Last week I started to wonder if I was getting sick. I didn't really have any symptoms, but I was SO tired. It wasn't just that I was waking up at 4:30 every morning or working until 10:00 at night. My tiredness was a bone-weary exhaustion. At night I couldn't seem to function, and working during the day was practically painful.
When I awoke Saturday morning, though, I felt great. I was a little worried Friday night, because Saturday I was scheduled to run a half marathon. I had one goal in mind: beat my time from last year, but if I was still so tired I didn't know if I'd be able to do it. Well, I felt great, and my time reflected that. I was able to push a little harder, the weather was great, and I clocked a time that was 5 minutes faster than last year. Huzzah!!!
So, I thought I was doing well. I was very tired afterwards, but that's kind of to be expected. I went home, showered, and slept for a few hours. It was beautiful.
Sunday I was still really tired, but I had stayed out late the night before (a night at the theatre and driving a friend home), and I figured my body was still worn out from running 13.1 miles. I went to work, I napped when I could, and I was fine. Things went well for Monday and most of Tuesday.
By Tuesday evening, though, I could feel that something was different. My head hurt, my legs ached, and all I wanted to do was sleep. When I woke up Wednesday morning, it was official. I was sick. My throat hurt, my ears hurt, my nose hurt, my eyes hurt. I took the majority of the day off from work to recuperate.
Today I'm back at work, but I can't say I'm feeling much better. All I really want to do is sleep. The worst part is, I know this isn't even close to the worst cold I've had. It actually isn't all that bad except for the bone-weary tiredness. So, this tells me something. I need to sleep. I need to sleep a lot. It's obvious that's what my body's craving is rest. I've been pushing hard for a while now, and I'm simply exhausted. This is made obvious when I go to bed at 9:00 pm, wake up at 7:00 a.m. and am still exhausted.
So, I skipped my runs this week (I hate doing that). I'm sleeping more. I'm eating much better. Hopefully, by treating my body with a little more care, it will care for me back.
Fingers crossed!
Thursday, August 29, 2013
Friday, August 23, 2013
I'm Still Here!
I'm sorry it's been so long since I last wrote something. Life has been C-R-A-Z-Y! Apparently, somewhere, along the way, I kind of forgot I needed to update my blog. I also think I forgot how long it had been since I actually wrote something. So, here's a little update.
A few weeks ago we went through some staff changes at the kennel. This meant I ended up picking up a few more shifts to fill in holes, and there was a lot of training to be done. Honestly, though, I could not be happier with the way things have turned out. My new staff is wonderful, and I was also able to see my current staff shine as they trained the new ones in. As the new gals are becoming more comfortable, I'm able to breathe a little easier. I know that I will soon be comfortable taking a day or more off (maybe even an entire weekend), and I can't wait for that.
Marathon training is filling in all of my free time. I had a horrible 12 mile run two weeks ago, a great 10 mile run last week, and I'm running a half marathon this Saturday. I'm hoping it stays cool and cloudy like it was last week, but so far all signs point to warm and sunny. Oh well! My biggest goal is to finish with a faster time than I did last year, even if it's only by a second. We'll see how it goes!
Last week, my laptop died. :'( This is good in that it's has taken me away from the electronics a little and has encouraged me to read more (something I'd been slacking on), but otherwise it kind of sucks. I love my laptop, and I really don't want to have to spend money on a new one. For now, I'll do my best without one, but I'll probably be purchasing something new in a month or so.
Did I tell you Hans got a new truck? We are now a 2 car family!!! I cannot even begin to explain how much easier this has made things. We chose to get a truck over a smaller vehicle because he needed it for his work, and we needed it for the kennel. We were looking at used car lots when my dad mentioned there was a county auction coming up. We thought, "What the heck! We'll give it a shot." Hans ended up getting a '94 GMC Sierra with 84,000 miles on it. It's nothing super special, but it runs well and it's a great work truck. I love it.
Lastly, the thing that's been eating up most of my time has been Woof, Romp, & Roll. Last year we held this event as our Grand Opening, but this year we decided to do it as an open house / fundraiser for Henrico Humane Society. So, there was a ton of planning and preparation to do. I'm happy to report it was a smash hit! We raised a good deal of money for HHS, we had a few vendors, and we had lots of people who really seemed to enjoy it. I'm happy it's over, but I also can't wait to do it again next year. I'm also busy thinking of other things we can do throughout the year (pictures with Santa, Haunted House, etc). Do you have any ideas?
