
calories burned, end of workout alert;

Please add the following alerts:  Stop, think before you eat that!

I need to remind myself that just because you have company and you are cooking for that company does not give you an excuse to eat what you are cooking for that company AND football season does not give you an excuse for eating crap late at night.

Having said that I knew after last nights late hot dogs my MOE (mode of exercise) would be the treadmill this morning.  My plan was four miles 3 at intervals and 1 just to get the late night kinks worked out.  Sure enough 2.1 miles in I had to take a break for business and then got back to it.  All of the sudden at a little over 3 miles the treadmill became posessed and took off and I mean just took off!  Now if you know much about me you know I have a fear of falling off the back of the treadmill, but I bravely jumped on the sides, my heart racing (I think that must of been several extra calories burned) and hit the stop and then reset and it started okay and then took off again.  I took this as a sign that I needed to get off so I did and will have DH look at it tonight.

Volleyball games this morning, ENMU football scrimmage tonight.  Hope you have great weekend plans.

Book Giveaway

I need a lesson on linking but I sure know how to copy and paste.  Hope this goes to the Run Like a Girl book giveaway.

http://23imaginaryfriends.blogspot.com/

A New Day!

Treadmill workout on Wednesday barefoot and really stretching out my calves and hamstrings.

Dr. yesterday, shot for headache and Z Pac for allergy-sinus-drainage-swollen glands-chest congestion-itis (code for an itis I can't spell and bad allergy year).  Tried a new Nighty-nite tea last night with humidifier and slept really great!

4am up for workout.  Weather nice, changed out intervals for 4-2, this ole lady needs 2 minutes to recover, time, pace, heart rate much better!  Breathing easier today.  Legs feel good.

New signs went up sometime after Monday morning and this morning:

Also mileage signs along the trail.  The City is really keeping the trail clean, hoping they will continue to do.  Funny-do your running trail signs list "no horseback riding" lol!




This is my new running dress, love it, but think I will take about 2-3 inches off the bottom to look more like a skirt, what do you think?  It has a shelf bra and a boob pocket too!  I don't really want to direct you to my face but did you notice my new headlight.....it's really dark at 4am.

WOW, just saw some folks from Roswell on the Today Show complete with their green signs and green alien glasses and Al Rucker talked to them.  Putting that on my bucket list, no not the signs and glasses, going to the Today Show.  Better get my Texas star ready cause I'm not wearing a NM roadrunner hat.

This cracks me up!

                                                      Have a great day!

Choices!

How do you wreck your training schedule in two days?  Bad eating and drinking, that's how.  And it showed it's ugly face this morning!  We had to change our workout to 4am (school and time difference) and J I don't know how you do it.  First I was sluggish I'm assuming from the bad food choices and then I was having a hard time breathing and lots of drainage.  Changed out from RYBO to to distance/intervals for this week to get ready for the Roswell run.  I have had a headache for the last several days and still have it today.  Going to try to drink water, water, and more water (plus SM and Detox tea) today and hope I feel better tomorrow.  Today is a new day! 

Progress

I never imagined myself actually enjoying a workout...this morning as we were running slowly jogging I realized I was going through a list in my mind of what I was thankful for...unimaginable, I usually am just sucking air,  wishing for the time to past quickly so I can walk a little bit and catch my breath.  PROGRESS!


I digress, I must first pat myself on the back for an achievement from yesterday.  People just amaze me and I was reeling from a specifically stupid parent, player and administrative incident/rumor handled badly that I would normally soothe myself with binging when I consciously made the decision to have ice cream for dinner.  Now you say ice cream...that can't be good, but the good part is that's all I had.  In the past I would have began eating right after the incident and continued to eat until I just felt bad about the situation AND myself.  This was a conscious decision and I purposefully got a regular portion of ice cream, not the large, not a container, just the normal size along with tea (and I had my water with me) and nothing else.  PROGRESS!

