Hello World,
I don't even know what to title this post. It's me, Iceman, it's so cold here in the Northern Tundra that "Iceman" is an appropriate handle.
As my wingmen have said, I did, in fact, just give birth to babe #5. Well, it's been a month now. Is that still considered, "just giving birth,"? It sure feels like it. I'm still trying to get my brain wrapped around my new "normal." Somehow the jump from 4 to 5 kids is a BIG jump. What DO you do with the newborn who's crying and hungry while trying to explain the finer points of multiplication to my 8 year old. Or dealing with a screaming 4 year old and 2 year old who can't share while I'm handicapped by the nursing baby and the book that I'm trying to read to my 6 year old. (Yes, this all did happen this morning...) This will all get easier, right?
Oops, little break. The 2 year old just whacked the 6 year old in the head with the business end of a plastic sword. Oops, another break, 8 year old needed some direction with math.
I'm back.
So as for body reclaiming. Here's what I know:
1. With a stronger body I know I will better take on this physically challenging role.
2. Being physically more capable will help me to be emotionally more capable. Plus all those feel good endorphins from exercise.
3. Looking nice helps me feel better about myself.
So what IS a good plan for an already maxed out schedule.
Well I am going back to Weight Watchers Tonight! Waa Hoo! O.k. I'm a little apprehensive about going back because I'm not really there, mentally, to start being disciplined with my diet. I'm hoping for a big "kick in the pants" tonight that jump starts that mental change.
I have joined a small gym that I haven't actually been to yet. I remember with the last baby, telling my husband that when the baby starts to wake only two times at night I'll start going. Well I'm already there with this one. Yet working-out 4 weeks postpartum seems insurmountable. Maybe this week I'll work on the diet and next week we will start in with that gym.
O.k. back to school, babies, well, life. Hoping I hit my stride sooner than later.
Iceman down but not out.... :)
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Throw Down
I think we need a challenge! With Prize!
I need to pull together my eating and my exercise. And I need to do it on a new schedule as my morning workouts sort of went out the window when morning Kindergarten started.
I happen to know changes have been afoot for Goose and Iceman as well so we are all reinventing our eating and work out schedules a little. The holiday's are over and spring is right around the corner. Time for something to get us back on track.
The Challenge:
Since we are all runners I propose a 2 month challenge.
Month number 1-January 30-February 26
Run 15 miles per week
weight train in whatever way suits you 1 times per week
Post weekly meal plans
Month number 2- February 27-March 26
Run 20 miles per week
weight train 2 times per week
post weekly meal plans
The Prize:
The person who runs the most miles and completes all other training should get $5 coffee cards from the losers. One prize per month
I propose adding biking to the challenge in April but we can review when we get there.
You have a week to prepare and accept the challenge and then I will look forward to the weekly updates.
If we have any readers who want to join in spirit just let us know in the comments.
Secondary goal: Get a picture of iceman in some race this year.
A healthy lifestyle is journey. A marathon not a sprint. We are butt kicking animals one day and then we fall down and become wide load couch potatoes the next. The question is, do we get back on track or will we let failure define us?
Maverick
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Marketing Martha
I have been getting a little magazine called "everyday food" for the past year and love it. I love it so much that when the renewal came in the mail I bought gift subscriptions for my mom, Goose and Iceman as Christmas gifts. Why keep all those yummy recipes to myself?
Here are some things I enjoy about it and look forward to sharing with family:
Every month there is a 1 week meal plan. Now often in magazines they are complicated week long meals but I have actually done a couple of them and they are simple, delicious and simple. Plus they are good. OK I have a limited list of requirements for my food, quick and tasty.
The food is for the most part healthy, lots of stuff that is dairy free, encourages organic living.
I have gotten lots of magazines with recipes in the past and even recipe magazines before and I will say I have lots of recipes I use from them but I have never had one magazine that I so consistently found and used recipes I enjoyed.
This month I have already tried and enjoyed the Shredded buffalo chicken sandwiches and am going to try out some of their smoothie variations.
Not that Martha needs help marketing but I just thought I would share.
Maverick out
Here are some things I enjoy about it and look forward to sharing with family:
Every month there is a 1 week meal plan. Now often in magazines they are complicated week long meals but I have actually done a couple of them and they are simple, delicious and simple. Plus they are good. OK I have a limited list of requirements for my food, quick and tasty.
The food is for the most part healthy, lots of stuff that is dairy free, encourages organic living.
I have gotten lots of magazines with recipes in the past and even recipe magazines before and I will say I have lots of recipes I use from them but I have never had one magazine that I so consistently found and used recipes I enjoyed.
This month I have already tried and enjoyed the Shredded buffalo chicken sandwiches and am going to try out some of their smoothie variations.
Not that Martha needs help marketing but I just thought I would share.
Maverick out
Friday, January 7, 2011
The full spread
Maverick In
Well I think that H would make an excellent "Viper", the leader of the flight school. She could shape us all up. Just a thought.
