45 Days to go!

My post-pregnancy weight gain is KILLING ME!!  My feet are sore, and I have a bit of a fear that I may be on my way to injury.  Anyway, I took the last two days off and ran today.  I only ran 3 miles.  I'm not quite sure what my issue is.  I think it may be that I'm just tired from waking up early.  So my excitement is waning, but I'm still determined to continue on my path to get this done!!  This week I have only had 11 miles of training.  and two more days to get more milage in.  I'll do it.  

49 days to go, No Motivation Monday

When my alarm went off this morning, it felt like any other morning when my alarm is sounds at 5:30.  I was not ready to jump out of bed to say the least.  But that is always to be expected.  I drug myself from bed and out of our bedroom door.  Usually by the time I get out of our bedroom and into our hallway, I'm feeling okay about being awake, and I'm mentally prepared to run.  This was not my experience this morning.  I seriously thought about going back to bed at this point.  I decided that I wanted to keep in the grove of running, and I knew I just needed to get out and get moving, even if I didn't complete an epic run.

I ran, I ran slow, I ran short.  BUT I ran.  I ran 3 miles.  I think my body needed a relaxed run day.  I've been asking so much of it lately.  So I'm not exactly happy about my run, but I"m happier than if I would have had NO run.  

I have also come to three big conclusions about my running and other areas of my life:

1) Running is part of what makes me me.  This is probably the biggest conclusion.  I feel whole when running is part of my life.  I feel like a part of me that was missing is now found.  This is a beautiful feeling.  Quite frankly, I feel there is one more part missing and that part is yoga.  So I need to work on adding that to my life, but right now, the most important this is to celebrate bringing this wonderful part of me back into my life.

2) I need to drink more plain water.  I have been hydrating mostly through seltzer water.  There is some sort of replenishment that happens with flat water that does not happen with those bubbles.  Even the seltzer I make myself that is only well water and added CO2.  So, I don't know what it is, but that needs to change.

3) I need to lose weight.  This is not only a vanity thing, or even a performance thing.  This is a necessity so that I can run as much as I want and not worry about getting injured.  It is a lot to ask your body to perform at such a level with all of that extra weight.  There are also the added vanity and performance benefits.  I believe I"m going to count calories to achieve this.  When I lost all of my weight before, I did it by counting calories.  While I have read a lot about different ways of eating including restricting carbs, and intermittent fasting.  They make sense, and I'm sure they work, right now I have to go with what has worked with me.

So my adventure continues.  

50 Days to go... 2 days worth of updates

Yesterday was a beautiful day.  Yesterday I ran 8.5 miles.  I am so proud of me.  My first four miles were marvelous.  I was running some of my fastest times since I started.  the last three to four miles were a challenge and a lesson.  But a challenge I accept and a lesson well learned.  On the last few miles of yesterdays run, I encounter very steep and rather long hills.  This is talking as an east coaster.  Those on the West Coast, closer to the Rockies would rightfully scoff.  But to me, it was difficult.  AND I was dehydrated.  I took no water with me and I didn't properly hydrate before I left.  So, lesson learned.

I was very surprised to wake up this morning and not be sore at all.  A real shocker.

I had originally planned on going for a long run today, but as is usual when you have a young one, other activities were paramount.  I also did not get up early enough to get in another long run as I should have.  I ran about 5 miles.  I"m not 100% sure on the actual distance.  I do know it was over 5.

I'm feeling really hopeful about this run coming up.  I think I can do it.  I would like add more trails to my training so that I can better my footwork.

Excitement is all around.  I am so happy I found my way back to running. I am even more grateful that I have such a supportive husband who allows me to go out and run, even when his docket is full.

I am a very lucky woman.

51 days to go!!

I woke up at 5:30 this morning and was ready to go.  The excitement I felt for my run was exciting.  Have you ever been happy that you experienced a certain emotion due to certain circumstances?  Well, anyway, I was ready to get going by 6.  I was a bit pokey getting, but that was not indicative of my run.

I started running by turning left out of my driveway.  Turning left to begin my run is always the hardest way to start.  By starting out that way, I begin my run straight up a hill.  But it felt good and strong.  As I crested the hill, I saw the beautiful reminisce of a sun that just rose.  The sky was mostly blue with streaks of orange.  I silently thanked myself for getting out of bed.  I continued and ran past the new bridge they just put in.  I altered my running route but got a total of 5.32 miles in, which I had planned to do.  Mile four was my fastest with an 11:59 mpm pace.  I'm getting faster and stronger.  The improvements I have made the past week really please me.  I have run 26.09 miles over the last 6 days.  I am totally shocked at how sore I am NOT.  I really thought I would be hurting now.  I do have some stiffness, but nothing like I was expecting when I started this.

This upcoming weekend I will do my long runs.  I believe Saturday I will do some trail and Sunday I will just do roads.  I do need to practice trail running.  I am clumsy, and timid on trail.  I believe practice will make me better.

