Run to Finish (Daily Running Log)

CrossFit

2012-01-28T08:49:00.001-06:00

5 years ago if someone had told you that beating tires, doing body weight exercises and plyometrics would be the on of the hottest workouts going I am pretty sure you would have laughed. But in the last year this intense workout has exploded appearing on the Biggest Loser and new clubs opening every month all over the country.

There is actually one down the street from me, but to be honest after my bout with the Insanity DVD I’ve been too afraid to go during marathon training!! Once I make a final decision about whether I am running the full or half in March I can make plans to go. Everyone I know that has truly committed to doing CrossFit has been floored with the results. They love feeling stronger…but no joke it is a serious workout.

According to Wikipedia "CrossFit is a strength and conditioning brand that combines weightlifting, sprinting, gymnastics, powerlifting, kettlebell training, plyometrics, rowing, and medicine ball training." Did you know CrossFit even has it’s own language? Just like runners say strange things like fartlek and tempo they have terms like box and WOD.

One other thing I do know from friends about CrossFit is they are big proponents of the Paleo diet. I am sort of on the opposite end with my current vegan style of eating, but I am very curious and may do a 30 day challenge in the future to compare my performance, energy and overall feeling of health between the two.
Here is a fascinating new video about Reebok CrossFitOne which is open to Adidas, Reebok and Rockport employees…now that is a benefit I could get behind!

Have you ever tried CrossFit? Does your company offer any kind of employee benefits to encourage an active lifestyle?

This post was sponsored by Reebok
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Gratitude Journal
Jan 28
I am grateful for fun new workouts
I am grateful for at home workouts
I am grateful for awesome employee benefits
I am grateful for large companies leading the way in health
I am grateful for Klout

Subway: Turkey Twist (giveaway)

2012-01-27T12:29:00.001-06:00

I have been on HUGE southwestern food kick lately and therefore was very excited about this new Turkey Jalapeno Melt…a free gift card to try it out didn’t hurt either. In college when I first started trying to lose weight, I kid you not my daily lunch was a turkey sandwich. It was plain and boring and probably still not as low in calories as what Subway now offers.
When traveling through the scenic (desolate) roads of Iowa to see family, Subway is always our default meal because I know I can get something not fried, tasty, and made the way I want it. Now that veggies are a major part of my meals I love that I can pile on peppers, onions, pickles, cucumbers, avocado and whatever else might tickle my fancy without worrying about calories. I need those calories for all the desserts I’ll consuming upon reaching said family.

Subway has also taken to posting great Fit Tips on their Facebook page…I’m a little partial of course since they recently featured my Fit Tip, but truly there are a lot of others sharing great ideas. Who can’t use little nuggets of wisdom to keep moving down a healthy path.

Here are a couple other tips from a pro: Monica Vazquez, CPT, LWMC

1: Be Consistent: Find a way to make working out a consistent part of you life. Once exercise becomes a habit, it’s much less of a chore. Schedule workouts into your planner and stick with your plan. When you successfully follow through, you will feel better about working out and small victories will be very motivating.

2: Find the right intensity: Many people either workout too hard too soon (which can lead to injury) or they waste their time by not working out hard enough. For strength training, if the difficulty is less than a 6 out of 10, it’s probably not hard enough. For cardio, make sure you are in the proper Heart Rate Zone when you exercise. You want to start at 65-85% percent of your Max Heart Rate (which, most simply can be calculated as 220-your age).

3: Cardio and weights are equally important: Although losing weight is about calories in versus calories out, simply burning calories with cardio won’t give you the best results. Muscle helps burn fat (even at rest!), so building lean muscle tissue will help you lose weight, get fit and stay that way.

4: Never underestimate recovery: As great as it is to get into a routine, you also don’t want to get carried away and overtrain. Your body becomes stronger as you rest. Always give yourself 2 days of rest for each muscle group when strength training and give yourself at least one full rest day a week.

WIN IT
Would you like to create your own Twist on Turkey? How about a $10 gift card to make it happen.

