Ramble on

Today I woke up at 6 am to get ready for my 7 mile run with the group. I could have easily stayed in bed. My husband was sleeping so soundly and I wanted to stay. But I made a committment and knew I had to stick with the plan.
I went outside and sat on the porch for a few moments. I am lucky enough to live right across from the collingswood farmers market so I watched as the workers prepared for a busy morning. I quickly realized that they all have been up and working hard a lot longer than me and it was abut humbling since they do this at least every Saturday from May to November. It made me feel better about my 16 week committment to my training.
I met the group at 7:15. There were 7 of us. I noticed some iPods so that made me feel better about bringing mine. As we started out on our run, it was clear that some run faster than others. A few made jokes about knowing they would be in the back of the group and so on. As we ran on, some people split up and before I knew it, myseld and one other person were in the ones in the back. For a minute I panicked! I don't want to be last! The negative thoughts were messing with my head and my running. But I kept going and made myself stop worrying about that. I will finish and that is all that matters.
7 miles isn't the longest distance in the world but it's definitely enough time for your mind to wander. I thought about the group. Were we really a group? Only 2 of the 7 were sticking together, the rest of us were with ourselves. Do I need this group or could I just have
easily ran 7 on my own? What I have decided is that the group helped me wake up early and get outside. I may not make great friends or have amazing conversations with them while running, but knowing people are waiting for you means something. And I am sure as I continue with this group I will get to know everyone better as well.
I ended up not being last, not that it matters. I thought I was going to be for a while and ended up being ok with it. It was a wonderful day to get up early and get outside to do
something I enjoy. If it wasn't for the group, I think I would have missed out.

7 miles:
probably once I hit 3 miles, this run got tougher for me. My legs felt tight. I ran yesterday and shouldn't have. For long runs in the future, plan a rest day before and after.
But I finished and feel great now. My husband and I are painting some rooms in the house and then going over a friend's house later. It's a great weekend!!

It's a process...

It's been a little over a week since I started this blog and so far I think my training is going ok. I have been keeping up with my runs and have felt strong on most days. This week I have had some ups and downs with food choices. I think what I have learned from this week is even though I am going to be burning a lot of calories and may have cravings for unhealthy foods, I have to remember how I feel after eating unhealthy, especially on a running day. Luckily I eat pretty healthy and love vegetables so I am not too worried but I also know that I can be a little impulsive and sometimes get that "why not" attitude.
In the upcoming weeks when choosing what goes in this body, I will start asking myself , do I need this, Is this a good choice and how will this choice effect my performance...
Tomorrow I am running 7 miles with my running group. It's supposed to be another nice day so I look forward to it. I will make sure I make good choices today. So far, so good!
Enjoy this weather everyone!

Feeling the vibe

Tuesday, I came home from a pretty long day of work.  It was more stressful than expected and I was happy to be home.I sat on my bed and contemplated running or not.  Basically with my training, I have to run 4 times per week, which includes one longer run, so it was either run Tuesday or Wednesday morning.  I was feeling kind of tired and was thinking, a run tomorrow might be nice.   I went online, checked my email, FB and then I checked my blog (hello - total procrastination!).  What I came to realize is that people are actually reading this and leaving me comments!  Reading your supportive words filled me with excitement.   so you can imagine how great I felt once I realized I might actually be encouraging others too!  After reading the comments people left after various posts, I was filled with energy and decided to run in the sun and I think I made the right choice.   I ran about 3 and 1/2 miles and tried to stay in the shade as much as possible.  I even tackled a few hills that I have avoided in the past.  I felt energetic and confident. I also felt proud that I did not push my training to another day.  So thank you to all who gave me that extra push that I needed yesterday!

After my run, I sat on my porch and enjoyed the moment.  Its a great feeling after finishing a run.  Even though it was only a short distance, I felt like I had accomplished something. I also felt that all the stress I was holding in all day had vanished.  It was nice.
I hope that I continue to have many more days like this, where the energy overtakes me, I go out and just enjoy.

Relief, even if for only one day

Even though I have been running for quite a while now, I still get pre-run jitters, especially before a longer run. Questions flow through my mind, will I have enough energy? Will I be able to finish? Will I mentally be able to stay the course?
I usually get these "jitters" most when it is hot or humid. Everything about running becomes even more of a challenge in high temps.
Today was different. I walked out the door and immediately knew it was going to be a good running day. The sweet breeze practically brought me tears of joy. My body was so thankful to feel air and be reminded why I run and that it truly is enjoyable. Weeks of 90-100 degree weather have clouded my mind a bit. I forgot why I loved running an was starting to doubt if I myself and my skills. It was refreshing to have such a positive experience running this morning. As I ran around town I noticed I wasn't the only one feeling relief. Dog walkers, fellow runners, construction workers, all seemed to look a little more at ease today. Hopefully everyone gets to enjoy this weather today in some capacity. Dare I say, please please mother nature, keep it this way for a bit!

