As I find myself in the beginning of 2014, I look forward to my running birthday. I will be a five year-old runner in April 2014. I ran my first half marathon in April 2010, at the age of 44, and I've been hooked ever since.
Don't get me wrong. It's not that I found an innate, natural-born talent to run at a late age. On the contrary, I found the strength to conquer something that was the furthest thing from natural born talent that you can imagine. Running was never something I was good at, enjoyed, or even looked good doing. When I was forced to run the mile in elementary school, I was sent home early because the gym teacher thought I was going to have a heart attack, I had so many red blotches all over my face. Love that the gym teacher gave us zero guidance when it came to pacing. Thanks Mr. Staats.
The year I turned 44, I realized that I could do this thing. Instead of saying "no way," I said "why not?" How hard could it be? So I did it, and once I crossed my first finish line, I never looked back and I never said "Never again." On the contrary, I rejoiced to anyone that would listen, "When is the next race?"
After five years of running on a very consistent basis (and when is the last time you really were consistent with anything? I mean, I diet once a month, I stop drinking wine once a month, and I swear off whatever 'bad thing of the month' that is bugging me, but it never sticks!), I have some perspective to offer you.
Without running, I'd be a complete bitch. No mincing words here.
Without running, my kids would have no reason (ok, one less reason) to be proud of me.
Without running, I would not have learned that a marathon consists of 26.2 miles. (As a runner, you always get asked, "How long is your marathon?", and that's OK. I forgive you.)
Without running, I would not know what a devoted husband I have. He shows up to every race, and he's there at the finish line with Gatorade and a snack selection.
Without running, I wouldn't have the friends that I cherish today.
Without running, I would just lack purpose.
Without running, I wouldn't have anything to bitch about to my husband.
Without running, I'd probably be about 50 pounds heavier.
Without running, I'd be deprived of that high I get almost every time I head out.
Without running, I would not have an excuse to take that Saturday afternoon nap.
Without running, I'm pretty sure that I'd still have dessert, but I wouldn't feel as justified.
Without running, I'd have less cool clothing in my closet.
Without running, I couldn't talk about training in these frigid temperatures, or the heat of the summer, and feel like a total rock star.
Without running, I would not feel proud of myself.
I think that's what it comes down to. I'm not doing this for anyone else but me. I run races, not to display medals (ok, well maybe...), but to say, "I did this!" In 48 years of living, I can honestly say that there is nothing else that compels me like running does. I don't always love running, especially before I run, but I never regret having run, even after the worst runs I can remember. It's like a notch on your belt, life experience, a new wrinkle. It happened for a reason, and for every run, good or bad, I can tell you that I've never regretted doing it. You just have to get yourself out there, but once you're out, you've got it.
And for the inner chubby, unpopular, lazy, awkward kid that I was, that's a pretty big deal.
So what is it that motivates you, and gets you out of bed in the morning?
What makes you less of a bitch?
What makes you feel like a rock star?
Monday, February 17, 2014
Thursday, October 17, 2013
From "I Can't" to "Maybe I Can"
Have you seen this?
This is Maria Kang, and she seems to be causing quite a stir. There are camps that say she's knocking overweight women, and there are camps that are saying, "You go girl!" I happen to be in the 'you go girl' camp, but that is neither here nor there. Discussing the stir surrounding this picture is not my goal today, however. My goal is offer understanding, and perhaps lend some perspective to the buzz.
No one gives birth to three children and looks like that without a lot of hard work. However she got there, that's where she is, and I don't begrudge her that.
I used to come from a place of "I can't." After the high school mile debacle, my mantra was "I can't run." My ex-husband used to like to say, "She can't cook, she can't clean, and she can't sew." (As if that's all a wife was good for! Ha! Good riddance, you jerk!) So I didn't cook, didn't clean and I still don't sew. I signed up for a 5:30 a.m. bootcamp once, and I was so tired at the end of the day, that I decided I couldn't do that either.
That all changed one day, when I said to myself, "Maybe I can." A friend asked me to run a local half marathon with her. Of course my first answer was, "I can't." Then I asked myself why I thought I could not at least attempt this. Why couldn't I try? Why couldn't I train for this? I could not come up with a good answer. That is when I committed 100% to this goal of finishing a half marathon, and I've never looked back.
Unlike the high school cross country athlete who perhaps walks away from her sport to further her career, get married and have children, I was not an athlete as a kid. I didn't do much at all until I decided to run a half marathon at the age of 44. I wasn't a gym rat, I did some Jazzercize back in the day (now I'm really dating myself!), but exercise was not a part of my life.
Deciding to do this seemingly impossible thing was something I committed to like it was my job. Look for a coach, find a gym, do the workouts, read the books and magazines, eat the right food, and take it one day at a time. One workout at a time, even. When you approach a goal this way--take small bites each day in pursuit of your goal--it is completely doable and you learn so much about yourself while you're getting there.
