Good Intentions

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There are so many things that we—very consciously—intend to do. The saying “good intentions” is true for many reasons, namely because that’s typically what our intentions are aiming toward; being good, doing good, and generally filling our lives with good-ness.

Unfortunately, there’s something that happens all too often with our good intentions.

They are (to bring in another saying) much easier said than done.

Now, if you are someone who 100% takes on their endeavors as soon as you make them, then I commend you, and you are not part of this discussion.

I, however, am the queen of setting forth fantastic intentions for myself and my life, basking in the idea of them, and eventually forgetting about them only to remake the exact same intentions about 3 months later.

Confused? Here’s the perfect example: I always want to be the person who’s on time to everything. Even better, I want to be the person who’s 5 minutes early. I have this vision of allowing cushion time no matter where I’m going or who I’m meeting and never worrying about being late to anything, ever.

You can probably guess why I have this intention… I am religiously 5 minutes late. Always.

I blame this on two things: The fact that I try to cram as much as possible into unrealistic time frames, and my genes. Sorry mom, but I’m using you as a scapegoat here.

Anyways, I always decide—normally after almost getting in actual trouble for being late—that enough is enough and I’m going to turn into Princess Punctual.

So why is it, no matter how often I try, these very do-able intentions simply fall to the wayside? Is it laziness? Habit? A subconscious fear of change? I think it’s probably a combination of these things—but I find it so interesting that, as far as I’m concerned, almost everyone has things in their lives they’d love to change but simply don’t. I think many would claim that they “can’t,” but  we all know that’s not true. We can do anything, but it’s a lot easier to imagine the way we’d like to be than actually taking the steps to get there.

Now, I might have a bad habit of tardiness and leaving too many half-full water cups around the house, however I do like to think I have a good work ethic. I couldn’t be a runner if I didn’t have willpower, and I know I’m capable of some pretty satisfying outcomes when I actually commit to something. I was thinking about this on my 10-mile run yesterday: How is it possible that running 10 miles at 6:00 am became normal and routine when keeping my car clean has been on my to-do list for months?

Obviously, we pick and choose where our priorities lie, and frankly I’d prefer to log miles than to make sure my car floor carpets are vacuumed. However, I am realizing I need to strike a better balance. Obviously, running is one of my number one commitments, but I think that my constant focus on fuel, sleep, strength, speed, etc. could be taking away from all the other good intentions I revisit over and over again.

And the truth is, good intentions aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive. Making my bed every day, replying to emails faster, reading more books instead of watching tv, and trying recipes other than peanut butter and jelly sandwiches aren’t going to take away from running whatsoever. Sure, if I had the intention to become an Olympic shot-putter, that might put a damper on my marathoning career, however I’m realizing that the nature of intentions is that they’re veryaccessible.

Intentions aren’t the same as goals: Goals we know will take time and work, therefore we instinctively know that we cannot expect immediate results. We know, however, how easy fulfilling our good intentions are, and that’s why we get a temporary high thinking about how much more tidy and joyful our lives will be once we practice them.

But, this is where we get caught. I think that it’s the temporary high that blinds us to the fact that in order to change, we actually need to be proactive. We have to change habits that have led us astray from our good intentions, and—once again—it’s much easier to say we’ll change than actually do the changing.

My mom, despite her questionable punctuality, is fantastically and annoyingly right about just about everything. She passed on this quote to me a while back, which I think speaks exactly to the issue of good intentions:

“It’s a lot easier to act your way into a new way of thinking than to think your way into a new way of acting.”

Good one, huh? It kind blows your mind a bit.

The fact is, it’s easy to think. We let our imagines run wild with all the endless ways we can make our lives better. And sometimes, we convince ourselves that thinking about it is improvement enough.

“I want to do more charity work, therefore I’m a good person.”

“I thought about going to the gym, so that counts for something.”

“Oh I’m going to read that book I’ve had by my bed for months on vacation on the beach, you know, because I want to save it.”

In NO way am I excusing myself from these brain tricks. I am guilty of having them all the time. However, I am starting to realize that action is a necessary counterpart for any thoughts we might have. Our ideas might be fantastic, life-changing, or all-around groundbreaking, but the fact is that they are quite literally nothing without action.

It’s harsh, but it’s true. So that is why I’m setting a new intention for myself; an intention to change the way I typically approach all my “good intentions.” I’d like to tackle my daily life ambitions with the same mindset as I do my running: by just doing them.

Despite it’s simplicity, Nike had it 100% right when it came up with its motto. Thinking about doing something only delays the actual action from happening, so instead of wasting our lives thinking, pondering, and imagining—why don’t we just do it?

Most of the time, I don’t even question if I’m going to run or not: I know the rewards of doing it are far better than the extra 1.5 hours of sleep I’ll get, and I know that if I don’t get out there I’ll spend my whole day questioning why I didn’t just do it.

So, why not infiltrate this mentality into my everyday life? Why not stop the constant recreation of the exact same goals over and over again, and just make them my routine? I know a clean house makes me happy, I know that arriving early helps me focus, and I know that drinking enough water will always make me feel better. These things are accessible, and easily integrate-able into my life. And in fact—they are easier than running, and easier than a lot of the things I do fill my life with.

So there you have it. An intention to do away with intentions and start with some action. Again, I know this is so much easier said than done—old habits die hard, etc. etc. BUT the only way to defeat the cycle of having unfulfilled good intentions is to just start doing them.

I want to act my way into a new way of thinking.

