Have you seen it?

MISSING 

LAST SEEN - 10 days ago 

DESCRIPTION -  Excitement, Zest, Determination, Drive

Believed to have gone missing around the time that the heat & humidity moved in and my daily schedule got very hectic.  I miss it very much and want to find it ASAP.

Please contact Mrs. D with ANY information. 

Reasons to Start Running

Some get into running for sport. 

Some start running to lose weight.

Some start running for the shear fun of running.

Some start for other reasons.

My son wants to run for a different reason.  I finally let my kids try some GU and of course, they love it.  Today, he chose GU for his afternoon snack and as he is in his GU bliss, he tells me.....

"Mommy, when I get bigger I'm gonna run.  Then....can I have some of your GU??" 

Me:  "You want to run for GU??"

Him:  "Yes, but its taking a really long time.  I keep trying and trying to get bigger but its taking too long."

Like I said, we all have our reasons.......


Me?  I started running (or got back into it) because when I run, I feel GOOD.  I feel alive, happy, content.....  Also, when I got into running a couple years ago, I lost almost 50 pounds and when I stopped, I gained it all back and I felt like c-r-a-p.  Running is my anti-depressant.

Why did YOU start running???


Oh, and speaking of GU....

Keep your eyes peeled for a GU-filled giveaway.....!!! 

People ask why I run. I say, "If you have to ask, you will never understand". It is something only those select few know. Those who put themselves through pain, but know, deep down, how good it really feels.
~Erin Leonard

FFO Friday

The past couple weeks have been rather.....overwhelming.  I find that I am not focusing the best lately and I am sure it is due to a few reasons:

• My plate is overflowing,
• I frequently do not have "normal" sleeping patterns (ex. it is now 3:45 a.m & I am just getting home from work.  Note: I will be up whenever the kids wake)
• Because of my whacky work/sleep schedule, I haven't been making my runs as I would LOVE.
• I have a test and 2 papers due in less than a week and a half. 
• My plate is overflowing.

So, I have this idea to call this post "Frantic, Freak-out Friday" and it allows me to simply DUMP all my brain's worries into my blog.  Perhaps this will help get it out of my head so I can make room for productive thoughts.....?

Why am I Frantic and Freaking Out???  Well, since you asked (or didn't)......

• I have a test and TWO papers due over the next week and a half
• My husband is going to have a crazy week of working at least 10 hour days
• This means he will be minimal assistance with that whole "get the kids outta my hair" thing.
• Not sure quite yet how I will get it all done, but its just got to. 
• I have been missing my runs lately.
• My next race is 19 days away.
• It is 4 miles long. 
• I haven't gotten to 4 miles yet.
• I have paperwork to send to school for financial aid
• I need Mr. D to help me find the papers.
• I keep forgetting to ask for help finding these papers (another example of brain overload)
• I have been working way more than I prefer
• However, I have still been holding everything.  Nothing has really fallen apart, I am just friggin exhausted.
• I have a ton of running around to do in the morning before Mr. D has to get to work.
• This includes a grocery shopping trip
• Did I mention it also will be WITH the 2 munchkins??
• I am worried that the combination of minimal sleep and the 2 munchkins won't equal happyness
• I have no coffee for the morning.
• This pile of laundry is making me insane!  I am SICK of looking at it.
• My friend is planning to watch my kids tomorrow so I can do school work.
• I can decide what is most important, groceries or school work
• If I take the kids to play, they may be too worn out to behave for a grocery run.
• If I choose to grocery shop, I will be continuing to frantically, freak-out over not getting any school work done.
• Vice-Versa with the school work & FFOing about groceries.....
• I haven't even made a grocery list
• I can't love being a one vehicle family.  I try, but I just can't.
• I have had stuff to post on on the blog all week, but haven't had the time to get it up....
• That should be the least of my worries, yet, it made it on the list.
• I need new running shoes so so bad, but it just isn't in the budget.
• That sucks - a lot.
• I HATE the budget.
• I have been waiting for my financial aid check for weeks and it has yet to arrive.
• I was beginning to think it is just a myth, now they say its on the way.
• Not sure why I am excited about it.  All of it is already claimed.
• I REALLY HATE the budget.
• I lost my running watch!
• I refuse to purchase another one because I keep telling myself "I'm gonna find it! Its somewhere around here!"
• I started saying that in May....

That's all I got for now.  WOW! You wouldn't believe how threapeutic that was!  I truly feel SO much better!  I am AMAZED!! Some of it seems less "worry-worthy" now that I typed it out...

