Rage Is the Best Motivation

Today was a beautiful Ohio day--50 degrees, sunny.  I was aching to go outside and run, but my husband works on Saturdays, and I can't leave my kids alone if there is a possibility that I can't get back to them quickly.  So, I cleaned my house and I stewed and glanced longingly outside.

This is NOT how 50 degrees looks in Ohio, but for a runner, it's pretty damn close.

I decided to take my kids for haircuts to a modestly-priced, popular chain salon, where I watched a woman butcher my daughter's beautiful curly hair.  I wasn't able to stop her in time to fix the damage.

This is a haircut?  SMH.

I was so angry that I reverted to my very best suppression tactic:  the smile.  As we were waiting for my daughter to finish with the haircut, my son looked at me and said nervously, "Maman, please don't smile.  You're freaking me out."  He knows.

When I got home, I thought I was going to erupt, but I held it together, and thank God my husband came home early from work.  He is a smart man when he chooses to be, and after I told him about our afternoon and I showed him "the haircut," he wisely decided to take the kids out for shopping and dinner while I went for a run.  I do love that man; that is why I have allowed him to live this long.

I haven't been able to run on roads and sidewalks for a few months because the weather has been so treacherous, but today the snow had melted on most of the sidewalks, and I was excited to put my legs through their paces.  I have been running on trails on Sundays, and the massive amounts of snow and ice meant that my pace was usually around the 12-13 minute/mile.  What was particularly difficult for me was that I didn't absolutely know that it was because of the snow or if it was because I lost so much of my training when I was recovering from my broken foot.  Today I decided to push myself, and I'm so glad I did.

My 4.06-mile run today clocked in at 41 minutes, a 10:09 pace, and this included having to walk on occasion when there was ice on the sidewalk.  I am so happy!  I can still run, and I can push myself without snapping the foot in two!

When I came back, I was zoning in my runner's high, and two glasses of wine and some pizza later, I'm still glowing.

I am so lucky.

After all, it could have been my hair.

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Cross-Training Is Fun!

A few weeks ago, my kids and I went cross-country skiing with members of The Ohio Runners Network.  I had only tried cross-country skiing once when I was about twelve, and my kids had never tried it, and honestly, none of us is particularly graceful, but I thought, "What the hell!  Let's give it a shot.  I already have a broken foot; what else can go wrong?"

We went to the Kendall Lake Winter Sports Center in Cuyahoga Valley.  There were lessons there ($15.00 for three hours, skis included), but I had not registered us ahead of time, so we decided to wing it.  Without lessons it costs $7.50 for three hours.  Let me tell you that this was the best money I have spent in a long time!

We are lined up and ready to go!

The eleven-year-old took off with my running peeps as soon as we booted up, leaving me with the six-year-old, who decided to practice falling down and eating snow.  Eventually he got tired of laying in the snow, and we were able to ski in a one-mile loop around a meadow.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am a serious cross-country skier.

We even saw deer beds in the middle of the meadow.   How do we know there were deer lying in the snow all night?  I would say the prodigious amounts of deer droppings were a hint.  This, of course, was incentive enough for my son to get up out of the snow and try some faster skiing.

The Ohio Runners Network, looking badass and pretty and the same time!

We skied for about two hours, and believe me, that was plenty.  Myfitnesspal.com told me that I burned about 1,000 calories, and I believe it!  My glutes, thighs, and arms felt like Jello when I finished, but you know, Jello in a good way.  Not the Jello-mold-your-aunt-brings-to-your-house-filled-with -disgusting-bits-of-fruit way.  I was so exhausted at the end of the day that I didn't even eat dinner, and I  was in bed and asleep by 8:00 pm.  Bonus!

Every day that I manage to get outside, I am so thankful to live in an area that has so many opportunities for healthy, outdoor fun.  Even in the damned snow.

40 Degrees Warmer. . .and STILL COLD!

Ohio has really taken a beating so far this winter.  I have had nine snow/extreme cold days, and we just started February.  There were a few days that it was colder in Ohio than it was in Alaska.

It was with this thought that I bundled up and went running on my favorite trail with my peeps this morning.  As I drove Deidre to the meet up point, I said, "Hey, this is going to be great!  It's forty degrees warmer this week than it was two weeks ago!  How about that?"  Deidre was not impressed, since that meant we were still going to run in twenty-degree weather.  Honestly, I was dreading this run because I could see that the roads were crappy, and I couldn't tell which clothes to wear.  Note to self:  When it is snowing, you do NOT need to wear your puffy running jacket.  You will be TOO WARM.

When we got started, I felt great, and I took off.  Boom!

This is EXACTLY how I look when I take off quickly on the trail.  These are my running peeps with me.

When I realized that I had just TORN off from the group, I stopped and waited (and blew my nose).  Then I got cold.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I stop running and get cold on the trail.  The S is for Stephani,  of course.