WHAT DO YOU THINK IS THE BEST WAY TO HOLD YOURSELF ACCOUNTABLE WHEN MAKING A CHANGE?

WHAT GOOD INTENTIONS DO YOU FIND YOURSELF COMING BACK TO?

An {Exercise} Affair to Remember

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Happy Valentine’s Day!

I hope you have spent the day doting on a loved one, or simply doting on yourself. I personally see nothing wrong with showering yourself with love on Valentine’s Day, because—after all—shouldn’t we show ourselves the same kind of affection we show others? I think so.

If you’ve read this blog for more than 9 seconds, you know that I have a mild obsession for activities that make me sweat. Running is my numero uno {Read: The title of this blog.}, but as you know there are other physical activities that get me all giddy inside as well.

That being said, I’m realizing that my feelings for each of these activities is very parallel to stereotypical romantic relationships. Say what? you ask. Well, allow me to explain it to you in my Valentine’s Day Tribute to the Three Lovers in my exercise life.

SPINNING

Oh spinning, you dirty little Casanova.

Spinning is the essence of a steamy, infatuous, lustful relationship. You all know the kind. It’s gets you all hot and bothered (yes, literally) and you find yourself somewhat addicted after just a few meetings.

Just think of the kind of music that plays in spin. Fast, upbeat, invigorating, Britney…you get the point. It’s not true-love-let’s-have-babies music, it’s “You’re hot and I’m interested for tonight” music.

And the sweat. Oh, the sweat. Spinning can get your pores going more than any other cardio workout there is. I can run for 18 miles and never sweat the way spinning for an hour does. It’s not that running doesn’t know what it’s doing, and in fact—I do sweat a lot—but there’s really nothing quite like a good drenching from a spin class.

{Sex joke inserted here}

In the end, it’s not going to work out. The gym isn’t always open, classes and instructors come and go, but you never forget the jolt you get from spending an hour atop that bike.

I realize I’m walking right into these, but I’m not sorry?

 

YOGA

You know that best guy{or girl} friend you had all through those rubbish relationships? (Yep, Adele reference right there). The friend that had your back no matter what, and even if you didn’t talk for a few weeks, they were right there to pick you up.

That’s yoga.

Reliable, dependable, and ready to pick up your pieces when I’ve been spit out by my other lovers.

You see the other lovers, despite being debonaire and flirtatious, have a way of breaking me down. That’s the problem with intensely deep relationships—they can hurt just as easily as they can make me feel invincible. Luckily, yoga is there—ready to swoop in and cradle me in its loving, non-judgmental arms.

Yoga brings me back to life when things get rough, and many would argue that it should be yoga that I end up with when all is said and done. The problem is, though, there isn’t any passion with yoga. Sure, it brightens my spirits and is fun to hang out with, however it doesn’t quite have the ability to get me going the same way my other lovers can.

Think Johnny and Marissa from the OC, Gustav the farm boy from Ever After, or Dan Humprey in this season of Gossip Girl.

All of them are {this} close to nabbing the leading lady, but at the end of the day, they are cast into the “we’ll always be friends” role.

By the way, if you didn’t understand any of those references, I’m slightly judging you.

Kidding, but for real you should watch Ever After. Or, hit up Netflix and let Gossip Girl ruin take over your “I’m way too old to watch this show but I can’t stop” adult life.

Running

Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you the leading man in the production of my Exercise Love Life.

Running is the sappy love songs you pretend to hate in public but secretly belt in your car.

It’s the yin to my yang, the Noah to my Allie, the Mickey to my Minnie.

Okay, maybe that didn’t totally translate, but you get the point: Running is the love of my life, and no matter who else tickles my fancy, there will never be anything quite like running.

Running does all the things that a perfect mate should: It knows when I need it most, it challenges me to do my best, it helps make my days better no matter what, and—most of all—it’s unconditional. Running will always be there to rejuvenate my love for life and for myself. Sure, it can be tough on me, and sometimes I may even think I’ll give up on it. But even if my back is turned, running is still right there, ready to guide me when I need a hand to hold.

Being a runner is one of the titles I pride myself most on, not because I think it’s impressive or somehow gives me leverage, but I love the feeling of encompassing myself with an activity that is so simply happy.

Because in the end, all we want from our relationships is to make us happy. And although spinning and yoga can liven my mood, there is nothing quite like the overwhelming joy of a good run.

 

So there you have it. I’ve learned a lot from each of these relationships, just as we learn a lot from our relationships in our real lives. Certainly, the complexities of romance are far less simplistic than “How do I want to work out today?,” and I know it’s a lot harder to typecast actual people quite so stereotypically. However, when we strip relationships in our lives to their bare bones, both with people and the things we partake in, we can see the ways in which they build us up, knock us down, and how they have shaped our experiences.

And to those of you who know my history a bit, I must add this side note: BF might have held the best friend role in high school, but he has also been all three of these aforementioned relationships at one point or another, which together has given us a wonderfully dynamic, passionate, and all-around wonderful romance that I’m so grateful for everyday.

Hey, it’s V-Day. I had to give at least one sappy shout out.

 

Now, go eat your weight in truffles, and know that no matter who you may or may not be celebrating with, the most important kind of love is the kind you have for yourself. Because if there’s one thing I’ve learned over my 23 years, it’s that the ability to make ourselves happy is the most valuable Hallmark card of them all.

 

And yes, I do still watch Gossip Girl and have no intention of stopping.

