Since Mac is home for the next two weeks, don't expect to hear much out of me. If I was a better blogger I would have written some of the posts I have floating in my head and scheduled them for this time but I didn't. I am trying a new routine with Mac that I may or may not continue once he is gone. Either way hopefully I will have good things to report once he is gone again and things settle back down.
See you in two weeks!
Friday, May 25, 2012
Monday, May 21, 2012
A new year, a new me.
As I sit here at the end of my 29th birthday, I vow that things will be different by my 30th. This will be my year to find myself and become the woman I want to be. The year that I figure out how to be the healthy and happy person that I know is in me.
I have completed 29 years on this planet and as I begin my 30th, I want to make sure I make this one count and I finally accomplish so many of the goals I have for myself.
I have completed 29 years on this planet and as I begin my 30th, I want to make sure I make this one count and I finally accomplish so many of the goals I have for myself.
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Everest Challenge
Sorry I have been quiet lately. I've had a lot going on with life and preparing for Mac to come home for R&R soon.
Anyway, here is a very quick recap of the Everest Challenge. I had a blast and Mac wants to do it with me next year.
I got in to Orlando on Friday night which was a little closer to the race than I would have liked but it was the best deal on flights so I did it. It was really fine because it is a night race but I wish I had gotten in earlier on Friday instead of at 8pm. I met up with a few people for drinks at the Poly pool bar and then went back to the room to get some sleep. Saturday I took the day pretty easy. It was HOT and I knew that if I did too much I would be wiped out before the race. I went to Epcot for my traditional pre-race meal at Via Napoli then I headed back to my room. I was so hot that I took a cold shower before resting for a little while. I had been trying to hydrate but I was sweating so much it wasn't working. I had to cool off so that I could drink and keep some water in my system before getting ready for the race.
I headed down to get on the bus around 7:45 and shortly arrived in the AK parking lot where the race would begin. I was by myself so I just wandered around for a while. I was taking a picture of the Start line when I recognized Lara, one of the girls I had met the night before. I hung out with her and Diane at the start and we all really hit it off. Because it is an obstacle course 5K and I hadn't been running regularly before, I knew I wasn't going to be going for a PR. I talked with Lara for a little while and decided I would just stick with her. This was the kind of race that is much more fun with someone. We ended up walking the course and talking the whole time. It really was a blast. We weren't fast, but we had fun. Once the 5K was over, we grabbed our first scavenger hunt clue and headed back into the park. The clues were word games and I loved them. It felt like we basically did another 5K because we went all over the park to get all of our clues. Once we had all of the clues solved, we had to figure out the password to get into the finish area. Approximately and hour and a half after we started, Lara and I grabbed our awesome medals and headed into the after party. We met back up with Diane who had ran ahead of us during the race and we hit Everest for a quick ride. Then we hit Kali River Rapids to cool off before grabbing some food and hanging out for a little while. We finally hit Everest one last time before making our way out of the park to the buses at around 1:45AM.
This race was obviously very different than the half marathons but it was a lot of fun. I loved the after party and really enjoyed meeting some awesome people while I was there. I definitely plan on doing it again.
Everest after the race
Anyway, here is a very quick recap of the Everest Challenge. I had a blast and Mac wants to do it with me next year.
I got in to Orlando on Friday night which was a little closer to the race than I would have liked but it was the best deal on flights so I did it. It was really fine because it is a night race but I wish I had gotten in earlier on Friday instead of at 8pm. I met up with a few people for drinks at the Poly pool bar and then went back to the room to get some sleep. Saturday I took the day pretty easy. It was HOT and I knew that if I did too much I would be wiped out before the race. I went to Epcot for my traditional pre-race meal at Via Napoli then I headed back to my room. I was so hot that I took a cold shower before resting for a little while. I had been trying to hydrate but I was sweating so much it wasn't working. I had to cool off so that I could drink and keep some water in my system before getting ready for the race.