I don't like to be a cliche. I want to be original. So I decided against jumping off my butt on Jan 1 like everyone else and have continued to meld with the couch for another week now.
It has been over a month since my last run and getting close to a month since my last any other form of exercise and I have made a few observations:
The good news is that although I don't have a scale and can't say one way or another what my weight is, my clothes aren't any tighter.
On the other hand...my body is starting to hurt, not the good kind from exercise but the bad kind from atrophy, I am sleeping terrible, becoming a slacker around the house and in general becoming one with the downstairs couch.
Sometimes you just give in to your inner sloth and go for it. That is one of the down sides of MN. The cold just sucks the life out of you. But then maybe that is the whole point, back in the day we needed that additional layer of fat to survive. The thing is, I don't need additional fat now, I have a furnace.
Then again when you are in MN unless you have some crazy commitment, you need a club membership. NEED. And as we have had to cut back on things this year I had to cut that. However, I started a part time job this week and although I wasn't planning to make any changes for a few months I told my husband I would be going to the nearest club as soon as possible.
I can't live like this. I mean I know I did live like this for years. Sluggish, tired and without much enthusiasm for life and getting out there and living it. BUT, I have seen the other side. I have tasted the good life and can never go back.
So here are a few things I am considering to keep me motivated this winter and throughout the year:
Cross Country Skiing. I must admit that I have told hubby at times that when I see Cross Country Skiers I think they look crazy. I mean people who do it REALLY love it. But I talked with a neighbor who recently started doing it at a ski hill a couple miles from our house and became interested. It is only $8 for rental and trail pass. That price excites and motivates me. Plus my hubby grew up doing it with the family and I am always looking for something our whole family can do together that is healthy and active. So potential future post about how that works out to come.
While races are fun they are also costly so I am not quite as ambitious as Goose limiting myself to just a couple things.
The spring Get In Gear race. I had said I wanted to do the 10K but as my butt has spread across the couch I have been thinking the 5K might be a challenge. However, if I do sign up for a new club membership in the next week I will go back to my 10K plan. I don't expect to be able to run the whole thing by the end of March but I want to do something that will really challenge me at the beginning of the season and get me off the treadmill.
Sometime in August: first annual Wolfe/Byrd/friend family duathlon. Bike/run/bike. Iceman and I will plan it, set it up and unless we can motivate the rest of our families, be the only participants. Still it is happening!
Possibly considering the Irongirl duathlon here in the cities this summer. Not making full commitment at this point but I do want to keep up my triathlon body a little.
Biking: More family bike rides, something we enjoyed last summer. Looking to borrow or buy a ride behind for Isabelle so she can join the fun and we can loose the big parachute on wheels.
I really miss my body pump class and my nice toned arms, legs and abs. I am not sure I will be re-joining the Y since I have found the cut rate clubs also have treadmills for half the price. If the new club doesn't have something similar I will be forced to make up my own routine. At least I have learned a lot from body pump.
My hubby has full access to a wonderful workout room at the fire department and I will be challenging him this year to use it. Another competitor in the family duathlon this summer.
That should be enough to keep me entertained and in shape.
ICEMAN---What news from the postpartum ward?
Maverick Out.
Well I think that H would make an excellent "Viper", the leader of the flight school. She could shape us all up. Just a thought.
I don't like to be a cliche. I want to be original. So I decided against jumping off my butt on Jan 1 like everyone else and have continued to meld with the couch for another week now.
It has been over a month since my last run and getting close to a month since my last any other form of exercise and I have made a few observations:
The good news is that although I don't have a scale and can't say one way or another what my weight is, my clothes aren't any tighter.
On the other hand...my body is starting to hurt, not the good kind from exercise but the bad kind from atrophy, I am sleeping terrible, becoming a slacker around the house and in general becoming one with the downstairs couch.
Sometimes you just give in to your inner sloth and go for it. That is one of the down sides of MN. The cold just sucks the life out of you. But then maybe that is the whole point, back in the day we needed that additional layer of fat to survive. The thing is, I don't need additional fat now, I have a furnace.
Then again when you are in MN unless you have some crazy commitment, you need a club membership. NEED. And as we have had to cut back on things this year I had to cut that. However, I started a part time job this week and although I wasn't planning to make any changes for a few months I told my husband I would be going to the nearest club as soon as possible.
I can't live like this. I mean I know I did live like this for years. Sluggish, tired and without much enthusiasm for life and getting out there and living it. BUT, I have seen the other side. I have tasted the good life and can never go back.
So here are a few things I am considering to keep me motivated this winter and throughout the year:
Cross Country Skiing. I must admit that I have told hubby at times that when I see Cross Country Skiers I think they look crazy. I mean people who do it REALLY love it. But I talked with a neighbor who recently started doing it at a ski hill a couple miles from our house and became interested. It is only $8 for rental and trail pass. That price excites and motivates me. Plus my hubby grew up doing it with the family and I am always looking for something our whole family can do together that is healthy and active. So potential future post about how that works out to come.
