I have recently become acutely aware of the fact that I am back in the dating scene. I thought this would all be over the day I told Mike I was not interested in dating other people, which in case you were wondering was on our second date.
Years have passed and I have now learned I am no better at the dating scene now than I was before. Sure, I never had a problem saying yes to a date. Free food! Who passes that up? I had no problem with blind dates, dates offered after sitting next to someone in a bar for a few hours, I always thought "what could hurt meeting this person in public?" and NO I never let a date pick me up or know where I lived until we were an "item".
I always felt the same way though, a little cautious not to reveal too much too quick, a little nervous, a little jittery, wondering if this will be a total waste of time (many times it was), all in all a general anxious feeling would come over me.
Fast forward to be married with children in a new land. My support system is at zero. So time to buck up sister and put yourself out there.
While I was in the throws of PPD I tried to do this but really, I could barely brush my teeth! How could I form lasting relationships with other women?
Fast forward a little further, we are again back to the re-TREAT. I was surrounded by women for an entire weekend that really were open to meeting me! Life changing is again putting it lightly! I flexed my social skills and found out I still have a little "charm" left in me from those dating days. I put forward my best skills and have cultivated some priceless friendships. Friendships I can see sticking because of the many things we have in common as well as the things that we can bring to each other.
Now this is great and all, it was kind if like shooting fish in a barrel. You won't have to try long before you hit your target. So how would I fair in the real world? Again like dating the opposite sex it is little hit or miss. I'm down with that. I'm not for everyone and I get that.
What is more amazing to me is the fact that I am just as oblivious to the fact that I am being "hit on" as I was to a guy hitting on me. I was horrible with subtle hints unless I wanted to see it. The same has become clear to me now! Perfect example: today I took my bike in to the bike shop to get it tuned up. The poor thing has been sitting unloved for a few years now! Amazingly, I went into Kirkland Bicycle and was pleasantly surprised that two women were working and in fact one if them was the mechanic that was going to fix my ride up!! I was giddy! I have always struggled with feeling like an athletic poser and trying to talk to men in "their" world helped nothing.
So after her quick diagnosis that my bike was yes dirty but overall in good shape, we got to talking. She said it would be done by tonight most likely. I said "great but no rush. I won't be able to ride until Sunday". She then asked if I had a ride in mind. The conversation went on with me explaining that I was training for a full marathon and was planning on using the bike inside on my trainer as my cross training and then hopefully this spring or summer I could get back on the road.
Idiot!! After I walked out, I replayed the conversation in my head (which I am ALWAYS prone to do, maybe that is why I remember everything anyone has ever said to me...it is a sickness I tell you!!) and I realized she was hitting on me...not in the "hey baby" kind of way, but she was subtly asking if I wanted to meet up for a ride-or maybe at least she could set me in the right direction, which is still a friendly gesture. Now I am hoping that she is there again when I pick up the bike so I can maybe cultivate another friendship.
This is one thing I have learned, I have always been good with having one or two close friends, but not as good at having acquaintances. This is actually a goal I have set for myself. I have given myself permission to have friends that I don't give my heart and soul to. It is ok if some friends are just there for a quick run or a bike ride, or scrap-booking, or some other thing that I don't even know yet. Although I know me and I know that given time I would gladly lay down my life for even those acquaintances.
So I will plod along "dating" new friends as they come. I am getting the hang of it...but I am still not perfect by any stretch!
On a different note: I had a GREAT run today! I got to enjoy the sunshine and balmy temps here in WA in January. Amazing in that fact alone, but I also was on par to PR a 5k and I wasn't even racing! Alas, the hill I have to climb back up to my house killed me though. It was very close and in fact just shy of beating my hubs time the other day. My first mile was even under 8:00!!
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Aaaaaand This Is Why I Hate My Husband.....
So my last post was explaining how awesome my husband is...this post will do the opposite.