6 mile run: minimal hills
ran about a 10 minute mile and felt hydrated throughout. Around mile 5 I did start to feel a little bit of knee pain but as I kept going, it went away. Overall, I felt very good and think I could have kept going!

Even in discomfort the breath is sweet

No running today but I did go to yoga.  It’s a pretty challenging class and many of the poses are difficult but breathing and mindfulness have been key.  Since I have been going to yoga more consistently, I feel like I am getting stronger and am progress in my yoga practice. I am definitely not that flexible and still sometimes feel like a beginner even though I have been practicing for about 2 years off and on.  But something always brings me back and I am hooked.

 Running and yoga are a lot alike. How could they possibly be alike you ask??  Well I guess the mental part is more the commonality.  In running, I have learned that I am not the fastest and am probably not going to win any medals.  I had to learn very quickly that it was ok when people passed me, even people who were older, larger, and yes the ones with jogging strollers! I grew up being a pretty competitive person and maybe I still am in some sense but running has toned that part of me down.  I am still competitive with myself and always want to increase my progress but I try very hard not to compare myself to other people.  It’s the same in yoga.  When you walk into a yoga studio, at first it can be a little intimidating, people doing handstands and twisting in all kinds of odd positions.  I would think, gosh I am SO not flexible so how am I going to hold up in this class.  But in yoga it isn’t about other people, it’s about you and your intention for your practice and about just being in the moment.  It’s not about all the crazy positions everyone else can do.

I like the idea of always trying to make myself a better yogi, runner, and much more but I also like the fact that no one is looking at me thinking, gosh she only runs a 10 minute mile or oh she is the girl that can’t do a hand stand.  Instead in both running and yoga, the people around you are excited that you made the effort to come out, no matter what your level.  The commonality is that we are all taking a step to a starting line, that line might just be different for each person.  What is your starting line and what will you do to get there today?

*The title of this entry is something my yoga teacher said today that stuck with me.  Don't forget to breathe...

Ok one more note: As I am writing this, I am listening to Pandora Radio and this song came on:  Breathe  by Telepopmusik came on. Look it up. You know this one! 

Coincidence??

Beat the Heat

I had a busy day today which consisted of work, feeding a friend’s cats as well as watering her plants while she is away on vacation, hair cut and then finally my 1^st run with running group – South Jersey Runners – which I found on meetup.com.  It was suggested to me that if I am going to train for a marathon, I should find a group to run with because as distances increase, it is helpful to have people with you for many reasons including support as well as safety.  So I joined a few groups on ‘meetup’ and went to my first group run this evening in Cinnaminson.  It was 3 other guys and me.  (I told my husband that if I was not home by a certain time that he best drive to Cinnaminson and alert the authorities.)  But no worries - none of that was needed as everyone I ran with was friendly and all about the running.  I ran with one person who is probably in his mid 40's or early 50’s and runs about a 10 minute mile like me.  He mentioned around mile 2 that he had already ran 6 miles in the morning and was feeling a little tired!  That was a little intimidating as the heat was already kicking me in the teeth!  But we ran the 4 miles and stayed together the entire time.  He told me that he used to weight 280 pounds and is now down to 160! I thought that was pretty cool.  Its amazing how running can make people feel comfortable enough to share personal stories, details, etc., even if they have absolutely nothing else in common.  I am running 6 miles with the group including Tom on Saturday. I hope I can keep up.   But if I can’t that’s ok too because this marathon and all of this training isn’t about keeping up with someone or about running a certain minute mile for me, its about doing something I never thought I could do no matter how long it takes!

Running Diary- 4 miles – minimal hills:
Stayed between a 9-10 minute mile pace the entire time. I felt overheated at times and could have used some water.  Is their a hydration belt in my future?
I didn’t wear my iPod and noticed many more thoughts going on in my head about the distance, the heat, and how much further till it was over.  Even though there was some negativity going on, I finished strong and ran the entire distance. I feel good and am ready for some dinner.

Women Who Run

Here is the book that inspired me so much!

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/699613.Women_Who_Run

Let's run a marathon!

I am not sure when I made up my mind that even though I found such a passion for running that I could never run a marathon.  26.2 is about my drive to work and I could never imagine running there!  I never considered myself strong enough mentally or physically to take on such a challenge.  But then something changed... I read a book about many different women just like me who started running and fell in love.   Some of the women I read about had many more challenges than I currently have in my life and no matter what, they all achieved their goals~ whether it was a 5K, Half Marathon, whole or even an ultra, they put themselves on the starting line and went for it, believing in themselves and never looking back.

I realized the only reason I couldn't run a marathon is because I didn't think I could.  Only fear was holding me back so I have decided to let go, put myself on the line and take a scary step forward.

I decided to write this blog for me.  To remind me that I am strong when I am feeling weak and to remind me why I am doing this in the first place!

I would love for people to read along, follow and encourage me and maybe get inspired in the process but I am not expecting a large following.  Its running afterall and that is not for everyone

**But for 17 weeks its going to be a very large part of my life and I am ready!!