While races are fun they are also costly so I am not quite as ambitious as Goose limiting myself to just a couple things.
The spring Get In Gear race. I had said I wanted to do the 10K but as my butt has spread across the couch I have been thinking the 5K might be a challenge. However, if I do sign up for a new club membership in the next week I will go back to my 10K plan. I don't expect to be able to run the whole thing by the end of March but I want to do something that will really challenge me at the beginning of the season and get me off the treadmill.
Sometime in August: first annual Wolfe/Byrd/friend family duathlon. Bike/run/bike. Iceman and I will plan it, set it up and unless we can motivate the rest of our families, be the only participants. Still it is happening!
Possibly considering the Irongirl duathlon here in the cities this summer. Not making full commitment at this point but I do want to keep up my triathlon body a little.
Biking: More family bike rides, something we enjoyed last summer. Looking to borrow or buy a ride behind for Isabelle so she can join the fun and we can loose the big parachute on wheels.
I really miss my body pump class and my nice toned arms, legs and abs. I am not sure I will be re-joining the Y since I have found the cut rate clubs also have treadmills for half the price. If the new club doesn't have something similar I will be forced to make up my own routine. At least I have learned a lot from body pump.
My hubby has full access to a wonderful workout room at the fire department and I will be challenging him this year to use it. Another competitor in the family duathlon this summer.
That should be enough to keep me entertained and in shape.
ICEMAN---What news from the postpartum ward?
Maverick Out.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
So cliche'
Goose here. Oh my goodness, for a split second there I forgot what my blog persona name was! It's indeed been too long since I posted!
I figured I'd better make a post quick before the new year starts or we'd come across as the proverbial cliche, resurrecting our workout mojo as some kind of pitiful attempt at a resolution.
So what have we been up to? Turning into piles of mush, of course...you?
No, not really. Iceman finally got her 5th sweet baby fully cooked and is now 6 days into reclaiming (as much as you can with a nursing newborn) her body for herself. I have no doubt she will turn into a crazy machine in a few short weeks, though I figure she will have to give up sleeping in order to figure out how to diet and exercise amidst 5 children under age 8, homeschooling, and those high maintenance newborns- darn lucky they are that they are so helplessly cute or we might question our sanity in procreating so often. I must admit, since baby iceman was born, I have been looking at my almost 6year old baby and wondering why she is so big. But what does that have to do with wewawo anyway? So enough about that. We believe in you iceman!!!
(just as an aside, I am posting on an iPad and when I type wewawo, it wants to autocorrect it to weasel. Hahahahaha.)
As far as I know, maverick claims mush, although can you blame those poor people? They have, like, 27feet of snow up there! Not only would I not be working out, I'd probably be dead in that wretched environment! And for the record, she looks pretty good to me in the pics I've seen of their Christmas celebrations.
Oh, merry Christmas by the way. I'll throw in a hearty Happy New Year while I'm at it, since I'm positive I won't be posting again in the next few days. Let's face it, people, with my track record you'll be lucky to hear from me again by spring.
Anyway. It's true, after a solid year of nonstop workouts and race training, I have not moved my body in one single way that goes beyond me merely getting from point a to point b in an entire month. I thought I might come up with some introspective post about what I was learning about my non moving sabbatical (or would that be a moving sabbatical?) but I didn't post soon enough and now I am just getting downright disgusted with myself.
It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that, while I breezed all the way from thanksgiving to Christmas eve on the low end of my self imposed acceptable weight range thanks to an extra measure of stress in my life (I tend to respond to stress with a total loss of appetite, which actually worked out well for me since I have not been working out) I have now not stopped eating since Christmas eve, could it? I mean, really, a mere 5 days ago I weighed 4 lbs less than I did today...can you believe that is even possible??? And I can tell you exactly what happened...on Christmas eve my home became filled with all kinds of chips, cheeses, chocolates and baked goods as well as goodies like homemade mac&cheese, potato casserole, quiche. All sorts of yum and all resolve left me!
But I have smacked some sense back in to myself. I perused early feb/mar runs to sign up for to get me motivated and am going to aim for a 10k run in feb or mar, and possibly a duathlon (run/bike/run) in April in preparation for the sprint triathlon season in which my goal is to compete in three this coming year. I am very loosely pondering a half marathon, but we will see if I am able to get back in to my workout routine adequately.
Of course, my trusty sidekick, H, has continued to faithfully workout like a freak and send me taunting text messages while i sit watching my thighs turn to cellulite while snarfing chips and cheese. Here is a lovely example of a text she sent me today:
H texts: "I rode like a lion...1hr5min, 20 miles! Do you want to know what it feels like to be me?"
