Wrapping Up a Good Year

I’ve become increasingly aware of people who say good riddance to the previous year. Hell, I was that person last year.

But this year was a good year. I got a job, a job I enjoy and I have room for growth in. We put our house on the market. We’re looking forward to starting a family in the somewhat near future. We’ve accomplished a lot.

Each year is always an unknown. I know that some years are better than others, but I hope that 2011 is just as good as 2010, if not better. We have a lot to look forward to. We have a lot to be thankful for. We came out of 2010 better than we went in, so in my book, that’s a good year.

If At First You Don’t Succeed…

2010 is wrapped up. Remember this goal from January 1, 2010? Yep, I failed. I only ran 640.57 miles in 2010. Ok, failure isn’t exactly the right word for it since running that much is a pretty big accomplishment, but being that it’s January 1, 2011, it’s time to try again. This morning I reset my Nike+ running goal for 750 miles in 2011.

My biggest hurdle is going to be getting through the summer months. They are just flat out miserable. Warm, humid, blech. I need to push myself this year to get through that.  I fell behind miserably during these months last year, so hopefully this year won’t be a repeat of that.

I don’t know what this year will bring running-wise. Maybe another half marathon, maybe a triathlon, I don’t know. We’ll see. I still have a decent base from my half marathon training, even though I did take a week off after the race to rest. I hadn’t done that in too long. It’s been a bit rough trying to get back into it from the motivation standpoint, but I’ll get there. I remember this from last May when I took a week off. Luckily now  is my favorite time to run since it’s nice and chilly in the mornings.

I’m hoping to drop my averages too. Nike+ does a great job of telling me my averages per run, month or year. 2010 was a 10:42 average (there was quite a bit of walking during those summer months!) and I burned roughly 68,000 calories. It’s pretty amazing looking at those totals.

So here’s to 2011 and a new goal.

Success.

It’s official; I’m a half marathoner.

Today I finished the Thunder Road/Amica Half Marathon. I was about 8 minutes off of my goal time of 2:15, which is fine. My unofficial time was 2:23:53. I finished.

Mile 4 was 100% uphill and about a quarter of the way through that, I said screw it. I was planning on running the whole thing, but it got to a point where I figured I’d rather finish and feel good about it instead of getting to the finish and being miserable. So I walked. There are actually training plans out there that have you do a combination of  walking and running, but I have this thing where I’d much rather run the entire thing. It’s a mentality I guess. I have nothing against those who walk/run (because obviously I did this this time), but it’s a personal preference that I run the entire thing.

Training these last couple weeks was long. Those 5 milers at 5am were pretty miserable. I found myself a little burned out on running, so I didn’t have a ton of motivation to get them done. I did them, but I wasn’t thrilled about them. The funny thing is that these runs, once I got about 2 miles into it, were easy. I guess that’s what happens when you’re doing 9 and 10 mile runs on the weekends.

During the course of this training, I also gained 5lbs. 5 freaking pounds. You’d think that with the increased activity level, I’d at least have maintained, if not lost. Nope. Not me. Turns out that as you train for distance events, your body starts burning calories more efficiently. Granted, I did occasionally fall into the “I ran today, I can eat this” trap, but overall, my eating wasn’t too bad. But still, I need to work on reversing that number on the scale. I got up to 151.8, eek.

My pace hasn’t been anything to write home about, but I have successfully completed the training program. Not only that, I successfully completed my first half marathon. Not bad for barely being able to run 5 minutes back in May of 2007.

Progress.

Obviously I haven’t made progress in trying to sit down and write twice a week, but I AM making progress in my half marathon training. That’s something, right?

I’m currently in the middle of Week 6 (YIKES!! That means this thing is in less than 2 months!) and things are looking up. I ran a 4 miler yesterday with an average pace of 10:31/mile, which is better than 11:00+/mile. Still not where I want to be, but at least I can say I’m trying. I busted out 2 miles this morning in a 9:59 average pace, but that was about all I could do at that pace. My race goal is 2:15, so that’s what, a 10:20 pace? Doable at the rate I’m going… I do need to bring down my longer run paces though. Right now I’m going at a leisurely pace instead of a workout/training pace, but I’m concentrating on getting through those distances at the same time. That mental block is still (somewhat) in the way, but at least I am running 100% of the time now. I do have an extra week built into my training schedule, so if needed, I can repeat a week. So far, so good though.

I do have to confess I’m failing miserably at the strength and cross-training aspects of this training plan. I get to the pool to swim and I have no motivation. I think part of my problem is that I’m trying to do it only once a week, so it’s easier to sit and talk to the lifeguards than it is to get my ass in the pool. The other thing is time. With our basement being all out of order for the past few weeks, things haven’t been where they belong and I haven’t taken the time to put them back. C did put the weights back the other day, but now I need to find the time to use them. I have no excuses. I just lack the energy and motivation.

One shameless plug before I sign off for the day… for my birthday, I asked for a hand-held water bottle. One of the things I’ve always been awful about is staying hydrated. I’ve talked with a few people on some message boards and via Twitter and they all suggested getting a water bottle with a strap and also using some gels/bloks to keep the energy levels up. This is the water bottle I settled on.