I challenged my dear hubs to "Streak", run at least one mile per day for as long as you can. He started on Saturday and has since done at least 1mi and has even run more. Last night he officially has beaten my most recent 5k time...and he has done nothing athletic since the day we met!!!!! JERK!!!!
Well let's back up. He at one point was, for lack of a better explanation, a world class athlete. He competed at State Level wrestling and was second place at least once, maybe twice (I kind of forget the specifics...I am really listening honey, promise) and won his weight class his senior year. If I am not mistaken he was also either undefeated that year or only had one loss. I may be a little foggy here, but I know he had less than a half dozen losses in his entire career! He then went on to receive a full scholarship to Cal Poly San Puis Obispo. He also without any training did a several hundred mile peddle bike ride with his dad. Literally... thought it would be fun, so jumped on the bike (that he just bought) and went! Even when we first met he was a gym rat with his buddies. I could go into detail about his awesome abs, chest, arms *sigh* but I will leave that alone.
Then we met. At the same time he started a new job that had him traveling more days in a week than not. Then we got married, promptly had a baby, he renovated a majority of our first home from studs back up, then we had another baby, then he dealt with a wife with PPD...let's just say he has not seen the inside of a gym in over 5yrs!!! Of course he gets out at least once or twice a year to ski and he has wind surfed a few times, but nothing consistant.
So after less than one week of running...the jerk runs faster than I do! THE NERVE!! PLUS he HATES running!! To him it is a punishment, not something to be enjoyed. That is how he attacked his first few 1mi runs. Fast as possible who cares about pace.
Of course, if you look at me...I am clearly the winner of this battle. I may not be faster right now, BUT he did not gain 50lbs, lose 40 of it, and then promptly gain it all back, then lose 40lbs of it again, all within a 24mo period! The whole time producing a brand new human out of just a few cells!
Did I also mention that he is 5 years younger than me?!?! Yes FIVE!! Five years ago, I could run a faster 5k too.
So of course this is where I tell you, I really don't hate my husband, in fact I LOVE him! Not just because he is roped into this kid thing with me, but also because he supports my activities even before he tries to fit his activities back into his life. He has even asked me when the next 5k race will be that we could maybe run together. Of course that kind of puts a kink in our childcare situation, I don't care! I had seen other couples running races together and I was always a little jealous. Nothing bonds you more than a little sweat!
We even talked about running for enjoyment last night. We came up with the 5k most likely being the max he would ever be interested in....maybe a 10k, but that might be pushing it.
So there...I have converted and inspired at least one non-runner! My evil plan is slowly working...to get all my loved ones to enjoy all of my hobbies. Watch out sisters you are next :o)
I challenged my dear hubs to "Streak", run at least one mile per day for as long as you can. He started on Saturday and has since done at least 1mi and has even run more. Last night he officially has beaten my most recent 5k time...and he has done nothing athletic since the day we met!!!!! JERK!!!!
Well let's back up. He at one point was, for lack of a better explanation, a world class athlete. He competed at State Level wrestling and was second place at least once, maybe twice (I kind of forget the specifics...I am really listening honey, promise) and won his weight class his senior year. If I am not mistaken he was also either undefeated that year or only had one loss. I may be a little foggy here, but I know he had less than a half dozen losses in his entire career! He then went on to receive a full scholarship to Cal Poly San Puis Obispo. He also without any training did a several hundred mile peddle bike ride with his dad. Literally... thought it would be fun, so jumped on the bike (that he just bought) and went! Even when we first met he was a gym rat with his buddies. I could go into detail about his awesome abs, chest, arms *sigh* but I will leave that alone.
Then we met. At the same time he started a new job that had him traveling more days in a week than not. Then we got married, promptly had a baby, he renovated a majority of our first home from studs back up, then we had another baby, then he dealt with a wife with PPD...let's just say he has not seen the inside of a gym in over 5yrs!!! Of course he gets out at least once or twice a year to ski and he has wind surfed a few times, but nothing consistant.
