trying to simplify

When I started this blog, I was just dabbling with running and getting healthy.  But that has become my normal, just as playing the drums, knitting, and quilting are very much my normal.  So, after much contemplation, I am moving the content of this blog to my other space.

Summertime

It is August and summer is in full swing here in the Pacific northwest. I love to be in town during August - we have the best weather! Running has to happen early but that leaves lots of time for reading on the deck, working in the garden, and enjoying these last days before the inevitable - going back to work.
It was fun to see how the miles have added up this summer. Just 14 miles until I reach the purple - oops - that should have read blue level on Nike+!

on my own

My running buddy has been traveling so I have been on my own for 4 days and my runs has some ups and some downs.
My first solo run felt awful!  I was hot and felt like I was really slogging along.  By the time I finished that 8 mile run, I was pretty much convinced that I would not be able to finish that half marathon just 5 weeks away. 
The next day I pushed myself to get back on the trail.  My sensor numbers from the previous day showed that I had kept the pace I am hoping to hit for that half marathon - not nearly as awful as it felt.  I had tried running while listening to a favorite podcast, just trying something new.  On this run, I went back to my favorite play list and had a good 5 mile run.  Okay, maybe I can do this.
Yesterday I gave myself a break and went for a bike ride instead of running.  It was a bit overcast so I switched to a tough gear and pushed some different muscles. 
My buddy is back in town and we will have our long (10-11 miles) tomorrow.  This morning I headed out for a short run on the trail.  It was lovely.  When I looked up I saw the sun breaking through the clouds and a hot air balloon.  When I looked down I saw that flash of green on my shoes, carrying me steadily along. 
It was good to run alone, to see how I need to push myself, to see where I need to give myself a little grace and kindness.  But I am happy to know that when I head out on that long run tomorrow, I won't be on my own.

it's not about the numbers, but . . .

I love to look at them anyway.
This is a screen shot of my dailymile page. ** It shows the last 12 months and how many miles I have logged. Riding my bicycle has made a big difference between this year and last.  I think I have 68 running miles for July but almost 60 miles of bicycling too.
Today we did a 10 mile run and it was great!  I woke up to a bit of rain and skies that threatened to put a damper on our running plans but we headed out, ready to turn around if it got too wet.  We were able to take off our rain jackets for parts of the run and most of the puddles were small enough to go over or around.  I am so happy we got this run in today.  This puts us in a great position to finish our training strong and be fully prepared for the half marathon.

**I use Nike+ to log my miles then sync them to the Nike+ site.  Once that is done, I can also sync those miles to Daily Mile.  What I like about daily mile is the ability to add all sorts of workouts from running, to cycling, to cross training.  It feels more user friendly. **

gear review - water bottles

It has been muggy.  And for people used to cool, wet weather - 68 degrees is pushing the heat meter.
As we increase our miles, I have been thinking more about keeping hydrated.  Last year we bought some hand held water bottles.  They are very easy to take along.  One side has a band that you strap over your hand.  There is a small pocket which fits a key or perhaps some cash.  I guess I could put my nano in there but the water sometimes sloshes as I run and the inside of the pocket gets a bit wet.
Yesterday, I grabbed this little bottle of water that I had in the car (6 oz.)  It was an early morning run and I was feeling a bit dehydrated and it was there.  I figured I could always toss it along the way (there are trash cans on our trail).  But there is a design flaw - when you try to drink out of a full water bottle as you run, you might find yourself getting a bit we from the chin down :) 
I don't think I want to add a fuel belt to carry more than water and we do have places along our trail where we can get off the trail and use the water fountains.  And we have talked about stashing a water bottle on our route (heard about this idea from Lori).  And here is another article with more ideas about hydration options.

rest day?