Mandatory: Share your fit tip with me!
+1 Tweet, FB, Blog – Link back to this giveaway in some way i.e. “ I want to win a $10 gift card from @subwayfreshbuzz and @runtothefinish to stay on track with my eating! http://ow.ly/8IStZ “
+1 Like Subway on FB so you can see their Fresh Fit Friday info and let them know I sent you
+1 If you signed up for the Food Journal Challenge or Appreciation Challenge

Gift card was provided for me, but all tasting utilized my personal mouth and was followed by my own thoughts. Giveaway ends on Feb 3.
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Gratitude Journal
Jan 27
I am grateful for whole wheat bread
I am grateful for food options
I am grateful for Subway gift cards
I am grateful for Ryan Hall
I am grateful for his publicist! (yup interview today!)

30 Day Challenge: Appreciation

2012-01-27T07:00:00.002-06:00

Does it feel awkward to take on challenge that asks you to show appreciation for a different person each day? As though you should be doing it naturally and suddenly it is a forced action…I agree it does feel strange and yet most of us are not doing it which is why I think this is such a highly valuable challenge.
How often have you heard people say “I wish I had told her/him” or give a compliment about someone when they aren’t there. The thought may count, but hearing those words are so extremely important. What month could be more natural than February to create a lifelong habit of saying words of kindness to those who matter. In this powerful yet simple three-minute TED Talk, Dr. Laura Trice explains the importance of two awesome words -- "thank you."

How did Laura become so interested in the power of praise? She said it stems from her work in a rehab facility:

"I'm fortunate enough to work in the rehab facility, so I get to see people who are facing life and death with addiction. And sometimes it comes down to something as simple as, their core wound is their father died without ever saying he's proud of them. But then they hear from all the family and friends that the father told everybody else that he was proud of him, but he never told the son. It's because he didn't know that his son needed to hear it."

As with every challenge you can choose the steps that make this work best for you...
- Calling one friend a day
- Writing an actual letter
- Compliment someone when you see them

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Lots of Updates

2012-01-26T07:07:00.003-06:00

I don’t really do random thought posts.. but I realized I also never update you on all kinds of things so here goes your Hump Day Update.

Topics: Do you ever feel like you have so much to post about you can’t actually focus on a topic to get it written? I have about 50 started posts that I am extremely excited about and yet this is what you are getting today.

Health: Thanks for everyone who has continued to check up on me. Thus far I am still in one piece, no return doctors visits. I did however crack a crown on my back tooth during the episode and I am being a little slow in booking the appointment to fix it. Honestly, I am terrified of the ER bills and not wanting to spend more money.

Giveaways: After a giveaway is closed I have been contacting the winner rather than putting it in a post. So my apologies to those who keep looking for a post. The thing is no one but the winner cares about that post, so it’s just easier to email them. Currently the INKnBurn giveaway is still going.

Running Sucks: I posted a little about this on FB, but seriously here’s the deal…I just really don’t care for these shirts. I know a lot of runners wear them to be funny, but to me it’s like when people were big on the whole FML…I didn’t think that was funny either. Love it or don’t do it, stop promoting it as something crappy.
Google Friends: You might have seen this when Marlene posted, but it’s a great reminder.
Google Friend Connect will no longer be available to non-blogger blogs as of March 1st 2012 (and will discontinue for Blogger shortly thereafter).

This means that if you follow using Google Friend Connect, you will not longer receive my posts as of that date.

Make sure you are following me elsewhere to stay updated.

First subscribe via RSS feed
You should Like RunToTheFinish on Facebook (from your fan page if you have one!)
You should follow me on Twitter

PITA: Finally can someone explain to me why my pita contains 6 pockets, but the package says 8 servings??? So I can only eat 3/4 of each pita?

Nut Butter: Since the term Nut Butter addiction still brings hundreds of you to the site each month, I figured I should provide something to verify this title. Thanks again to my favorite folks at Once Again Nut Butter for being an amazing sponsor. If I could eat nothing but their cashew, sunflower and almond butters…well I probably would. David might say I already do.

David: My love had a dental surgery this week and I really just feel so bad for him. I can see now this must be what it's like to deal with me post marathon. He’s fine and happy, but totally not allowed to exert any energy and you can tell that is making him a tad miserable. I should probably use that nut butter to bake him an amazing treat seeing as how he can not exercise for months and still look like a cover model.