So after less than one week of running...the jerk runs faster than I do! THE NERVE!! PLUS he HATES running!! To him it is a punishment, not something to be enjoyed. That is how he attacked his first few 1mi runs. Fast as possible who cares about pace.
Of course, if you look at me...I am clearly the winner of this battle. I may not be faster right now, BUT he did not gain 50lbs, lose 40 of it, and then promptly gain it all back, then lose 40lbs of it again, all within a 24mo period! The whole time producing a brand new human out of just a few cells!
Did I also mention that he is 5 years younger than me?!?! Yes FIVE!! Five years ago, I could run a faster 5k too.
So of course this is where I tell you, I really don't hate my husband, in fact I LOVE him! Not just because he is roped into this kid thing with me, but also because he supports my activities even before he tries to fit his activities back into his life. He has even asked me when the next 5k race will be that we could maybe run together. Of course that kind of puts a kink in our childcare situation, I don't care! I had seen other couples running races together and I was always a little jealous. Nothing bonds you more than a little sweat!
We even talked about running for enjoyment last night. We came up with the 5k most likely being the max he would ever be interested in....maybe a 10k, but that might be pushing it.
So there...I have converted and inspired at least one non-runner! My evil plan is slowly working...to get all my loved ones to enjoy all of my hobbies. Watch out sisters you are next :o)
Sunday, January 1, 2012
I Would Like To Take This Opportunity To Thank My Spouse
Last night as the year was turning to a new beginning, Mike and I were sitting on the couch enjoying a fire in the fireplace along with a glass (or more) of wine. For us this is our "Date Night". Sure we go out and do things but honestly we feel like we connect more when it is just the two of us in a candle lit room as opposed to "Check out what that woman has on" or "Do you think that is his real hair?" that we find ourselves talking about when we are out in public.
As we were going over the deep things in life, it came up that Mike is proud of me. More specifically proud of my running. He told me the story of how he felt when he and the babies saw me come around the corner at the 12k's of Christmas. He told me he suddenly was very aware of what I was doing. There I was chugging along after all those miles with a smile on my face...just doing it! He was so proud and happy that I have given the children the gift of a Mother Runner, but more importantly giving myself the gift of running.
You see over the last two+ years, I have lost myself. It dawned on me yesterday that I had turned into "Ryan and Elise's mom" Not that that is a bad thing, and it certainly is true in it's description of me. The downside is I had lost the "Sarah" of Sarah. Every online "handle" I had was a variation of mom. "Mommy Mertel", "Ryan&Elise's Mom", "R&E'sMom"...these are all some examples of the names I use.
It made me acutely aware of wanting to be more me again. So I promptly changed my blog handle to simply "Sarah"...who would have thought right??
This also plays into the conversation Mike and I were having with our wine. I told him that when I grew into my adult self, what I found was I was happiest when I figured out that athletics made me feel good and proud of myself. It boosted my self esteem, it made me have much clearer thoughts, it all around was a good thing in my life. I would have described myself as a runner, a cyclist, a swimmer, a hiker, a camper, a golfer, an avid reader, and a wannabe gourmet chef. None of those describers say anything about my job or place in life, what my political viewpoint is, or what kind of a consumer I am. That makes me feel good.
Along the way motherhood has become my profession and along with it motherhood has become what I use to describe myself. This is dangerous in my opinion. I have always been fearful for those who are defined by their work as opposed to who they are. It is like they don't know themselves....so sad.
Well here I am in that group!
I guess what my New Year's Resolution really is, is to define Sarah as Sarah this year. I told Mike that 2012 is my year and he couldn't be happier! I can't tell you how amazing it is to have a life partner who really gets me and truly wants me to live a full and happy life not only for myself, but for the greater good of our family.