I was wide awake, but now am certain I will fall right to sleep - no worries on my mind. 

So on that note.......I am sleeepy. Good night!!! 

AND, if you made it this far......THANKS FOR READING!!!



"A day of worry is more exhausting than a day of work."
~John Lubbock

Half & Half Virtual Race Recap and PR!!

Yesterday morning, one of my besties, CP, and I ran G's Virtual "Half & Half" Race.  I chose the "Half 10k" option - translated 5k (for the MGs of the world - you know who you are ;-)).  So, we met up at a local High School to run a 5k on the track.  Here is a view the camera on my phone got of the track at 5a.m.

 

We had 12.5 laps to run for 3.1 miles.  It was 79 degrees with 80% humidity.  We knew by the 2nd lap that it was going to be pretty rough.  It felt like the humidity was creating resistance.  It probably would have felt the same if the wind were blowing against us accept the air was SO damp.  I couldn't breath and it felt like we were wading through water!!  It was pretty painful. 

I learned a few things on this run.  First, good friends make ALL the difference.  I have to confess that by the 5th lap, I was struggling.  If CP had not been there, I would've walked pretty soon.  She kept me going. 

So thanks, CP. Even though I run a lot slower than your preferred pace, you stayed with me.  And as it turns out, I ran faster than I normally do because you pulled me along (dragged at some points). You always motivate me and keep me moving forward - when we run together and just with life in general. I couldn't do it without ya!

The other thing I learned pretty quickly is that track running......NOT for Mrs. D.  Its just lines and lines and more lines. And its an oval - around and around and around.  NOT the most entertaining thing ever - even with your best pal next to you, it is kinda....well, boring for that long.  There isn't much to look at to distract you from the pain of the run.  And when you both hit a wall, you need more than LINES to get you through, you know? 

Now...... for the GREAT news of today!!!!   We ran our 5k with a time (for me) of 38:57.  That is a 1:36 PR from my fastest race, the Annabelle's Angels 5k I ran in September 2007.  It is a 4:05 improvement from my Comeback Race this past May!!!!   WOW!! Talk about a JUMP!!!  Perhaps that "Run Slow to Run Fast" stuff really does work, Coach T!!!   I mean, I believed it before, but now.....I BELIEVE IT!!!  FOUR minutes is a BIG improvement!

My next race, the Moonlight 4M, is 24 days away and this is definitely a great motivator!!

Here are a couple of post-race pics.... 

"I love running cross country....On a track, I feel like a hamster."
~ Robin Williams

Monday Medley

This past week has been a challenging one for getting in runs.  It was steamy, smokin', HOT most of the week.  A few days got up to 103/104 degrees.  Now I am not saying I couldn't run at all because it was hot, but the heat combined with me working every other night until 3a.m. pretty much made it darn near impossible to get out.  Getting up to run at 5/6:00a.m. isn't much of an option when you just went to bed at 3:30, you know?

This week I jokingly thought that I need to "rent" someone's treadmill.  But I really have been thinking that I may need to sign up at a gym so that I can use the treadmill to get runs in.

What do you do to beat the heat and get your runs in?? Any pointers for me?
 
So.... these are my confessions.....
Last Week's Mileage....
8 miles planned / 4.83 miles ran


And here are my desires....
This Weeks Plan...
- 2.5 miles
- 2 miles
- 4 miles

My biggest struggle right now is the big D word , my.......

I have been wanting to post about this for quite some time, but honestly have been kind of dreading the topic and having to confess my badness.  The crazy thing is that I am currently taking a NUTRITION class and it hasn't gotten any better at all.  Now, I am just very knowingly eating poorly.  The day of my long run last week, I ate TWO fast food meals!  TWO!   That is when I said this is redonkulous!! 

My goals for my running is not only to run and run and run, but to lose weight and lower my BMI!!  One thing I HAVE learned from my class is that my weight, body proportion, and diet all put me at much higher risk for heart disease, diabetes, stroke and other illnesses.  That scares me more than the thought of never losing one pound.  I work in a hospital where many patients come in all the time with illnesses that can easily be avoided with a healthiER lifestyle - high blood pressure, young people with strokes, obesity and more.  I don't want to be one of these people that get sick when it could easily be avoided. I owe myself better than that because I AM better than that. 

I have looked into getting a Registered Dietitian to help me, but my health insurance doesn't cover it and it isn't cheap to pay for it out of pocket.  I am thinking about Weight Watchers, but haven't quite decided on that.  For some reason, I don't know if I want to do a "program" because I just want to learn to eat "right" in a way that is realistic and doable for me and my family. I know a dietitian could help me with this because that is what they do, but I am not sure if Weight Watchers does the same.  Bottom line is, I don't want to "go on a diet," I want to live healthier.

