Happy Holidays & Revisiting my first 6 mile run

The past two Saturdays have been 6+ mile runs.  Being able to once again run this distance and feel pretty good during and after it is incredible.  It reminds me of the days, when I ran my first six miles at a time and then ran a ten minute mile for the first time.  It has been quite a while.  Since 2012, my fitness has bounced a bit and mainly lagged, but it started getting a bit more routine in 2014, better still in 2015, and finally a move and return to consistency (mostly) in fall 2016.  Rough days are going to appear, but I am thrilled with my progress thus far.  As 2016 draws to a close, I am excited to report that I am the healthiest I have been in almost 3 years.  It is scary how circumstances, living situations, and medical issues can put a halt to "normal."  Am I at the current fitness and weight that I hope to be?  No - I am, though, far better off than I was two months ago and I am on the right path to getting where I want to be.

With that, below are some pictures of my latest runs and some fueling tips provided by the amazing Tina Muir (www.fuelyourfuture.com).  Or you can always tune into her podcasts from Runner's Connect.  Tina is amazing and I just get a kick out of reading her blog posts and listening to her podcasts.

From Saturday's run...I was sore and nearly cut it short due to a bodyweight routine, but I persisted.   A huge thank you to my coach for reminding me that I need to make bodyweight, core, and myrtl a routine not sporadic part of my schedule.

6.27 miles in the rainy weather, but the paths were mostly clear. I wore the yaktraks just in case.

A photo posted by Runningwithallergies (@runningwithallergies) on Dec 17, 2016 at 11:22am PST

The fuel, recommended by Tina Muir, that I happily consumed after the run and then tested again today in a slightly different form and flavor.  It's a winner, folks, and I might just have to become a regular subscriber.

@tinamuir88 mentioned EPIC and, after looking at the website, I bought two products. So far - I am loving these bites and they might be a work snack and, eventually, something to keep up the energy while running.

A photo posted by Runningwithallergies (@runningwithallergies) on Dec 17, 2016 at 12:58pm PST

I plan to post-December 31st, but if I forget.  Happy Holidays to all of you!  2017 is going to be a year full of fun and challenging times.  I am hoping for fun to outweigh the challenge, but one can never predict such things.

Stay safe.  Have fun.  I will definitely post a recap of my holiday adventures on January 2nd and I get back into the pre-work mode.

Monday, Monday - 9 workdays to go (who is counting?)!

Today was a tough but good day.  I talked, yep you got it, about something that has been on my mind for almost two months.  Usually, I can shake things, but that didn't happen this time.  It is always good to learn you are not alone.  Now to rebuild the confidence that disappeared in the past eight weeks.

Step 1 - Keep on Running!  I might not be the best candidate for personal coaching, but it surely is helping out with my self confidence.

Step 2 - Accomplish what is necessary to increase the downpayment fund.  My goal is 20%, which I hope to reach by mid-March and early April.  This means I will be in a new abode by July, if all goes well.  Ultimate goal - be settled and ready for Thanksgiving 2017.

Step 3 - Volunteer in a setting or several settings that bring joy to your life!  I have ear marked two and I got confirmation of one today.  Starting in January, I will be getting to hear the local symphony orchestra.  They might not be the best, but volunteering will get me out and introduce me to new people, while enjoying the performance.  This is a win-win and no this is not the volunteering position to which I referred a week ago or so.  That one is still in the application and confirmation stage.

Step 4 - Find ways to enjoy the entire weekend, even if it means working twelve hour days.  Lately, I am running on fumes.  Two weekends I have spent (Veteran's Day, Saturday) with people or trying to find people organized by a group for what I thought would be fun or at least growth experiences.  Both were disasters and I am never trusting that group to organize anything ever again.  Can you tell I was just a bit peeved?

Step 5 - Work with my coach to determine reasonable, stretch, and super stretch goals for the Spring.  After having completed 20+ miles this past week, I am so excited to see what is next.

Happy Monday - remember, happiness is a choice and it is something that has eluded me recently.  Don't repeat my mistakes please!

Weekend Wrap-Up, Hello 20+ Miles, and A Camel

Hey All!

Yep - I get the bad posting award for the week, but seriously I had so little energy this week.  I was not sleeping well most nights and last night was the absolute worst.  I woke up every 1-2 hours and I could not get the heating unit to quit making noise.  Enough about that - needless to say it was a rough start.  Last note to the rant - if you are organizing something and cancel, make sure everyone gets the message!  I didn't.  A bad night's sleep in a hotel after driving 2 hours in flurries on unfamiliar roads = not a happy me and then 40 minutes of driving to get the news.  On a bright side, I did spot a camel, which was not wearing festive clothing, and I explored new areas of the state.  I also got my boots back and I can wear them again!  The heel cap popped off and I ended up buying a second pair.  Let's hope this works.