Well, that about wraps things up here. Things are going well, and I'm staying busy. Hopefully I won't take as long to post something new, and maybe things will settle down a little.
A few weeks ago we went through some staff changes at the kennel. This meant I ended up picking up a few more shifts to fill in holes, and there was a lot of training to be done. Honestly, though, I could not be happier with the way things have turned out. My new staff is wonderful, and I was also able to see my current staff shine as they trained the new ones in. As the new gals are becoming more comfortable, I'm able to breathe a little easier. I know that I will soon be comfortable taking a day or more off (maybe even an entire weekend), and I can't wait for that.
Marathon training is filling in all of my free time. I had a horrible 12 mile run two weeks ago, a great 10 mile run last week, and I'm running a half marathon this Saturday. I'm hoping it stays cool and cloudy like it was last week, but so far all signs point to warm and sunny. Oh well! My biggest goal is to finish with a faster time than I did last year, even if it's only by a second. We'll see how it goes!
Last week, my laptop died. :'( This is good in that it's has taken me away from the electronics a little and has encouraged me to read more (something I'd been slacking on), but otherwise it kind of sucks. I love my laptop, and I really don't want to have to spend money on a new one. For now, I'll do my best without one, but I'll probably be purchasing something new in a month or so.
Did I tell you Hans got a new truck? We are now a 2 car family!!! I cannot even begin to explain how much easier this has made things. We chose to get a truck over a smaller vehicle because he needed it for his work, and we needed it for the kennel. We were looking at used car lots when my dad mentioned there was a county auction coming up. We thought, "What the heck! We'll give it a shot." Hans ended up getting a '94 GMC Sierra with 84,000 miles on it. It's nothing super special, but it runs well and it's a great work truck. I love it.
Lastly, the thing that's been eating up most of my time has been Woof, Romp, & Roll. Last year we held this event as our Grand Opening, but this year we decided to do it as an open house / fundraiser for Henrico Humane Society. So, there was a ton of planning and preparation to do. I'm happy to report it was a smash hit! We raised a good deal of money for HHS, we had a few vendors, and we had lots of people who really seemed to enjoy it. I'm happy it's over, but I also can't wait to do it again next year. I'm also busy thinking of other things we can do throughout the year (pictures with Santa, Haunted House, etc). Do you have any ideas?
Well, that about wraps things up here. Things are going well, and I'm staying busy. Hopefully I won't take as long to post something new, and maybe things will settle down a little.
Saturday, August 3, 2013
The Man I Could Have Married
I could have married a doctor. He'd be a surgeon. He'd have rich, chestnut hair and abs of steel. I'd never have to worry about money because he'd provide. I could spend my days lunching with the girls and shopping...and sleeping. I would smile because life would be easy.
I'd visit him at lunch and I'd pretend to not notice how the nurses look at him. I'd keep his dinner warm when he was late coming home, and I'd save it for later when he didn't come home at all. I'd reason that all I got from him was worth being ignored or forgotten.
I could have married a high-profile businessman. He'd be driven and hard working. He'd wake every morning at 4:00 a.m. to go to the gym and get his training in. People would look at us in awe at dinner parties and social events simply because of the power we radiated.
I'd pretend not to care that he refused to workout with me because it messed up his mojo. I wouldn't let my feelings get hurt when he'd mention what part of my body needed tightening or suggested I spend another day with my trainer. I'd learn to keep my mouth shut when discussing business, because my husband would obviously be the smarter man, and I wouldn't want to embarrass him. I would convince myself I deserved it when his harsh words turned into sharp blows. I should have done something better.
I could have married an adventure traveler. Our adventures would lead us to places like Bali, Indonesia, and Peru. We'd tell our friends amazing stories about tiny villages and how we were welcomed into peoples' homes. We'd be fun and eccentric, and all of our friends would be a little jealous at all the fun we had together. Our blogs and photos would look like something out of an adventure magazine.
I would convince myself that settling down wasn't important to me. I would tell others how much kids would just get in the way, and how I love my life of freedom. I would pretend I wasn't upset when my husband told me that dogs just weren't a good fit in our life.