If I didn't have that shift in my thinking, I would not be the person I am today. Maria Kang's body didn't just happen. Maybe she used to be in a place of "I can't" just like the rest of us. You'd never know it from the picture, because humility was not one of her goals in posting it. That's ok, everyone is different. I'd rather allow people to see the good, the bad and the ugly. You don't see all the hard work, stress on the family, sweat and discomfort that Maria endured in order to get to the picture you see. I'm willing to expose that side of me. Now granted, I don't look like she does! I used to weigh 25 pounds more than I do today, but I'm still not that! What I am is stronger, leaner and faster than I used to be, and that's what's important to me. You can never go into something new and different without telling yourself that the only person that you're trying to be better than is yourself.
Today, when you're thinking of all the things that seem impossible to do, allow the thought of "Maybe I can..." to work its way into your brain. We all have it in us to accomplish the seemingly impossible. Instead of convincing ourselves that we can't, let the maybe in.
Do you have a goal that you think you can't accomplish?
What's your excuse?
Happy Thursday, everyone!
Robin
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Wineglass Half Marathon Weekend Update
Sit down, grab some coffee and put those reading glasses on! It's Weekend Update time!
This past weekend I ran the Wineglass Half Marathon in Corning, NY. Ever since the hotel debacle that happened the night before my full marathon in 2011, I have been a stickler for booking the right hotel way in advance of race weekend. Corning is about 190 miles away from home, which meant an opportunity for us to get away for the weekend at a nice, cushy hotel. Hotel options were not abundant in Corning, so we ended up finding a very nice hotel in a little town called Watkins Glen, in the Finger Lakes region. Watkins Glen is about 30 miles from Corning, but I figured that'd give us the chance to see the general area, and catch some local flavor.
My husband and I started our journey on Friday afternoon. Knowing that this particular race was a "goal race," I decided that I would not be consuming a drop of alcohol this weekend. If you know anything about me, you know I enjoy a nice glass of wine now and again, especially when we travel. I am not the kind of girl to give up a beautiful Pinot Noir just because there is a race the next day. In fact, once I completed a 20-mile training run while I was still tipsy from the night before.
During the ride, I had that feeling that you get when you know you forgot something important. I mentally ticked off the checklist in my head, and realized that whatever it was that I had forgotten could be purchased at our destination. We weren't visiting a third-world country, after all. As we pulled up to our hotel, I am happy that it looks lovely. Checked in, ordered some room service, snuggle into bed and had a good night's sleep. Upon waking the next morning, I quickly realize what I had forgotten.
Perhaps you do not fully comprehend the exhaustive list of things you must remember for a race, especially while traveling. The obvious things like running shoes, socks, outfit, and Garmin come easily. The other things require some thought. Should I run with music, or without? With requires armband and headphones. If I run without music, I need something to carry my phone, so I'll pack that little waistband thingy, which also holds my GU. May as well pack another pair of running shoes, just in case, and ok fine, another pair of socks. Then it's time to decide what kind of head covering to wear. If it's going to be hot, a visor. If it's going to rain, a cap. Grab both, decide later. Don't forget the ponytail holder. Sunscreen, handheld water bottle, Body Glide, sunglasses, race-morning breakfast options, baby wipes for guerilla-type shower after race so I don't smell up car on the way home. I got it all. Except for one thing--underwear. Yes, I remembered every piece of runner minutiae ever invented, but I forgot good, old-fashioned underwear. Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees, throwing the baby out with the bathwater, and micromanaging.
Good thing we had Saturday to have some fun. And underwear shop. Before I continue with the rest of the weekend, I have to give a shout-out to Trip Advisor. We used this app extensively to find the mall (underwear) and restaurants (breakfast). Very useful. Breakfast was at Savard's Family Restaurant, and they had really cool placemats where there are hidden objects drawn into the ads to pass the time while waiting for food.
This happened to be a place frequented by the biker crowd. I would've taken a picture of them, but I feared for my life. We're still not sure what the attraction of the bikers to that town was. Maybe one of you know?
We headed to the expo from there to grab my bib, and little did we know that they gave out other goodies too!
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| I picked the wrong day to quit drinking! |
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| There was a wineglass too, but Jim already wrapped it up. |
The Corning Museum of Glass was next, since it was next door to the YMCA where we picked up the bib and goodies. We saw the Hot Glass Show, where they demonstrated how to blow glass (very cool), and we shopped at the museum store. Here are a few pictures of us at the I did mention our sense of humor was juvenile, right?
Since I was without significant underclothing, next on the agenda was, well, that. Trip Advisor to the rescue again! We found the local mall, and had a good time with the name. It was the Arnot Mall. As in, "We Arnot a real mall." We found this to be true. It was the most depressing mall at which we ever had the pleasure of shopping. Since we were kid-less for the weekend, we decided to take in a movie at the (We) Arnot (a) Regal Movie Theatre. We saw Gravity, with Sandra Bullock and five minutes of George Clooney. We liked it.
Back to our lovely hotel for a nap, then dinner at a cute little Italian restaurant.