I have trouble taking a rest day.  I decided "rest" meant no running.  So after about an hour of weeding the garden, I did this core work out.  This is harder than I thought it would be!  Visit this website for more printable workouts to shake it up a bit :)

hills

We live in a very hilly area.  And we are top of the hill.  We don't have to worry about flooding.  Riding your bike out of the neighborhood is easy - getting home is an uphill battle.  But, it is a good place to do some hill work.  After our 8 mile run on Saturday, I only needed a few miles to make my goal of 20 miles for the week so I tied on my shoes and headed out the front door.  I did  a bit of back and forth, down a hill then back up again, until I hit the 2.5 mile mark.  When I looked at the run on Nike+, I found there is an elevation tool.  I need to compare my neighborhood hills with the hills on the 1/2 marathon course to see how I am doing. 

how do you start your day?

I like to start my day with a bit of green.  I call it a juice drink, my husband calls it slurm.  It varies from day to day, season to season.  Sometimes it is brown when I use chocolate protein powder.  Other days, the reds and blues of berries swirl together to make a pink juice.  But my favorite thing to use is spinach.  This week I bought a cantaloupe and added that to the mix.  And the bit of ginger?  Just as sliver, doesn't add to much to the taste but it is great for inflammation.

hello deer!

We decided to run in the neighborhoods today - a few more hills and some new scenery.  On the way back, we saw a mama deer and her little one.  I wasn't quick enough with my phone to get a picture of them as they retreated into the tall grasses but they were there.

perfect summer weather

I know there are many places that are hot, hot, hot and I am so sorry for those folks.  I grew up in Arizona so I know hot summers.
But here, in the Pacific Northwest, we are fortunate to have fairly mild summers.  There are some exceptions, like the year we had a few days in a row of over 100 degrees and they had to open cooling centers (not much air conditioning here).
But this year, the sun came out on July 4 and has been shining all week.  I like to run in the mornings when it is probably about 58 degrees out there.  This morning we are off to tackle a hill and do some hill repeats and training.  Better get my shoes on!

Switching it up

If left to my own devices, I would just run about 5-6 days a week. But I have friends and running buddies who remind me that it is important to switch it up. The half marathon training schedule has two days of strength or cross training. I have a few options. I own some DVD workouts and I have some printed workouts from the group I joined at work (so sad it didn't keep going). But I also have Kathy Smith on Hulu. I just bring my laptop into my workout space, log on and work out. This week I also pulled my bike out and went for two rides. I hope to keep this routine up through the summer, perhaps a new habit?
Would love new ideas or websites to visit.

this is summer

an early morning run,
wandering through the farmer's market,
bringing home fresh bread and produce,
reading on the deck,
iced coffee,
and time, time, time.
lots to be thankful for today.

and the countdown begins

I had to take some time off for end of the school year busy-ness.
Then I scaled back my miles to rest a tender ankle.
And here we are, just short of 9 weeks until we run the half marathon.
I know we can do this.

Hello July

We have this line around here, "Summer begins July 5."  It is usually in response to someone complaining about the grey, wet weather.  I agree that it is hard to start summer break with rain and clouds but it also pushes me to get some of those inside chores done before the "real" summer begins.  This year, it has been muggy and that is new.  So I was a bit overdressed for my run yesterday but I pushed myself to keep going, no walking is my mantra.  After nursing a sore ankle this week, I was nervous about hitting the trail but I ran a little over 4 miles with no pain so I will take that.  It is July.  Just two month until the half marathon.  The time is now - summer weather or not. 

summer running

Finally - summer is upon us.  Okay, it is a bit overcast right now but it was lovely this morning when we went for a run.  And we had two beautiful runs on Whidbey Island last week.
I am officially on summer break so it is time to kick in the summer running schedule.  More morning runs, more afternoon cross fit work outs, and healthy eating - all working toward that Labor Day half marathon.



from pinterest

 It might not look like summer outside my window but,
The kids are done,
The teachers will soon be finished in their classrooms,
Just a few more weeks of paperwork and meetings.
Twelve weeks to train for that half marathon.
Time to run, run, run.

National running day

Today is National Running day

How will you celebrate? 