I have already experienced a lot of changes, especially mentally, since I have found my way back to running.  I feel more like me.  I feel happy and proud of myself.  I feel like I'm a better mother and wife.  I feel like I found my way back to who I truly am.  The second, unexpected change, is the overwhelming apathy I feel for my career.  I just don't care.  Yeah, I'm still stressed, but not like I used to be.  I still don't like my job.  I still don't see myself staying there for the long term.  But I just don't care.  I feel like the whole thing is just utterly pointless.  While I have always felt this way, it was always with a lot of anxiety and stress.  Now I just feel like this is dumb.  I feel apathetic.  I don't care.  Like whatever happens with this job, I don't care.  I think this is a change in the right direction.

My adventure continues!!!!

So far today...

It is only 7:15, but I have not run.  If my run were to get done this morning, I should be out there doing it now.  I'm not sure if I'm going to take a day off or run over lunch.  I'm thinking quick run over lunch.

Last night was rough putting my little man to sleep, so I decided to let myself sleep in, and I did. Until 6:15.  I really do need more sleep, but once I got up I was up.

The brain is an odd thing.  Last night I told myself I could sleep in, and I, therefore, didn't have to run this morning (I was going to figure the rest out later).  So when I got up with more than enough time to run, I was unmotivated.  I had already decided I wasn't running.  But the thought of letting go of running today is unsettling.

I will post up later what I end up doing.

My run - Day 4, 53 days until race.

My alarm went off at 5:25 am this morning.  First I groaned, then I turned the alarm off and got up.  Getting out of bed is the hardest part.  Once I'm standing, I'm good to go.  It's easy to get out the door.

After I left the baby chicks out of the coop,  I laced up my shoes, got my phone set up to play my download from Ultra Runner Podcasts, leashed up my puppy dog, Mya, and off I ran.

I ran, and I ran.  I ran (okay with some walking thrown in) 6.37 miles.  That's 20.77 miles so far this week.  There were slight hills, but overall, it was relatively flat compared to the course the ultra will be held on.  It was also incredibly hilly compared to the running I did in Quakertown.

It felt good to be done with the run today.  My ankle and toe on my left foot are sore, so I have to ice them.  I still have a lot of doubts about whether or not I will be able to do this race, but I am optimistic.  This is an exciting adventure where I really don't have an inkling what the ending will be.  That makes this so much more fun.

I saw a deer this morning.  She was eating the the middle of the field between apple trees.  It was a beautiful sight.  I would not have seen it had I not gone for my run this morning.  I also got to observe the incredibly high creeks around our house.  There is a degree of observation that can only be done when running.  When you're walking, you don't cover as much ground.  When you bike ride, you are going too fast to really see what is happening.  When you are running you are tuned in.

I am so grateful to be back to the sport that makes me me.

Coming Back to Running

I ran through my pregnancy, I ran after my pregnancy.  In fact, within two months of giving birth, I ran a half marathon (by myself).  And then we moved.  The place we moved to is beautiful.  It is everything I ever wanted in homestead.  2.25 acres (okay, maybe I would like a tad more land) on a south facing hill, partially wooded.  I have been spending my time fiddling around the house, and gardening.

I also (right after our baby was born) got a promotion at work.  This left me little time to run.  I felt lost.  I felt like I was missing something.  All of my time was chewed away by activities for the house.  I spent all of my time either working, tending the garden, straightening up, cooking, or just spending time with my beautiful son.  While I enjoy all of these activities, They were all purposeful and for the benefit of not only me, but my family.

I recently came to the conclusion that I needed something JUST FOR ME.  Something that is pointless.  Something that has no benefit except that it makes me feel better.  And that something is running.  I had tried run here and there since we moved, but nothing ever stuck.  Nothing ever became a powerful force in my life.  It was always and after thought.  Well, now running is in the forefront of my mind.

And being that I NEVER do anything on a small skill, I signed up for an ultra marathon that takes place in 8 weeks.  So my plan is to go from NOTHING to an Ultra (50k) in 8 weeks.  I know it's stupid, but I also believe I can do it.  I also know that whatever happens, I'm going to be better off for it.

I had let myself go so much that I gained 20 pounds in a year.  That just wasn't me.  I  need to give myself some of the love and attention I try to give my child and husband.

This is my journey from out of shape mamma to ultra runner in 8 weeks.  I'm gong to do this my way.  I'm not following a training plan, and I"m not telling friends/family what I"m doing, as I'm doing this JUST FOR ME.

So far, I have three runs under my belt.  Mind you, this is the first time I've run in MONTHS!!
Sunday, I ran 5.05 miles, slowly.  As in, I could have walked faster.  But I did it.I was expecting to be sore the next day.  I wasn't really at all.
Monday, I ran 5.33 miles.  slow again, but not as slow as Sunday.  Very good.\
Tuesday (today), I ran 4.02 miles.  My best run of the three.  I woke up at 5:30 to complete the sunday and Monday run, and today I slept until 8, and ran over my lunch break at work.  This was fast an smooth.  I'm very happy with this.

Overall, I'm just so elated that I made this decision.  I feel like I'm coming back to me, the person I had lost to motherhood.

I look forward to sharing my journey with anyone to happens upon this page, which I am writing just for me.