 

NOW YOU! Tell me some of the loves in your life! Running, Ryan Gosling, Chipotle burritos, Harry Potter, anything!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crunching the Numbers

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I’m feeling a bit consumed with needing to consolidate the things in my life that are accumulating faster than I can keep track. For instance, clothes I never even touch but are somehow still in my closet, various pieces of mail that need to be sorted through but just kind of sit there, and tallying my mileage progression for Eugene Marathon training.

Since I would rather talk about running more than most anything else, and since it’s a lot easier to record my training than to tackle the sweaters I bought in high school, let’s do a little recap, shall we?

Eugene Training

So, I’m currently in week 4ish of my training “plan.” I use the word plan loosely because, truth be told, I’m not following a schedule very strictly. I’m concentrating more on overall weekly mileage as opposed to achieving specific numbers on specific days. And honestly, I’m really enjoying it. It allows for more flexibility in my running and my normal life schedule, and I think that because there’s less strictness I’m mentally more excited and ready for each run. Don’t get me wrong, I’m definitely tracking progress/speed/splits/etc., but my focus is more on weekly totals.

That said, I logged appx. 43 miles last week, including a 16 miler on Saturday morning followed by a 4.5 mile recovery run Sunday. I normally keep the long runs for Sunday, and I hardly ever do recovery runs the day after, so this weekend was quite experimental! I enjoyed it though—and I’m feeling really well recovered today.

The week before I ran 49.2 miles, so this week will be a bit above that. I’m trying to build in a week on/ week off kind of pattern. Meaning, I’ll be adding, then subtracting, adding a bit more, etc. This seems to really work well with my body, and since I have the time I’ll be able to pull off this safer approach while still getting in several extra-long (20+) runs.

With that said, I have a 20 mile beast scheduled for this weekend. I really do love the long run, however it starts to get scary/serious when I reach that number. Not only does it require some interesting route-creation, it’s really just a long time to be running and takes a lot out of me. However, it also requires ample pasta consumption. So, I suppose it’ll all be okay.

Right now, I’ve been doing a decent job at averaging 8 minute miles on my long runs—and I’m hoping to keep it up. It’s definitely not feeling totally comfortable yet, and some days are better than others, but I’m encouraged with the consistency of my speed.

I’m coming for you Eugene.

2012 Miles for 2012

I’ve mentioned this goal before, but for those of you just tuning in—I’m hoping to run 2012 miles in the year 2012. It’s lofty, I’m not sure if it’s gonna happen, but it’s fun to keep track of the progression and—if my legs blow up—I can always change the goal to 2012 km. Right?

That said, this is what the progression looks like so far:

Miles Run in 2012: 253.3

Percentage of Year Over: 12.02%

Percentage of Goal Mileage Completed: 12.58%

Whammy! .56% ahead of schedule…practically done!

Okay, so essentially I’m right on schedule. But that’s still neat.

Alright, I feel a bit better about organizing my life already. Despite the fact that running analysis tends to make a fun hobby seem a bit more like work, once I do it I feel a better sense of understanding of myself as a runner and of my training.

The fact of the matter is that marathon training needs diligence and attention. I think we’d all like to think that we can just trot out, run as far as we want without care of worry, and whip out an effortless marathon fueled merely by a love of running.

Maybe for the Dean Karnazeses of the world, but for the rest of us—crunching the numbers is a necessity, and in the end it makes us smarter and helps keeps us healthy.

Questions: How close attention do you pay to your training numbers? Why do you think keeping track is important for becoming a better runner?

Friday Favorites: Girly Weekend Glory

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I always love Fridays, however this one is especially awesome because (drum roll please…)

I get to spend ALL WEEKEND with my sister Corey. She goes to school about 2 hours north of me in Bellingham, and although that’s not that far, it’s far enough to where we don’t get to see each other as often as we’d like. Hence, when we plan a weekend together—we take special care in ensuring that it’s the best kind of fun possible. My sister and I have fairly identical lists in terms of the things that make us happy, and so when you couple together mutual excitement for certain activites—oh, it’s just great.

Nevertheless, our weekend will be filled with perhaps the girliest activites possible—including but not limited too: Pedicures, shopping at the Lululemon OUTLET (yes, it exists), eating delicious food, and seeing The Vow.

C'mon, you know you're curious...

 So I’m not a diehard fan of these super cheesy chick flicks, but they’re always fun to get wrapped up in—and The Notebook may have changed my 16-year-old life, so here’s hoping for a Rachel McAdams repeat.

Seriously though, do you remember the raining/”It still isn’t over!”/bedroom scene?

Holy hell.

Anyways, amidst all these fun endeavours, there will be some running involved. My sister is getting her hot yoga on tomorrow morning, so I really have no excuse to not do my long run. Plus, Bellingham is where I ran my first half marathon, so I have a running soft spot for it. I’m hoping for 16 miles, but we’ll see what happens.

I’m also bringing my sister and housemates these to ensure they let me come back.

Heyyy Corey I hope you don't read/see this before I get there!

 

In a nutshell (I really don’t like this expression, but there aren’t too many alternatives) , I’m pumped for the weekend.

Now for some Friday Favorites…

-Thumbhole Shirts

pink thumbhole shirts get bonus points

So I have been having this issue recently where I wear a grand total of three different outfits—all the time. It’s bad, and I should really encorporate the rest of my wardrobe because I’m sure it’s cold and lonely in my closet.