We were up early again, this will be the new normal with school starting, and the darkness passed quickly to early morning light, the breeze was pleasently in our faces and my breath was easy.  My head was up and my back was not hurting.  PROGRESS!

So here's my list for the day...I am thankful:

my legs and calves are better
my breathing and sense of smell is better (wierd huh)
my "can I do this" attitude has changed to "I can do this"
I have a few new clothes that do not have an X in the size
the snake on the trail this morning was dead
for the "real" Texico friends/kids that were genuinely glad to see us last night
all the "you look amazing comments" from those people
being where I am now and not where I was before

PROGRESS, it's a good thing!

All in all "it's a great day to be alive"

Stage 6 Day 1

Stage 6, day 1 can be marked off my list.  Each step is moving me towards a more healthy person and a person that is stronger than I ever thought I could be.

Still cloudy when we started out this morning at 5:30 (earlier so M could get to an early appt).  Muggy but with a cool breeze.  Along with the compression hose will be ordering a headlight, cause IT WAS DARK!  Even had a few sprinkles on us as we ran.

M was so proud of his Garmin and is even going to let me put this photo on the football blog to show that coaches really do have a heart cause his heart monitor says he does!  He even admitted to me this morning that before he had his own he was having Garmin envy! 

My first run with a running skirt ( thank you J)!  After looking at this photo...

It does cover my stomach and the top part of my tree trunk thighs.  Speaking of thighs, I have had baby doll legs all week, you know how the chubby legs on a baby doll disconnect with a snap, well there you go.  I would say barbie doll legs but that would be streaching it flat out lying!  I also still have a ongoing twitch in my right calf.

If we ran later in the day we could just go across the street and have a Bahama Buck drink and then go next door for a pedicure!  Want to join me?

Stage 5 Complete

Stage 5 RYBO completed Monday.  On to Stage 6 on Wednesday.  My legs are still lead from Saturday's race and I really should of done a pool workout on Sunday but just didn't.  Ate entirely too much over the weekend so Monday on the scale was not a pretty site.

Thinking about putting this on my scale, I try to not let the number define me but it is so a slap in the face (insert I should of had a V-8 head slap here) when you get on and know it's you to blame for that number going up instead of going down.  You know the ole choices you make today...yada yada yada!

Ordered DH a Garmin and will surprise him with it tonight (yes I paid extra to get it overnight so he could have it for Wed. workout).  I want to order compression socks today, need to know the best site to get them, suggestions welcome!

This has nothing to do with anything, I just liked it when I saw it!

Have a great day!

Lubbock Race

I've got a medal!  Now you may say big deal but as I was trying to figure out how to put my emotions on this page I realized how much and how often I have felt like a nobody in my lifetime.  I have always felt like I was somebody else's someone...Larry's little sister, Ronny's big sister, Ross and Travis' mother, Coach Pro's wife.

I thought:   my DH has a shrine (for lack of a better word) 

Travis has a shrine 



Ross has a shrine 





And what do I have?  A Santa Clause collection

Now I have had a very full life, not a fairy tale life but good.  I have survived domestic abuse, death of a child, unexpected death of a father, and I have experienced many wonderful things, DH's history making football seasons, DS#2 on Dancing with the Stars, DS#1 Coaching with his father and lead singer in a band.  But I have always been the support system in their lives.

The decision to do something for myself does not come easy as evidenced in my failure to take care of myself and my body, but today I added to MY shrine.  See the medal in the photo, I would not even have that had it not been for the insistance of my neice to stand up for myself.  When they announced my division they said there were two, they called the first place and then they called the second place and my name was not called.  Had it not been for my neice I would have just settled for nothing.  Good thing cause we had to do the same for DH's race and her race.

In the end all our group, neice, nephew, DH and ME left with a medal!

And I even won a door prize!



  

So here I sit with my granny socks on, nursing a calf that wants to cramp up, feeling pretty good about myself.  Did someone else have to make me see that I was worth it, yes.  Did I do what it took to finish the race OH YEAH! 