Sunday morning started out wet. We woke up at 5 a.m. to pouring rain. Good thing I had many cap options, and if necessary, we could've stopped at the (We) Arnot (a) Convenience Store for a trash bag rain coat. Fortunately, it wasn't necessary! Yay! All the rain did its thing by 7 a.m., and it was cool, dry and absolutely perfect running weather. Here's my selfie on race morning.
It's all good though, I was only a few minutes slower than my best, and I'm OK with that. I like to think about my husband and kids as I cross, and the fact that I am completely in control of my accomplishments. In fact, these days, I'm learning it's one of the only things I can control. The race wound through charming towns, had friendly and encouraging crowd support, and the best thing? The medal. You've gotta see this medal.
And here I am, after finishing my tenth half marathon since I began running in 2010. I gotta tell you, it's a great feeling!
Are you forgetful?
Do you have a juvenile sense of humor? I probably would not if it weren't for my husband. He brings out the best (worst?) of me.
Thanks for stopping by!
Robin
Thursday, October 3, 2013
Too Fat for Shoes
"Comparison is the thief of joy," wrote Theodore Roosevelt.
With just a few words, this great man has not only acknowledged that we all compare ourselves to others, but he has also given us an excellent reason to stop. To compare yourself to others will rob you of the joy that you would normally have, so stop comparing yourself! What we all try to say with a whole lot more words, he has said so succinctly, and so perfectly.
I find myself comparing almost every day. Even when I know that it's not a healthy thing to do, I find myself doing it anyway. I was in DSW the other day, looking for a pair of boots. A pair of brown boots, to be exact. If you've ever been to DSW, you know how many aisles of boots they have, and I love it.
So I do the cursory browse down the aisles, but nothing is jumping out at me. I saunter through a few more times, almost ready to give up and go home, when a beautiful, tall blonde woman walks very purposefully by me. In five seconds flat, I scan her from head to toe when BOOM. "Daddy, I want the boots she's wearing!" (I'm trying to channel my inner Veruca Salt here.) They looked so good on her. I had walked by that particular pair several times, thinking they were 'too much.' Well, not on her! Too much was just right.
I follow her to the location of the boots she is wearing, where she is sitting down. I casually walk by and said, "Oh, you've got those boots on, right?", pointing to the pair on the shelf. She told me that she loved them so much, she had to get them in black too. She quickly tries them on, they fit perfectly, of course, and she glides off to the front of the store to pay. I never thought of myself as a visual person, but I think I'm quickly becoming one. I had to have those boots.
These boots aren't just any old boot, they happen to be slightly over the knee. Not too much, but just enough. They are awesome. I sit down to try them on and I am able to slip my foot into the boot itself, but now I've gotta do some finagling to get them zipped up. These particular boots have a side zip that stops right below the cuff, so that the beautiful cuff can come up to the knee and just look fabulous. I go to zip it up, and those beautiful, magical, tall-blonde-woman boots will not zip up over my gigantic calves. Try as I might, I could not squeeze the fat down into the boot one more iota without performing do-it-yourself surgery.
So I begin doing what I usually do when I'm frustrated. I talk to myself. "Really? I mean, I must be the only woman on Earth who, in the midst of a 300-pair bootapalooza, is too fat for the only pair I like!" and "This isn't happening right now," as if this is the most devastating news I could possibly hear right now.
I sat there for a minute, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. I cannot wear these boots, because I am too fat for them. But SHE wasn't too fat for the boots. Oh, nooooo! In fact, now she has two pairs of those sacred things. Gosh, she even has good hair. And that sweater paired with the jeans was just perfect. Grrrrr, I hate her. I want to be her.
That's when I stopped myself. These calves may be too big for those particular boots, but these calves have taken me pretty far. My hair may not be as smooth and shiny as that woman's, but at least I have hair, and I'm not struggling with chemo and losing it. Who knows what else that woman struggles with that I don't? Yes, I have my problems in life, but they're mine. I don't want yours.
Do you find yourself comparing to others? Do you catch yourself and stop, or not?
Do you have a shoe fetish?
See you tomorrow!
Robbi
With just a few words, this great man has not only acknowledged that we all compare ourselves to others, but he has also given us an excellent reason to stop. To compare yourself to others will rob you of the joy that you would normally have, so stop comparing yourself! What we all try to say with a whole lot more words, he has said so succinctly, and so perfectly.
I find myself comparing almost every day. Even when I know that it's not a healthy thing to do, I find myself doing it anyway. I was in DSW the other day, looking for a pair of boots. A pair of brown boots, to be exact. If you've ever been to DSW, you know how many aisles of boots they have, and I love it.
So I do the cursory browse down the aisles, but nothing is jumping out at me. I saunter through a few more times, almost ready to give up and go home, when a beautiful, tall blonde woman walks very purposefully by me. In five seconds flat, I scan her from head to toe when BOOM. "Daddy, I want the boots she's wearing!" (I'm trying to channel my inner Veruca Salt here.) They looked so good on her. I had walked by that particular pair several times, thinking they were 'too much.' Well, not on her! Too much was just right.