Happy Hump Day! Go tell someone you love them and have a great day.
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Gratitude Journal
Jan 26
I am grateful for cool recipe apps
I am grateful for vegan recipe ideas
I am grateful for a hot bowl of oats
I am grateful for crafty ideas (completed by someone else)
I am grateful for funny holiday party pics

The Foot Pain

2012-01-25T08:34:00.001-06:00

It’s 70 degrees out, the sun is shining. I want to run, to walk, to be outdoors enjoying the fact that I live in Florida during the winter! But alas my foot is refusing to recover according to my schedule and is limiting that activity.

With all swelling down this morning I decided to try a walk and found out pretty quickly that after more than a few minutes it hurts and running is a very bad idea. Since many of you have had your own foot pains and been trying to figure out what I’m talking about here is a lovely visual… you can see my calloused toe, my chipped toenail polish and more importantly the bruise that is neither on my arch, my ankle or really anywhere specific.
After attempting to Google MD myself I am basically of the opinion it must just be an aggravated tendon. I went to see my miracle worker yesterday and he adjusted me after noting how off my hips were again, did some acupuncture and a laser. The result was a decrease in swelling and an overall sense of peace… I swear I love what acupuncture does!

When it first happened it truly hurt to put on any shoe…however I was super lucky that Saucony had accidentally sent me a wide in the Triumph 9 and that has been my savior, see things work out just as they should! With that shoe I have been able to bike quite a bit and get through the airport sans flip flops in January.

I have also had a chance to run in this shoe and I”m pretty excited about it for long runs. While the Saucony Kinvara is still one of my favorite shoes ever, I think there is a benefit for me personally to having just a bit more padding on the weekly long runs. The Kinvara is a very low profile shoe with minimal padding and the Triumph is basically the next step up from that still having only an 8mm drop (compared to average 12mm) and weighing only 9.6 oz.

Any thoughts on my random sore foot pain? What shoes do you turn to when injured?
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Gratitude Journal
Jan 25
I am grateful for Sunday funnies
I am grateful for celebrations
I am grateful for filtered water
I am grateful for fresh cut lemons
I am grateful for veggie chili

Milk Alternatives

2012-01-24T08:37:00.002-06:00

Milk…one day it’s in and the next day it’s out. The American Milk Council has a done a great job of teaching us that we need milk to get calcium and be healthy…but repeated studies have also shown that there are some downsides to milk.

With all of this information I think it’s great to know about the other choices out there and to see if one might be worth adding to your diet if you have any concerns about dairy allergies or other issues from cow’s milk. I’ve tried nearly every variety on the market now and thought a quick break down could be helpful.

SOY MILK
The first option to hit mass market shelves was soy milk. Soy milk is often one of the cheapest and easiest to find alternatives for those looking to try something besides dairy in their cereal, baking or smoothies. The debate continues on about the pros and cons of soy in the diet, so this is a personal decision each will need to make but some of the proposed benefits are the lower sugar content, phytoestrogens, low cholesterol and some fortified brands could help with calcium absorption.

FLAX MILK
Good Karma recently sent me three varieties of flax milk to try. I had not yet seen this option and was excited to find that the taste is creamy and the calories remain consistently low in each variety. I found myself drinking the original and vanilla alone when I wanted a treat and I was supremely happy with all the smoothies I had. So in terms of taste flax milk is great and since it is a little thicker it should work as a substitute in most baking.

Flax Milk also provides you the benefit of natural Omega 3’s! If you aren’t a daily fish or walnut eater, this is a great way to ensure that you are receiving the benefits in foods that you already enjoy. This is also one of the lower calorie milk substitutes I have seen with each averaging between 40-60 calories per cup.

However, unlike ground flax it does not have the fiber and does not provide any protein. If your are interested in trying Good Karma Flax Milk checkout their store locator to find it near you. Many of you may know this brand previously from their original Organic Rice Devine (milk and ice cream!). This is another company with a great mission that I really love “We set out to make frozen desserts and novelties indistinguishable from the finest ice creams, but with the added benefits of being dairy-free and gluten-free so they could be enjoyed by everyone.”