We did six miles, and I have to say that I feel fabulous!  I always forget that I love running in the snow (until I go running in the snow).

On a side note, Suegene confirmed my deepest suspicion about myself as a runner:  I am not truly a runner until I can blow snot rockets.  It is true, and alas, I am still not there.  I carry tissues.  I am an impostor.

I have set myself up for a great week, and the week will be much better when I find that damned groundhog and KILL IT.

Tell the truth: Can you blow snot rockets?

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Wanna Be a Turtle?

No, not this kind of Turtle:

And not this kind of Turtle either:

Unless you CAN be a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, and then you absolutely should.

I am talking about a Towpath Turtle:

This is EXACTLY how I look as a Towpath Turtle

The Towpath Turtles is a structured training program through OneLife Fitness Coaching.  The season runs from late February to October, and the training is based around Akron.  The culmination of the program is the Akron Marathon where most members will be running the half marathon or a relay for the full marathon.  The coach of the Towpath Turtles is Sheila Avsec, who provided this description of a Towpath Turtle:

I believe that to be a runner, one does more than run, namely a Towpath Turtle is defined as:

• A runner who runs on a regular basis, regardless of distance or speed;
• A runner who participates in the running community: as a volunteer, a member of local running club, and as a spectator/support crew member for other racers;
• A runner who knows about his/her sport – about proper fueling and nutrition, injury prevention and recovery, race etiquette, and the running community in general;
• A runner who is supportive of his/her peers and other runners.

The long runs are on Sunday each week, and this was the main reason I joined the Turtles in 2012.  Sunday is really the only day I can leave the kids for a few hours since my husband works every other day.  When I joined the Turtles, I thought I was just joining a group of people who wanted to run on Sundays.  At the time I couldn't run at all, and I secretly suspected that I would never be a runner.  

I was wrong.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I realize that I am a runner.

This day was the first unofficial 5k I ever ran, and on that day I realized that I could run and I liked running.  This is because of the Turtles.

I am in my second year of blogging, and many of my posts are dedicated to the Towpath Turtles.  Click here to read one of my first posts about being a Turtle.  They got me all the way to my first half-marathon, but they taught me so much more than how to run.  I learned about teamwork and sportsmanship, two things that I never considered to be part of running.  

Most of all, I learned that running is an investment that I make in myself, and I am absolutely worth the time and the effort that investment takes.  I couldn't run before because I didn't believe I could.  Because I believed in being a Turtle, I learned to believe in myself.

For anyone who is interested in becoming a Turtle, Sheila has posted the following information on Facebook:

Attention to everyone interested in signing up for training with OneLife Fitness Coaching for the 2014 Towpath Turtles season:

I will be hosting an information session on Sunday, 2/9/14 from 1-2pm at the Akron Main Library in meeting room #1 (60 S High St, Akron Ohio) to discuss the different types of training available:

Large Group Towpath Turtles, This is a structured half-marathon training program. We meet for 31-weeks on Sunday mornings and is an "A-Z" training program that starts on 2/23.

Small Group Towpath Turtles, (training starts on 6/29/14) This is a 12-week program for those who do not feel ready to commit to a long, structured program or for the half-marathon but want to be a Towpath Turtle on our Relay Team.

Information on individual training and "OneLife Mobile" training will be available as well. The 2014 Turtle Season starts on Sunday 2/23/14 and new Large Group members will be accepted from 2/9 - 2/23.

Invest in yourself.  You are worth it.


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Mall Running: It CAN Be Done!

This weather sucks.  I am sick and tired of sub-zero temperatures, especially when the snow looks so fluffy and soft.  I don't own a treadmill, so usually what I do is pop in a Leslie Sansone dvd and run while she walks and talks.  She talks a lot.  She is very perky.  I hate perky.

This is EXACTLY how I look. . .NEVER.

I intend to review her videos at a later post because, while I mock her a lot, I find that her routines implement a good amount of core work with walking/running.  I've used her to recover from The Great Nut Incident, and if I run while she walks, and I use two-pound hand weights, I can get a great workout.  More on that in another post.

When the members of my running club, The Ohio Runners Network, were posting all kinds of trail runs for Sunday (my long run day),  I was looking at the Weather Channel app and fretting.  High temperature of two degrees?  Really?  Disgusting.

So, I decided to do something about it.  I ripped off a throwaway suggestion from my running peep, Deidre, who wrote, "We should go to the mall with the walkers."  Brilliant!

I posted that I was going this morning, and I was going to RUN, baby.  Sheila, my coach from OneLife Fitness Coaching, was betting that I'd get stopped by a mall cop.  She was interested enough in seeing that happen to make a call to the mall security to find out what time the mall was open to walkers.  She didn't blow my cover.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I'm stopped by a mall cop while running in the mall.