I follow her to the location of the boots she is wearing, where she is sitting down. I casually walk by and said, "Oh, you've got those boots on, right?", pointing to the pair on the shelf. She told me that she loved them so much, she had to get them in black too. She quickly tries them on, they fit perfectly, of course, and she glides off to the front of the store to pay. I never thought of myself as a visual person, but I think I'm quickly becoming one. I had to have those boots.
These boots aren't just any old boot, they happen to be slightly over the knee. Not too much, but just enough. They are awesome. I sit down to try them on and I am able to slip my foot into the boot itself, but now I've gotta do some finagling to get them zipped up. These particular boots have a side zip that stops right below the cuff, so that the beautiful cuff can come up to the knee and just look fabulous. I go to zip it up, and those beautiful, magical, tall-blonde-woman boots will not zip up over my gigantic calves. Try as I might, I could not squeeze the fat down into the boot one more iota without performing do-it-yourself surgery.
So I begin doing what I usually do when I'm frustrated. I talk to myself. "Really? I mean, I must be the only woman on Earth who, in the midst of a 300-pair bootapalooza, is too fat for the only pair I like!" and "This isn't happening right now," as if this is the most devastating news I could possibly hear right now.
I sat there for a minute, letting the gravity of the situation sink in. I cannot wear these boots, because I am too fat for them. But SHE wasn't too fat for the boots. Oh, nooooo! In fact, now she has two pairs of those sacred things. Gosh, she even has good hair. And that sweater paired with the jeans was just perfect. Grrrrr, I hate her. I want to be her.
That's when I stopped myself. These calves may be too big for those particular boots, but these calves have taken me pretty far. My hair may not be as smooth and shiny as that woman's, but at least I have hair, and I'm not struggling with chemo and losing it. Who knows what else that woman struggles with that I don't? Yes, I have my problems in life, but they're mine. I don't want yours.
Do you find yourself comparing to others? Do you catch yourself and stop, or not?
Do you have a shoe fetish?
See you tomorrow!
Robbi
Wednesday, October 2, 2013
The One Mile Run Test
Do you remember the One-Mile Run test in high school?
For me, it was the worst day of the year. When I found out that our gym class had to run the mile, I would literally break out into a cold sweat. I hated
gym class, and I especially hated running. Interestingly enough, I attended my youngest son's back to school night this past week. Gym class is so much different than when I was a kid. Now, you don't have to participate in the sport of the week. Yea, you heard me. Now, you have a choice. You can go into the fitness center for some cardio or weight machines, you can go into the gym and shoot hoops casually, but you don't have to do the sport. Life now is all about options. You can do this, or hey, if you don't wanna do this, then do that. As long as you're moving around, you're good. No worries! Not that I wish I was a kid growing up now, but a few choices would've been nice back in the day.
I have vivid memories of one year in particular, when we had to do the One-Mile run test. I think it was part of the Presidential Fitness Test, or something like that. Remember the shuttle run, the 100-yard dash, and that 'see how far you can jump' test? Anyway, I was a junior in high school and it was one mile test day. Mind you, the gym teachers back then didn't think it was a good idea to give any pointers to the kids. "Hey guys, it's simple! Just get out there and run a mile." Running a mile, when you never, ever run, is really hard. It would've been nice to learn a little something about pacing. Go out slower than you should, and pick it up towards the end. Some kind of advice for us fat kids would've been helpful.
So the whole class lines up on the track, and the gym teacher yells, "Go!" So I went. Like a bat out of hell I went, wondering why I was ahead of everyone else. I thought, "Hey, maybe I'm not so bad at this whole running thing!" Well, as you can imagine, by the first lap I was sucking wind. I wasn't feeling so well during the second lap, and the third and fourth were pathetic. I finished last, and with so many red blotches on my face, that the gym teacher sent me to the nurse.
The nurse said I should rest, then proceeded to call my mother to tell her to pick me up from school. That's how unfit I was as a youth. I hated sports, I hated gym class, and I really hated running, especially after this complete embarrassment. Did I mention that I hated running?
How in the world then, did I get into running in my 40's? Well kids, that's a story for another time.
Were you a gym class lover, or an uncoordinated unfortunate soul in high school?
Do you do something now that you hated when you were younger?
For me, it was the worst day of the year. When I found out that our gym class had to run the mile, I would literally break out into a cold sweat. I hated
gym class, and I especially hated running. Interestingly enough, I attended my youngest son's back to school night this past week. Gym class is so much different than when I was a kid. Now, you don't have to participate in the sport of the week. Yea, you heard me. Now, you have a choice. You can go into the fitness center for some cardio or weight machines, you can go into the gym and shoot hoops casually, but you don't have to do the sport. Life now is all about options. You can do this, or hey, if you don't wanna do this, then do that. As long as you're moving around, you're good. No worries! Not that I wish I was a kid growing up now, but a few choices would've been nice back in the day.I have vivid memories of one year in particular, when we had to do the One-Mile run test. I think it was part of the Presidential Fitness Test, or something like that. Remember the shuttle run, the 100-yard dash, and that 'see how far you can jump' test? Anyway, I was a junior in high school and it was one mile test day. Mind you, the gym teachers back then didn't think it was a good idea to give any pointers to the kids. "Hey guys, it's simple! Just get out there and run a mile." Running a mile, when you never, ever run, is really hard. It would've been nice to learn a little something about pacing. Go out slower than you should, and pick it up towards the end. Some kind of advice for us fat kids would've been helpful.