Another reason to look beyond Soy Milk is that anyone with a nut allergy may find that soy milk will also cause symptoms. Flax milk, rice milk, and coconut milk are the best alternatives in that case.

RICE MILK
Rice milk is generally made from brown rice boiled and then strained, so no worries you are not indulging in the dreaded white food by enjoying rice milk. Rice milk is naturally sweet from the grain so it does not work well in all baking situations, but is generally accepted for cereal and smoothies. This is another great vegan option. However, as with many of the other choices I like to spread my nutrition around so I choose to keep this as an occasional choice rather than daily.

COCONUT MILK
Due to a higher fat content coconut milk is often a last choice for many people, but it is a great alternative. Coconut milk like SoDelicious or Silk Coconut contains protein and the fat is the kind your body needs to help you burn fat (medium chain fatty acid). Many coconut milks are slightly creamier making them great for muesli, smoothies and yogurt.

Studies have also shown that lauric acid can help to increase the bodies immune system and because this occurs naturally in breast milk it may be an alternative for babies when needed.

ALMOND MILK
Selecting unsweetened almond milk can make it a better choice for those watching their blood sugar than many other varieties. Almond milk is also one of the best choices for calcium, as many brands contain 30% or more of the recommended daily value. Almond milk is also good for the skin with Vitamin E.

However it should be understood that almond milk does not provide the same benefits as whole almonds. Again because I like to spread my nutrition around, I limit my almond milk intake in favor of daily nut servings.

HEMP MILK
Hemp milk has the strongest flavor of the listed milk alternatives and makes it something that many have to adjust to. Hemp milk also contains the 10 essential amino acids, which is why it is often a favorite among vegans as a protein source. Hemp milk also does not pose a problem for those with a nut allergy. Hemp milk is generally a little more expensive and can spoil more quickly than other varieties.

Here’s a quick overview of how some of the nutrition compares on standard brands:

Good Karma was provided free for my review, but all opinions or additional information are sourced by me.

Are you a milk drinker? A milk substitute fan?
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Gratitude Journal
Jan 24
I am grateful for Whole Foods options
I am grateful for main stream markets with organics
I am grateful for David’s mouth surgery going well
I am grateful he is a lower complainer
I am grateful for shredded broccoli slaw

Workouts and Goals: Jan 23 – Recovery

2012-01-23T08:29:00.001-06:00

I am not good at recovery. I know a lot of folks love those weeks post marathon where they just eat and don’t workout out…I enjoy being thoroughly and ridiculously active so this whole my foot hurts hence I can’t do much is not enjoyable. Luckily everything else felt pretty much perfect the day after the race! So overall recovery is going swimmingly.

In the past my concern about time off was entirely about gaining weight, but this time around I understand the body needs the recovery to prevent bigger injuries. And thus far I can say that I’m only up 2lbs post marathon with basically minimal daily calories burned and at least a a few daily cookies enjoyed. SOOO now that the 14 day travel bonanza has ended I’m excited to settle back in to a routine. Might sound boring, but routines are generally what help healthy habits become second nature.

GOALS
Food Journal: I did ok with the food journal while traveling. It definitely reminded me of my “FREE” food issues…oh it’s free let me have it. Now I’m trying to pin point what is causing the headaches I’ve had the last few days.

Yoga: If I can’t hop or walk on my foot, then it’s yoga/Pilates/bike time this week. Thus far those activities feel pretty good.

WORKOUTS
Since I missed posting last week this will be longer than normal, but I like to get it all recorded.

Jan 9
AM: 50 min walk
PM: 20 min walk, 20 min stretch

Jan 10
AM: Fly to San Fran.
PM: 60 min walk, 3 mile run, 10 min stretch

Jan 11
AM: 3.1 mile run, 20 min walk, 20 min yoga
PM: 40 min walk

Jan 12
AM: 25 min yoga, 30 min walk
PM: 6.2 mile run, 45 min walk

Got to enjoy another great group run thanks to Aron for organizing so many fun ladies again in SF!