Obviously, none of those men are the man I married.
The man I married is hard working. What he can't provide financially, he makes up for in labor and love. The man I married wakes at 4:30, not so he can get his gym time in, but rather so I can get mine. He works a full day of hard work, and then he comes to the kennel to help me run it, or he goes home to clean. He takes care of me when I'm sick, and he soothes me when I'm upset. While he may not always fully understand my love of dogs, he accepts it and supports it.
There are a lot of different men I could have married, but I only married one. And that man is the right one for me.
I'd visit him at lunch and I'd pretend to not notice how the nurses look at him. I'd keep his dinner warm when he was late coming home, and I'd save it for later when he didn't come home at all. I'd reason that all I got from him was worth being ignored or forgotten.
I could have married a high-profile businessman. He'd be driven and hard working. He'd wake every morning at 4:00 a.m. to go to the gym and get his training in. People would look at us in awe at dinner parties and social events simply because of the power we radiated.
I'd pretend not to care that he refused to workout with me because it messed up his mojo. I wouldn't let my feelings get hurt when he'd mention what part of my body needed tightening or suggested I spend another day with my trainer. I'd learn to keep my mouth shut when discussing business, because my husband would obviously be the smarter man, and I wouldn't want to embarrass him. I would convince myself I deserved it when his harsh words turned into sharp blows. I should have done something better.
I could have married an adventure traveler. Our adventures would lead us to places like Bali, Indonesia, and Peru. We'd tell our friends amazing stories about tiny villages and how we were welcomed into peoples' homes. We'd be fun and eccentric, and all of our friends would be a little jealous at all the fun we had together. Our blogs and photos would look like something out of an adventure magazine.
I would convince myself that settling down wasn't important to me. I would tell others how much kids would just get in the way, and how I love my life of freedom. I would pretend I wasn't upset when my husband told me that dogs just weren't a good fit in our life.
Obviously, none of those men are the man I married.
The man I married is hard working. What he can't provide financially, he makes up for in labor and love. The man I married wakes at 4:30, not so he can get his gym time in, but rather so I can get mine. He works a full day of hard work, and then he comes to the kennel to help me run it, or he goes home to clean. He takes care of me when I'm sick, and he soothes me when I'm upset. While he may not always fully understand my love of dogs, he accepts it and supports it.
There are a lot of different men I could have married, but I only married one. And that man is the right one for me.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Things On My Mind
- Yesterday, I had this whole, long blog post planned out. I found out a few things over the weekend that really upset me, and I learned there were some people whom I thought I could trust but I couldn't. I was going to write this whole long post about false friends and wondering how you could trust some people, but luckily I decided to sleep on it. The thing is, maybe I'm repressing my feelings, or maybe something else is going on, but I'm not as upset today. I'm still hurt by the whole situation, yes, and I still have a lot to think on, but there are some wonderful people out there in my life, and I can't let a few bad things affect my relationship with those people. So, I'm trying my best to move on and get over it (and learn from it).
- It's amazing how different a run can make you feel. Generally a good run will wake me up and make me alert for the day, but occasionally a good run just leaves me feeling drained. This happens most often if I've pushed too hard, or if I haven't adequately hydrated, or even if I was just too tired going into it, but it's still interesting. Today's run, while fantastic, left me out of it. I could barely function, and all I wanted to do was sleep (to the point where looking at the dogs play made me want to cry because I was so tired). However, I couldn't be happier about the run. I went out even though I wanted to sleep in, and I pushed myself through even though I wanted to stop. At one point, I did listen to my body and slow down (it was either that or vomit), but I didn't just stop, and that's important to me. I don't want every run to be that hard, but it did work out a lot of emotions for me (see above).
- Cody and Lollie had another acupuncture / chiropractic session today. I love seeing how well they do with it. Honestly, though, I need to see the chiropractor too. I did something to my neck on Saturday, and while it's significantly improved today, I'm guessing it would feel a lot better if I just went to the chiropractor.
- Business is great. I can't believe how far we've come in a year, and I can only hope things continue to get better. Business is also keeping both Hans and me extremely busy, and I find that the only thing I want to do in my spare time is sleep. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to do that more soon.