At least the skinny, muscled freak is good for a laugh, hahaha! :) And its only because her even more freakish husband rides for at least 2 hours a day and so she feels a little "pressure" hahaha. But enough about my beloved H or I will have to give her a moniker here and allow her to post snark about me! :)
So bottom line for Goose...the month long gooberfest is over! We will be back in the 60's here by tomorrow, so I plan to see if I can even still run 3 miles without stopping and then dust of my trusty 30 day shred and get back to work uncovering my 6 pack abs and freakishly strong arms :).
I look forward to hearing how maverick and iceman plan to pull themselves together in the new year after they tunnel out of all the snow they live under.
Goose-Out
I figured I'd better make a post quick before the new year starts or we'd come across as the proverbial cliche, resurrecting our workout mojo as some kind of pitiful attempt at a resolution.
So what have we been up to? Turning into piles of mush, of course...you?
No, not really. Iceman finally got her 5th sweet baby fully cooked and is now 6 days into reclaiming (as much as you can with a nursing newborn) her body for herself. I have no doubt she will turn into a crazy machine in a few short weeks, though I figure she will have to give up sleeping in order to figure out how to diet and exercise amidst 5 children under age 8, homeschooling, and those high maintenance newborns- darn lucky they are that they are so helplessly cute or we might question our sanity in procreating so often. I must admit, since baby iceman was born, I have been looking at my almost 6year old baby and wondering why she is so big. But what does that have to do with wewawo anyway? So enough about that. We believe in you iceman!!!
(just as an aside, I am posting on an iPad and when I type wewawo, it wants to autocorrect it to weasel. Hahahahaha.)
As far as I know, maverick claims mush, although can you blame those poor people? They have, like, 27feet of snow up there! Not only would I not be working out, I'd probably be dead in that wretched environment! And for the record, she looks pretty good to me in the pics I've seen of their Christmas celebrations.
Oh, merry Christmas by the way. I'll throw in a hearty Happy New Year while I'm at it, since I'm positive I won't be posting again in the next few days. Let's face it, people, with my track record you'll be lucky to hear from me again by spring.
Anyway. It's true, after a solid year of nonstop workouts and race training, I have not moved my body in one single way that goes beyond me merely getting from point a to point b in an entire month. I thought I might come up with some introspective post about what I was learning about my non moving sabbatical (or would that be a moving sabbatical?) but I didn't post soon enough and now I am just getting downright disgusted with myself.
It couldn't have anything to do with the fact that, while I breezed all the way from thanksgiving to Christmas eve on the low end of my self imposed acceptable weight range thanks to an extra measure of stress in my life (I tend to respond to stress with a total loss of appetite, which actually worked out well for me since I have not been working out) I have now not stopped eating since Christmas eve, could it? I mean, really, a mere 5 days ago I weighed 4 lbs less than I did today...can you believe that is even possible??? And I can tell you exactly what happened...on Christmas eve my home became filled with all kinds of chips, cheeses, chocolates and baked goods as well as goodies like homemade mac&cheese, potato casserole, quiche. All sorts of yum and all resolve left me!
But I have smacked some sense back in to myself. I perused early feb/mar runs to sign up for to get me motivated and am going to aim for a 10k run in feb or mar, and possibly a duathlon (run/bike/run) in April in preparation for the sprint triathlon season in which my goal is to compete in three this coming year. I am very loosely pondering a half marathon, but we will see if I am able to get back in to my workout routine adequately.
Of course, my trusty sidekick, H, has continued to faithfully workout like a freak and send me taunting text messages while i sit watching my thighs turn to cellulite while snarfing chips and cheese. Here is a lovely example of a text she sent me today:
H texts: "I rode like a lion...1hr5min, 20 miles! Do you want to know what it feels like to be me?"
At least the skinny, muscled freak is good for a laugh, hahaha! :) And its only because her even more freakish husband rides for at least 2 hours a day and so she feels a little "pressure" hahaha. But enough about my beloved H or I will have to give her a moniker here and allow her to post snark about me! :)
So bottom line for Goose...the month long gooberfest is over! We will be back in the 60's here by tomorrow, so I plan to see if I can even still run 3 miles without stopping and then dust of my trusty 30 day shred and get back to work uncovering my 6 pack abs and freakishly strong arms :).
I look forward to hearing how maverick and iceman plan to pull themselves together in the new year after they tunnel out of all the snow they live under.
Goose-Out
Friday, November 12, 2010
400 pound slob
I felt this blog was a little lonely. I mean nothing posted since July? Have we fallen that far? I know Goose did a second triathlon in early September. Nothing about that? I know Iceman is pregnant so she has a brief pass but we will all look forward to her words of inspiration soon.
So I thought I would contribute again. Just to keep it going.