And so I went.  I did two miles in the mall, Peeps!  Nobody stopped me, nobody yelled at me, nobody cared.  I only did two miles because I got there later than I wanted, and as the mall started filling up, I was worried about wet floors from people tracking in the snow.  Safety first.  Next time I intend to go earlier; 9:00 is when the mall opens on Sunday to walkers, and I will be there.  I think it would be best if I'm gone by 10:15 at the latest.

So, yeah, I BEAT THE SYSTEM.  I RAN in the mall!  Who needs a dreadmill?

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First 6 in 6!

Yesterday, I wined and dined with my husband at a FABULOUS restaurant, Thyme2.  We feasted on duck confit strudel, and we toasted our nineteen years of marriage with a nice Bordeaux.  While eating a pork chop the size of my head, I was contemplating my morning run.

Six miles.  Can I do it?

Weather:  Fresh snow.  25 degrees F, feels like 15 degrees F

Route:  Towpath.  Relatively flat.

Time:  7:30 am

Company:  Three lovely running peeps:  Debi, Deidre, and Amy

I was a little bit apprehensive because I obviously wasn't taking seriously my responsibility to the long run.  I know I should be eating healthfully, not drinking wine.  I know I should go to bed early.  I didn't do any of those things, and I have been having a difficult time getting back my stamina, so I wondered if I actually COULD do those miles.

Guess what?  Mission accomplished!  Not only did I run those miles, I ran them well, and I ran them without music.  A year ago I would not have thought this was a big deal, but after no running or aerobic activity for six months, I wasn't sure I would be able to go this far. . .but I did.  

#truth

I feel really good; the runner's high is back!  Click here to read about my experiences with runner's high.

After my post-run hot chocolate and shower, I taught my daughter to do the Legs-up-the-Wall yoga pose for recovery and relaxation.  Try it!

What do you do to recover from a long run?  If you have had to come back from an injury, how long did it take you to get back to your former fitness level?  Is anyone else craving margaritas, chips, and guacamole right now?  No?  Just me?

Attitude of Gratitude

Runners bitch.  A lot.  We gripe about our runs (too hilly, too fast, too slow, too rainy, too cold, too hot).  We gripe about our weight (too heavy, not enough muscle tone).  We list the litanies of our physical sufferings (foot, ankle, shin, calf, quad, glutes, core).  We talk about our GI problems in great, disgusting detail, and other runners actually listen to this crap!  (See what I did there?)  Why, just the other day, I actually POSTED ON FACEBOOK that my left butt cheek hurt.  Who really wants to know that?  You know who?  Runners.

This is EXACTLY how I look when my left leg is killing me.

After five months of no running, no cardio, no fun, and lots of drinking, I am back in the game.  Boy, that game is tough.  Last Sunday I went on a trail run in Peninsula with my friends from The Ohio Runners Network.  I knew we would be running slowly (because it's a trail), and I thought the soft surface of the snowy trail would be a great way for me to try a long run.  Also, I'm an idiot.

We started with a big hill.  Then I slipped with both feet into an icy stream while trying to cross.  At that point we were at mile 2, so I knew there was no turning back.  I went forward, and you know what?  I survived, and it was ok.  I even kept up with the group.

TORN members slogging up the hill.  I took the picture so I could catch my breath before climbing.  Plus, my socks were wet.

This is EXACTLY how I look when I am happy to survive a trail.  With wet, frozen feet.  I'm in the purple jacket, hamming it up.

What does this have to do with gratitude?  Hang on, I'm getting there.  Geez, you're so impatient!

This morning I went for a run around the neighborhood.  It seemed like this was not going to be a great run:  icy sidewalks and 15 degree temps.  My running peeps had gone earlier in the morning, and they had posted that it had been a mistake.  This put me in a trepidatious mood, to say the least, and it really affected the run.  The cold air made breathing difficult, and that made running difficult.  There was no ice on the streets, so I decided to stay in my immediate neighborhood instead of doing our normal 4-mile loop.  This, of course, gave me an excuse to cut the run to 3 miles.

I started feeling really bad.  I kept glancing at my Garmin (mistake), and I kept comparing my pace to my old pace.  I tried to focus on the music and my feet, which helped for a little bit.  Finally, I just promised myself that I would walk as soon as I hit three miles.  When I did hit three miles, I could see my house, so I made myself keep running until I got there, so at least I added another .26 miles.  I was sweaty, out of breath, and I felt like vomiting.  I felt defeated until I actually remembered to turn on my brain.

Wait a minute. . .I'm upset because running was hard today?  Three months ago, I thought running would be IMPOSSIBLE. Today I did three miles!  I didn't stop, and my foot didn't hurt!  I am healthy; I can get back my strength and stamina.

I am grateful.  Life is good.  This year I resolve to remember that.

On a final note, I did have a reminder on the trail of how lucky I am to run, even with frozen, soaked feet.

Meet my friend, Lucky.

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