My gear is packed.
I prepped dinner so it will be a quick fix when I get home.
I ate a good breakfast and have an excellent lunch.
My running buddy will be expecting me at the trail after work.
Today - no matter what -
I will run.

consistency

I have some speed work planned for this month but on my longer runs, I am aiming for a consistent pace with perhaps a short burst at the end of the run. 
I love this feature on the Nike GPS app that shows your pace over the course of the run.  See that bit of green here and there?  Those were the times when I was passing someone this morning :)

As I begin my half marathon training, I am trying to add more cross fit workouts.  This week I did Nike Training Club three days in addition to my runs.

pay attention

“Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.”
Haruki Murakami

It is time for new shoes.  I got a new pair a few months ago, lovely orange shoes, very fun.  It seems they are great for shorter runs - 3-4 miles.  But as I am adding distance, I am feeling a correlation between the way my knees feel and the shoes on my feet.  So, on the To do list for this week, get a new pair of shoes because those miles are going to keep going up as I begin to train for my half marathon.

I hit the go button

I did it.
I filled in all the boxes.
I hit the go button.
No going back now :)

running my age?

Okay, not my age in one run but I thought this was a pretty cool distance to go on my 57th birthday :)

And, I hit my mileage goal this month which is so very wonderful.  I just need to push that yes button on the half marathon registration.

motivation

Last week I listened to a wonderful audio book, had a good 6 mile run, and I manged to do a well with my drum lessons in spite of horrible allergies and meds making me feel groggy.  And I found some new motivation to keep going, to push myself just a bit.
To this morning we set out to do a seven mile run - my longest run in years.  And not only did I do it - I did it faster than I predicted.  Feeling pretty good about things right now :)

switching to wheels

This afternoon I took my bike to the trail for a change of pace.  I have to admit that my motivation was not pure.  Tomorrow we have to turn in our Wellness Bingo games at work and ride a bike was the last empty square on my card.  I am always a bit surprised when the competition monster rears its head.
It was a beautiful day, perfect for a ride.  And I got to practice the trail etiquette that I wish bicyclists had when I am the runner :)  "Passing on your left."
May is Ride Your Bike to Work month around here and we always have a team at work.  I haven't signed up yet but I am thinking about it.

a different path

Today we drove to a new start point for our run.  Just a chance to shake it up a bit.
We were hoping for 6 miles but fell a bit short.
But - we had a good time and it was fun to see some different scenery.  The best part was finding these blue trees.  They are along a new section of this trail and are painted blue to help them get through the start of their growing.   There was a sign about the environmental reasons for this but I had already stopped to take this photo so I didn't pause longer.
Perhaps next time we run in this direction we will get more information.
This run today puts me at 20 miles for this week - best week in a long time, thanks to spring break :)

spring break

First, let me say, this is not me :)
I am battling allergies so I stayed inside today and did a Nike Training Club workout using an app that I have on my phone.  It was a 30 minute, high intensity work out - Phew!  I have felt the impact of not going to Fit Club at work this last month.  I know I  need to add that strength and cross training back into my schedule and I think this will help me out.

I have also been doing some major purging and sorting and cleaning this week.  I have emptied about 8 bins of fabric and craft items.  I haven't been working very hard on my Move More Eat Well pages so I decided to tackle that this week.  I  printed a bunch of my instagram photos from January and February.  Then I went back and found a few blog posts from each month and printed those.  I am adding a page with text and pictures for each month.  I am not up to the work of Project Life but this will capture a bit more of what is going on in my life this year.

Here is a peek at my January extra pages.

by the numbers

I was listening to the April - Move More Eat Well podcast today (or video log or I don't know what to call it) and it was like she had crawled inside my head.  The last few weeks, I have been a bit down in the dumps about fitness and have found my hand in a bag of chips more often than I would like to admit. 
Then I heard Cathy suggest a looking at what IS working and if the numbers on the scale aren't what you want, look at what is good about your numbers.
So I pulled up a review for the last 4 weeks and it really does look pretty good.  There are 6 days without a run or workout but with all the rain and snow we have had in the last 4 weeks, I think this is pretty good.
So, back to the plan, start, restart, as many times as necessary. 
Here is one number that is amazing - # of jelly beans consumed = ZERO!

so close

I came so close to having a 70 mile month (68.9 miles).  We had rain or snow on 27 out of 31 days in March but somehow, I managed to get out there and run. 
Today was a gift.  I had planned to run a 10K but then I needed to be at a work meeting so I didn't sign up (happy that I didn't pay early).  It rained right up to the end of the meeting and then . . . the sun came out!  So my last run of the month, the one that got me ever so close to that 70 mile mark, was a sunny run - it doesn't get much better than that.