I am a 400 pound slob. Or at least I would secretly like to be one. I really want to give into the lazy, gluttonous person inside me, sit down on the couch with a pint of ice cream and never get up again. I never want to go on another run, never want to lift another weight, never want to do another sit up. I don't want to push myself. I don't want to work exercise into my schedule. I don't want to think about what to eat or not eat. Just mindlessly pop whatever is in front of me in my mouth. That is what I want!
Then again I see people who have given into that same desire and I wonder. How can they go around like that? Don't they know how unhealthy they are? Don't they know they are shortening their lives? Don't they know they don't have to be sick or unhealthy? Don't they know they can look and feel good? Isn't it worth it to them? Aren't they worth it to themselves? I saw a woman walking into Target the other day that was quite obese. You know when the fat starts hanging down from the lower part of your stomach? She wasn't that old. And I just wondered if she was doing anything about her weight or if she had just given up and was living like that.
I don't want to give up.
I realize on the one hand there is a lot of distance to cover between the 130 pounds I would like to be forever and the 400 pounds that would have me with fat hanging down to my knees but on the other hand is there really? Just like staying thin is a daily decision to control portions and drag myself out of bed for a morning run or a yoga video becoming an unhealthy person is a daily decision not to. I loose weight one day at a time and I gain weight one day at a time. Gaining weight is as much of a decision as loosing weight. I either decide to do something or I decide to do nothing.
Lately I have been deciding to do nothing with exercise. After such a great year last year and the triathlon I have sort of fallen apart. I kept up most of the summer but this fall it all fell apart. The eating has been better and kept my weight balanced but I know it is time to put them both together again. To decide that my health is worth the effort. I am worth the effort. I don't have to kill myself. I am not training for anything right now but I do need to keep going.
Actually I am training for something. After Goose and her friend H had done their second triathlon together the continued their morning work out routine. One morning Goose's husband came by and asked, "what are you training for now?" H replied, "Life". That is what I am training for now. Are you training with me?
So I thought I would contribute again. Just to keep it going.
I am a 400 pound slob. Or at least I would secretly like to be one. I really want to give into the lazy, gluttonous person inside me, sit down on the couch with a pint of ice cream and never get up again. I never want to go on another run, never want to lift another weight, never want to do another sit up. I don't want to push myself. I don't want to work exercise into my schedule. I don't want to think about what to eat or not eat. Just mindlessly pop whatever is in front of me in my mouth. That is what I want!
Then again I see people who have given into that same desire and I wonder. How can they go around like that? Don't they know how unhealthy they are? Don't they know they are shortening their lives? Don't they know they don't have to be sick or unhealthy? Don't they know they can look and feel good? Isn't it worth it to them? Aren't they worth it to themselves? I saw a woman walking into Target the other day that was quite obese. You know when the fat starts hanging down from the lower part of your stomach? She wasn't that old. And I just wondered if she was doing anything about her weight or if she had just given up and was living like that.
I don't want to give up.
I realize on the one hand there is a lot of distance to cover between the 130 pounds I would like to be forever and the 400 pounds that would have me with fat hanging down to my knees but on the other hand is there really? Just like staying thin is a daily decision to control portions and drag myself out of bed for a morning run or a yoga video becoming an unhealthy person is a daily decision not to. I loose weight one day at a time and I gain weight one day at a time. Gaining weight is as much of a decision as loosing weight. I either decide to do something or I decide to do nothing.
Lately I have been deciding to do nothing with exercise. After such a great year last year and the triathlon I have sort of fallen apart. I kept up most of the summer but this fall it all fell apart. The eating has been better and kept my weight balanced but I know it is time to put them both together again. To decide that my health is worth the effort. I am worth the effort. I don't have to kill myself. I am not training for anything right now but I do need to keep going.
Actually I am training for something. After Goose and her friend H had done their second triathlon together the continued their morning work out routine. One morning Goose's husband came by and asked, "what are you training for now?" H replied, "Life". That is what I am training for now. Are you training with me?
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Lumberjack 10 mile run-Stillwater, MN
I trained. I ran. I conquered.
I had a successful run last Saturday in the Lumberjack 10 miler. No, I didn't wow anyone with my speed but myself, and there are technically no bragging rights when you come in 898th out of just over 1,000 runners. But victory is in the eye of the beholder and this girl accomplished her goals in training and finished at the top of her goal range and is quite satisfied with herself! :)
I specifically trained for this race for 6 weeks, and my runs really ran the gamut as you saw if you kept up with my weekly training check-ins. The week had kicked off with the always awesome, 20 hour, two-day road trip of 1100 miles of driving (I drove it all) with four children and a grandma sidekick.
I decided to celebrate our arrival on Tuesday night with a bottle of wine to erase the experience from my memory. Awaking Wednesday morning and realizing I had a race to run in a few days and had done nothing in 3 days but sit on my ass (can I say ass here?) and consume a bottle of wine, I decided I better pull it together. I ran 3 miles, banished alcohol for the rest of the week and ate and hydrated like a purist until Saturday.