Jan 13
AM: Fly to Houston – Expo

Jan 14
AM: 40 min walk, 1 mile speed work

Jan 15
AM: Houston Marathon
PM: 10 min stretch

Jan 16
AM: 10 weights, 15 min yoga, 30 min stationary bike
PM: Mall walking

Jan 17
AM: Fly to Kansas City
PM: 20 min stationary bike, 15 min elliptical, 15 min stretch

Went with Dad to his new gym!

Jan 18
AM: 15 min weights, 15 min pokey pace walk (treadmill sans shoes)

Jan 19
AM: 15 min yoga, 15 min pokey walk (treadmill sans shoes)
PM: 15 min, stationary bike, 45 min yoga class with mom…oh my this was an experience. Let’s just say yoga designed for the 60+ crowd is probably not my thing, but laughing with my mom was entirely worth it.

Jan 20
AM: 15 min yoga, 30 min pokey walk
PM: Company holiday party

Silly costumes and I won an iPAD…umm yeah totally great night.

Jan 21
AM: Fly to Miami
PM: 35 min leisurely walk with friends

Overall: I am proud of myself for allowing my body time to taper and recover. These are not my strong suits.
Best Workout: Hmmm Houston maybe?
Nutrition: Definitely have learned that dairy is a bit of an issue for me…but man I love ice cream. So getting refocused now that I’m home.
iPod: Hmm haven’t had it on in a couple weeks actually.
New gear: I can neither confirm nor deny that I purchased yet another pair of running shoes
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Jan 23
I am grateful for thoughtful friends
I am grateful for goofy friends
I am grateful for creative friends
I am grateful for entrepreneurial friends
I am grateful for ambitious friends

INKnBurn Running Gear (giveaway)

2012-01-20T12:42:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago the great people at INKnBurn said “hey we’ve got great stuff that looks DIFFERENT do you want to try it out?” And I thought umm YES! Then in Houston I saw a ton of folks sporting the totally creative INKnBurn shirts (especially the gents!!)…what they didn’t know is that under my sleeves was my own cutie pie sports bra!

If you need a lot of support this might not be the sports bra for you, but for me it is perfect! The fit is good and there is a small pocket in the front for a key or a gel. We all know I’m too still to remember to use gels,so there wasn’t any of that in mine.

If I had been planning better for the cold I also would have sported these great arm sleeves! Corey wore her arm sleeves in the race and it works out so perfect because in the beginning you have them up to keep you warm, but then can pull them down as the race heats up. The InkNBurn sleeves are wicking as well, so you’ll remain dry and toasty.

SIZING
Let’s talk about my favorite piece…the shorts. Running shorts often look like diapers, let’s be honest. They are all baggy in the butt and the crotch, but these are perfect. They are very similar to Lululemon shorts with the wide waste band that prevents any muffin top and the cut on the legs is great.

The shirts and sports bra are also very true to size. The dry fit shirts are not fitted shirts so if you like things tighter go down a size if you like things looser go with your normal t-shirt size.

DESIGNS
I ran in these a few times and so far am thoroughly happy! Another reason INKnBurn has my stamp of approval…NOT BLACK. Seriously it seems to be that black shorts are about the only kind people like to make in a fitted style and I need a little more color in my running these days. For those of you who are little more edgy, they have some some amazing designs that I would call kind of rock n roll…they make you look hard core!

While I tested out the Silly Boys outfit because of the yellow, I have to say I’m also really excited about the Cherry Blossom colors. Again this is another company started by a woman runner and that makes me all the more thrilled to find out that the quality, style and gear is great. So many of us have big dreams to strike out on our own that it’s wonderful to support each other any chance we can.

Keira also has a full line of races in….you guessed it my favorite place California! Most are trail and ultra races, so not on the immediate list but definitely on my bucket list!

BUY IT
InknBurn has both men’s and women’s styles which is great because a lot of times I know you gents are left out of all the fun! You can find all of their gear at INKnBurn.com

WIN IT
One lucky winner will get a technical running shirt (men’s or women’s) AND the option for a free entry to the Griffith Park Trail Half Marathon.It runs past the Hollywood sign, and I have aid stations at the Observatory, and it starts and finishes at the Greek Theatre. Do you see now why this is on my bucket list! Being in November I might just be able to swing it, so we could run together!