So the whole class lines up on the track, and the gym teacher yells, "Go!" So I went. Like a bat out of hell I went, wondering why I was ahead of everyone else. I thought, "Hey, maybe I'm not so bad at this whole running thing!" Well, as you can imagine, by the first lap I was sucking wind. I wasn't feeling so well during the second lap, and the third and fourth were pathetic. I finished last, and with so many red blotches on my face, that the gym teacher sent me to the nurse.
The nurse said I should rest, then proceeded to call my mother to tell her to pick me up from school. That's how unfit I was as a youth. I hated sports, I hated gym class, and I really hated running, especially after this complete embarrassment. Did I mention that I hated running?
How in the world then, did I get into running in my 40's? Well kids, that's a story for another time.
Were you a gym class lover, or an uncoordinated unfortunate soul in high school?
Do you do something now that you hated when you were younger?
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
An 8 Week Plan to Get Ready for Christmas: Runner's Edition
It's October 1. You know what this means, right?
Christmas is coming like a freight train. I really wish that the coming of October did not scare me to pieces, but it does. Why? Cooler temperatures mean fall, and fall is GYST (Get Your Shit Together) Season. Christmas stresses the heck out of me, and it always has. Playing Santa to four kids, my husband, two sets of parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, girlfriends, boyfriends, teachers, mailmen, paperboy, dry cleaners, UPS guy, and the dog ain't easy! It's one of those things that, once you get going, isn't so bad. Certainly, when it's over, the afterglow of happy kids makes it all worth it. When you're in the trenches, though, it can be hell! There's so much stress between Thanksgiving and Christmas, brought on by the retail industry, that I always second guess myself. Do they all have the same number of gifts? Did I forget the obvious gift that he/she wanted this year? What about that one gift that everyone is getting this year...do we need it too?
My husband made a silly remark the other day, challenging our family to have our shopping and wrapping done by December 1. So I looked at it just like training for a big race; we have to plan this out. This kind of goal doesn't just happen by itself. So I've come up with a training plan for the beginner, intermediate and advanced shopper/giver/wrapper/decorator. If we start today, I think we can do this thing.
Week 1 (10/1-10/7):
Beginner: Buy a pretty new notebook to make lists of things in. Oh, and pick up some brightly-colored pens. List-making is FUN! (Pace: taking it slow)
Intermediate: Beginners plan PLUS list the people you need to buy for. (Pace: If I don't stick to the plan from Week 1, I may fall behind.)
Advanced: Intermediate plan PLUS come up with one major gift for each person. (Pace: Notebook-check, pens-check, list-check, major gift-check. What's next, because I'm an overachiever. Let's get this party started.)
Week 2 (10/8-10/14):
Beginner: This is going to be so much FUN! I love my new notebook and beautiful pens! I still have time for all this silly holiday planning, so I'm just going to buy some pumpkins and decorate for Halloween. It'll be so much FUN! (Pace: I'm good. I'm happy. I'll be fine, really.)
Intermediate: Scout on Amazon for major gifts. (Pace: I am so on track right now, and I feel great.)
Advanced: Order major gifts on Amazon and have them shipped gift-wrapped. (Pace: Excellent, feeling good, although I could go faster, but it's still early.)
Week 3 (10/15-10/21):
Beginner: I started making a list, but I was sidetracked by the fact that I still needed pumpkins, scarecrows and hay bales, but I'm FINE! (Pace: One holiday at a time, OK?)
Intermediate: Is it too early to think about getting the Christmas decorations down? (Pace: Get the ladder, honey.)
Advanced: Find excellent hiding spot for gift-wrapped packages, and while I'm at it, clean out that closet. (Pace: Overachiever mode.)
Week 4 (10/22-10/28):
Beginner: Buy Halloween candy while shopping. (Pace: What? Kids gotta have the candy, man!)
Intermediate: All this early Christmas prep really screwed up my Halloween. (Pace: not feeling it anymore.)
Advanced: Halloween shopping was done in August, dudes! Time to wrap! (Pace: Definitely hyper-speed.)
Week 5 (10/29-11/4):
Beginner: Buy more Halloween candy because you ate the supply from last week. (Pace: Where's my pretty notebook and cool pens?)
Intermediate: Throw back a few beers after the kids are finished trick-or-treating. Chocolate makes you thirsty. (Pace: Is it too soon to carb load?)
Advanced: Fill in list with fun stuff and stocking stuffers. (Pace: I'm still so early, it's ridiculous!)
Week 6 (11/5-11/11):
Beginner: Raid kids' candy stash. (Pace: I think it's the month Thanksgiving falls in, but I'm on such a sugar high, I could be wrong.)