When I first arrived in MN, I could tell the weather was going to be much kinder to me than GA weather had been, as I could feel a nice breeze in the last two morning runs I did before the race (a 3 and a 2 mile) and felt like that would be a huge benefit to me in how I felt during the run.
The day itself could not have been more perfect for a long run. It had stormed in the night, so although the humidity was noticable, it was completely overcast and in the 60's for most of the run. It was hugely helpful to not have the sun beating down. Perfect, could not have asked for better.
We were bussed out 10 miles from downtown Stillwater, and I was so pleased to see that not only was it a gorgeous run along the St. Croix river, but it was very flat.
I really was not nervous, more anticipatory. Maverick had come with me to be there at the finish line and take pics, and my friend, Monica, was running with me. They were my security blankets!
One thing I noticed right away about the participants in this event compared to the sprint tri, was how fit everyone was! I was really surprised. I mean, there were 1000 people running this race, and every one of them looked like they could do it. In the sprint tri (granted it was called a "my first tri" so it did run the gamut of body types) you saw every type of person, young-old-fit-fat-muscley-flabby. Here, everyone looked like a serious runner with toned running legs. Did I fit in? Did I look like I belonged there? I wondered.
I learned something new about distance runs, and that is that they give you pace runners so you can follow a certain pace that you want to finish in. Nice! Monica and I decided to start the race back with the 10 min. mile pacer.
We were off! I felt good right from the get go, and pretty soon I had passed the 10 min mile pacer and then even the 9.30 min. mile pacer...my goal was to stay very steady because I really wanted to run the whole race without having to walk.
The first 3 miles went very quickly and easily for me and I remember thinking, I've already done a 5k and still have a ton left in me! There was a water station about every two miles, and as my marathon friend advised me, I slowed down and took 2 cups at each one, one to drink and one to pour over my head to keep me cool.
Here are some things I learned during this long race: running is not a pretty sport--especially for men. During the run I had the pleasure of watching a man right beside me blow his nose in his hand and wipe it on his shorts. Another great experience was when I ran past a man who stopped right on the side of the road and pee'd. That was special. And then there was the man who made some coughing, wretching sounds and I wanted to suggest that he might want to throw up on the side of the road and not in the middle of it.
There was also a variety of spitting going on, and I passed one horrifically sweaty, shirtless man who eminated an odor that I quickly sprinted past. It was also really fun running alongside a woman I couldn't seem to get away from for awhile who had the strangest running stride where she dug her toes into the pavement so every stride was loud and obnoxious. I am a smooth runner and I could not understand why she was making so much noise with her shoes.
I also couldn't help but spend some time wondering about the few women who ran in just sports bras with their tramp stamps showing, when really, it wasn't there best look. Do these people not have mirrors? husbands? friends that care about them? how does it happen that people walk out of their house like this thinking, yea, I'm totally rockin' this look??
I also enjoyed pondering the type of person that ran marathons and used this race as a training run. There were a handful of people that chose to run the 10 miles out to the starting point instead of being bussed out there, and then they ran the 10 mile race. There were also a few that I passed on the run that were heading back to the start point, so clearly they had already finished the 10 miles and now were running back. These were clearly marathon trainers. What posesses a person to want to run this much? I know how much time I have had to devote to training for the tri and this 10 mile run...I would have no life at all outside of preparing my body if I were to train for a marathon (which, mark my words, I will NEVER do!)
Anyway, back to my run...
After mile 3 I heard people saying the next 2-3 miles were the worst because it was a gradual incline, mostly on a dirt packed, gravely road. I honestly didn't even notice the gradual incline until the end when there was one steep hill that was pretty short with a water station right at the top so I thought it was fine.
Then I started hearing talk that it was "all down hill from here", and from mile 6-10 it was a gradual downward slope into Stillwater. Again, I didn't significantly notice the gradual downgrade, but I am sure it helped to make it a pleasant race.
At one hour I remember thinking, wow, I've run a whole hour already! And then thinking, wow, bummer, I still have to run for a good 40 more minutes at least. I think I lost a little steam with that realization and had to push through until I felt like I hit a new breathing stride right before 7 miles.
I felt good again until I hit 8 miles and then I was like, ok, I'm good! I'm done! I was bored and tired and over it. I started questioning why I do things like this and how I will never, ever run a 1/2 marathon, let alone another 10 mile race because I am not a distance runner and why in the world did I let H talk me into another sprint tri in Sept because I hate this and its not fun and I am bored and tired and I hate this!
I let myself wallow in that manner for a couple minutes and then I pulled myself back together.
I reminded myself that it was a ten mile race and I'd already gone 8 and we were talking less than 20 minutes of running left and I would be done, I could sooo do this, I had trained well and really I was not nearly as spent as I had felt in the run leg of the sprint tri and I had kept going then. I was just getting a little bored. I knew that I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't keep running.