But for now, running and yoga clothes are really what I’m preferencing—specifically long sleeved shirts with thumb holes. I love these shirts both on cold runs and in everyday life (see latte-holding photo above). For someone who is chronically cold, a little added coziness really makes me happy.

– Target

I fully own how ridiculously American it is for me to be so passionate about a corporate chain store, but I really can’t help it and I’m not going to try and stop. I love everything about Target, even just being there smelling the buttery week-old popcorn in the cafe. I spent a solid hour there yesterday just kind of wandering around looking at the myriad of things, and I loved it.

Yes I bought a few necessary items too…it wasn’t a total “Oh my God Robyn what a waste of your life” moment. And by necessary items, I do mean Valentine’s Day things and a new shirt.

– Cooking

My medallion-shaped masterpiece!

I know what you might be thinking…

“Isn’t this the chick who only posts food pictures of Chipotle and store-bought cookies?”

I’m not out to fool anyone…I do love to cook, I just don’t happen to do it too often. Which is why, unlike many fitness bloggers, I don’t put up every meal I eat. First of all, because that’s super boring, and secondly because I really don’t think you want to see pictures of green smoothies and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches repeated over and over again. I’m a creature of habit, what can I say?

That being said, when I do decide to get crazy and actually cook something, I really do enjoy it. Last night I decided to go nuts and make a main dish AND a side. Really out there people. I made two things I know BF doesn’t particularly care for because he’s out of town, and it was delightful. Roasted eggplant with tomato sauce and zucchini fritters—both easy, healthy, and delicious.

– The Stick

I hate you. But my muscles love you. So we can be civil.

So, I should first say that I actually loathe this device. BF and I take turns kneading out each other’s calves with this little devil, and by the end both of us are in so much pain I’m surprised we don’t break the thing in half. Seriously, I nearly have to bite a pillow just to keep my composure while getting massaged horribly abused by this God foresaken thing.

However, this little guy makes my running so much better, and I’m convinced it helps save me from injury and chronic soreness. Therefore, it makes the favorites list, despite all else. You can stick around my painful friend. (Do you see what I did there? I hope so, because otherwise I just giggled by myself.)

– Chocolate Soy Milk

Mmmm this stuff is the best. Both BF and I use it as a run recovery drink (if you haven’t heard, choco milk is stellar for muscle repair post-run), and I use in my coffee as well when I make a pot at home.

Truth be told, dairy and I don’t get along well thanks to my digestive issues (please ignore the feta and sour cream in the picture above). And so, soymilk and almond milk are life savers—and delicious ones at that. If you aren’t a fan of soymilk but are trying to lessen your dairy intake, I do recommend trying this chocolate variety—because chocolate makes everything better, and I know a lot of anti-soy people who are sold on this variation.

 

There you are! 5 more Friday Favorites in the bag, and I’m feeling peppier than when I started. I hope you have a wonderful weekend!

NOW YOU! WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE THINGS THIS WEEK? WHAT ARE YOUR PLANS FOR THE WEEKEND?

Practice

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{So, this post was supposed to go up yesterday, but thanks to a stellar power play by Google Chrome and WordPress, an hour’s worth of writing disappeared for no good reason. It was neat and I used many bad words.}

Earlier this week during yoga, our instructor stressed the importance of practice, both in reference to  yoga itself and life in general. Throughout the class, she repeated the notion that we are continually in a mode of practice, refining and establishing our skills so that we may be prepared for everything that comes our way. In a literal sense, we practice yoga so that we may develop our flexibility, our strength, and our presence in the activity itself. On a higher level, the movements and the poses we practice in yoga are meant to strengthen us for our lives outside of the studio.

This is my favorite part about yoga (besides spending 5 straight minutes in pigeon pose, perhaps). Going through the motions of practicing poses that might be difficult or awkward forces us to concentrate on the task at hand. It forces us to remove our attention from the past and the future into the present moment, and to me this is the most valuable part of the practice.

Certainly the strength and stretching achieved in yoga are a great benefit, but I believe the true practice, the kind that we can really bring into our day-to-day lives, is this simplified mindset of being present. The advantages to this kind of thinking are huge and can have a positive effect on our stress levels, sense of gratitude, and overall happiness.

I began thinking about how this notion of practice can be carried into my everyday life, namely—running. When training for a race, we are quite literally practicing; building our speed and endurance so that on race day we can, ideally, perform our absolute best. In a less literal sense, running—similar to yoga—teaches us lessons that we can apply outside of the sport. Running up hills is an incredible metaphor for overcoming obstacles in our everyday lives. A bad run teaches us that sometimes we need to be humble in the face of overwhelming circumstances. I could really go on and on, and although maybe it’s far fetched, I am willing to bet that most runners learn their most valuable lessons while on the road.

I really like to think of runs as practice, for both races and for life. When running is given the guise as a practice, suddenly it becomes something to take advantage of—and not something to get over with. There are times on runs when I really just want to be done, but I’m realizing more and more that although my optimism and grit may not be at their peak all the time, we need to go through the practice of defeat in order to get stronger. A run might be effortless or excruciating, but either way it’s a chance to practice willpower and self-reflection.

I think the ability to see your actions in day-to-day life as practice is very progressive. Sure, it’s really super difficult, and I can guarantee there’s close to no one out there that can define their intentions, strengths, and weaknesses on a moment-to-moment basis. What does that even mean, right?