So here it is, these are the words that describe me now;
I am a runner and a soon to be Marathoner (OMG that makes my heart flutter)
I am an amazing, giving Wife who truly loves my husband to his core.
I am a Mom to two amazing, spirited, high energy, incredibly intelligent children who literally make life worth living every single day to it's fullest.
These are in a specific order. Me first, my husband next because without him I would not be a mom, and then my kids. Not that they are any less important, but I think it's good that the world doesn't always revolve around them...who am I kidding, the world DOES revolve around them :o)
If you feel so inclined, I would LOVE to hear the words you use to describe yourself
Peace and Love
Sarah
As we were going over the deep things in life, it came up that Mike is proud of me. More specifically proud of my running. He told me the story of how he felt when he and the babies saw me come around the corner at the 12k's of Christmas. He told me he suddenly was very aware of what I was doing. There I was chugging along after all those miles with a smile on my face...just doing it! He was so proud and happy that I have given the children the gift of a Mother Runner, but more importantly giving myself the gift of running.
You see over the last two+ years, I have lost myself. It dawned on me yesterday that I had turned into "Ryan and Elise's mom" Not that that is a bad thing, and it certainly is true in it's description of me. The downside is I had lost the "Sarah" of Sarah. Every online "handle" I had was a variation of mom. "Mommy Mertel", "Ryan&Elise's Mom", "R&E'sMom"...these are all some examples of the names I use.
It made me acutely aware of wanting to be more me again. So I promptly changed my blog handle to simply "Sarah"...who would have thought right??
This also plays into the conversation Mike and I were having with our wine. I told him that when I grew into my adult self, what I found was I was happiest when I figured out that athletics made me feel good and proud of myself. It boosted my self esteem, it made me have much clearer thoughts, it all around was a good thing in my life. I would have described myself as a runner, a cyclist, a swimmer, a hiker, a camper, a golfer, an avid reader, and a wannabe gourmet chef. None of those describers say anything about my job or place in life, what my political viewpoint is, or what kind of a consumer I am. That makes me feel good.
Along the way motherhood has become my profession and along with it motherhood has become what I use to describe myself. This is dangerous in my opinion. I have always been fearful for those who are defined by their work as opposed to who they are. It is like they don't know themselves....so sad.
Well here I am in that group!
I guess what my New Year's Resolution really is, is to define Sarah as Sarah this year. I told Mike that 2012 is my year and he couldn't be happier! I can't tell you how amazing it is to have a life partner who really gets me and truly wants me to live a full and happy life not only for myself, but for the greater good of our family.
So here it is, these are the words that describe me now;
I am a runner and a soon to be Marathoner (OMG that makes my heart flutter)
I am an amazing, giving Wife who truly loves my husband to his core.
I am a Mom to two amazing, spirited, high energy, incredibly intelligent children who literally make life worth living every single day to it's fullest.
These are in a specific order. Me first, my husband next because without him I would not be a mom, and then my kids. Not that they are any less important, but I think it's good that the world doesn't always revolve around them...who am I kidding, the world DOES revolve around them :o)
If you feel so inclined, I would LOVE to hear the words you use to describe yourself
Peace and Love
Sarah
Saturday, December 31, 2011
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
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
Monday, December 26, 2011
My New Years Resolution A Little Early
So I have decided that I spend most of my time Facebooking everything I would write here. Lame. So in an effort to drive some of my friends less crazy with my constant updates on FB, I will go back to my original plan of keeping this page a little more timely.
I have done some great runs since my last post including the 12 K's of Christmas through Kirkland. I planned on running with my BRF's (best running friends) and in fact did start the race with one of them.
I let her know before the start that my legs were feeling a little itchy like they wanted to just go and she let me know her legs just were not feeling a PR race. We decided to just go with it and see how we felt.
I should have known better...