Intermediate: I could still do this whole 'be ready early' thing. I totally could. (Pace: needing a kick in the pants.)
Advanced: Why not go get a turkey...no, make that TWO turkeys. I'll need them this holiday season. Preparing feels good. I'm so much better than everyone else right now. (Pace: Woo Hoo!)
Week 7 (11/12-11/18):
Beginner: What a nice little break between Halloween and Thanksgiving! I think I'll put my feet up and relax this week! (Pace: La De Dah, La De Dah.)
Intermediate: Holy Shit! If I'm going to be finished in 13 days, I better start soon. (Pace: OMG, 13 days, really?)
Advanced: I may start early meal prepping activities for Thanksgiving. Yes, I'm calm, cool, and collected. (Pace: Arrogance. Pure, unadulterated arrogance.)
Week 8 (11/19-11/30): Yes, I know that 12 day weeks do not exist, but for purposes of this example, gimme a little artistic license, OK?
Beginner: Oh. My. God. Who put Thanksgiving on the calendar so early this year? Why are there no handy guides for planning for Thanksgiving, for God's sake? Why is this whole Xmas thing so important anyway? (Pace: spinning out of control, I don't even have time to spell Christmas. I mean Xmas.)
Intermediate: I have slacked off for a few weeks now. Check the list, shop for more stuff, buy wrapping paper, serve Thanksgiving dinner to 14 people with a damn smile on your face, find the ladder, get the decorations down, buy the tree, decorate the tree, run around the house spraying evergreen-scented air freshener, nag husband to put house lights up, think about wrapping gifts...(Pace: frantic frenzy.)
Advanced: Realizing that all gifts are wrapped, having a Homer Simpson "D'oh" moment when you realize you forgot the gift tags. "Shit." (Pace: "Shit.")
So, you see, in my humblest of opinions, moderation is the key. And by moderation, I mean do everything at the last minute. Who isn't motivated by a goal?
Are you an early shopper?
Totally unrelated...What's on your Christmas (Hannukah/Kwanzaa) list this year?
Christmas is coming like a freight train. I really wish that the coming of October did not scare me to pieces, but it does. Why? Cooler temperatures mean fall, and fall is GYST (Get Your Shit Together) Season. Christmas stresses the heck out of me, and it always has. Playing Santa to four kids, my husband, two sets of parents, brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, girlfriends, boyfriends, teachers, mailmen, paperboy, dry cleaners, UPS guy, and the dog ain't easy! It's one of those things that, once you get going, isn't so bad. Certainly, when it's over, the afterglow of happy kids makes it all worth it. When you're in the trenches, though, it can be hell! There's so much stress between Thanksgiving and Christmas, brought on by the retail industry, that I always second guess myself. Do they all have the same number of gifts? Did I forget the obvious gift that he/she wanted this year? What about that one gift that everyone is getting this year...do we need it too?
My husband made a silly remark the other day, challenging our family to have our shopping and wrapping done by December 1. So I looked at it just like training for a big race; we have to plan this out. This kind of goal doesn't just happen by itself. So I've come up with a training plan for the beginner, intermediate and advanced shopper/giver/wrapper/decorator. If we start today, I think we can do this thing.
Week 1 (10/1-10/7):
Beginner: Buy a pretty new notebook to make lists of things in. Oh, and pick up some brightly-colored pens. List-making is FUN! (Pace: taking it slow)
Intermediate: Beginners plan PLUS list the people you need to buy for. (Pace: If I don't stick to the plan from Week 1, I may fall behind.)
Advanced: Intermediate plan PLUS come up with one major gift for each person. (Pace: Notebook-check, pens-check, list-check, major gift-check. What's next, because I'm an overachiever. Let's get this party started.)
Week 2 (10/8-10/14):
Beginner: This is going to be so much FUN! I love my new notebook and beautiful pens! I still have time for all this silly holiday planning, so I'm just going to buy some pumpkins and decorate for Halloween. It'll be so much FUN! (Pace: I'm good. I'm happy. I'll be fine, really.)
Intermediate: Scout on Amazon for major gifts. (Pace: I am so on track right now, and I feel great.)
Advanced: Order major gifts on Amazon and have them shipped gift-wrapped. (Pace: Excellent, feeling good, although I could go faster, but it's still early.)
Week 3 (10/15-10/21):
Beginner: I started making a list, but I was sidetracked by the fact that I still needed pumpkins, scarecrows and hay bales, but I'm FINE! (Pace: One holiday at a time, OK?)
Intermediate: Is it too early to think about getting the Christmas decorations down? (Pace: Get the ladder, honey.)
Advanced: Find excellent hiding spot for gift-wrapped packages, and while I'm at it, clean out that closet. (Pace: Overachiever mode.)
Week 4 (10/22-10/28):
Beginner: Buy Halloween candy while shopping. (Pace: What? Kids gotta have the candy, man!)
Intermediate: All this early Christmas prep really screwed up my Halloween. (Pace: not feeling it anymore.)