The point is, our world does not exactly cater to living in the present, and we cannot expect our minds to remain unstitched and calm all the time. We can, however, try looking a little closer at the things we do and ask ourselves…why? When we take a close look at the habits, good and bad, that carry us through our regular routines, we allow ourselves a greater understanding of that which lifts us up and holds us back.

Because I have delved deep into the psyche of my yoga-doing and running self, I have recognized the benefits of these practices, and therefore I know how important they are to my happiness. There are also things I know I do which I (very conscientiously) try and avoid examining, because I know I’ll recognize how misplaced and unnecessary they are. I.E. Why do I spend all day on my computer, regularly checking Twitter and Facebook, only to close my computer and immediately turn to my phone to check them in App form for the rest of the night? Well, first of all, because I’m a 21st century 20-something female. But I do it for the same reason we all do it—because it’s mindless entertainment that gives us a distraction from the task of —Gasp!— entertaining ourselves.

But I can still practice being unplugged. When I go to the gym or for a run, I rarely bring my cell phone because I enjoy having the time (however short it may be), to focus on one task in front of me.

And this is the beautiful thing about practice—it is a designated time for opportunity. Opportunity for us to concentrate on simply inhaling and exhaling while holding Eagle Pose. Opportunity for us to run as slowly as possible for one mile and then as fast as we can the next mile. These things teach us, they shape us, and when we start to regard our actions as practices, we can view our lives as works in progress with plenty of room for growth and potential.

Question: What do you want to practice more of?

Impromptu 25k Race Recap

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Hello! Welcome to Monday…I’m not sure about you, but it definitely feels like a Monday to me. Starbucks debuted Valentine’s Day cups though, so that’s helping.

Dear world, if you slap holiday-themed decoration on everyday items, I will love it and I will purchase it.

I had a good ole sleep-in day today—7:15 am feels like heaven recently, and I find that quite humorous. I was zonked last night though, and some quality REM was necessary—especially after the long run I cranked out earlier. Despite feeling a bit sore and tired, though, this run was positively great, and I finished feeling very confident in my training.

Let me back track a bit though: I was scheduled to do 18 miles yesterday, which to me is when the real work begins. I’m confident up to about 16 or so miles, but after that it feels like unchartered territory. My first 18 miler last time I was training (which was the furthest I’d ever run at that point in time) was a doozy, and I can remember walking verryyy slowly for the rest of the day afterwards.

So, on Saturday as I was preparing to top off gorge on my fuel supply carbs and cookies, BF discovered that there was an ultra event being held tomorrow…10 minutes from our house…on the exact course I would be following for my own run. Oh, and it was free.

DUH. I was in.

The race was called the Fat Ass 50k (cue irony), and there was the option of doing a 25k, a 50k, or (for the bravest of the brave) a 75k. Obviously I signed up for the 25k (15.52 miles) and planned on just tacking on some miles at the end to reach my scheduled workout.

Now, this by no means was an “official” event. No bibs, no timing chips, no mile markers. There was, however, a fuel station at the halfway point, and plenty of chow and water at the finish, which in my opinion completely made this official. Any run where I receive free Gatorade and fig newtons is completely sanctioned in my mind. It also kind of added to the “ultra” feel of it all. Based on my research of these crazy-person events, they really work with the bare minimum in terms of race support. Runners normally supply their own fuel, there is hardly any finisher recognition, and close to no one even knows the events are even going on. That’s kind of how this race felt, and I loved it: People who just love to run, gathered together for some Sunday morning splendor.

So, 8 am rolls around, and about 75 or so runners are bouncing up and down for warmth, just gunning for the “Ready, Set, Go!” I was having too much fun people watching to focus on being cold. I always read about ultra runners, so it was quite a giddy feeling to be lined up at a start line with them. I would say it was pretty evenly split between those running the 50k and those running the 25k, which was comforting—although I was shocked at the ages of many of the 50k’ers. I was without a doubt the youngest by at least ten years, and there were a lot of 50k runners, clad in their “Marathon Maniacs” jerseys, who were definitely over 60. I was so impressed, inspired, and happy at the thought that running can be accessible to anyone who chooses to take it on.

This was the start line. The start of a spectacular day.

Off we went, and despite the fact that I insisted I would simply be running a casual run, the same as I would if I were alone, the race atmosphere had me all pumped up. My uber-competitiveness got the best of me, and pretty early on I got it in my head that I wanted to   compete. I held onto a 7th or so position for the first 8 miles or so, and I knew that I was the first female—which frankly felt pretty great. I also felt very strong; I was really hydrated and somehow all my fueling and stretching clicked together in symmetry. I was all by myself for the rest of the race, enjoying the weather (45 degrees and SUN) and smiling at everyone I saw. Although the “race course” was the same route I take all the time, somehow it felt and looked different when put in the context of competition.

I finished in 2:03 ish (according to my trusty Timex) which I was definitely happy with. I was the first female to finish…which I suppose means I won? Exciting!

wooo!

I logged my time with the Race Director (who, by the way, was wearing pajama pants with beer steins on them and yellow Crocs), and headed back out for 2.5 (slightly slower) miles to complete 18 for the day.

The whole run (the race part and the after part) was awesome, and I loved the impromptu randomness of it all. Racing made 18 miles go by much quicker (both literally and mentally) and it was really fun to run with some of Seattle’s distance fanatics. My kind of people.

BF finished 12.5 miles himself, and we reconvened after our respective long-runs for Sunday morning bagels and coffee. I would also like to note that BF paid for such bagels as he lost a bet Friday night in which a certain Los Angeles basketball team beat a certain Denver team at their home court. Yea, it happened.

