Happy Moan-Day!

After a fun evening with wine and rich foods last night, I was NOT looking forward to getting up this morning to hit the treadmill--even told dear hubby that if he didn't see me getting up at the appointed hour, not to freak out, that I would make up for it this evening.  He busted my chops a bit--practice what you preach, etc. (I deserved it, and I do thank him for it!), so when I woke up in time to get my run in, I did what I needed to and felt better for it.  However, I'm pretty sure I was sweating merlot this morning!!

Hope everyone has a fit, healthy Moan-day!

LAST in my group, FIRST in my mind!

The 10-Miler Training Program (C10TP) is divided into 6 distance groups.  Based on the distance I had been running before the program began, I started in Group 3 (a starting long run of 2.5 miles), but quickly moved to Group 4, since that more accurately reflected the mileage I should be doing on my long runs.  Today our group ran 7.5 miles, and while I managed to hang with the group for most of the run, they lost me the last mile (I've grown to detest Melbourne Road!).  However, rather than berating myself, I decided to celebrate the fact that I RAN 7.5 MILES!!  (OK, I actually only ran 7.25 due to a slight change in plans at the outset, no big deal.)  It is really exciting every Saturday to know that I am going farther than I have before.  It also helps so much to have friendly, supportive people around.  We know one another by name now, and we can joke around to make the miles go by more quickly.

The only complaint I have about today's run is that I seemed to have cut off Runkeeper 3 minutes into my run, meaning I don't have my splits to see how I am progressing.  Tony thinks it may be the program, but I have a feeling it was user error.  Oops!

Nutritional Battle on the Homefront

One of my daughters and I spent a much-needed morning with a nutritionist, in an attempt to help us through the minefield of hormonal shifts and changes that hit young girls during adolescence.  We got a tremendous amount of help with my daughter's specific issues, but more importantly, I was given some directives to follow for the entire family.  This will be a real shake-up at our house, as I have not been a stickler about fruits and veggies (having had a rather severe aversion to all things green as a child!).  My philosophy was always that they would grow to like things as they matured, while my husband would have preferred to serve the "right" foods at dinner and make them eat them, like it or not.  Well, turns out he was right (yes, hubby, you were RIGHT). 

This is not going to be pretty--my girls are used to being able to fix themselves something other than what I have served if they do not care for my dinner.  No more.  However, this is clearly in their best interests, and if I could back up the clock and do this part of my parenting over, I definitely would.  Bless the nutritionist for not scolding me, but instead encouraging me to instill these healthier habits now, before it truly is too late.  Wish me luck!  I can only imagine the squawks I will soon hear!

Making fitness a priority.

Usually I wake up long before my "absolute latest" get-up time in the morning, and that is when I get in my running.  Last night I knew that I would be pushed this morning, between needing a solid night's sleep and having to leave the house at 7:10 to get the older 2 to school for worship team practice.  I thought about putting today's run off until this evening, but that is so risky, depending on the homework load.  So, I did what I have advised friends to do--I set my alarm for an earlier-than-usual time and made a promise to myself that I would get up regardless of how much I wanted to stay in bed, get in my 3 scheduled miles, and not cut myself any slack.  Know what?  I feel so much better for having done this!

When my children have a dentist appointment, I make them go even if they may not want to (okay, even though they very clearly and loudly do not want to!), because it is the RIGHT thing to do and will help them in the long run.  Why should my commitment to fitness be any less deserving of this approach?  Schedule it, do it, ENJOY IT!!!

Yes, I'm slow. It's okay. Really!

Had a nice 5 mile run on the 'mill this morning.  I was fearful that it would be like last week's grueling 5 miler, since I tossed and turned and had wickedly vivid dreams when I did sleep, but I got into a good rhythm and stayed there.  Oh, except for having to jump off at the 2.3 mile mark because suddenly the basement stairwell light went out and I started wondering if there was a prowler in the house (after all, it is still REALLY dark down in the basement before 6 a.m.!).  Up in the kitchen, hubby and 5-year old were huddled in front of one of the heat vents; hubby had shut the light off so that said 5-y.o. would not want to come downstairs and yell "Boo!" at me the way she normally does!  :)

The run gave me time to reflect on Sunday's 5K results and wonder if I will ever get faster.  Or, to be more honest, LESS SLOW.  I didn't come up with a great answer, although when I finished the run and looked at my times for the past 3 weeks, those 5 miles are taking me less time.  The bigger answer that came to me is that it just may not matter how slow I am.  At first, I embraced my pace--it is MY pace, after all--but I had managed to get myself into a funk because of all the running blogs I've been devouring lately, seeing all these SUPER-FAST women making it look so easy!  I look at their PRs for 5Ks, for example, and know in my heart that no matter how much I train, I will never, EVER run that fast.  So I was beginning to beat myself up.  Why run at all if you can't go fast?  Why post times that are bound to make some folks laugh out loud?

Then TurboTurtle kicked in and slapped some sense into Doubting Lisa.  What possible difference can it make if I am slower than the vast majority of other people who call themselves runners?  I RUN.  I get up most mornings and do something that is good for me, that makes me happier, more self-confident, than if I stayed in bed.  That's all that matters. 

Oh, and if you happen upon this blog and you are wondering whether you, too, could be a runner, I can honestly say that if I can do it, slow pace, self-doubts and all, you DEFINITELY can!

Run, Mom, run!

Elaine, my 10 year old, took this photo and wanted me to share it. Happy to oblige--I look like a runner, huh?? :)

New Year's Day 5K: Why you should NOT start out too fast!

Linda, one of the awesome C10TP coaches (left), and the Turtle, pre-race!

Well, I didn't break any records, but what a great way to start out the new year!  This was an 11 a.m. race, which made it a little tougher, in my opinion--my runs are generally quite early in the day, and for my long runs (well, you know, long for me!) on Saturday morning, I usually can have 1/2 banana with some peanut butter and feel great.  I added some toast and a cup of coffee this morning (2 1/2 hours pre-race), but I felt "sloshy" during the race.  Also, for January 1 it was quite warm, and while I considered wearing short sleeves I ended up in my zip-up long-sleeved shirt, and I got overheated around the 2-mile mark.  The biggest obstacle I have, which I also found during a 5K back in November, was starting TOO FAST.  Coach Lorenzoni keeps warning us not to do this, but I get so caught up in the early-race momentum that I am running a full minute per mile faster than my weekly runs.

Part of me wants to skip any more races until the 10-Miler, mainly because I am not thrilled with my race performance, but I know that if I want to learn to pace myself, I need to get in on as many races as I can.

Oh, the funny part about today's race came as a result of racing out in the country.  (BEAUTIFUL location, by the way--thanks so much to the good folks at McIntosh's Farm for letting us use their pastoral setting!)  Less than a mile into the race I looked over to the side of the road and saw a skunk ambling my way.  That's one motivation for kicking it into high gear!

So, fellow racers, if any of you have tips on not starting so fast, I'd love to hear them!


HAPPY 2012 TO ALL OF YOU!!