Mandatory: Like InkNBurn on Facebook and let them know I sent you.
+1 Tell me why you need more color in your running gear
+1 Share this on Twitter, link back on Facebook or your blog (must link to this page) i.e. “ I want to spice up my running gear with @INKnBurn and @RunToTheFinish http://ow.ly/8AMNK ”

Winner selected Feb 2
Products were provided free for my review, but all skin inside garments and opinions are solely my own.
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Gratitude Journal
Jan 20
I am grateful for great company meetings
I am grateful for inspiring leadership
I am grateful for growth
I am grateful for change
I am grateful for space heaters

Food Journal: How to change patterns

2012-01-19T06:30:00.000-06:00

So, now what? For weeks you have been diligently recording all your meals, snacks, coffee breaks and noting every cookie meltdown. Perhaps, you are starting to see patterns emerging? Like your casual relationship with dark chocolate chips is starting to get pretty serious come 5 PM every day or maybe you eat the same way everyday-oatmeal, salad, and more chicken salad. Whatever is showing up for you in your food journal is SACRED.

Yes, sacred like a temple. Your body is the temple of your soul and your body is trying to communicate with you. SO it’s important to first make sure you are just observing as opposed to looking at everything with an overly critical eye (be nice). Instead of “I suck, I can’t stop eating chocolate chip cookies” take an empowering stance, “I should try a healthier alternative.” Know that you are the writer of your story and have the power to make healthy lifestyle changes.

But before we can get in to action it helps to get to the root of this issue. Let’s say your goal is to cut out refined sugar completely but your food journal reveals you are having chocolate chip cookies daily. You want to figure out how to get to the root of this behavior so you may start by asking your self the following questions:

1. Check in with your emotions: Am I reaching for cookies when I am sad? Or happy? Is there a certain emotion that when arises, I try to hide? Bored? Afraid? If you are using food as a way to escape an emotion, what you are really trying to avoid is that sensation. Huh? I’ll explain. Let’s say you are unhappy at work and that cookies/sweets obviously make you feel good. The real problem then isn’t the cookie it’s that the sensation of being unhappy at work is uncomfortable and probably stressful for you. Your amazing body is protecting you by craving a “safe” tolerable sensation- cookie break! So try to chill out at work, do yoga, meditate, go for a walk do whatever is going to help you tolerate your job. Until your job is a safe space for you, cookies/sweets are the easy choice.

2. Food: Are you still hungry shortly after eating your regular breakfast? Do you find yourself getting tired after eating certain foods? Energy dropping? Agitated? This one is the easiest to fix. If the issue is the food itself than you just need to keep playing around with food. Have more fun. Experiment with taking out the usual food allergy suspects: dairy, gluten, wheat, and nuts. Use your food journal to find foods that elevate your mood and help you feel your best.

3. Lifestyle/Circumstantial: Are you noticing that you are always snacking off your kid’s plates because you didn’t have time to make anything or forgot to pack a lunch? Plan dinner? Are you sneaking in sweets before bed because you don’t drink water all day and are mistaking dehydration for a sugar craving? In this situation the root of the issue is a circumstance that you continue to repeat that makes it most convenient for you to cheat yourself out of a healthy delicious meal. You then, are having those cookies because your lifestyle is supporting it. If this sounds like you then your next step is to create a goal that creates more time to make healthy choices. Keep reading on.

CREATING CHANGE
Now that you’ve got to the root of the issue, let’s start making some changes. Decide on what the appropriate change is for you and take the following steps:

1. Deduce that habit into tiny, itty-bitty steps, as many as you can think of, for example: My goal is to incorporate more green vegetables in to my breakfast. My steps are to 1. Buy more greens at farmer’s market. 2. Find yummy breakfast recipes with greens online. 3. Choose the days that I am going to do this. 4 Set my alarm clock 20 minutes earlier so that I have enough time to prepare. Etc. Go into as much detail as you can and envision yourself actually doing them. This will make your goal much more feasible and realistic.

2. Follow the steps.

3. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Keep working at it, until it sticks. Make the steps as small as you need to fit in to your lifestyle.

