Shamrock Marathon Training Week 7

I realized this week that I am now single digit weeks away from the marathon! Eeek! We had some ice this week but it came on my days of lesser mileage, so the treadmill was do-able. My long weekday runs were easily fit in with decent weather- just a lot of grey days! It was nice mentally to have a drop back week, but I definitely noticed my exhaustion levels creeping up in the evenings. I need LOTS of sleep now...8 hours isn't enough...I can easily sleep 9!

Monday: 40 minutes elliptical (abs)

Tuesday: 7.1 miles @ 9:17 (weights)

Wednesday: 3.5 treadmill miles on an "ice" day-> didn't even keep time because I hated it so much (abs)

Thursday: 4 treadmill miles @ 9:45 (better than Wednesday but I still hate it...am I the only one who runs SO MUCH SLOWER on the treadmill?!-> weights)

Friday: 7.6 miles @ 9:11 (substituted my rest day this week for this day and split part of my long run up due to my race on Sunday-> abs)

Saturday: Off! I did chores and ran errands to lessen my temptations to work out.

Sunday: Frostbite 15k in 1:20:54 (PR- because it is my ownly!). The course had a detour due to high water so the race ended up being 9.5 miles. It was RAINY! But not as cold (40's). Good practice for the marathon since you never know what the weather will be like! I laughed in the middle when it was down pouring because it was just ridiculous. My whole body was soaked to the core. Surprisingly, my visor kept all water off my face so that was good!

This is my "I-just-ran-in-a-freaking-monsoon" face. You can't see how wet my hair is, but it was soaked. My jacket was next to me forming a puddle on the passenger seat.

RAIN!

Total: 31.7 miles

Weather looks more cooperative next week. It's crazy how we went from freezing to ice to a monsoon in about 5 days. Oh, Virginia!

Ice Day

Hey there!

Just checking in quickly today as we had our first "snow" or ice day of the winter! I am thankful for the day off as I have felt "off" all week. We got sleet/ice for a few hours overnight and in the early morning hours, so school was canceled before sunrise. It definitely stinks to get the calls at 5 and 6:30 AM because it makes sleeping in hard, but no complaints from me! I was able to do a treadmill run and have a leisurely morning. It is tradition for my educator friends and I to meet at Starbucks on snow days, so that was fun! Roads were surprisingly bad near my place- usually the city roads clear fast, but I had to drive VERY slow. Ice is tricky!

Lots of accidents!

Sadly, I have to go to VCU tonight for class- the semester has officially begun! I don't have any negative feelings towards beginning classes again: I just hope it is the same work load as last semester, which was very manageable and still allowed me to have a life. I am excited to begin teaching/supervising graduate students this semester, though!

I will be doing my snow day dance for another day off (or at least delay) tomorrow! The county I work in is very large with rural areas, so those are the ones that usually get use closed:)

Shamrock Marathon Training Week 6

Life is getting back to normal! I had a busy week at work (during the next three weeks I am recruiting for courses at my school at the area high schools) that involved a lot of standing and energy, so my energy after work is not at it's normal levels. Old man winter is not making early morning runs very pleasing, either! Luckily, I had two awesome sunset runs on Monday and Tuesday that were gorgeous.

Monday: 5.5 miles @ 9:16 (abs)

Tuesday: 7 miles @ 9:34 (weights)

Wednesday: 30 minutes elliptical (abs)

Thursday: 4 treadmill miles @ 9:30 (this was the morning where it was 8 degrees outside-> weights)

Friday: 35 minutes elliptical (abs)

Saturday: 15 miles @ 9:25 (This was a 20 degree run...I actually was warmer when we started then when we ended due to sweat making me COLD. I'll take 20 degrees over 8, though!)

BOOM! Longest run ever- 15 in the FREEZING. 

My water froze in the car during my run! You know it's cold when that happens!

I had on leggings under my pants, a shirt under my THICK top, a great Under Armour headband, and thick gloves. I was still cold and everything bulked up around my stomach, so I wasn't looking my best!