So Forrest kept running. Finally I hit the 9 mile mark. Do you know how long 1 single mile is when you have already run 9 and all you want to do is cross the finish line and get it over with? Oh my goodness, so long! The last mile felt as long as the first 9 miles! I could see the general finish area. I had been running in between the 9.30 and 10 min mile pacers nearly the entire time so I knew I was right in front of my top goal of 1 hr. 40 min finish.
The last 1/4 mile I hear the 10 min pacer behind me, closing in! I tried to pick it up but I just couldn't. She closed in on me and I literally crossed the finish line with her, but that was a-ok with me...it meant my time came out literally exactly 1 hour 40 minutes and I was very proud that I ran the whole thing and maintained an average 10 minute mile stride for the entire thing.
Right as I crossed the finish I heard my sis, Maverick, call out to me, and then I see our friend, Brian, with my 7 yr old on his shoulders! What a special surprise! She had been camping with Iceman and her family nearby and they had come in to Stillwater and my girl got to see me cross the finish line after watching me work my butt off all these weeks running and working out. The specialness is most probably lost on her at her age, but hopefully when she is older she will remember how her mom worked for a goal and she got to watch me achieve it.
I really needed a mental minute right after finishing so I walked off a bit and stood in a water spray they had going. The set up was much better than the tri and there were bottles of water, chips, bananas, bagels, protein bars for us to replenish with, and I got to sit with my sis-maverick, my sil-iceman, my brother, friends Brian and Monica, one of my daughters, and four of my nieces and nephews for a while and just enjoy the end of the experience. It was really great and really special!
I really thought I'd be more sore, but I recovered nicely and even water ski'd the next day. I did not run for 3 days, but this morning I told myself that I needed to get out there and do it, don't get slack just because the race is over. So I headed out and did 4 miles and was very glad it wasn't 10. :)
Thanks for sharing in the 10 mile journey with me, its been a fun learning experience. Now, onto the next event!
Goose-Out
I had a successful run last Saturday in the Lumberjack 10 miler. No, I didn't wow anyone with my speed but myself, and there are technically no bragging rights when you come in 898th out of just over 1,000 runners. But victory is in the eye of the beholder and this girl accomplished her goals in training and finished at the top of her goal range and is quite satisfied with herself! :)
I specifically trained for this race for 6 weeks, and my runs really ran the gamut as you saw if you kept up with my weekly training check-ins. The week had kicked off with the always awesome, 20 hour, two-day road trip of 1100 miles of driving (I drove it all) with four children and a grandma sidekick.
I decided to celebrate our arrival on Tuesday night with a bottle of wine to erase the experience from my memory. Awaking Wednesday morning and realizing I had a race to run in a few days and had done nothing in 3 days but sit on my ass (can I say ass here?) and consume a bottle of wine, I decided I better pull it together. I ran 3 miles, banished alcohol for the rest of the week and ate and hydrated like a purist until Saturday.
When I first arrived in MN, I could tell the weather was going to be much kinder to me than GA weather had been, as I could feel a nice breeze in the last two morning runs I did before the race (a 3 and a 2 mile) and felt like that would be a huge benefit to me in how I felt during the run.
The day itself could not have been more perfect for a long run. It had stormed in the night, so although the humidity was noticable, it was completely overcast and in the 60's for most of the run. It was hugely helpful to not have the sun beating down. Perfect, could not have asked for better.
We were bussed out 10 miles from downtown Stillwater, and I was so pleased to see that not only was it a gorgeous run along the St. Croix river, but it was very flat.
I really was not nervous, more anticipatory. Maverick had come with me to be there at the finish line and take pics, and my friend, Monica, was running with me. They were my security blankets!
One thing I noticed right away about the participants in this event compared to the sprint tri, was how fit everyone was! I was really surprised. I mean, there were 1000 people running this race, and every one of them looked like they could do it. In the sprint tri (granted it was called a "my first tri" so it did run the gamut of body types) you saw every type of person, young-old-fit-fat-muscley-flabby. Here, everyone looked like a serious runner with toned running legs. Did I fit in? Did I look like I belonged there? I wondered.
I learned something new about distance runs, and that is that they give you pace runners so you can follow a certain pace that you want to finish in. Nice! Monica and I decided to start the race back with the 10 min. mile pacer.
We were off! I felt good right from the get go, and pretty soon I had passed the 10 min mile pacer and then even the 9.30 min. mile pacer...my goal was to stay very steady because I really wanted to run the whole race without having to walk.
The first 3 miles went very quickly and easily for me and I remember thinking, I've already done a 5k and still have a ton left in me! There was a water station about every two miles, and as my marathon friend advised me, I slowed down and took 2 cups at each one, one to drink and one to pour over my head to keep me cool.