And on the chance of seeming rather self absorbed,

what the heck, I AM WORTH IT!



So True!

Stage 5 Day 2

DH's alarm went off at 5am this morning which means it was 4am Texas time!  I know my time with DH is dwindling and football will soon consume his life and I will have to go out on my own.  I groaned but quickly realized he was trying to do as much for/with me as he could before his time belongs to someone/something else.  Intervals this morning on Stage 5 RYBO.  Good thing the program encourages a slow pace because I really had lead legs this morning.  It was beautiful as we started in the dark and watched the light begin to show and the day begin.  We finished our workout and had time to walk and talk for a little while.

I woke up yesterday with 2 HUGE ZITS!  One on the end of my nose and one on my ear.  You know those kind that are under the skin and hurt like heck.   I am 55 years old, ZIT should not even be in a sentence I write  about myself, but writing it I am.  Later in the day I began to notice my throat was sore (zits + sore throat = some kind of infection is brewing) so I Nyquiled it up before going to bed after having a cup of Detox tea.  I am drinking hot green tea as I blog.  I have not been sick in a really long time and really don't want to be feeling bad on Saturday for the race.

Tonight we begin our Wednesday night football ritual of having dinner with the coaches and superintendent at Juanitos.  Football season is really here and therefore my football widow life begins again!

Life is good today!

 

What I'm Reading

I have transcribed since 5am this morning (wide awake what's up with that?).  Had a full pool workout planned for this afternoon and now it's raining so will treadmill it tonight. Not wanting to clean house or do laundry (and who ever wants to do that) and DH is at football practice I thought I would share what I'm reading. 

I am rarely and I mean RARELY without a book.  Yes I know I should come into this century and get a Kindle but I LOVE books!  I usually have a book in my purse, a book by my bed, a book or magazine in the powder room (TMI), and a book or magazine by my chair in the living room. 

I just got through reading this, I have read every book in this series as soon as it comes out in paperback.  Just a funny no thinking book, easy light reading.

I have started this book which is okay, not funny like I usually like to read at night before I go to sleep but it's okay.  Maybe it will get more interesting as I get further into it.

I just got through with this book yesterday.  It has a lot of very good information that can be used at my entry level of running.  Good book for reference.

Got this book in the mail today.  A quick scan through it looks like it will be some good information for women more my age (you know stuff for the aches and pains etc for old ladies)!

I like this magazine more that Runner's World but I don't think it comes out every month.

Reading this magazine now.

Saw this when I ordered the Women over 40 Running Book and it looks like it will give me some good reference material for blogs.  Maybe I won't have to bug you about "how tos" if this is a good book!

My new internet interest is www.pinterest.com, a website where you can create boards and pin a plethora of all kinds of stuff like photography, craft/sewing ideas, gift ideas, wish list etc.  I got this picture today.

I nearly forgot!  I ordered this e-book today.  Really enjoyed the photography class I took last semester and the job I'm transcribing now is a big job, big enough that I'm hoping to get a new camera!  Never can have too many reference books for any of your hobbies!

I will leave you today with another Pinterest sign. 

I hope your day has been rewarding, interesting, and happy!

New Week

The sunrise was beautiful this morning as we started our workout! 

We bypassed our interval workout this morning to get our current average mile pace. 

Used the Garmin heart monitor for the first time this morning. (now I need to know how to figure out what my high low percentages should be)

Downloaded history and was pleased okay with results for the days workout.  Nice to know what I need to work on, but I'm not going to get to hung up on it because the #1 thing I have to work on is increasing my stamina!

Saturday we went to Lubbock mainly to check out the race site for next week and the hills that looked very steep on the map (yes yes I'm a nervous nelly).   Hills aren't that bad and I feel more relaxed comfortable knowing where we're going since we will be going over the morning of the race, not the night before.  Parking and bathroom situation does not look good!