I know that at home I do OK, but my problem is the indulgence of sweets and junk food (fast food, delivery when working, etc).  There is a way to "treat" yourself without over doing it, I just haven't mastered it. 

I just know that this is something I HAVE to do.  I HAVE to do it for ME.  I HAVE  to do it for my munchkins.  I HAVE to do it for my husband.  I HAVE to do it for people out there that think they can't. 

I just HAVE to do it - NOW.



"The best six doctors anywhere

And no one can deny it
Are sunshine, water, rest, and air
Exercise and diet.
These six will gladly you attend
If only you are willing
Your mind they'll ease
Your will they'll mend
And charge you not a shilling."
~Nursery rhyme quoted by Wayne Fields, What the River Knows, 1990

As you may already know, I enjoy quotes.  They just do something for me - inspire, motivate, make me laugh, make me think.....  I have been getting daily quotes emailed from Runner's World and this was the quote emailed today:

"Slow-but-sure has always worked for me, in running and in most other arenas. I wouldn't mind being a Carl Lewis or Usain Bolt, but I've found little payoff in attempting to be what I'm not."
~Amby Burfoot, Runner's World Editor At Large

I really love this one!  It really speaks to me personally because I have this current frustration with not running faster than I do.  Even though I know I need to be patient and that, with time and persistence, speed will come, I still get annoyed by the fact that I am s--l--o--w.  I often think that I would love to run with others but I "won't be able to keep up" and I feel badly about myself as a result of this negative thinking. 
 
In all honesty, like the author of the quote, I wouldn't mind being a TMB or G, but the reality is that I am a Mrs. D and I should embrace that.  I need to just let go and appreciate my ability to get out there and RUN.  I need to be grateful that I have a great support system and people cheering for me on the virtual sidelines.  I need to stop worrying about speed and enjoy the moment for what it is - sanity, joy, fun, health, quietness.....
 
Because again, as the quote says, "I've found little payoff in attempting to be what I'm not" and "Slow-but-sure has always worked for me."  I learned to run on the philosophy "slow and steady wins the race" so why change now?
 
 

Marks of "Honor"???

I just want to know....

Does this make it official?  Am I in the club now?

Pain is temporary, pride is forever!
~Anonymous

Week's Report

This week has been pretty good.  Not too much going on, but it has been a fun week.  I had my first "Mommy Run" playdate this week.  It was great!  The kids played and Mer & I took turns getting our runs in.  What a perfect solution to the issue of me not being able to run because I have the kids & Mr. D is at work.  I recommend it highly for any mamas out there needing to figure out a way to get it all in.

Also, my munchkins have been so proud of themselves for the past couple of days because they took their first bike ride to the playground that is a 1/2 mile up the road from here.  'He Munchkin' has been telling everyone he thinks will care (and some of us twice) that they rode "all by our self."  The rode there, played for an hour and rode back home.  It was a little warm and they were getting tired, but they pushed on through and did it!  'She Munchkin' frequently got tired because she is not as strong yet in the legs as her brother.  Every time she got tired, I'd simply ask her, "Who is super strong?" and she would yell back "I AM!" and kick it up a notch.  I love knowing that I have a role in encouraging them to get out and work hard and succeed at something like this. They even wanted to wear my running visors for the ride, but safety first - helmets are a must! 

Today is Independence Day!  Happy 4th Everyone! My day started with a run w/ my favorite friends to run with, CP and Mer. If I run with anyone, it is usually one (or both) of them.  We did 2+ miles.  We were planning for 2.5, but I stopped at 2 because that is what I was originally planning for and my leg has been bugging me a little, so I didn't want to overdo it.  I was already running at their pace (faster than I usually run), so I didn't want to hurt myself on my short run.

My 2 miles was somewhere around 20 minutes.  10-11 minute mile pace.  NO WAY would I run this fast if I were alone.  That's what friends are for, right??

Here we are in our post-run glow..

As for Last Week's Mileage....
8 miles planned / 8 miles ran

This Weeks Plan....
- 2.5 miles
- 2 miles
- 3.5 miles

After I finish 2 runs this week, I am officially 1/2 way done training for my next race, the Moonlight 4-miler.  So far all has gone well.  Well....there is that too slow thing, but I am working on that patience thing.  But I am having a great time and am SO glad I am doing what I'm doing. 

Have a great week everyone!!!


Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe.
~Gail Devers