LAL

In the afternoon, we took our homemade appetizers(a task we took very seriously) to a friend’s house for Superbowl  festivities. Neither of us were very partial to either team, however I admittedly love Tom Brady and was sad to see the Pats lose. No matter, I was more concentrated on eating as many various appetizer things as possible, and I definitely came out victorious in that endeavour.

A thing of beauty.

It was a lovely Sunday, and after completing that race/getting 18 miles under my belt, I’m feeling really geared up for my long runs to come.

Also, I changed my expected finish time for the Eugene Marathon, to 10 minutes lower than I originally signed up for. Assuming that it didn’t totally jinx me…I’m feeling good about the decision, and it’s helping motivate in a big way.

Hope your weekends were good, cheers!

Question: What do you care most about for the Superbowl? The game? The commercials? The food?

Naked Running and other Happy Things

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This morning, I ran naked.

Except that I was wearing clothes, unfortunately.

Actually, I think running naked would be uncomfortable…both physically and socially.

Anyways, I did run sans watch and iPod, and I realized that it may have been the first time I’ve ever done this. Even though I’ve been growing accustom to running without music, I always know the start and stop times of my runs, at the very least. Obviously wearing a watch is essential to training properly in terms of gauging speed and splits and such. However, there is added pressure when wearing a watch—and this morning I found that it can be quite freeing to do some runs without knowledge of time.

I wasn’t too set on running this morning: My legs have been tired recently, I had a very poor performance on yesterday’s run, and I was kinda blah about the idea of running. However, building my mileage right now for Eugene is necessary, and I knew that a slow, short run-around would actually make my legs less stiff. The lack of strictness to this run is what inspired me to throw aside my watch and iPod, and just like that…off I went, naked, into the sunrise.

And it was beautiful; Seattle has been taken over by sunshine (I know, RIGHT?) and although I didn’t feel too fast, it was nice to just be. I also saw two lab puppies, which inevitably helps any situation go from 0 to perfect instantly.

I love puppies, I need one.

Anyways, let’s get to talking about our favorite things, shall we?

– berry veggie Naked juice

I am definitely a smoothie-at-home kind of person, but sometimes it’s quite nice to just buy a pre-made blend of fruits and veggies. This (new?) Naked juice is just the ticket, and I love it. If you don’t like beets or beet juice, I recommend staying away from this concoction, but if so I definitely suggest giving it a try. There’s also not as much sugar in it as other juices, which I appreciate because I prefer my added sugar to come from cookies, not from juice.

See? Like this big beauty.

-Neon Sports Bras

Yes, I realize this is a picture of my boobs. Sorry about that.

Yes, you are looking at that picture correctly. My shorts bra STAINED my shirt via profuse sweating. If that isn’t cool, I don’t know what is. It’s also disgusting, sure, but like…have you ever seen this happen before?? Remember yesterday how I told you I was super dehydrated from excessive sweat during spin? Here is my proof.

I’m reallllyyy hoping that my shirt isn’t permanently stained, but for right now I’ve determined that not only is this my favorite sports bra, its my favorite piece of clothing. It’s bad ass, and it tells my other clothes whats up.

– Optimistic Forecasts

Is this real life???

See that right there??? That’s SIX days of sunshine predicted for the Pacific Northwest. Not only sunshine, but temperatures that don’t warrant wearing two pairs of wool socks and devoting my paycheck to the heating bill.

LOVE IT.

Sure, it might not pan out exactly as predicted, but I enjoy feeling excited for our weather.

– Scramble with Friends

I’m. Obsessed.

If you have the ability to download this game (it’s free), and you feel the need to procrastinate an excessive amount, I insist you get this game. It’s just like Boggle, but online and less noisy.

Find me, I’ll play you.

– Single-Tone Hair

Awkward self-portrait in the car...but no longer two-tone! And look! Sun!

I have been on a bit of a hair-maintenance hiatus since August, and although I can typically withstand a few months of root-grow out, enough was enough.

I was starting to look a bit like I belonged on People of Walmart, therefore I gave in and finally returned to my pretending-to-be-a-blonde hairdo. And I love it, and fineeee….I guess I don’t need to wear a baseball cap every day of the week.

 

That’s all for Friday Favorites! I’m starting to think I’ll compile a master list of all the random favorite things I recount every week…I feel it would make me happy to read. And happiness is good. Speaking of, if you are looking for a good pick-me-up, I highly recommend this video:

Questions:

Do you ever run/workout without a watch or iPod?

What are some of your favorite things?

 

Bad Runs Happen

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There’s really no way of bouncing out of a bad run:

They’re shitty, they suck, and there’s really no getting around one. Once a bad run starts, you’re kind of in it for the long haul.

However, there are two good things about bad runs:

1) Everyone has them

2) They make you a better runner

I realize these things are really difficult to remember when your legs feel like lead, your head is aching, and every morsel of your being questions why you ever try to run in the first place. When bad runs happen, these are the things we experience—and it’s hard to focus on anything else.

Case in point: This morning, I had a really crappy run, and I’m still a little irked by it. It was mainly my own fault, which is perhaps the biggest reason I’m still beating myself up about it, however taking the blame didn’t make things go any smoother. I was wayyy too dehydrated to be going on a longer run. I got cocky (as we runners tend to do) and was all, “Psh, whatever…I’ll be fine.” Unfortunately, that sneaky little bugger that operates the universe decided to make me pay for being an irresponsible runner.