We started in the 10-11min/mi corral. I promptly lost my BRF within the first half mile! I was so irritated by how slow the herd was moving! I felt like I was either going to run over one of them or trip myself on their feet. So I did the old bob and weave and started going at a ridiculous pace. I never even got to see my BRF on the turn. I was too busy getting around everyone else!
Then at about mi three I ran into another BRF who had started in a faster corral. She was dealing with a stitch in her side so was running a nice comfortable pace. I hung out with her for a bit and got control of myself. But, as I am known to do, the next big hill I hit it again.
Let me explain, there are two times you Never want me setting the pace...on a hill or at the finish, no matter what finish! I attack both like it is my business. In both cases, I want the pain to end. So of course in my twisted brain the faster you run the quicker the pain will be over...no matter how much more pain you put yourself in in the meantime. Good Lord I am messed up!!
Then I hit just about midpoint of the race and I hit my first wall. This is the point were I learned my first lesson in racing more than a 10K, always bring energy!! I went out with nothing not knowing any better and I guarantee I will never do that again! Luckily, the aid station was not that far away! Silly me didn't even know where or if there was even going to be an aid station. As I said, I was lucky and there was water. I can tell you water has never tasted so divine in my life! I of course chug two cups (if one is good two must be better) which seemed like such a good idea until about a 100yards away when I got a side cramp. Nothing major, and luckily I remembered reading recently to run through that pain instead of stopping. It quickly was gone and my race was back on. You may have guessed that was my slowest split, a 1030 min/mi if I remember right.
The rest of the race was fairly uneventfull. I got into a nice grove and found myself in the pack of what seemed to be the very fit 50/60year olds. I felt good just being in a pack of anyone looking fit at that point.
I did eventually run into another mommy runner I had met at my running retreat. Her group kept me at a 930min/mi pace for around 2mi. We chatted for a few minutes and then TOOL came on through the headphone with about a mile and a half to go. Clearly it was a sign from MJK (my other boyfriend) that I needed to kick it into a lower gear and dig! I found my legs and just as I was about to run out of steam I saw my amazing husband and my two beautiful babies! I had an instant rush of endorphins that made my legs go just a little faster than they had been going.
It was truly a magical moment for me!! Good Lord how dramatic!! Imagine what I am going to be like after 26.2!!!
The day after the big race was the first day of marathon training. YIKES!! This would be scary except I am doing the Hal Higdon plan which starts on Monday a rest day. Praise God!!
A pretty uneventful running week but it was Christmas week so busy busy busy.
I was able to talk my BRF's into a Christmas Eve early morning run. It felt great to start the day active! My poor friend Michelle was not feeling quite so good so she did not finish with us. She sent us forward so she could work out her stomach issues alone. Can't say I don't blame her. She is such a rockstar though. She finished the loop not too far behind us. We were still in the parking lot when we saw her run around the corner. I was so proud of her!
Not much to report right now. I am still on pretty short midweek runs and I have seven scheduled for Saturday. We will see how the cross training goes on Sunday seeing as though it will be New Years morning!!
One last thought...Mike and I were just saying that it is almost 2012, I reminded him that it will be the last year of our lives and I wondered if he had any big plans. Of course we were joking, but it got me to thinking...what would be on your realistic list of things to do if you knew this was your last year of life?? I have accomplished so many goals the last few years, and now with the half and full marathon in sight, my bucket is getting pretty empty. Time to start dreaming big again!!
I would love it if you have any thoughts on your last year of life list, just jot them down in the comments. Maybe we can all inspire each other...
I have done some great runs since my last post including the 12 K's of Christmas through Kirkland. I planned on running with my BRF's (best running friends) and in fact did start the race with one of them.
I let her know before the start that my legs were feeling a little itchy like they wanted to just go and she let me know her legs just were not feeling a PR race. We decided to just go with it and see how we felt.
I should have known better...
We started in the 10-11min/mi corral. I promptly lost my BRF within the first half mile! I was so irritated by how slow the herd was moving! I felt like I was either going to run over one of them or trip myself on their feet. So I did the old bob and weave and started going at a ridiculous pace. I never even got to see my BRF on the turn. I was too busy getting around everyone else!