LOVE IT.

I did a 6 mile run with it last weekend and it took a little getting use to, but overall? I’m in love. Not only did it make me drink water throughout the run, it really didn’t bother me like I thought it would. I did switch it from hand to hand occasionally because my hand got sweaty, but I’m sure after a couple more runs I won’t even think about it. I highly recommend it for runners (or walkers) who need some sort of water bottle that doesn’t get in the way, especially for those like me where they can’t stand to have something like a fuel belt wrapped around their waist. I’ve got enough giggling going on, I don’t need more!

What did I get myself into?

So… a couple weeks ago, I kinda-sorta registered for a half marathon.

Ok, I registered for a half marathon for December 11.

Now let’s review the summer. It was hot. Humid. No different than any summer in the South, but trying to run at 5am in 75+ degrees, 90+% humidity is not my idea of a good time. Most people think that running in general isn’t a good time, but I like it for stress relief. Summer outdoor running isn’t stress relief to me though, but I’d rather do that than run on a treadmill… so I’m stuck.

Now, I still have that pesky 750 miles in 2010 goal, and I won’t even begin to say how far behind I am on that. I have a slight chance of catching up, but it’s doubtful at this point. We’ll see.

I do better when I have a goal (AKA race) to aim for. Enter the half marathon. This summer I was unmotivated when it came to running; I would get up and get out the door, but I would run a mile, walk a bit, run some more… you get the idea. That 7.5 mile continuous run I did back in May? HA. It’s a dream right now. Hopefully soon it will be a reality though.

Last week I started my official half marathon training. Week 1 is complete and it wasn’t pretty, but I did it. My average miles are atrocious (11:00+/mile) compared to my winter runs last year (9:30-10:00/mile), but I’m working on building my endurance back up. I’m still running roughly 1.5 miles, walking about .1-.2, then running the rest. It’s a mental block right now that I need to break through. The mornings are still warm and humid, but hopefully that will be over soon. I’m following Hal Higdon’s Half Marathon Training Plan for Novices, which, so far, so good. The 4-miler was especially rough, but I’m hoping this week’s will be better. Actually, it HAS to be better considering Week 3 brings a 5-miler. Yikes. What have I gotten myself into?

A Return to the Real World…and Blogging

It’s hard to believe that it’s been just shy of 4 months since my last post. Part of me is disappointed in myself for letting it go, but part of me is ok with it; it was a much needed break.

It’s also hard to believe that I’ve been back at work full time for almost 4 months. Shocking, actually. It has gone so fast. It’s a struggle though. I struggle with settling into a routine and getting back in the swing of things. Right now I’m on auto-pilot. I get up, go for a run, go to work, go to the PT job, get home, make dinner, go to bed. You’d think that after 4 months I’d have this down pat, but it’s kicking my ass.

This job is different. I deal with certifiably BSC people day in and day out. I’m running around for 8 hours of the day, crossing things off my to-do list. It’s not the sit-in-a-chair-stare-at-the-computer job. While I do enjoy it about 98% percent of the time, it’s kicking my ass to not have a routine.

I’m not menu planning. Problem one. I’m not setting priorities for my home life. Problem two. I’m not caring about much. Problem three. So, if I know what the problems are, why is it so hard to fix?

I have never been one to care about how many people read my blog or what they think about me and my writing/what I write about. I’m not one to whore myself out to every vendor under the sun to make some cash. I’m just here to write about what’s going on in my life, more as a place to vent, celebrate, or simply gather my thoughts. So, following this thought process, I’ve decided I need to get back into blogging. I need something to keep me accountable. So, here it is. I’m trying to make myself take the time to write something twice a week. I’m trying to make myself get back into the groove of balancing work and home life instead of just going through the motions because I have to. I’m trying to make myself become more efficient at what I do, no matter where it is, so I can find that down time again.

We have a lot going on right now. Big life changes are on the horizon. Hopefully I’ll be able to just stop for a second and write. Twice a week.

Here Comes The Sun

…and I say… it’s all right.

A job offer has finally come. The job I interviewed for back at the end of March came through and offered me a position last Monday. I’ve been hesitant to post just because I don’t want to jinx myself, but things have all come through and I’m set to start tomorrow. I’ll be working as a Code Enforcement Inspector for a city around where we live, which I’m very excited about. It’s actually very entertaining to see everyone’s reactions. Those who know me from just working at the home builder give me a puzzled look so I have to explain how it all fits together with my work as a lifeguard instructor. Those who know me from lifeguarding, instructing and pool audits just laugh and all say that it’ll suit me well since I’m such a “rules” person. In reality, they’re right. Rules are there for a reason, especially when it comes to safety.

I’ve taken this past week off from guarding the 5am shift so I can sleep in and get some stuff done around the house. I’m still teaching in the evenings and teaching a lifeguard class over the weekend, but I’ve been able to get a lot more done, which is nice. I’m planning on spending the entire day cooking tomorrow so I can have plenty of freezer meals for those first few weeks while I’m getting adjusted to my new job. I’ve been able to go get a haircut, go out to lunch with some friends, get some yard work done, and just…relax. It’s been so nice.