Advanced: Halloween shopping was done in August, dudes! Time to wrap! (Pace: Definitely hyper-speed.)
Week 5 (10/29-11/4):
Beginner: Buy more Halloween candy because you ate the supply from last week. (Pace: Where's my pretty notebook and cool pens?)
Intermediate: Throw back a few beers after the kids are finished trick-or-treating. Chocolate makes you thirsty. (Pace: Is it too soon to carb load?)
Advanced: Fill in list with fun stuff and stocking stuffers. (Pace: I'm still so early, it's ridiculous!)
Week 6 (11/5-11/11):
Beginner: Raid kids' candy stash. (Pace: I think it's the month Thanksgiving falls in, but I'm on such a sugar high, I could be wrong.)
Intermediate: I could still do this whole 'be ready early' thing. I totally could. (Pace: needing a kick in the pants.)
Advanced: Why not go get a turkey...no, make that TWO turkeys. I'll need them this holiday season. Preparing feels good. I'm so much better than everyone else right now. (Pace: Woo Hoo!)
Week 7 (11/12-11/18):
Beginner: What a nice little break between Halloween and Thanksgiving! I think I'll put my feet up and relax this week! (Pace: La De Dah, La De Dah.)
Intermediate: Holy Shit! If I'm going to be finished in 13 days, I better start soon. (Pace: OMG, 13 days, really?)
Advanced: I may start early meal prepping activities for Thanksgiving. Yes, I'm calm, cool, and collected. (Pace: Arrogance. Pure, unadulterated arrogance.)
Week 8 (11/19-11/30): Yes, I know that 12 day weeks do not exist, but for purposes of this example, gimme a little artistic license, OK?
Beginner: Oh. My. God. Who put Thanksgiving on the calendar so early this year? Why are there no handy guides for planning for Thanksgiving, for God's sake? Why is this whole Xmas thing so important anyway? (Pace: spinning out of control, I don't even have time to spell Christmas. I mean Xmas.)
Intermediate: I have slacked off for a few weeks now. Check the list, shop for more stuff, buy wrapping paper, serve Thanksgiving dinner to 14 people with a damn smile on your face, find the ladder, get the decorations down, buy the tree, decorate the tree, run around the house spraying evergreen-scented air freshener, nag husband to put house lights up, think about wrapping gifts...(Pace: frantic frenzy.)
Advanced: Realizing that all gifts are wrapped, having a Homer Simpson "D'oh" moment when you realize you forgot the gift tags. "Shit." (Pace: "Shit.")
So, you see, in my humblest of opinions, moderation is the key. And by moderation, I mean do everything at the last minute. Who isn't motivated by a goal?
Are you an early shopper?
Totally unrelated...What's on your Christmas (Hannukah/Kwanzaa) list this year?
Monday, July 29, 2013
Vicious Cycles
Don't pretend you didn't miss me!
Instead of being silent about why I've been so silent, I'm sharing a little bit about what's been going on lately. We are having some serious family issues right now with one of our college-age kids, and it's really been getting to me. It is affecting every facet of my life, including running. I know for a fact that a good, sweaty run will improve my outlook on life, my mood and consequently, I run happy again the next day, and the day after that. Well, it stopped working. I mean, what the hell? I thought this running thing was supposed to make everything better. Can you actually build up a tolerance to running, like people do with drugs, where you need more and more to get your fix?
In the real world, bad stuff happens, and for me, running usually gives me a different perspective on the bad stuff. Sometimes, all you need is a shift in your perception to change your reality. But lately, the perspective has been going nowhere, and therefore the running is going nowhere too. Add to that the heat and humidity of July (minus two wonderfully cool, glorious days last week), multiply it by the kid issue and snap! You've got a vicious cycle on your hands.
So if you're in my head, this is what you'd hear:
Starting Point: I feel like crap, so I'll go for a run.
While Running: Jeez, I thought this run would make me feel better, at least temporarily. So why the hell am I crying? Oh right, because, unlike baseball, there IS crying in running.
Post-Run: Well, that sucked.
......
The Next Morning: I still feel like crap, so I'll go for a run. Hold on. This didn't work yesterday. Why would it work today? But hey, you never know what fun things might happen when you get out there, so just go. OK, fine.
While Running: I got nothing. Just nothing.
Post Run: WTF?!?
See what I mean? So the gigantic elephant in the room, the 100-lb. gorilla, the $100,000 question is...WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT, HUH? Something's gotta give. We cannot continue to do the same thing day after day, and expect different results. Routines can be great, but when you've got this vicious cycle thing happening, you have to break your routine and do something different.
So mid-blog, I've decided what that would be. I reached out to a friend and asked him to run with me this week. I know it sounds like nothing, but I normally run alone, on my own schedule, according to my own psychoses. But wait. I do know that every time I drag myself (getting out the door is sometimes the hardest part!) to my running group, I always feel so freaking great afterwards. I get this sparkling energy from my running friends, and it lasts me until the next run, and maybe even the next, to the point where my starting point dialogue magically changes. This is exactly what I need in order to break the cycle and get a good run under my belt.