Sunday: 5 miles @ 9:12 (weights)

Total: 36.5 miles

I am excited for a drop back week next week AND a 15k race for fun! Weather in Virginia looks interesting the first half of the week, so I may need to make some adjustments.

Wild

I saw "Wild" this weekend. I never read the book but had an idea about what it was about. This is not a review, but some parts of the movie stuck with me because it is one of those movies that gets you thinking! First, it slightly made me want to hike more, but not quite the Pacific Coast Trail (PCT). Maybe the Appalachian Trail in certain areas (which I have done, but only up a mountain and it was probably one of the hardest things I have ever done). Anyways, the gist of this movie is that the woman has a lot of demons to work through related to her childhood, her mom's death, cheating on her husband, doing drugs and basically losing her way. This hike was a way for her to find herself. She went through the desert heat and mountains of cold and snow and made it to the end. Obviously, she learns some lessons along the way.

Some great quotes from the book that are included in the movie for you to ponder (and are related to some of my previous posts):

"What if I forgave myself? I thought. What if I forgave myself even though I'd done something I shouldn't have? What if I was a liar and a cheat and there was no excuse for what I'd done other than because it was what I wanted and needed to do? What if I was sorry, but if I could go back in time I wouldn't do anything differently than I had done? What if I'd actually wanted to f*** every one of those men? What if heroin taught me something? What if yes was the right answer instead of no? What if what made me do all those things everyone thought I shouldn't have done was what also had got me here? What if I was never redeemed? What if I already was?"

And my personal favorite:

"It was all unknown to me then, as I sat on that white bench on the day I finished my hike. Everything except the fact that I didn't have to know. That it was enough to trust that what I'd done was true. To understand its meaning without yet being able to say precisely what it was... To believe that I didn't need to reach with my bare hands anymore. To know that seeing the fish beneath the surface of the water was enough. That it was everything. It was my life - like all lives, mysterious and irrevocable and sacred. So very close, so very present, so very belonging to me.

How wild it was, to let it be."

I think both these quotes get to the heart of what the movie (and book) are about: that your mistakes, your weaknesses, your misdirections all led you to where you are now. We are who we are because of where we've come from. We are never perfect and don't always make the best decisions, but the true strength of the human spirit is to forgive yourself and let yourself be you. Just make sure you are always growing and learning. I try to keep this in mind daily as I encounter new decisions and question my life path! I always examine myself to make sure I am doing what makes me happy this moment. Because this moment is your life.

I promise I am not doing these "deep" posts because I am in a bad place- quite the contrary, life is very good:)

Has anyone seen or read "Wild?" If so, what did you think and take away from it? I should probably read the book now!

Worth

With a new year and new resolutions, I think this is always a good time to focus on why each and every one of us deserves all the goodness and happiness in life: for each of us to understand our own worth, regardless of circumstance, time of year, looks, intelligence or financial means.

I have been thinking about this for many reasons unrelated to the new year. First, I finished the podcast, "Serial" (which OMG YOU HAVE TO LISTEN TO IT IS AMAZING AND I WANT TO TALK TO MORE PEOPLE ABOUT IT!), which for those of you who haven't seen it, is about a teenage girl's murder and the man who was convicted and all the discrepancies related to his conviction. This brought up questions not only about if he was wrongfully convicted, but how he has lived his life in prison when he (seemingly) is innocent (maybe) and how his outlook has rationalized his life and what people think of him- mainly his family, church and other prisoners.

Secondly, I have been watching Netflix like NO OTHER. And I am watching some awesome shows that are no longer on because I don't like watching new things when I know I LOVE the older stuff (gosh, this Netflix/roku business is changing my life...goodbye cable!), and I have been so impressed with the take charge actions of the females characters and how they don't apologize for anything. It sounds silly, but they reinforce the notion of being true to who you are and knowing your self-worth and value. I really identify with movie or TV episodes/shows that connect with me on emotional levels about life and situations. There are a few episodes that stand out for me- maybe someday I will compose them into a post about why:)

Thirdly, I think great friends are those who make you realize what you are worth. They take you for who you are, let you talk about the deeper things in life, show you things you hadn't thought of before, reinforce your strengths and help you improve upon your weaknesses. Over break I missed so many of my Richmond friends, but I loved getting to see my out-of-town friends, who always help life seem a bit brighter and more fun! I am thankful for all of them and how they help me be a better person.