This job comes with some pretty huge perks, including a take-home car, a laptop and a cell phone. I’m pretty excited about the car considering my Accord has a tempermental transmission and the fewer miles we drive it, the longer it lasts. It also saves us a pretty substantial amount of money each month considering my commute will be 16 miles each way. With those savings, we’ve already started looking at putting our house on the market and getting something a bit nicer in a large neighborhood in a neighboring city. We went and looked last Friday to get a rough idea of what our price range would get us and we were surprised in some respects and dead on in our expectations in others. We’ve pretty much settled on an area, it’s just a wait and see game to see how quickly we can get our house on the market and how quickly it will sell. Every penny of savings will count for a down payment, so the car is a pretty welcome perk when it comes to helping us out.

My stint of unemployment will end 2 days shy of 16 months. I won’t be sad to finally say I’m employed full time again. I’ve gotten a bit spoiled with the free time unemployment has allowed, even though I’ve been working part time throughout it all, but I’ll gladly take a full time paycheck instead. It’s been trying, that’s for sure. I still firmly believe everyone should have to go through it at some point in time. You learn a lot about yourself. You learn a lot about your spouse. You learn a lot about your marriage. You get stronger. You learn to rely on people more for support, which isn’t always a bad thing.

Spread the Word to End the Word: The R-Word Campaign

No one gives much thought to using the words retard or retarded. Special Olympics is trying to save that.

Not too long ago, Special Olympics came out with a new campaign: Spread the Word to End the Word.  This campaign is bringing the “r-word” to conversations, which seems counterintuitive, but it’s working.  To date, over 10,000 people have pledged to end the use of the r-word in their conversations.  The official date of the r-word campaign was 3.3.10, but the campaign continues in full force today.

Words hurt.  As much as we hate to admit it, (“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” anyone?), words hurt.  They sting.  They boil our blood.  Put yourself in the shoes of someone who is developmentally delayed, has a disability, or is generally categorized as special needs.

Now take the definition of retard.  This word commonly means stupid, slow, dumb, etc.  What are the common assumptions about people who are special needs?  Stupid, slow, dumb, etc.  In the past, people with special needs were considered retards.  This word got a negative connotation and while it’s not a common connotation today, people are still offended by it.  Those people happen to be the people who are considered special needs in one way or another.

In the past I mentioned that I teach several kids with special needs how to swim.  Let me tell you, these kids are some of the most loving, caring, considerate kids that I’ve ever met.  They seek to please, they want to succeed.  They want to prove that they can do anything.  If they can’t do it, they give 110% while trying.

They have feelings, too.  People forget that.  They don’t want to be labeled as stupid, slow or dumb.  They want positive labels.  Everyone wants to be labeled positively, right?  Why would people think that those with special needs want to be labeled negatively or not have opinions on those negative labels?  That’s why this is such a big deal.  The r-word has such a negative connotation that Special Olympics is seeking to get rid of it all together.  Some might argue that this is all about political correctness, which, I guess is correct, but this is also about being considerate.  You never know who has a son, daughter, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, mom, dad, grandmother, grandfather or close friend who has special needs.  You never know who you’re offending.

Today I ask you to be considerate.  I ask you to remove the use of this word from your vocabulary.  I ask you to pledge to not use it again.  We don’t like being labeled, why should anyone else?  Before you argue about the use of stupid, dumb and slow, I ask you to consider this: would you like to be labeled as such?  Would you like to have that label to follow you or would you rather a label follow you that is less offensive and carries more truth?

Month 4: Catching Up!

April brought cool morning temperatures, which I love. My ideal run is during a sunrise, just above 40 degrees, on a nice, peaceful Saturday morning. Unfortunately I don’t get to do that too often, but this month I did get a couple opportunities. My other runs varied throughout the week, typically after I got off work at 9am. It was still reasonably cool out at that time, perfect for running.

With the 750/365 goal, I find myself worried about catching up from my early months of illness and injury. I caught up this month. A lot. In fact, I’m now 20 miles behind my goal. Not bad considering March 1 I was almost 40 miles behind. This catch up can be attributed to my record-breaking distances, 7 and 7.5 miles. Who knew I could run so far? I’ve always said that 6 miles (or 1 hour) would be my breaking point, that was enough. While I’m still unemployed from full time work, I figure I have enough time to continue running, so why not? I’m even toying with the idea of training for a half marathon. I know, I know, pretty crazy, right? But… if I have the time and energy, why not? It’s still up in the air, but we’ll see. I’m toying with the idea but there aren’t any half marathons in the area until October, so I might delay it a bit.

Overall, I feel good. One thing I need to work on a bit is my weight. I was reading an article by Leigh Peele, which basically says that over time, your body adapts to the form of training and you burn fewer calories during your run and then also fewer calories during the day. It makes total sense; your body adapts and becomes efficient when you do something over and over again, leading to less effort being exerted. That 4 mile run becomes easier over time. It’s time to switch things up a bit, including adding a weight program back in since I dropped out of NROL4W.

We’ll see where the next month takes me, I’m hoping to get my weight down a bit and get a good, solid training program in that includes a bit more cross training.

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