Now, on to April - I am aiming high - hoping to get in at least 80 miles.

I know I can because . . .

I am on track.  That means, unless something big comes along, I will meet my monthly goal of running 65 miles.  I know it says 62 by April 1 but when I set the goal, I had already run 3.  There were days recently when I was so far behind I began to doubt my ability to complete this goal.  I came pretty close to cancelling the goal last week.  But I decided to press on and here I am, with just 9 miles to go and four days to log those 9 miles. 
I know I can do this!

mid- march running

I thought this was pretty cool.  My two running buddies and I are right next to each other on the March challenge.  The St. Patrick's Day run was great - had my best finish time - 28:17.  It stopped raining just as we began and started up as we walked to the car.  Couldn't ask for much more.

Me too

Lori is running tomorrow and so am I

I still need to find something green to wear and I am really hoping the rain will let up a bit - at least from 8-8:30 am!

wild, weather running

We have had a wild winter - from a week of cancelled school due to snow, to sunny days in February (unheard of!) to wind and rain and hail - every day something new. 
Yesterday started with a bit of snow that turned to rain.  The sun was trying very hard to come out but it was still pretty cold.  We put on our vests, I grabbed gloves and a head band, and we headed out to run.  I was feeling a bit draggy and the wind was picking up so we turned around after 1.5 miles.  The gusts of wind nearly blew us off the path but we pushed on.  Then we felt a few rain drops - better pick up the pace we said.  But we were running right into a hail storm!  We finally veered off the trail to seek shelter near a tree but it was apparent that this was not going to let up soon so we took off and ran as fast as we could, back to the car.  Wet, cold, and winded, we toweled off, grabbed some dry jackets, and headed into Starbucks for a warm cup of tea.  It was crazy but it was also pretty fun - at least once we were out of it :)

what's cooking?

I thought my subscription to this magazine was ending in January but I was happy to see it goes through July.  This is a magazine that I really do read.  And in this issue, I found a great new snack to make - roasted edamame and cranberries.  Very simple:
roast a cup of edamame (shelled) in oil and salt
cool
add 1/4 cup dried cranberries

That is it!  The edamame gets kind of crunchy/salty and the cranberries add the sweetness.  I divided this batch into 4 little containers and they make a great take along nibble snack.

What's cooking in your kitchen? 

activity logging

I just discovered this feature on the Nike+ Active site today.  I don't have an i-pod so I don't track my steps or other activity but I guess that is an option.   But I rather like the looks of this data - my running - 23 days out of 37 - I think that is a pretty good run at it considering the weather we have been having.

epic week

Funny - I would not have used that word but I guess I did have a pretty good week.  In addition to my miles, I had two really good cross fit work outs. 
Not so epic with my  eating this week - let to much sugar slither its way on to my plate.  Today I am making some soups, do that menu planning and meal prep pieces and I spent part of the morning cleaning out my closet - that WAS an epic activity!  I am working on doing some decluttering too.  Here is a great article about decluttering.

Practicing quiet and calm

I have been working on adding a practice of quiet and meditation to my routine. 
Unfortunately, I have fallen off my daily yoga routine and I know it would be good to revive that daily practice.  
This morning I found this in my email - 5 things to practice daily:

1. Eat good food. This doesn’t mean become a vegan or do a detox fast. It means that when you buy, prepare, and consume food (and drink), make sure it is of excellent quality, procured decently, prepared thoughtfully.
2. Wear nice clothes. I thought this meant I had to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe. For better or worse, it does not. It simply means to wear clothes that are clean, pressed, fit you well, and make you feel cheerful.
3. Clean up your space. It goes without saying that when we live in chaos, we feel chaotic.
4. Spend time with people you love. Requires no explanation.
5. Spend time in the natural world. Our world is good. Cold is cold. Purple is purple. Water is wet. When we touch in with what is most elemental, we remember our own basic goodness.