I headed down to get on the bus around 7:45 and shortly arrived in the AK parking lot where the race would begin. I was by myself so I just wandered around for a while. I was taking a picture of the Start line when I recognized Lara, one of the girls I had met the night before. I hung out with her and Diane at the start and we all really hit it off. Because it is an obstacle course 5K and I hadn't been running regularly before, I knew I wasn't going to be going for a PR. I talked with Lara for a little while and decided I would just stick with her. This was the kind of race that is much more fun with someone. We ended up walking the course and talking the whole time. It really was a blast. We weren't fast, but we had fun. Once the 5K was over, we grabbed our first scavenger hunt clue and headed back into the park. The clues were word games and I loved them. It felt like we basically did another 5K because we went all over the park to get all of our clues. Once we had all of the clues solved, we had to figure out the password to get into the finish area. Approximately and hour and a half after we started, Lara and I grabbed our awesome medals and headed into the after party. We met back up with Diane who had ran ahead of us during the race and we hit Everest for a quick ride. Then we hit Kali River Rapids to cool off before grabbing some food and hanging out for a little while. We finally hit Everest one last time before making our way out of the park to the buses at around 1:45AM.
This race was obviously very different than the half marathons but it was a lot of fun. I loved the after party and really enjoyed meeting some awesome people while I was there. I definitely plan on doing it again.
My fun crazy colored animal prints
This is the back of Lara's shirt. The front said "Team Lara Solo" since
she was running it as an individual and most people do it as part of a
team
Lara and I before the race
Diane, myself and Lara getting ready to start.
On the course
After the race with our medals
My Medal that is also a compass
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
Sorry I've been kind of quiet lately. I have things I want to say but I have been a little preoccupied since I will be going to Disney this week for the Everest Challenge and not long after that, Mac will be home for R&R. Hopefully I will find the time to write a few posts soon but if not, you can at least expect a recap of the race sometime next week.
Things have been going. Not really great but not horribly. Well, they really haven't been good. I let myself get sidetracked after the stomach bug/food poisoning and the burn incident. I'm trying to get back on track and with yesterday being payday that should be a little easier now. Because I had to buy plane tickets with a big part of the last paycheck, I have been eating like I was in college again which means ramen for almost all meals. Anyway, I am going to remedy that now and get more serious. I really want a reason to need to go clothes shopping before Mac gets home and for me to do that I need to shed a few more inches in the next few weeks.
I think I am finding my resolve again. I've gone through a rough patch but I think I am finding my way out. I have lots of things I want to talk about and hopefully soon I will find the time and words to say what I want to say.
Things have been going. Not really great but not horribly. Well, they really haven't been good. I let myself get sidetracked after the stomach bug/food poisoning and the burn incident. I'm trying to get back on track and with yesterday being payday that should be a little easier now. Because I had to buy plane tickets with a big part of the last paycheck, I have been eating like I was in college again which means ramen for almost all meals. Anyway, I am going to remedy that now and get more serious. I really want a reason to need to go clothes shopping before Mac gets home and for me to do that I need to shed a few more inches in the next few weeks.
I think I am finding my resolve again. I've gone through a rough patch but I think I am finding my way out. I have lots of things I want to talk about and hopefully soon I will find the time and words to say what I want to say.
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Shape Diva Dash
Today I did the Diva Dash Austin. It was good experience, but I don't see myself ever doing it again. Part of it was my own fault and part of it was poor race planning on their part. First of all I didn't think about what kind of course it would be so when we started and were immediately running downhill on a trail covered in loose wood mulch, I was not prepared. The first 1/4 mile is all I really ran because I got tired of worrying about rolling my ankle. The obstacles weren't bad and some were even fun. The first was a zig-zag balance beam, the second was running through inner tubes while dodging giant balls hanging over you. Then there was a maze, a pit of soap bubbles, carrying a small log up and down a hill and hurdles that were made from road barricades. Then we got to the first water obstacle which required us to wade out into the lake and step over buoys, then something I am forgetting and then the next water obstacle that had us wade out into the lake with an inner tube around us. We went out far enough that it was about waist deep which was much more than anyone expected. We were told to expect water but we were also told it wouldn't be anything over knee deep. The last obstacle was a cargo net which was my biggest fear because of the height and the fact that I was doing it with one hand but I did it and then crossed the finish. My time was crap because I walked pretty much the entire thing, plus with the obstacles, you can't really compare it to a regular 5K time. There were several very steep hills that were killer and I was not expecting those at all. Like I said, it was good experience.
