Anyone Want To Go Streaking????

Well, it is no secret my motivation to run/blog has been at about ZERO since my race in APRIL!!  Good Lord!  That was in the spring.  Granted summer just started here last week, but still!
I had less time and my children were harder to work around, yet last year at this time, I was running no less than 15mi/wk.  Now I am lucky if I get 15mi/MONTH!!

BLEH!!!  What is my deal???  I ask you this as if you have some magical answer.

I think there was such a big let down after my race and I missed the discipline so much I just let it go.  I tend to be an all or nothing kind of gal, and right now I have nothing planned so I am giving it nothing :P  Not smart for the long haul, but it is my reality.

Also, I am combating the months of guilt I am feeling for taking so much time for myself and dedicating my time to my running.  Now it breaks my heart to think of leaving the fam to go out for a few hours to run.  Then tack on a few hours to re-coop and blog.  Basically take all of Saturday out of the equation.

My husband ROCKS and he is very encouraging.  It is just my inner turmoil that is holding me back.

I thought of doing a full this fall.  Then I thought about signing up for a half in October.  I did neither.  I do for sure have a race in November-a half that is notoriously hilly and always wet and rainy.  I have no intention of thinking I will PR that race (and I certainly won't if this attitude keeps up!!) but I do need to train at least a little bit.  If anything, I need to run more than a few miles per week.

There is good news!

This weekend I will be going on my yearly re-TREAT!!!  A women's only running/SUPing/Yoga weekend.  I know that this is a goal setting weekend and I KNOW I will come home reinvigorated.  This most certainly will put a little snap in my action!
It also will be an anniversary of sorts.  I met my first running partner at the re-TREAT.  I set my first marathon goal.  I was introduced to the Run Like A Mother community.  I also decided to start my blog all because of one weekend away from my kids and husband.

Maybe I just need another weekend away from the family to remind me it is ok to take time for myself again.

I also know that we are on the precipice of a big family change...NO we are not having more kids...but the kids we do have will be starting preschool in exactly one month from TODAY!!!!!  It is only Wednesday's and Friday's from 9-12, but I can only imagine what that is going to mean for me.  I'll be honest as much as I love my kids, I so need a break from them some days!!  Quite frankly, I'd say that they are REALLY excited to have a break from me.  Good God I can be hard to live with!  Even more so when I haven't gotten in a run consistently.   Yah, it's a vicious cycle that I seemed to get looped in:

I'm guilty to spend time running
I'm guilty because I am so gosh darned grumpy because I am not running!!!

Does anyone see the definition of insanity described above???  Believe me, it is not a fact lost on me.

Clearly this is still not motivation enough for me to do something about it.  SO-

I'm streaking.

It is a pretty popular thing with real Bloggers right now to do a month of something challenge.  So like a month of Jillian Michael's workouts, or ab work, or planking...you get the picture.  So I am going to Streak for the month of August.  At least one mile everyday.  I have no other plan than that.
I am not going try to plan out miles and freak out and become paralyzed into inactivity because I can't meet the days planned mileage.  Yes that is happening right now...4 on the schedule, but only have time to bang out 3, I just Do None!!!  Hello!!! How does that make sense???  Yah it doesn't!  So minimum one mile.  Who can't find time for one mile??  I mean if I am just doing one, I know I could do it in under 8min-so figure 10min max  I don't even have to put on running clothes for that!

Now the fact that it is August 2 only occurred to me after I came up with the big plan to streak.  Please don't be a hater and remind me I didn't run on August first!  I will run on September first if it makes you happy :P  Hopefully by that time I will have a race plan laid out by then.  I haven't figured out the logistics, but I am going to try for a race a month for the rest of the year.

Also, I know I want to do another spring full, but I am going to negotiate around my 40th Birthday.  The hubby is taking me on a vacation anywhere I want to celebrate.  Keeping that in mind, I have to decide if I want to be gone for my Birthday and figure out a race that will work with that time line

Phew....It feels good to get that off my chest!  I use DailyMIle to track my workouts, but I think I am also going to keep checking in on here.  It worked so well during Marathon training to keep me going, so I hope to get back on track by using the same forum.

Wish me luck!  It feels like I will be needing it :P

There Is Nothing Better Than a Clean Port-A-Potty

Long Run Saturday! Woo Hoo!  This is honestly my favorite day of the week.  Last night, Mike and I met my SIL and her husband for a few drinks, no big deal, we were home and in bed before 1000.  Sometime around 230 one of the neighbors woke me up (grrrr) and I was having a hard time falling back to sleep.  Then around 300 Ryan started coughing.  Finally sometime around 400 I finally fell back to sleep.  When the alarm went off at 600, I was just not ready, but the only way to get to a marathon is to get out of bed!
On the drive to the rendezvous point my stomach told me I should have taken a few more minutes in the bathroom this morning.  I was praying for a port a potty at the park and ride, but alas, I was denied!  Having worked all those years in surgery, I decided I would have to institute operation "Bodily Function Control".  Luckily, exactly one mile in, there just happened to be a Port-A-Potty...I did not care what shape it was in, I just cared that I would have relief!!  I am by far the most lucky girl in the world!  Not only was there a Port-A-Potty, it was clean, it had toilet seat cover, toilet paper, and hand sanitizer!!  I felt like I had just won the lottery!!

Saturday  means it is time for my long run/therapy session with my BRF Michelle.  We have been growing our running group, but something in my gut just told me it needed to be Michelle and I today.  I am so glad it was just us!  I have realized I have a found not only a running buddy, but someone who truly gets what I am going through!  It is life changing to not feel alone or like you are the only one going through these crazy life challenges.  I could go on and on and on about my excitement having met Michelle, but I don't want to start sounding creepy (and by the way, I am still kind of on my running high)

The week in general has been very inspirational and motivating.  I have been feeling fast and I decided I needed to start working on a little speed.  It paid off!  I have come to the realization that I am running almost as fast as I was at my peak fitness.  I can't believe that last year at this time I could not even run a mile non-stop...that is if I had even put on shoes to even TRY to run!!

Let's recap the week just because it felt so good.

Monday: Cross Training- Skiing with my husband!!  First time on ski's in four years...it was heaven
Tuesday:  3 mi outside, in the rain, on purpose!  I felt good to just get out and do it
Wednesday:  3 mi Speed work on the treadmill.  8.5 actually felt good
Thursday:  3 mi Another great treadmill run.  Fairly fast and with some incline!
Friday:  Rest day
Saturday:  7mi run with Michelle.  Lots of hills, but a great way to start the day.
Sunday:  Cross day...not sure what I will do, but I think it is high time I got my bike back in some sort of order and on the rollers at a minimum.

Next week will be back to no hubby at home, so also back to all runs at 6am on the treadmill :p Not Awesome!!!

One thing that is Awesome...Next years running re-TREAT is on the schedule!! August can't come soon enough!

How about some pics to finish off the week

The only post workout pic I have that doesn't look horrible, simply because it was after family pics so I had on makeup and it was on the treadmill.  Plus I felt very inspired that run.

Michelle and I post 7mi feeling great about our upcoming goals