While in Lubbock I got a running skirt with capris at Cardinals for 50% off (whoo hoo) but they didn't have an XL.  Got the L for next clothes goal.  I can get them on but nothing I could go out of the bedroom in.  Hung them on the front of the closet so I have to look at them all the time reminding me to stay on track.  Also got a yellow and black shirt and another pair of compression pants at Target, all 30% off!  Not exactly pleased with the middle stomach role that shows but I know I am working on that (planks, planks, and more planks)!

I have been off track on eating the last few days but this morning regrouped and back on track!  Tried Olive Garden salad and soup which will have to be added to the  NO list. 

"Racing teaches us to challenge ourselves. It teaches us to push beyond where we thought we could go. It helps us to find out what we are made of. This is what we do. This is what it's all about."
-PattiSue Plumer, U.S. Olympian

Have a great week!

Toes

I got Sally Hanson nail stickers for fingers and used them on my toes!  Okay you probably don't want to see my toes but I thought this was neat and easy and you don't have to let it dry!  You just peel off the back and stick it to your toe nail and file off the end.  Will be interesting to see how long they last.  This might be my go to product and they come in all shades and patterns.

The good, the bad, and the ugly

The Good:
Stage 5 Day 1 Completed
Pace was more consistant
Head up most of the time
1 more pound to have all the Ft. Worth weight off
I got my Garmin in the mail today
Only 94 degrees at 7:15 tonight with a pretty nice breeze
No one on the trail until our last lap

The Bad:
Pace a very slow jog, will eventually have to speed up
 Had to be reminded to keep my head up
Should be -6 from my lowest weight, not losing weight gained
Need a class on how to work the Garmin
I still sweat like it was 110 degrees
I didn't get my incline workout done this morning so we have planned to go to the gym tomorrow and do upper body plus the incline.

The Ugly:
Well there aren't any, I am really trying to be positive and grateful.  When doubts start to surface I am using my "I can" mantra.  I am grateful that I am healthy and have made the progress that I have. 

Whether you believe you can or believe you can't, you're probably right."
-Henry Ford

PM Running

I can't say that my first pm RYBO workout was a complete success.  I can say that I was not pleased when we pulled up to the City Trail and it had been asphalted (is that a word?) and now has a slant to it.  But we charged on with our last Stage 4 workout.  For the first time we were joined by a few stragglers but they got out of our way as we came around.  In the middle of the 4th interval it hit me.  Now I don't want to be too graphic here so I will say we had dinner at 6 thinking that would be an hour for the food to settle and any bathroom issues dealt with.  We began our workout at 7pm.  Michael was not listening when I said I had to go home, I had to emphasize emphatically I have to GO home!  He got it and we hustled home.

It was hot and I was dripping, not a pretty sight!

 Got my new Headsweat visor and wore it for the first time tonight, love it!  

I don't feel like I am ready to move on to Stage 5 but will follow the program and trudge on as planned.  I'm hoping tonight was hard only because I did the treadmill incline workout this morning.  May have to reconsider doing RYBO on MWF and incline on TTH.

As to the other issue, even though it will be late I will eat AFTER we workout in the evening this week.  Next week we can workout in the morning and then we will have to regroup when school starts.  I may have to launch out on my own....but I can!

Schedule

DEFINE NORMAL!

Next race looks like there is a hill right after you start and right before you finish.  My weight is still up from Ft. Worth so here's the plan for the week:

Mon / AM - Incline on treadmill, walking, increase every 5 minutes 1,2,3...
           PM - Stage 4 at City Trail

Wed / AM - Incline on treadmill, walking, increase every 5 min 2,4,6...
           PM - Stage 5 at City Trail or Hillcrest Park Trail

Fri / AM - Incline on treadmill, walking, increase every 5 in, 3,6,9...
        PM - Stage 5

My back under shoulder blades is hurting, I believe it's because I walk/run with my head down (clumsy and afraid of falling).  Goal for the week "head up"

"The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare."  

Have a great week!