My main problems with the race had nothing to do with the race itself. It was the organization or lack thereof. I arrived a little late and was very worried they wouldn't let me race but they didn't really care when I picked up my chip. I was given no direction as to where bag check was or where I needed to go for the start. I actually almost went in the complete opposite direction of the start because nothing was marked and I thought there was no way the runners area was in the middle of all the product tents. I was wrong. As I finally found the start I was very confused about where I needed to go to get with my start wave. I was supposed to start at 11am and it was 10:30. There was no "runners' area" at all. You had runners from all different waves all mixed in together with spectators as well. Finally we found out they were running about 15 minutes late and eventually someone held up a sign for the 10:30 wave to walk up. However, it really didn't matter what wave you were in because no one checked anything so several people behind me that signed up for 11:45 ran with 10:30 because there was no way for anyone to know or stop them. I finally started with my correct wave and made my way through the course. They did have a few water stops but the water literally tasted like dirt. It was gross. At the end of the race, they had more dirty water and beer. Every runner got a free beer. I don't drink beer. Plus, I don't understand drinking a beer or any kind of alcohol so soon after running. All I wanted was gatorade or powerade and there was nothing, anywhere. There was no finishers gift except for a bag full of sponsor stuff like you would normally get at an expo. I've never done a race before and been given a sample box of tampons for finishing. They did have necklaces available for you to purchase and since they were only $5, I bought one so I can hang it with my medals.
One really good thing came out of the race this morning. I realized how much progress I have made mentally during this journey. This morning after my alarm went off I stayed in bed and seriously debated not going. My hand was bothering me, I didn't get much sleep and I just didn't feel like moving. I tried to see if Mac was online so I could talk to him about and and get his opinion on whether I should go or not. When he didn't respond, I finally got myself up, got ready and left. While I was on the course, even though I was aggravated with several aspects of the race and wishing I had stayed in bed, I knew that if I had, I would have regretted it. I was glad I at least did it. That's when I realized, a year ago, I would have stayed in bed. I would have used my hand as an excuse and I wouldn't have gone. Things have definitely been changing and hopefully I will continue on this new path.
My main problems with the race had nothing to do with the race itself. It was the organization or lack thereof. I arrived a little late and was very worried they wouldn't let me race but they didn't really care when I picked up my chip. I was given no direction as to where bag check was or where I needed to go for the start. I actually almost went in the complete opposite direction of the start because nothing was marked and I thought there was no way the runners area was in the middle of all the product tents. I was wrong. As I finally found the start I was very confused about where I needed to go to get with my start wave. I was supposed to start at 11am and it was 10:30. There was no "runners' area" at all. You had runners from all different waves all mixed in together with spectators as well. Finally we found out they were running about 15 minutes late and eventually someone held up a sign for the 10:30 wave to walk up. However, it really didn't matter what wave you were in because no one checked anything so several people behind me that signed up for 11:45 ran with 10:30 because there was no way for anyone to know or stop them. I finally started with my correct wave and made my way through the course. They did have a few water stops but the water literally tasted like dirt. It was gross. At the end of the race, they had more dirty water and beer. Every runner got a free beer. I don't drink beer. Plus, I don't understand drinking a beer or any kind of alcohol so soon after running. All I wanted was gatorade or powerade and there was nothing, anywhere. There was no finishers gift except for a bag full of sponsor stuff like you would normally get at an expo. I've never done a race before and been given a sample box of tampons for finishing. They did have necklaces available for you to purchase and since they were only $5, I bought one so I can hang it with my medals.
One really good thing came out of the race this morning. I realized how much progress I have made mentally during this journey. This morning after my alarm went off I stayed in bed and seriously debated not going. My hand was bothering me, I didn't get much sleep and I just didn't feel like moving. I tried to see if Mac was online so I could talk to him about and and get his opinion on whether I should go or not. When he didn't respond, I finally got myself up, got ready and left. While I was on the course, even though I was aggravated with several aspects of the race and wishing I had stayed in bed, I knew that if I had, I would have regretted it. I was glad I at least did it. That's when I realized, a year ago, I would have stayed in bed. I would have used my hand as an excuse and I wouldn't have gone. Things have definitely been changing and hopefully I will continue on this new path.