My legs were dragging, my head felt heavy, and about halfway through I got a massive side stitch that last, oh, until the end of the run. At one point I actually had to keel over a stop because the cramp was so excrutiating. I could hear the Running Gods laughing at me. Yea, yea, yea…that’s what I get for potassium deficiency.

At the end of the run, I really just wanted to be done. As opposed to my normal state of being amped up and satisfied and all the stars-and-rainbows things that you’re supposed to feeling after running, I was really just happy to be done. I had had a bad run, and the best part about it was that it was over.

Now, these less-than-ideal runs definitely suck, no question about it. Trust me I was thinking some not-so-pretty thoughts through those last few miles, including stealing a bike from the child riding past me. And no, I’m not kidding, and yes I do feel bad. However, we can learn a lot about ourselves when we’re at our low points as runners, and I’m starting to realize those points are equally as important as the fab!awesome!stellar! runs that we always hope for.

Foremost, we are given the opportunity to recognize what poor preparation does to our bodies. As a runner, we cannot expect our best performances to just happen when we are dehydrated, improperly fueled, burnt out, poorly stretched, or even just sleepy. If we are to expect our bodies to cooperate on our runs, there are necessary tasks we must do to ensure that we don’t drive ourselves into the ground.

And certainly, situations arise where proper preparation is somewhat out of our control: A friend’s birthday is the night before a long run, our calves never fully relax no matter how much we roll them, or our work schedules make 8 hours of sleep virtually impossible. These are things that can be worked around, and while they may not be ideal—the definitely don’t inhibit our ability to run.

But what I’m talking about is when we just let basic principles slip through the cracks. Take your’s truly, for example. Yesterday, I sweat an insanely disgusting amount in spin class. Like, think of the NBA players when they get interviewed at half time and they’re dripping all over the reporter. That was me, maybe worse. Then, I managed to only drink one water bottle the whole day. ONE. Don’t ask me why, it was stupid and I just forgot that I was planning a 12 mile run in the morning.

Fail. And a rookie fail at that.

However, today I have been uber intent on making up for that mistake. I’ve drank a ton of water, and will probably continue to until my pee is clear and I’ve gained 5 pounds in water weight. Lesson learned, for now. And that’s the beauty of bad runs—they break you down so that you’re forced to admit what needs to change. I know that when I’ve run too many days in a row, my body lets me know it, and it’s not very kind in doing so.

Gaining this sense of humility makes us take better care of ourselves, and it also helps us to  respect the sport of running. More specifically, it helps us to respect ourselves more for being able to run. Bad runs make good runs feel like gold, and we undoubtedly would take our good runs for granted if we weren’t thrown a few gnarly ones every so often.

So the next time you have a bad run, instead of letting your mind get angry that it wasn’t all peaches and sunshine—let your body do the talking. Our bodies are wonderfully responsive, and when we listen to want exactly they want, or don’t want, we gauge a better understanding of our own habits and needs.

 

Bestie Weekend

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Hello all you beautiful people out there.

How’s it going?

I feel like most everyone is really ready to get this whole February show on the road and say “Adios!” to winter. Wait, winter’s still here for almost two more months? Dang. Well, hooray for global warming? Inappropriate?

I digress, let’s talk about running.

This past weekend, as I told you about on Friday, I went to Spokane to see my best friend Anna. We had a totally stellar time, and to paraphrase our weekend I’ll give you some buzz words:

Zumba, Nordy’s Rack, sushi, tequila, drag queens, tequila, Beauty and the Beast

If that right there doesn’t sound like a good time, then I don’t know what does. Allow me to fill you in on some details:

Saturday morning, I forced out 6.5 miles as a means of slightly remedying the fact that I would miss my long run on Sunday. Afterwards, we went to ZUMBA at Anna’s gym—and although I was slightly horrified that I would look like a flailing octopus(think about it…), it turned out to be super fun and not all that difficult. There were well over 100 people there, and as a first timer I felt like I was able to mostly keep up. Also, it was a breather! I was pretty winded fairly quickly, and it was a great workout for your shoulders and quads. The best part? Loud music + ample people watching= very fast class. The hour went by in a flash.

Highly recommended.

That night, Anna was performing with other law students in a drag show as dancers. Obviously, a good time was inevitable. And, as I stated earlier, although I’m marathon training and my weekends are normally devoted to hours of running—some priorities took over in this scenario. When your best friend is a booty shaking back-up dancer for some lovely drag queens in a gay bar, there is no question where your devotions lie. And hence…tequila. It was an awesome night, and I have a new found respect for the Spokane drag pros as well as the Gonzaga Law females. These ladies could be your attorney some day people…I, for one, look forward to it.

There's a lot of sparkles and cleavage up on that stage.

besties

Obviously, when you drink a lot of tequila, the best idea the next morning is to go watch dancing teapots and candle sticks sparkle on stage. Beauty and the Beast on Broadway it was!

Anna, who is mega awesome and knows my childhood fantasies oh-so-well, bought us tickets as an early birthday present for me. Just to fill you in, Beauty and the Beast is my all-time favorite Disney movie, and I would probably trade an arm to be a Broadway star. Therefore, BandtheB ON STAGE epitomizes entertainment.

And it did not disappoint; the show was positively fabulous—Belle was exquisite, the set was spectacular, and I can guarantee every single 23-year-old little girl in the room was more than pleased.

I might have bought a souvenir.