Running always makes me think of my self worth. Mainly when I get "in the zone" and have some awesome jams on my iPod, like One Direction...There is nothing like a good run to get your confidence up!

Finally, dating...ahh. I don't talk about it much because this blog ain't my whole life (minus the whole running, reading, friends, food and traveling part), but one thing I take away from dating is really valuing your worth. It is SO important not to be ashamed of who YOU are- your quirks, your flaws, your preferences, and what you do and do not deserve. It can be hard to stand up for yourself when you are unsure of someone else's thoughts/feelings and worry you will ruin something or make someone not like you, but you need to value you. If something feels wrong, it probably is. If someone is pissing you off, tell them. Stand up for yourself. If they are right for you, they will value what you have to say. Remember, DO YOU. Know your worth. It can be hard at times, but makes all the difference.

*I also had to get my garbage disposal fixed today after I put too many potato peels in at once on Sunday when I cooked a million sweet potatoes. I know my worth is clearly NOT related to home improvements or any of the construction trades.*

In case you care, the white pipe coming from my disposal is what was clogged up with potatoes!

And then a great quote to sum up the New Year, resolutions and worth- because happiness RIGHT NOW is key to being your best self. Always.

For a long time, it had seemed to me that life was about to begin- real life. But there 

was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, 

some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life."

-Aldred D. Souza

This was a hodgepodge of a post...I blame it being the first week back to work!

Do you think you know your worth? What are areas of your life that reinforce your views on yourself? HAVE YOU LISTENED TO SERIAL?! THEORIES?

Shamrock Marathon Training Week 5

My last week of break is done:( But some travels, relaxation, reading and running happened, so all is good:)

Monday: 45 minute elliptical (weights)

Tuesday: 7 miles @ 8:31 (This was a WINDY run at Duck, Outer Banks, but was really fast for some reason! I PR'ed my 10k time (53:16) and it was the first time I have run 7 miles in under an hour!)

I rewarded myself with delicious coffee and a rainy walk after my 7 mile PR run. Seriously, though, best coffee shop in Duck.

Wednesday: 5 miles @ 8:33...this may be a PR as well. I love beach running! (Arms)

Thursday: 4 New Years miles @ 8:57. I was happy to feel well enough to run the morning after a late night, but the weather was too beautiful not to! (abs)

Friday: Off. I actually took a full rest day for once since I was driving back from the beach. It was hard but I felt my muscles needed it.

Saturday: 14 miles @ 9:30. This is an estimate as my Garmin died right before mile 11. I estimated the rest of the run by the podcast I was listening to and ran 30 more minutes at the same pace. My fitbit reinforced my estimates. This run was hard- it was cold and rainy, and I slept in so I ran without the training group. My legs felt better at the higher distances, and I carried water with me for the first half and then looped back to my place for water and a larabar. I got really tired around mile 12, but a few weeks ago that was mile 9, so my legs are getting stronger! My stomach felt great the whole time, so I may try more larabars instead of candy. It also satiated my hunger well! This was my longest run ever!

On the last mile...trying to keep my motivation up by taking pictures!

Thank you Serial podcast! I think I listened to about five episodes on this run. Who did it?!

Sunday: 5 miles @ 9:25. I am sick of the dreary weather! (Abs)

Total: 35 + lots of walking I didn't measure since I have a fitbit:)

Have a great (and hopefully fast) week!

New Years 2015

Since Monday I have been in an awesome beach house with friends in Duck, Outer Banks. It has been a great way to celebrate the end of one year and start of another. Here are bunches of pictures- enjoy!

New Years Eve!

Awesome book quote. Reading is a must at the beach.

Final sunset of 2014:) What a wonderful world!

View from our porch to the ocean!

Our house! Living in luxury:)

The beach is great anytime of the year!

Walking to coffee in town with some of the crew.

So true:)

How was your New Years?