Friday, April 20, 2012
Aggrevation: Supportive vs Pushy
I get a little aggravated with people when they refuse to look at things realistically and instead push people to make decisions that may not be right for them. I understand they are trying to be supportive and motivating but I think people forget to look at the whole picture sometimes.
There is currently a discussion going on about the Tink in which a woman was venting that registration for next year's race opens about 2 weeks before her first half marathon and that she really hoped it would be after so she could do a half first to make sure she wanted to do another before signing up. Every one's reactions were automatically, "Just do it!" My reaction was, just wait. The race won't be full after just two weeks so do the first one and then decide. Well, she has decided to sign up anyway without knowing and that bothers me. I feel like she was pressured or guilted into going ahead and signing up on the first day of registration instead of following her legitimate plan. I think sometimes people forget that half marathons aren't for everyone. I am on the verge of being in that group. Honestly, if they were a mile or two longer, I would never do another one because 13 miles is more than enough. I have no desire to ever try a full. I would be bored out of my mind and it just isn't something that appeals to me but others push people into doing them all the time.There are people in the half groups that take that plunge every day but I will never be one of them. Yes, some of these iconic races are tempting and I would love to have the awesome anniversary medal for the Disney World full next year but then I remember that it requires me to do over 26 miles and I laugh and think, "Maybe I'll just buy one on Ebay."(kidding of course, I would never want I medal I didn't earn) In the case of a full, for me, the work outweighs the reward and it simply isn't worth it. I would be miserable.
People keep saying, "You have to keep challenging yourself." But there is a difference between challenge and torture. I challenge myself by signing up for more half marathons and pushing to do better at each. I challenge myself by finding new fun races to keep me moving or workout programs that kick my ass but I enjoy. If you don't find any joy at all in what you are using to challenge yourself, in essence you are torturing or punishing yourself and that isn't healthy. I have a great friend that has taken up running and as much as I would love to do a distance race with him, he is not in the least bit interested. At first that baffled me because he is not the type to back down from a challenge but then I realized after talking with him that he knows it is something he simply wouldn't enjoy. Believe me, if my first race had been like the Austin 10/20, I would have never done another race over 5K. It sucked and I hated it. I enjoyed the music and I loved the bling but the experience on the course was not a good one. Fortunately, I knew that it wasn't the norm for me. It was because of crappy weather mostly so I check that race off the list and move on.
I feel like everyone should try ONE half before they sign up for their next. Yes, I signed up for two half marathons before ever completing my first but I had attempted one and made it nearly 2/3 of the way before I was picked up. I knew what it was like and I knew how much farther I had to go, but I also knew that I enjoyed it. And as I get stronger and train more, I will enjoy it more. I have told people that they should try a half if they want and that I will give them info to help them train but I have never pushed them to do it. Because I know if someone had done that to me, it would have backfired.
These are all decisions we each have to make for ourselves. Being supportive is awesome but people have to be careful of that fine line between supportive and pushy. Guilt is not the right motivator when it comes to these kinds of things.
_______________________________________
Update on yesterday's post:
The stomach bug seemed to subside yesterday afternoon but I will still be taking the rest of the week off form Si6 because when I was making something to eat last night, the pot slipped and I poured boiling water all over the back of my left hand. I treated it but couldn't get the pain to subside so I spent 6 hours at the ER last night to have it looked at. Fortunately, due to the nature of my injury I was triaged immediately and they gave me a burn dressing that helped immensely. By the time I saw the Dr 5 hours later it was much better and she just prescribed me something for the pain and an ointment to put on the wound. I am much better now but I will hold off on the intense workout until my hand is better. The obstacle course 5K tomorrow is probably going to be bad enough for it but I am determined to do the race.
There is currently a discussion going on about the Tink in which a woman was venting that registration for next year's race opens about 2 weeks before her first half marathon and that she really hoped it would be after so she could do a half first to make sure she wanted to do another before signing up. Every one's reactions were automatically, "Just do it!" My reaction was, just wait. The race won't be full after just two weeks so do the first one and then decide. Well, she has decided to sign up anyway without knowing and that bothers me. I feel like she was pressured or guilted into going ahead and signing up on the first day of registration instead of following her legitimate plan. I think sometimes people forget that half marathons aren't for everyone. I am on the verge of being in that group. Honestly, if they were a mile or two longer, I would never do another one because 13 miles is more than enough. I have no desire to ever try a full. I would be bored out of my mind and it just isn't something that appeals to me but others push people into doing them all the time.There are people in the half groups that take that plunge every day but I will never be one of them. Yes, some of these iconic races are tempting and I would love to have the awesome anniversary medal for the Disney World full next year but then I remember that it requires me to do over 26 miles and I laugh and think, "Maybe I'll just buy one on Ebay."(kidding of course, I would never want I medal I didn't earn) In the case of a full, for me, the work outweighs the reward and it simply isn't worth it. I would be miserable.