Of course the most important thing to simplify, trust, and turn toward is our own mind. Meditation practice is exactly this.

one foot in front of the other

I am aiming for 20+ mile weeks but lots of little things have gotten in the way lately.  Last weekend I went away with some friends.  I was able to run one morning.  But we also got in a good, long walk on the rocky beach and along the way, we stopped and lifted some driftwood - a bit of upper body work :) 
Still aiming for 20+ mile weeks on a regular basis but also trying to be kind to myself.
And there is comfort in knowing that the days are getting longer. 
For now, getting one foot in front of the other - moving, moving, moving along.

redefining healthy

A number of years ago I had the opportunity to redefine what it means to be healthy.  I thought I was healthy - thought I was making good choices about food and exercise.  But there was a little bump in the road, a side trip that I had to take, not down a terribly dark road but certainly one that I had not planned.
Now I find myself thinking about more about what it means to be healthy.  There are many numbers I watch, on the scale, on the measuring tape, on the lab reports, on the label in my jeans.  But I am also trying to pay attention to how I feel when I wake up, on my relationships, and the joy I get from family, friends, and work.  I don't think I am done redefining what it means to be healthy.  But I do know that each time I learn something new,  or read something wonderful like this, I take is as another opportunity.

did I say I like orange?

I won't be able to hide on the trail when I run in these shoes :)

new month - new practice



21 day Yoga Challenge

 The other day at Fit Club, our trainer mentioned that she was thinking of having one day a week for yoga and Pilate's.  I was less than enthusiastic.  Why not?  My daughter does yoga and is so limber and balanced.  I know Pilate's is great for the core.  Both would be a good addition to my strength training and running.  They are just so slow. 
Then I got an email yesterday morning - first day of a new month, how about a 21 day yoga challenge?  I went to the site and signed up.  I don't want to be one of those people who will not try new things.
So, I am on day two.  There is a video each day to demonstrate the poses.  The video for today is titled Happy Days - a great set of poses for early February where the rain and grey skies are beginning to shift folks to a dark mood. 
And I have to say, when I came home from a busy day and a good run, it was nice to slow down with some yoga.

Random bits and pieces

Okay - Lori tagged me and I am going to totally cheat and just answer her questions here.  I don't know that I even have 11 people who read my blog to tag so let's just say, if you like these questions (and they were fun), please answer them on your own blog and leave me a comment
I will come for a visit to see your answers :)
**************************************************************************************************
11 random things

1. I play the drums
2. I actually own a full drum set (thanks to my generous son-in-law) and 4 hand drums - I think I am addicted to drumming :)
3. I know I am addicted to running and watching my miles add up on Nike+
4. I learned how to sew when I was 6
5. My favorite colors are olive green and orange
6. I like to put beets and kale in my breakfast smoothies
7. I took ballet lessons for 15 years
8. I am married (almost 30 years) to a man who writes beautiful music and makes me laugh
9. I went to Uganda last summer
10. I love to write
11. I don't really like to drive but my work has me putting a lot of miles on my car

My answers to Lori's questions:
What's your favorite movie and why?
Sound of Music or Mary Poppins - I can sing along

 

What's been your best vacation ever?
a 3 week trip to the UK with my  husband and our daughters

 

Do you go to a specialty store to buy your tennis  running shoes?
Does Big 5 count?   I saw a pair at Famous Footwear that might be my next buy for running shoes and there are a pair of cross fit shoes at REI that I have been coveting!  Shoes are my weakness and I am pretty sure a pair of orange running shoes will be my next purchase

 

What's your best running/walking  tip?
give yourself time to work up to longer distances and run somewhere that is interesting so you have visual distractions

 

What do you do to relax?
Read, play drums, watch TV

 

As far as food, what is your splurge?
Salt and vinegar chips

 

If you could have any career, what would it be?
the one I have - working with young children and families

 

Do you have any tattoos?
yes :) oh, you want to know more? 