Then at about mi three I ran into another BRF who had started in a faster corral. She was dealing with a stitch in her side so was running a nice comfortable pace. I hung out with her for a bit and got control of myself. But, as I am known to do, the next big hill I hit it again.
Let me explain, there are two times you Never want me setting the pace...on a hill or at the finish, no matter what finish! I attack both like it is my business. In both cases, I want the pain to end. So of course in my twisted brain the faster you run the quicker the pain will be over...no matter how much more pain you put yourself in in the meantime. Good Lord I am messed up!!
Then I hit just about midpoint of the race and I hit my first wall. This is the point were I learned my first lesson in racing more than a 10K, always bring energy!! I went out with nothing not knowing any better and I guarantee I will never do that again! Luckily, the aid station was not that far away! Silly me didn't even know where or if there was even going to be an aid station. As I said, I was lucky and there was water. I can tell you water has never tasted so divine in my life! I of course chug two cups (if one is good two must be better) which seemed like such a good idea until about a 100yards away when I got a side cramp. Nothing major, and luckily I remembered reading recently to run through that pain instead of stopping. It quickly was gone and my race was back on. You may have guessed that was my slowest split, a 1030 min/mi if I remember right.
The rest of the race was fairly uneventfull. I got into a nice grove and found myself in the pack of what seemed to be the very fit 50/60year olds. I felt good just being in a pack of anyone looking fit at that point.
I did eventually run into another mommy runner I had met at my running retreat. Her group kept me at a 930min/mi pace for around 2mi. We chatted for a few minutes and then TOOL came on through the headphone with about a mile and a half to go. Clearly it was a sign from MJK (my other boyfriend) that I needed to kick it into a lower gear and dig! I found my legs and just as I was about to run out of steam I saw my amazing husband and my two beautiful babies! I had an instant rush of endorphins that made my legs go just a little faster than they had been going.
It was truly a magical moment for me!! Good Lord how dramatic!! Imagine what I am going to be like after 26.2!!!
The Babies and I after my 12K's of Christmas Finish
The day after the big race was the first day of marathon training. YIKES!! This would be scary except I am doing the Hal Higdon plan which starts on Monday a rest day. Praise God!!
A pretty uneventful running week but it was Christmas week so busy busy busy.
I was able to talk my BRF's into a Christmas Eve early morning run. It felt great to start the day active! My poor friend Michelle was not feeling quite so good so she did not finish with us. She sent us forward so she could work out her stomach issues alone. Can't say I don't blame her. She is such a rockstar though. She finished the loop not too far behind us. We were still in the parking lot when we saw her run around the corner. I was so proud of her!
Not much to report right now. I am still on pretty short midweek runs and I have seven scheduled for Saturday. We will see how the cross training goes on Sunday seeing as though it will be New Years morning!!
One last thought...Mike and I were just saying that it is almost 2012, I reminded him that it will be the last year of our lives and I wondered if he had any big plans. Of course we were joking, but it got me to thinking...what would be on your realistic list of things to do if you knew this was your last year of life?? I have accomplished so many goals the last few years, and now with the half and full marathon in sight, my bucket is getting pretty empty. Time to start dreaming big again!!
I would love it if you have any thoughts on your last year of life list, just jot them down in the comments. Maybe we can all inspire each other...
Me, Michelle, and Melanie after our Christmas Eve run
Me, Megan, and Melanie after our Christmas Eve run
Monday, December 12, 2011
"Before Starting A New Fitness Program, Please Consult a Physician"
So being the good direction follower I am, I of course made a Doctor appointment! Wouldn't you know it, after fasting and the whole shabang, they messed up my appointment!! I am now rescheduled for tomorrow. I now have an entire list of questions written down. That Dr. will rue the day he forgot to fit me in!