Monday ~ 4 miles
Tuesday - 1.26 miles (trying to get out the calf cramp, which appeared late/early Tuesday morning)
Wednesday - Speedwork day (delayed by calf cramp) ~4.66 miles
Thursday - Rest (I was tired.)
Friday - first YakTrak Run (4.09 miles)
Saturday - longest run in over a year (6.09 miles)

I am so excited to have broken the 20 mile barrier for a week.  This might be silly, but if you read my earlier posts, then it will make so much sense.

Happy Saturday!

What a Monday & Holiday Preview

A month from Saturday (December 10th), something professionally important and nerve wracking is due.  A month after starting to train with a coach, my easy pace has improved by about 15 seconds.  It also has given me the confidence to face each day and to know, without a doubt, that I can improve.  It will take hard work, but it is possible.  The first of five professional deadlines, by contrast, seem insurmountable.  Then again, sometimes getting back into shape seems insurmountable.

My hope is that in the upcoming weeks I will be filled with a sense of purpose, energy, and drive to be the best and most honest person I can be.  Migraines and reactions to medication make me cranky, angry, and just plain nasty.  Holidays - which used to be fun - are now filled with more angst than anytime of the year.  If something does not change soon, I can tell my choice will be for the easier option.  For now, all I can do is try not to overthink and to come up with a way to deflect attention creatively from how I will not be my usual self when it comes to meals.  My current thinking is to say I am training and thus must be extra careful.  Thoughts?

Happy Monday, All, and be sure to congratulate those who inspire and encourage you.

Congrats & Weekly Review

First off, congrats to Stephanie Rothstein Bruce for finishing second at the California International Marathon today!  Also - to Tina Muir for finishing fifth overall and earning a personal record.  How amazing are these women?  I thought it was amazing enough to get up early and rearrange my schedule (not my normal weekend policy) to follow them on athlete tracking.  I am so glad I did.  Also - congrats to Eric Fernandez on his debut in the marathon.  I am in awe and yet inspired by each of you.  Some day - I hope to become a marathoner, but for now I will stick with a return to regular running.

Monday - rest - horrid migraine
Tuesday - 3 miles (confirmed evening running is not for me!)
Wednesday - rest
Thursday  - workout day (3.66 miles total)
Friday - rest
Saturday - 5.4 miles

The goal was to hit 14 miles, but it was a nasty migraine the prohibited running much the previous week.  I was ever so glad it broke and now to prevent it from ever happening again is my goal.

During my run yesterday, I realized how thankful I am to be healthy and to be able to keep things in perspective.  Thanksgiving drove that point home and a migraine turns me into a nasty person.  I would rather that nasty person never return, but I am content (for now) to have plugged through it.

This week I get to run 6 miles!!  I am excited - so excited - that I have a coach, who is willing to work with me and even might switch to morning workouts.  I can do PiYo, Pilates, and Yoga in the evenings, but I am just a disaster with running.

Thanksgiving gave me some ideas, which I will share once they are formalized.  For now, I am investigating the important pieces and rejoicing about being healthy.

Happy Sunday, all!

It Broke (finally) and 14 years ago in March

It was just after Spring Break, my first in a new school, and this pesky headache would not go away. First I was told it was chronic sinusitis, after getting a CT.  Then, after multiple tests still did not provide answers, perhaps it was allergies.  Nope - that did not help and I was taking over the counter medicine.  Then - I was referred to a neurologist, who diagnosed classic migraines, prescribed medication, and sent me on my merry way with a follow-up appointment in a few months.  I was not called, after the starting the medication, to see if it would help.

Several months later and 10-15 pounds heavier, I could not run.  I drank water all the time.  I was over-hydrated or borderline over-hydrated.  I had no muscle tone and I still had the headache.  My first summer home after college, clipping ingredients led to the discovery.  Presto chango - I react to citric acid, lemons, limes, oranges, and traces of these juices along with pomegrantes.  The trick became to read the labels and hope all the ingredients would be listed.  Did I mention that "natural" citric acid also leads to migraines?

Fast forward to this summer when I relocated, I changed medications (brand to generic) and once again lived through three months of feeling awful.  I got back on the brand medication and suddenly life became better, until I ate some food at Thanksgiving.

Now - seven days later - I am finally migraine free, but my coordination is not where it should be.  Hence, I tripped and splatted this morning.  This is something that consistently happens, when I am early on in a migraine or just getting past it.  While I might not have ever been the most coordinated of individuals, just a few months of taking that medication in 2003 really took my coordination down to all new levels of low.  I try to just accept falling will happen and then move past it.  Honestly - what else can be done?

So today - this Thursday seven days past Thanksgiving - I am thankful to have completed a workout and defeated the migraine.  It truly has been a tough week and I would gladly avoid having this prolonged event combined with worsening symptoms from ever occurring again.

Bonus - I can write and almost think!  New discovery - I can edit pretty well with a migraine.