Well, that's pretty much everything that's on my mind. I hope you're all doing well.
- It's amazing how different a run can make you feel. Generally a good run will wake me up and make me alert for the day, but occasionally a good run just leaves me feeling drained. This happens most often if I've pushed too hard, or if I haven't adequately hydrated, or even if I was just too tired going into it, but it's still interesting. Today's run, while fantastic, left me out of it. I could barely function, and all I wanted to do was sleep (to the point where looking at the dogs play made me want to cry because I was so tired). However, I couldn't be happier about the run. I went out even though I wanted to sleep in, and I pushed myself through even though I wanted to stop. At one point, I did listen to my body and slow down (it was either that or vomit), but I didn't just stop, and that's important to me. I don't want every run to be that hard, but it did work out a lot of emotions for me (see above).
- Cody and Lollie had another acupuncture / chiropractic session today. I love seeing how well they do with it. Honestly, though, I need to see the chiropractor too. I did something to my neck on Saturday, and while it's significantly improved today, I'm guessing it would feel a lot better if I just went to the chiropractor.
- Business is great. I can't believe how far we've come in a year, and I can only hope things continue to get better. Business is also keeping both Hans and me extremely busy, and I find that the only thing I want to do in my spare time is sleep. Hopefully, I'll have a chance to do that more soon.
Well, that's pretty much everything that's on my mind. I hope you're all doing well.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
More Weighty Issues
This morning, I was cooling down after my 3 mile run, and I started thinking about my body and my image issues, and I had a realization.
At one point, when I was in college, I weighed over 200 pounds. I remember at the height of my weight, I had a conversation with my freshmen year RA. We were talking about the size of women in the fashion industry, and my RA commented how awful it was that, at a size 10-12, she would be considered a plus-size model. I remember exactly what I thought. Really?! She's plus size? She's so thin and pretty? If she's plus size, what does that make me? I then remember telling myself more than once that, if I could ever be her size, I'd be really happy, and my life would be different.
Well, here I am a size 10, and am I happy with how I look? Of course not! There for a while, when I first reached this size, I was thrilled. My confidence was soaring, and I had a great outlook on life. Now, it seems that I too-often forget all my accomplishments, I forget how much stronger I am now than I used to be, and I berate myself for being too "fat."
How depressing is that? I mean, I'm a girl who runs her own business, who's run a marathon, and who is ready and willing to run 10 miles on Saturday before most of the world is awake. I think I'm a friendly enough person, I have a great husband, and we live a fairly stable life. So, why am I stressing out over what the scale says?
So, now I have a goal...or should I say a few goals.
1) Quit worrying about the scale. Yes, I will still continue to weight myself, but mainly as a way to check hydration levels before and after a long run.
2) Nourish my body. I don't want to just say F*** it and eat ice cream all day. I want to eat foods that will fuel me through long runs and long days of work. I want foods that will satisfy my needs and make me feel good about myself instead of over-sugared and lazy.
3) Take time to appreciate the beauty I have. I have a lot to offer this world. Sure, I may not have a bikini body, but I still have plenty of good stuff to offer. I should appreciate that.
So, there you have it. I'm going to start feeling good about myself again!
In other news- I really wish I could create a clone of myself, as I'm really the only person who seems to know what I want and how I want it!
At one point, when I was in college, I weighed over 200 pounds. I remember at the height of my weight, I had a conversation with my freshmen year RA. We were talking about the size of women in the fashion industry, and my RA commented how awful it was that, at a size 10-12, she would be considered a plus-size model. I remember exactly what I thought. Really?! She's plus size? She's so thin and pretty? If she's plus size, what does that make me? I then remember telling myself more than once that, if I could ever be her size, I'd be really happy, and my life would be different.
Well, here I am a size 10, and am I happy with how I look? Of course not! There for a while, when I first reached this size, I was thrilled. My confidence was soaring, and I had a great outlook on life. Now, it seems that I too-often forget all my accomplishments, I forget how much stronger I am now than I used to be, and I berate myself for being too "fat."
How depressing is that? I mean, I'm a girl who runs her own business, who's run a marathon, and who is ready and willing to run 10 miles on Saturday before most of the world is awake. I think I'm a friendly enough person, I have a great husband, and we live a fairly stable life. So, why am I stressing out over what the scale says?