Lastly, this should be fun. For years I used my food journal to attack all my food choices and I used as a testament to how flawed I was and how much I was lacking. I am so much the wiser now; I use my relationship with food to know more about myself. Know that there is a gem to be discovered behind seemingly “bad” habits. Happy hunting.

Diana Rodriguez is a healthy life stylist based in San Francisco. She is the founder of Beautiful and Balanced a health coaching business where she helps women who are not loving their bodies be more fit, find peace and fun with food and finally lose unwanted weight.
You can visit her at www.beautifulandbalanced.com and on Facebook
Are you looking to make healthy changes in 2012? Weight Loss? Freedom from emotional eating? Join Diana’s “Break Free” Bootcamp. This 5 month Virtual Program starts February 1^st! Sign up before January 20^th and bring a friend for free!

Diana is the great health coach I have been working with so I really appreciate her taking the time to share some amazing advice! I know I have started to see patterns, so now I have the tools to start making changes.
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Gratitude Journal
Jan 19
I am grateful for clean keyboards
I am grateful for hand sanitizer
I am grateful for recycled plastic
I am grateful for my mom’s loving attention
I am grateful for gym guest passes

There’s no crying in baseball…

2012-01-17T20:41:00.002-06:00

but there sure is in marathons!!! Whether it’s your first, a PR, a DNS, a DNF, a tough course, a come back from an injury or illness…that finish line can bring even the toughest to tears.

After getting over my initial shock of simply finishing, the next day I found myself feeling a little weepy that I really had hit a 5 min PR when I wasn’t even planning to get close to it. I remember during mile 24 I wanted to ask Matt (a military man) to give me his best drill sergeant speech because I was sure it would make me run, but I knew it was also guaranteed to make me cry and being that he is so nice, I didn’t want to him to take that personally. What can I say race day makes me a little emotional.

Houston provides some really cool graphics for us number crunchers! Here are a few that I pulled from my race:
PACING
I have often said that once I settle in to a pace I can pretty much hold it without thinking…this weekend proved that was basically true. I did not look at my watch during the entire race because I wanted to simply run and see what would happen.

As we all know I probably should have checked myself a little more at the beginning, but it really is fascinating to see how consistent I was without looking!

Mile 1 – 9:21
Mile 2 – 8:54 – it’s cold maybe if I go faster I’ll be warmer
Mile 3 – 8:48 – Hmm my foot really hurts
Mile 4 – 9:04
Mile 5 – 9:00
Mile 6 – 9:06
Mile 7 – 9:09
Mile 8 – 9:05
Mile 9 – 9:01
Mile 10 - 9:00
Mile 11 – 8:58 – gosh this feels good, but I’m way ahead of pace
Mile 12 – 9:07
Mile 13 –9:01
Mile 14 – 9:01 – Where’s David I should see him soon
Mile 15 –9:02 – David! Have you seen the bacon bits commercial? That was me.
Mile 16 – 8:43 – David hands me off to Samara
Mile 17 – 9:19 – Boy I’m starting to get tired
Mile 18 – 9:15 – DOH why did that 4 hour group seem like they sped up
Mile 19 – 9:30 – Man my foot feels pretty bad
Mile 20 – 9:45 – Well I thought I started too fast, here comes the downward spiral
Mile 21 – 10:11
Mile 22 – 10:23 – Matt’s turn to run with me
Mile 23 – 10:12 - Hey you paid to do this stop whining
Mile 24 – 10:29 – 1 minute walk, darn it keep moving Matt’s still there this isn’t much of a workout for him
Mile 25 – 11:24 - Am I still moving? Can’t tell refusing to look at watch
Mile 26 – 10:28 – Run for those who can’t
Mile .2 (.37 on my watch) – 8:47 – AHHHHHHHH

Never let them see you cry!!! Ok not really, I just happened to catch the camera’s at the good points here…and then there is this photo which really speaks a thousand words…I want to stop so badly that I don’t even care if the course photog catches me pondering it.

Does finishing a big race make you cry? Do you get teary eyed seeing other people finish?
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Gratitude Journal
Jan 17
I am grateful for almonds
I am grateful for cashews
I am grateful for walnuts
I am grateful for hazelnuts
I am grateful for peanuts