All joking aside, fasting made me realize just how low my blood sugar goes. It took me until 8pm to finally catch up and not feel like a Mac truck had just run me over. Maybe it was a good thing I decided to go the nerdy route and see a Dr.
Another totally Sarah Nerdy thing I have been doing...messing with my workouts on purpose just to make sure I have a backup plan while training for the Big 26.2. It is so like me to not just go with the flow, rather figure out the logistics and how to make it work. My husband laughs at my efficiency in everything I do. It's true though...I could put UPS to shame with my logistic abilities!!
Today Mike met the kids and I for lunch at the mall. We ate at one of those italian pizza places and of course my picky kids aren't willing to just eat anything....NOOOO...so I have Mike order first knowing he won't be thinking of how to get food in these kids and I on the fly fix my order to include things that will mesh with his stuff to get the kids fed. Within about oh, 1.5 min I have the two plates of food rearranged into four plates of food and everyone is happy...this is the same amount of time it takes Mike to find napkins.
I am still trying to figure out a way to translate this skill into making my millions because clearly it is my calling!
I digress from running though....Mixing it up on purpose, yes that's where I was. I have figured out that runs on the treadmill are absolutely doable with the kids around as long as I am ready to jump on the treadmill the second the movie starts. Then I get 30min...maybe 40 tops! This should be ok for a little while and after that maybe I will brave the jogging stroller. The problem is, within 5min they are beating the crap out of each other I swear!! Ok, maybe they are just leaning into each other, but it still leads to a lot of yelling and crying and me wanting to hang myself!! We shall see.
Other than that, I have the Big 12 K's of Christmas coming up this weekend and I am looking into joining a running clinic on Tuesday mornings. Officially training starts one week from today....I am totally stoked to be running for a goal again and at the same time terrified that I am actually going to not only do this, but keep telling people about it! Quite frankly I am more scared of what people will think of me as they read my blog. But I think that is part of it. Facing the fear of opening myself up so much is like negating my fear of trying to accomplish a big running goal.
I have also added two great girls to my partner arsenal of runners; Melanie and Megan. Here is a pic of us Saturday after our run. Maybe Next time I will have a different hat on :p
All joking aside, fasting made me realize just how low my blood sugar goes. It took me until 8pm to finally catch up and not feel like a Mac truck had just run me over. Maybe it was a good thing I decided to go the nerdy route and see a Dr.
Another totally Sarah Nerdy thing I have been doing...messing with my workouts on purpose just to make sure I have a backup plan while training for the Big 26.2. It is so like me to not just go with the flow, rather figure out the logistics and how to make it work. My husband laughs at my efficiency in everything I do. It's true though...I could put UPS to shame with my logistic abilities!!
Today Mike met the kids and I for lunch at the mall. We ate at one of those italian pizza places and of course my picky kids aren't willing to just eat anything....NOOOO...so I have Mike order first knowing he won't be thinking of how to get food in these kids and I on the fly fix my order to include things that will mesh with his stuff to get the kids fed. Within about oh, 1.5 min I have the two plates of food rearranged into four plates of food and everyone is happy...this is the same amount of time it takes Mike to find napkins.
I am still trying to figure out a way to translate this skill into making my millions because clearly it is my calling!
I digress from running though....Mixing it up on purpose, yes that's where I was. I have figured out that runs on the treadmill are absolutely doable with the kids around as long as I am ready to jump on the treadmill the second the movie starts. Then I get 30min...maybe 40 tops! This should be ok for a little while and after that maybe I will brave the jogging stroller. The problem is, within 5min they are beating the crap out of each other I swear!! Ok, maybe they are just leaning into each other, but it still leads to a lot of yelling and crying and me wanting to hang myself!! We shall see.