So, now I have a goal...or should I say a few goals.
1) Quit worrying about the scale. Yes, I will still continue to weight myself, but mainly as a way to check hydration levels before and after a long run.
2) Nourish my body. I don't want to just say F*** it and eat ice cream all day. I want to eat foods that will fuel me through long runs and long days of work. I want foods that will satisfy my needs and make me feel good about myself instead of over-sugared and lazy.
3) Take time to appreciate the beauty I have. I have a lot to offer this world. Sure, I may not have a bikini body, but I still have plenty of good stuff to offer. I should appreciate that.
So, there you have it. I'm going to start feeling good about myself again!
In other news- I really wish I could create a clone of myself, as I'm really the only person who seems to know what I want and how I want it!
Friday, July 19, 2013
Six Years: Part Two
Did you know that Cody was born 1 week and 1 day before our wedding day? We didn't know it at the time, but when we were married Cody was already waiting for us. And yes, this past Sunday was our 6 year anniversary. I was hoping to get a blog post out that day, but due to a lack of internet and a need to do absolutely nothing, somehow that didn't happen. I can say, Hans and I had a lovely anniversary...one of our best yet.
In previous years, our anniversary has been fairly low key. Some years we've taken off work, other years we've just had a nice dinner. In 2010, we went out of town for the weekend, but the place we traveled to was apparently in foreclosure, and while the views were lovely, we really couldn't figure out what there was to do. Last year, we were two days out from opening the kennel and Hans' dad was in town. We took the day off and went to a tomato festival (more fun than it sounds) and later to a show at the theater, but, while it was an enjoyable day off, it really didn't scream 5 year anniversary. This year, we needed something special. We were tired from all the long hours, and boy were we stressed. We weren't sleeping enough, and we weren't sleeping well. We needed a break.
A few weeks ago, I just happened to be piddling around online, and I decided to do a search for lake cabins. I was looking for something rustic and secluded. Something that would allow me to meditate and relax. What I found was New River Retreat. A lovely, peaceful, dog-friendly, rental property.
Was it secluded? For the most part- yes. Was it rustic? Nope! Was it everything we needed and then some? Yes!
Hans and I left late Saturday afternoon. I had rushed in packing, and I had already adopted the vacation attitude of "I don't care." With each hour that we drove, I felt the stress of the past year melt away. Hans and I talked about things we'd like to do, and we both agreed on one thing- we didn't want to do a thing! Shortly before arriving at our cabin, we pulled into a neighboring town and picked up some groceries for the weekend as well as some Redbox movies. We actually had time to watch movies!!
Saturday night, Hans and I watched the first of our movies, cooked dinner, and simply relaxed. It was beautiful.
Sunday morning, our anniversary, we woke up feeling refreshed and happy. The air was shrouded in a mountain mist. I made us sausage and eggs which we ate on the covered porch with the river and the mountains as our view, and then we snuggled up on the couch and watched another movie. It was so relaxing. By the early afternoon, most of the mist and dew had dissipated, so we decided to head into town and do some exploring.
One of the places recommended in the brochures was the local Mercantile, so we thought we'd check it out. The Mercantile offers a lot of neat foods and amenities, and one of the things they offer are bike rentals. We asked the man working the counter where it was best to bike. Then, we wondered if he had anything that could accommodate Lollie. Cody could run with the bikes, but Lollie wouldn't be able to last. We got set up with 2 bikes and a cart, and we were on our way!
We biked about 4 miles along the New River Trail, and we stopped multiple times for pictures and to give the dogs some water.
After the bike ride, we returned back to the cabin for more rest and more movies. We had a very simple anniversary dinner of tacos, and then we spent the evening snuggling and enjoying each others' company.
Now then, this is where I have to be honest. It's too big of an event to leave out, but it's not the best thing to have happen on your anniversary. Late Sunday night, we took the dogs out to use the bathroom. Our cabin was in the middle of a big open field, so I gave the dogs a little room to roam. The next thing I new, Cody was tearing off across the field. At first, I thought it was a rabbit or a deer he was after, but then I saw it- the tell-tale black tail of a skunk! Just before bed on Sunday night, Cody got skunked!!! So, what was super-relaxing became a mad rush to try and clean him up and get rid of the smell. And boy did he smell! Of course, we had to use my shampoo and conditioner since I hadn't brought any for the dogs. And, of course, nothing removes skunk! We at least got to the point where the smell was bearable, and then we went to sleep.