I know myself well enough to understand that once I get this way, I need a chain gang of people to pull the bad stuff out of my head, to make space to cram some positive energy and thoughts back in there. I'm usually pretty "up", especially when it comes to running. Like, don't even ask me about a race, or my last long run, or how my already slow paces are just getting slower, or you'll see my inner running geek rear it's ugly head. I'm normally pretty quiet, but when it comes to running, I'll talk all dog-gone day about it. It gets worse when the running gets bad. My husband is a great supporter of my running, but when I get into this negative spin cycle, he checks out.
I don't blame him. Sometimes, I need to check out too. Maybe I can't change my family issue right now, and I certainly have no control over the weather. I can only change what I can control. I know what works for me, and what doesn't. I'm going to make this one small change this week, and I have no doubt that it will turn my running upside down, which is exactly what I need right now.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer in this kind of a setting, but I realize that everyone has ups and downs. Facebook is a wonderful tool for giving and getting motivation, but you usually will not see the mundane trials and tribulations of people's everyday problems (that's not 100% true--we all have those "friends" who share absolutely everything.) I wouldn't be true to myself if I were to project only my happy self to you. I've been in a slump lately, for sure, but I'm doing what I can to pull myself up out of it, with a little help from my friends.
What do you do when you find yourself in a negative spin cycle?
Did you ever realize that raising kids was this hard?
Instead of being silent about why I've been so silent, I'm sharing a little bit about what's been going on lately. We are having some serious family issues right now with one of our college-age kids, and it's really been getting to me. It is affecting every facet of my life, including running. I know for a fact that a good, sweaty run will improve my outlook on life, my mood and consequently, I run happy again the next day, and the day after that. Well, it stopped working. I mean, what the hell? I thought this running thing was supposed to make everything better. Can you actually build up a tolerance to running, like people do with drugs, where you need more and more to get your fix?
In the real world, bad stuff happens, and for me, running usually gives me a different perspective on the bad stuff. Sometimes, all you need is a shift in your perception to change your reality. But lately, the perspective has been going nowhere, and therefore the running is going nowhere too. Add to that the heat and humidity of July (minus two wonderfully cool, glorious days last week), multiply it by the kid issue and snap! You've got a vicious cycle on your hands.
So if you're in my head, this is what you'd hear:
Starting Point: I feel like crap, so I'll go for a run.
While Running: Jeez, I thought this run would make me feel better, at least temporarily. So why the hell am I crying? Oh right, because, unlike baseball, there IS crying in running.
Post-Run: Well, that sucked.
......
The Next Morning: I still feel like crap, so I'll go for a run. Hold on. This didn't work yesterday. Why would it work today? But hey, you never know what fun things might happen when you get out there, so just go. OK, fine.
While Running: I got nothing. Just nothing.
Post Run: WTF?!?
See what I mean? So the gigantic elephant in the room, the 100-lb. gorilla, the $100,000 question is...WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO ABOUT IT, HUH? Something's gotta give. We cannot continue to do the same thing day after day, and expect different results. Routines can be great, but when you've got this vicious cycle thing happening, you have to break your routine and do something different.
So mid-blog, I've decided what that would be. I reached out to a friend and asked him to run with me this week. I know it sounds like nothing, but I normally run alone, on my own schedule, according to my own psychoses. But wait. I do know that every time I drag myself (getting out the door is sometimes the hardest part!) to my running group, I always feel so freaking great afterwards. I get this sparkling energy from my running friends, and it lasts me until the next run, and maybe even the next, to the point where my starting point dialogue magically changes. This is exactly what I need in order to break the cycle and get a good run under my belt.
I know myself well enough to understand that once I get this way, I need a chain gang of people to pull the bad stuff out of my head, to make space to cram some positive energy and thoughts back in there. I'm usually pretty "up", especially when it comes to running. Like, don't even ask me about a race, or my last long run, or how my already slow paces are just getting slower, or you'll see my inner running geek rear it's ugly head. I'm normally pretty quiet, but when it comes to running, I'll talk all dog-gone day about it. It gets worse when the running gets bad. My husband is a great supporter of my running, but when I get into this negative spin cycle, he checks out.
I don't blame him. Sometimes, I need to check out too. Maybe I can't change my family issue right now, and I certainly have no control over the weather. I can only change what I can control. I know what works for me, and what doesn't. I'm going to make this one small change this week, and I have no doubt that it will turn my running upside down, which is exactly what I need right now.
I hate to be a Debbie Downer in this kind of a setting, but I realize that everyone has ups and downs. Facebook is a wonderful tool for giving and getting motivation, but you usually will not see the mundane trials and tribulations of people's everyday problems (that's not 100% true--we all have those "friends" who share absolutely everything.) I wouldn't be true to myself if I were to project only my happy self to you. I've been in a slump lately, for sure, but I'm doing what I can to pull myself up out of it, with a little help from my friends.
What do you do when you find yourself in a negative spin cycle?
Did you ever realize that raising kids was this hard?
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