 

Would you ever hire someone to help clean your house?
I wish I could but I know I would make myself crazy cleaning up before they got here

 

Coffee? Or Tea?
coffee black and hot first thing when I get up
a non-fat latte at some point between 8 - 10 am
Lotus tea or Luminous Lemon in the afternoon
How is that for non-committal?

another tracking tool

Here is another tool for tracking your runs, walks, and many more exercises.  Daily Mile will sync with your Nike+ or Garmin but you can also add your workouts manually.  I have begun using this tool more frequently because I can sync my runs and add my cross training.  And they send you a great weekly report with distance, number of hours, and other tracking information. 
This visual read out is very motivating for me :)

running outside

The month is coming to an end.  I hope to get in one last run on Tuesday.  I made my 50 mile goal.  But the best thing is that I didn't let the rain get in my way.  A year ago, rain meant no running.  I remember wondering if I would ever be one of those runner who would hit the trail even on rainy days.  And now I know.  I can honestly say - it was a good run, even if I go wet.

getting back in the saddle

I know it looks huge in this picture but this is one of those little containers of ice cream that are all over the freezer section at my store these day.  A bit pricey but just one serving instead of a huge carton of ice cream taunting me.  And, after 4 weeks of no dairy, meat, and sugar, it seemed like a great way to celebrate.
I have done well with my eating - not as well with my running due to a 11 day period of too much snow, ice, and rain but I am getting back in the saddle.  I ran 3.5 miles yesterday and I am planning on a 6 mile run today. 
I also found this article this morning thanks to Tammy's blog.  It is good to remember why I am doing all this exercise :)

detour

So, a little glitch in my mileage plans - snow and lots of it.  We live on a hill outside the city limits and since there wasn't any school today, nobody came by to sand the streets.  Now I hear that school is cancelled tomorrow so another day without wheels.  It is too icy to run but we did walk into town today - about 5.5 miles round trip and the walk home is uphill so that was good.

a dream, a challenge, a possibility

personal goal - run 1000 miles between 1/5/2012 and 1/5/2013

I saw it on another site.  The 1000 mile challenge.  At first I said - No Way!  And then I thought again.  Last year I ran 784 miles.  When I look at my calendar, I see some months where I missed weeks, some days when I only ran two miles.  I wasn't running 4-5 miles per run consistently until summer.  1000 miles, 52 weeks, that is just under 20 miles a week.  And I think I can, I think I can, I think I can . . .

meal prep day

Today is our first day on the Whole Living Action Plan.  To make sure we are successful, we decided to spend the day cooking some of the main dishes and snacks.  That way we will not be tempted to veer off the plan.
We split up the work and will share the bounty.  I made Carrot and Onion soup, Spiced Squash Soup, and Beet and Garlic Soup.  I also made a bean dip (to go with celery sticks), spiced chick peas, and kale chips.  I will deliver portions of each and in return I will get trail mix, a date/pistachio snack, and some sesame fruit and nut bites. 
I also juiced up a big bag of carrots and green apples this morning and put some of it in the freezer.  Every day begins with a juice drink and you can have a juice drink for a snack. 
When I got up this morning, I was sure I would be so hungry but so far so good.  The recipes are all on the Whole Living website (except the carrot soup, that was from a class we took).
It was a long morning but it will sure make it easier to return to work this week.

Be a planner

I got this idea from my daughter.  I took a page from my planner and marked all the days that I ran in 2011 so I could see the big picture.  It is interesting to see the months when I ran fewer days and to remember what was going on during that time.  Looking at this also helps me think about how I want to plan my running for 2012.

I also had an email from the trainer at our Fit Club today with this you tube video.

http://youtu.be/rEBedscSlYk

Time to make some plans.