Monday morning, found us laughing about the previous evening. Poor Cody reeked, but what could we do? It was our last day there, and we wanted to get back fairly early, so we enjoyed a breakfast of waffles, and then we packed up and left.
Aside from the one major mishap, our trip was wonderful and perfect. It was just what we needed to help us feel human again. I can tell you now, I will happily go back to the New River. I also think that Hans and I may make this a yearly trip. It's just too nice not to.
Six years down, eternity to go!
In previous years, our anniversary has been fairly low key. Some years we've taken off work, other years we've just had a nice dinner. In 2010, we went out of town for the weekend, but the place we traveled to was apparently in foreclosure, and while the views were lovely, we really couldn't figure out what there was to do. Last year, we were two days out from opening the kennel and Hans' dad was in town. We took the day off and went to a tomato festival (more fun than it sounds) and later to a show at the theater, but, while it was an enjoyable day off, it really didn't scream 5 year anniversary. This year, we needed something special. We were tired from all the long hours, and boy were we stressed. We weren't sleeping enough, and we weren't sleeping well. We needed a break.
A few weeks ago, I just happened to be piddling around online, and I decided to do a search for lake cabins. I was looking for something rustic and secluded. Something that would allow me to meditate and relax. What I found was New River Retreat. A lovely, peaceful, dog-friendly, rental property.
Was it secluded? For the most part- yes. Was it rustic? Nope! Was it everything we needed and then some? Yes!
Hans and I left late Saturday afternoon. I had rushed in packing, and I had already adopted the vacation attitude of "I don't care." With each hour that we drove, I felt the stress of the past year melt away. Hans and I talked about things we'd like to do, and we both agreed on one thing- we didn't want to do a thing! Shortly before arriving at our cabin, we pulled into a neighboring town and picked up some groceries for the weekend as well as some Redbox movies. We actually had time to watch movies!!
Saturday night, Hans and I watched the first of our movies, cooked dinner, and simply relaxed. It was beautiful.
Sunday morning, our anniversary, we woke up feeling refreshed and happy. The air was shrouded in a mountain mist. I made us sausage and eggs which we ate on the covered porch with the river and the mountains as our view, and then we snuggled up on the couch and watched another movie. It was so relaxing. By the early afternoon, most of the mist and dew had dissipated, so we decided to head into town and do some exploring.
One of the places recommended in the brochures was the local Mercantile, so we thought we'd check it out. The Mercantile offers a lot of neat foods and amenities, and one of the things they offer are bike rentals. We asked the man working the counter where it was best to bike. Then, we wondered if he had anything that could accommodate Lollie. Cody could run with the bikes, but Lollie wouldn't be able to last. We got set up with 2 bikes and a cart, and we were on our way!
After the bike ride, we returned back to the cabin for more rest and more movies. We had a very simple anniversary dinner of tacos, and then we spent the evening snuggling and enjoying each others' company.
Now then, this is where I have to be honest. It's too big of an event to leave out, but it's not the best thing to have happen on your anniversary. Late Sunday night, we took the dogs out to use the bathroom. Our cabin was in the middle of a big open field, so I gave the dogs a little room to roam. The next thing I new, Cody was tearing off across the field. At first, I thought it was a rabbit or a deer he was after, but then I saw it- the tell-tale black tail of a skunk! Just before bed on Sunday night, Cody got skunked!!! So, what was super-relaxing became a mad rush to try and clean him up and get rid of the smell. And boy did he smell! Of course, we had to use my shampoo and conditioner since I hadn't brought any for the dogs. And, of course, nothing removes skunk! We at least got to the point where the smell was bearable, and then we went to sleep.
Monday morning, found us laughing about the previous evening. Poor Cody reeked, but what could we do? It was our last day there, and we wanted to get back fairly early, so we enjoyed a breakfast of waffles, and then we packed up and left.
Aside from the one major mishap, our trip was wonderful and perfect. It was just what we needed to help us feel human again. I can tell you now, I will happily go back to the New River. I also think that Hans and I may make this a yearly trip. It's just too nice not to.