Other than that, I have the Big 12 K's of Christmas coming up this weekend and I am looking into joining a running clinic on Tuesday mornings. Officially training starts one week from today....I am totally stoked to be running for a goal again and at the same time terrified that I am actually going to not only do this, but keep telling people about it! Quite frankly I am more scared of what people will think of me as they read my blog. But I think that is part of it. Facing the fear of opening myself up so much is like negating my fear of trying to accomplish a big running goal.
I have also added two great girls to my partner arsenal of runners; Melanie and Megan. Here is a pic of us Saturday after our run. Maybe Next time I will have a different hat on :p
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Bad Blogger!
I was so worried about blogging too much....HA!!!
After multiple illnesses, developmental leaps by the babies resulting in less than optimal sleep, hosting my first Thanksgiving, and a trip to WI, my poor blog has fallen to the side!
I'm back though-lucky you!!
My miles have been few and sometimes far between, but I am still making tracks and getting in a minimum of two runs per week. Things seem to be looking up though. I tried my first run with both babies awake. It was less than optimal, but at least now I know I have the option to get some sort of run in if the 6am run falls through.
Since my last post I have finished my first adventure run which was super cool! Definitely not something you are shooting for a PR though! I think it took us over an hour to do a 5k!!! Even better, I still have a momento. I bruised the inside of my ankle on the first obstacle and it still hurts like a bruise if I touch it! That was at least three weeks ago!!
I am prepping for my very first 8K next weekend. It will be the furthest I have run to date. It is also the first "real" race I have run since 2004.
I have found some amazing running partners and that is VERY important because I have signed up for my very first Half Marathon!! I will be running the SLO Marathon on April 22, 2012 SLO Marathon link Just in case you want to join me :o)
The more amazing part is my gut, my heart and my head are all telling me to go for the full...so I am going to start training on Dec. 19 and see how it goes. I have already talked another friend of mine into training and I really would love to get a good group together! It would be so much fun to have my friends and family there to cheer me on. That would make it so I complete my goal one year early. Kind of makes for an anticlimactic blog, but it feels right none the less.
The super cool part is that it will be the first ever SLO marathon and it will be my first. Kind of cheesy, but it makes for a good first marathon story.
Here is a Pic of my lovely running partner Michelle and I after our run this past Saturday morning (check out that Packer frame on the back of the hot Lexus!)
After multiple illnesses, developmental leaps by the babies resulting in less than optimal sleep, hosting my first Thanksgiving, and a trip to WI, my poor blog has fallen to the side!
I'm back though-lucky you!!
My miles have been few and sometimes far between, but I am still making tracks and getting in a minimum of two runs per week. Things seem to be looking up though. I tried my first run with both babies awake. It was less than optimal, but at least now I know I have the option to get some sort of run in if the 6am run falls through.
Since my last post I have finished my first adventure run which was super cool! Definitely not something you are shooting for a PR though! I think it took us over an hour to do a 5k!!! Even better, I still have a momento. I bruised the inside of my ankle on the first obstacle and it still hurts like a bruise if I touch it! That was at least three weeks ago!!
I am prepping for my very first 8K next weekend. It will be the furthest I have run to date. It is also the first "real" race I have run since 2004.
I have found some amazing running partners and that is VERY important because I have signed up for my very first Half Marathon!! I will be running the SLO Marathon on April 22, 2012 SLO Marathon link Just in case you want to join me :o)
The more amazing part is my gut, my heart and my head are all telling me to go for the full...so I am going to start training on Dec. 19 and see how it goes. I have already talked another friend of mine into training and I really would love to get a good group together! It would be so much fun to have my friends and family there to cheer me on. That would make it so I complete my goal one year early. Kind of makes for an anticlimactic blog, but it feels right none the less.
The super cool part is that it will be the first ever SLO marathon and it will be my first. Kind of cheesy, but it makes for a good first marathon story.
Here is a Pic of my lovely running partner Michelle and I after our run this past Saturday morning (check out that Packer frame on the back of the hot Lexus!)
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