Here are some things I learned during this long race: running is not a pretty sport--especially for men. During the run I had the pleasure of watching a man right beside me blow his nose in his hand and wipe it on his shorts. Another great experience was when I ran past a man who stopped right on the side of the road and pee'd. That was special. And then there was the man who made some coughing, wretching sounds and I wanted to suggest that he might want to throw up on the side of the road and not in the middle of it.
There was also a variety of spitting going on, and I passed one horrifically sweaty, shirtless man who eminated an odor that I quickly sprinted past. It was also really fun running alongside a woman I couldn't seem to get away from for awhile who had the strangest running stride where she dug her toes into the pavement so every stride was loud and obnoxious. I am a smooth runner and I could not understand why she was making so much noise with her shoes.
I also couldn't help but spend some time wondering about the few women who ran in just sports bras with their tramp stamps showing, when really, it wasn't there best look. Do these people not have mirrors? husbands? friends that care about them? how does it happen that people walk out of their house like this thinking, yea, I'm totally rockin' this look??
I also enjoyed pondering the type of person that ran marathons and used this race as a training run. There were a handful of people that chose to run the 10 miles out to the starting point instead of being bussed out there, and then they ran the 10 mile race. There were also a few that I passed on the run that were heading back to the start point, so clearly they had already finished the 10 miles and now were running back. These were clearly marathon trainers. What posesses a person to want to run this much? I know how much time I have had to devote to training for the tri and this 10 mile run...I would have no life at all outside of preparing my body if I were to train for a marathon (which, mark my words, I will NEVER do!)
Anyway, back to my run...
After mile 3 I heard people saying the next 2-3 miles were the worst because it was a gradual incline, mostly on a dirt packed, gravely road. I honestly didn't even notice the gradual incline until the end when there was one steep hill that was pretty short with a water station right at the top so I thought it was fine.
Then I started hearing talk that it was "all down hill from here", and from mile 6-10 it was a gradual downward slope into Stillwater. Again, I didn't significantly notice the gradual downgrade, but I am sure it helped to make it a pleasant race.
At one hour I remember thinking, wow, I've run a whole hour already! And then thinking, wow, bummer, I still have to run for a good 40 more minutes at least. I think I lost a little steam with that realization and had to push through until I felt like I hit a new breathing stride right before 7 miles.
I felt good again until I hit 8 miles and then I was like, ok, I'm good! I'm done! I was bored and tired and over it. I started questioning why I do things like this and how I will never, ever run a 1/2 marathon, let alone another 10 mile race because I am not a distance runner and why in the world did I let H talk me into another sprint tri in Sept because I hate this and its not fun and I am bored and tired and I hate this!
I let myself wallow in that manner for a couple minutes and then I pulled myself back together.
I reminded myself that it was a ten mile race and I'd already gone 8 and we were talking less than 20 minutes of running left and I would be done, I could sooo do this, I had trained well and really I was not nearly as spent as I had felt in the run leg of the sprint tri and I had kept going then. I was just getting a little bored. I knew that I would be disappointed in myself if I didn't keep running.
So Forrest kept running. Finally I hit the 9 mile mark. Do you know how long 1 single mile is when you have already run 9 and all you want to do is cross the finish line and get it over with? Oh my goodness, so long! The last mile felt as long as the first 9 miles! I could see the general finish area. I had been running in between the 9.30 and 10 min mile pacers nearly the entire time so I knew I was right in front of my top goal of 1 hr. 40 min finish.
The last 1/4 mile I hear the 10 min pacer behind me, closing in! I tried to pick it up but I just couldn't. She closed in on me and I literally crossed the finish line with her, but that was a-ok with me...it meant my time came out literally exactly 1 hour 40 minutes and I was very proud that I ran the whole thing and maintained an average 10 minute mile stride for the entire thing.
Right as I crossed the finish I heard my sis, Maverick, call out to me, and then I see our friend, Brian, with my 7 yr old on his shoulders! What a special surprise! She had been camping with Iceman and her family nearby and they had come in to Stillwater and my girl got to see me cross the finish line after watching me work my butt off all these weeks running and working out. The specialness is most probably lost on her at her age, but hopefully when she is older she will remember how her mom worked for a goal and she got to watch me achieve it.
I really needed a mental minute right after finishing so I walked off a bit and stood in a water spray they had going. The set up was much better than the tri and there were bottles of water, chips, bananas, bagels, protein bars for us to replenish with, and I got to sit with my sis-maverick, my sil-iceman, my brother, friends Brian and Monica, one of my daughters, and four of my nieces and nephews for a while and just enjoy the end of the experience. It was really great and really special!
I really thought I'd be more sore, but I recovered nicely and even water ski'd the next day. I did not run for 3 days, but this morning I told myself that I needed to get out there and do it, don't get slack just because the race is over. So I headed out and did 4 miles and was very glad it wasn't 10. :)
Thanks for sharing in the 10 mile journey with me, its been a fun learning experience. Now, onto the next event!
Goose-Out
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)