All in all, it was a wonderful weekend, and I wish it could have lasted longer. I left feeling very thankful to have such incredible people, like Anna, in my life and generally filled with a serene sense of being content.

 

Yesterday morning, I awoke to the sound of silence—aka no rain! Also, this:

January 30th baby!

I love when I can wear shorts without question, and temperature isn’t an issue. It was also fun to be running on a Monday; because I almost always do long runs on Sundays, Mondays are typically an off-day…and I really liked starting off the week with some dark, quiet running time. I finished 11.6 miles in 93 minutes, about 8 minute miles on the dot. Very happy about this, and I’m definitely feeling more confident in my speed.

Speaking of, I gave in and will be starting speed work…like, on a track…next week. It’s funny that this feels like a new concept for me, since I spent oh 6 years as a track runner, however something about having the marathon as the end goal as opposed of 300 meters of hurdles feels more intense.

 

‘Tis all for today! And because I really love all you readers out there…

Tell me one thing your excited for. It can be a Spring Break trip or merely the delicious lunch you packed…anything!

2012 Miles and Friday Favorites

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Happy Friday all 🙂

Today is spectacular is Seattle, WA—blue skies, sunshine, and a nice-end-of-January crispness of 40 degrees. If you’ve never experienced the phenomenon of seeing Seattle residents break out of their cocoons when the sun comes out—I highly recommend it. Watching a bunch of people used to rain and clouds react to the sunshine is hysterical, and results in a lot of smiles, shirtless sun bathing despite the temperature, increased beach occupancy (again, despite temperatures), and wayyy too many, “How about the weather???”

I fall for it too, though, and you really realize how awesome sunny days are when you’ve been layered in clouds for three months.

The sun started yesterday afternoon, and I purposefully moved my morning run to later in the day for this exact reason. I woke up to hard rain on my window, and knowing that the sun would be out later was reason enough to sleep a bit more.

I was antsy and restless without my morning dose of endorphins and sweat, however the wait was worth it—the run was spectacular. Shorts and a t-shirt, no iPod necessary, AND I finished the 12.25 miles averaging 7:49 splits. This, for me, is very quick—and I’m not sure if it was the restlessness, the extra fuel/hydration, or simply the sun, but this time amped me up.

Moving on, along with scheduling marathons, half-marathons, and various other endeavors that require carbohydrates and result in a medal, one of my goals for 2012 is to run 2012 miles. BF came up with this idea, and once I hear a number—I have a hard time not wanting desperately to reach it. This goal is very dependent on staying injury free, and even with marathon training it will definitely be a stretch to reach it. I’ll keep quarterly updates on how this goal is coming along, but as of right now…the year is 7.37% over and I have run 7.68% of my goal. A bit ahead, which is great, but stay tuned…

Now onto Friday Favorites!

For those of you who are new, I decided that recalling your Favorite Things are a great mood booster…therefore I have devoted my favorite day of the week to listing some of my all-time and current faves.

1) My Shower, specifically…My Shower after running.

mmmmm, cleanness

So BF and I scored when we moved in terms of our shower. We live in an older house, so the tub is one of those raised, claw foot tubs with a curtain that wraps around the inside. The shower head, however, is a rain shower head and therefore engulfs you beneath it.

Also, for whatever reason our water heater is up way too high and our shower can get HOT. I love being warm, and therefore I steadily increase my shower temperature throughout the duration of my bathing.

Showering after running, also, is almost better than a huge bowl of oatmeal after running—ALMOST. Specifically during this time of year, I feel like my body and muscles totally thaw out and relax in the shower after I run—and because running is refreshing on its own, adding a smelling good/clean factor to the cleansing runner’s high is magical.

2) Over-sized Food

14 inches of goat cheesy heaven

Okay, let me first say that I am the first person to criticize the American idea of portions. In my opinion, it’s the biggest reason for the obesity epidemic.

HOWEVER. Sometimes, I really really really love/need a massive piece of pizza, or a really big cookie. Lucky me—last night, both entered my belly, and they were very happy to be there. This slice of heaven came from Tallaricos, a restaurant in West Seattle BF and I had never been, and it was insanely large and insanely good.

3) Born to Run

I will admit….I started this book a longgg time ago, and put it down because it just wasn’t holding my interest. However, thanks to the persuasion of numerous friends and family members, I decided to give it a go once again. And I LOVE it. This book is all about those crazy runners out there—the types that do ultras every other weekend and enjoy running 100 miles up mountains.

These people absolutely fascinate me, and this book has me totally hooked!

4) Peanut Butter; or really any type of nut that has been turned into a creamy, delicious spread.

I honestly feel like I’m downplaying my love of peanut butter by putting it in my Friday Favorites, but seeing as this Tuesday was National Peanut Butter Day, it felt appropriate.

I actually feel that I should be writing an epic poem, an ode, or perhaps a love song about my affection for peanut butter. It’s deep, passionate, and above all—everlasting.

5) My iPhone

SO. This past weekend, I finally converted to being an iPod person. I’ve never had a smart phone before, and although I hate to admit it, this thing is…awesome. I don’t exactly know how to work it correctly yet, however it’s very shiny, simple, and allows for ample procrastination. All good things.

Also, it will make chronicling my experiences for my blog much easier, so that is quite nice.

 

In the words of Cartoon Network, “That’s all folks!”

I’ll be spending the weekend in Spokane with my dear friend Anna, so recap on that on Monday. Happy Friday!

Question: What are YOUR Friday Favorites?