People keep saying, "You have to keep challenging yourself." But there is a difference between challenge and torture. I challenge myself by signing up for more half marathons and pushing to do better at each. I challenge myself by finding new fun races to keep me moving or workout programs that kick my ass but I enjoy. If you don't find any joy at all in what you are using to challenge yourself, in essence you are torturing or punishing yourself and that isn't healthy. I have a great friend that has taken up running and as much as I would love to do a distance race with him, he is not in the least bit interested. At first that baffled me because he is not the type to back down from a challenge but then I realized after talking with him that he knows it is something he simply wouldn't enjoy. Believe me, if my first race had been like the Austin 10/20, I would have never done another race over 5K. It sucked and I hated it. I enjoyed the music and I loved the bling but the experience on the course was not a good one. Fortunately, I knew that it wasn't the norm for me. It was because of crappy weather mostly so I check that race off the list and move on.
I feel like everyone should try ONE half before they sign up for their next. Yes, I signed up for two half marathons before ever completing my first but I had attempted one and made it nearly 2/3 of the way before I was picked up. I knew what it was like and I knew how much farther I had to go, but I also knew that I enjoyed it. And as I get stronger and train more, I will enjoy it more. I have told people that they should try a half if they want and that I will give them info to help them train but I have never pushed them to do it. Because I know if someone had done that to me, it would have backfired.
These are all decisions we each have to make for ourselves. Being supportive is awesome but people have to be careful of that fine line between supportive and pushy. Guilt is not the right motivator when it comes to these kinds of things.
_______________________________________
Update on yesterday's post:
The stomach bug seemed to subside yesterday afternoon but I will still be taking the rest of the week off form Si6 because when I was making something to eat last night, the pot slipped and I poured boiling water all over the back of my left hand. I treated it but couldn't get the pain to subside so I spent 6 hours at the ER last night to have it looked at. Fortunately, due to the nature of my injury I was triaged immediately and they gave me a burn dressing that helped immensely. By the time I saw the Dr 5 hours later it was much better and she just prescribed me something for the pain and an ointment to put on the wound. I am much better now but I will hold off on the intense workout until my hand is better. The obstacle course 5K tomorrow is probably going to be bad enough for it but I am determined to do the race.
Thursday, April 19, 2012
Week Off
Well, it looks like I will be taking the rest of the week off, or at least a few more days, thanks to a stomach bug. I swear that has been the theme of this deployment. It seems like every time the guys leave, the universe finds some shitty way to get to you and this deployment it has come to me in the form of stomach bugs, and frankly, it's getting old. There is really nothing I hate worse than puking and I swear I have done it more this deployment than I have in the last 15 years. It sucks so much more when you are alone. You don't want to move yet if you want to feel better, you have to get everything yourself. It's times like this I wish my dogs were a little taller and had thumbs.
I did try to get back in to phase 3 last night and it was tough. I'm going to have to easy back into the workouts anyway so a few more days off won't really make a ton of difference. I'm really trying not to freak out about the fact that I only have a little over a month before Mac gets home. I know there won't be time for any huge changes but I still hope I can make some good progress before he gets here.
Now to figure out something that I can eat. Unfortunately, the ice cream truck is riding through the neighborhood taunting me at the moment.
I did try to get back in to phase 3 last night and it was tough. I'm going to have to easy back into the workouts anyway so a few more days off won't really make a ton of difference. I'm really trying not to freak out about the fact that I only have a little over a month before Mac gets home. I know there won't be time for any huge changes but I still hope I can make some good progress before he gets here.
Now to figure out something that I can eat. Unfortunately, the ice cream truck is riding through the neighborhood taunting me at the moment.
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