Six years down, eternity to go!
Tuesday, July 9, 2013
Running Gets Easier
So, in case you couldn't tell, I was a little upset while writing my last running-related post. I felt fat and out of shape. I felt slow. I felt like I might not even be able to run the marathon this year. Luckily, I'm feeling much better today.
Last week, after my seven mile run, I was NOT motivated to run at all. I very much had a defeatist attitude, and I easily found excuses to not go. Monday was a rest day, so I was fine not running. Tuesday I wasn't feeling well (truth) and it was raining (that's never stopped me before). Wednesday it was still raining, and I was just SO tired (excuses). Thursday, I finally stopped making excuses and went out. I ended up doing about 5 miles (2 more than I was supposed to) plus an additional two miles training with Hans. Well, at least I made up for not running Tuesday or Wednesday. Let me tell you, that five miles was H-A-R-D. It was hot, I was tired, and I think I ended up walking the last half mile or so. Saturday, I was scheduled for eight miles, and I was scared. I hadn't run 8 miles in over 6 months. Would I be able to do it? I had trouble with five miles just two days before. How could I handle an additional three? Last week's seven miles was depressing and I was left feeling completely drained. Could I add anything on to that? I decided to take it slow and just see what I could do.
It certainly wasn't bad. While it wasn't my best run ever, it could have been much, much worse. I ended up walking for about a block twice, but those were after six miles. It was a hot day and a hilly route, but I made it all the way. When I stopped my Garmin, I looked at my pace: 11:13 min/mile. I was disappointed as I had hoped for under 11:00, but I decided to compare my pace to last year's. I had expected to see a 10:36 for this equivalent run last year, but that's not what I saw at all. I saw 11:08 min/mile. That's only a 5 second difference, and that could easily be accounted for by the fact that I didn't stop my Garmin at the SAGs this year like I did last year. So, guess what that means. I'm pretty much on the same pace I was last year! Huzzah!
In addition, my run this morning was easier than it was in weeks past. I took things at a much faster pace (about 10:00 min/mile), and didn't feel completely drained at the end. I was happy to be done, but I quite possibly could have pulled out another mile at that pace.
So, I guess I'm getting stronger. My endurance is building, and my fears have all been for naught. I'm still worried about a few things, but I'm getting there...slowly.
Last week, after my seven mile run, I was NOT motivated to run at all. I very much had a defeatist attitude, and I easily found excuses to not go. Monday was a rest day, so I was fine not running. Tuesday I wasn't feeling well (truth) and it was raining (that's never stopped me before). Wednesday it was still raining, and I was just SO tired (excuses). Thursday, I finally stopped making excuses and went out. I ended up doing about 5 miles (2 more than I was supposed to) plus an additional two miles training with Hans. Well, at least I made up for not running Tuesday or Wednesday. Let me tell you, that five miles was H-A-R-D. It was hot, I was tired, and I think I ended up walking the last half mile or so. Saturday, I was scheduled for eight miles, and I was scared. I hadn't run 8 miles in over 6 months. Would I be able to do it? I had trouble with five miles just two days before. How could I handle an additional three? Last week's seven miles was depressing and I was left feeling completely drained. Could I add anything on to that? I decided to take it slow and just see what I could do.
It certainly wasn't bad. While it wasn't my best run ever, it could have been much, much worse. I ended up walking for about a block twice, but those were after six miles. It was a hot day and a hilly route, but I made it all the way. When I stopped my Garmin, I looked at my pace: 11:13 min/mile. I was disappointed as I had hoped for under 11:00, but I decided to compare my pace to last year's. I had expected to see a 10:36 for this equivalent run last year, but that's not what I saw at all. I saw 11:08 min/mile. That's only a 5 second difference, and that could easily be accounted for by the fact that I didn't stop my Garmin at the SAGs this year like I did last year. So, guess what that means. I'm pretty much on the same pace I was last year! Huzzah!
In addition, my run this morning was easier than it was in weeks past. I took things at a much faster pace (about 10:00 min/mile), and didn't feel completely drained at the end. I was happy to be done, but I quite possibly could have pulled out another mile at that pace.
So, I guess I'm getting stronger. My endurance is building, and my fears have all been for naught. I'm still worried about a few things, but I'm getting there...slowly.
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