In With the New

The last day of the year seems like a good time to reflect on my some goals for the new year, so I thought I'd take a few minutes to jot down some thoughts. My post today is also partially motivated by my desire to get this blog back up and running. (Ha, appropriate choice of words!) See, I've signed up to train for another half-marathon at the end of March. More on that to come, but I plan to once again chronicle my journey to 13.1 to, as they say, keep myself honest. :)

2009 was a big year: I found a lot of confidence and enjoyment at my job; I ran my first half-marathon ever; I actually stayed put in one place for more than a year; my family expanded with the addition of my first nephew, Jack (one of the greatest joys in my life); and much, much more.

There were some weaker points, too. Once the half-marathon was over, I struggled to maintain a good running routine, and by the time the holidays rolled around, my fitness routine was non-existent. I'm still struggling to find my work/life balance, mostly because I'm still working on the "life" part of it--developing hobbies, fighting my introvert tendencies, branching out to meet new people. Although I love my job and recognize that it's an incredible opportunity for me to grow and develop, I'm easily distracted trying to imagine what my "career path" is--where will I be in five years? Ten? I can't quite visualize.

And, lately, I've been feeling restless. Am I living the life I want to be living? Is this the place I want to make my home? Am I cut out for a desk job, or could I be happy with something less knowledge-driven and more hands-on? (I have visions of moving to British Columbia and working at a wilderness camp or something like that.) Of course, I know that these are all things in my control. So, 2010 will be a year of living in the now and taking full advantage of what surrounds me, while also doing a little bit of soul-searching to see whether it might be time for me to move on.

I've started reading "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People," and I have confidence that it will help guide me through some of this process. At any rate, I'm sure my blog will weave in threads of that conversation while it chronicles my running life once again.

So, I'm setting three areas for improvement for 2010:

1. Fitness: Train for and complete a half-marathon at a pace equal to or faster than my last, and keep up a running routine throughout the year. Round out fitness with yoga and or strength training. Most importantly, have fun.
   
2. Finances: Saving money is a major priority for me this year. With several trips I'd like to take, a digital SLR camera I'd like to buy, and an impending car purchase, I'm going to need to have as much money set aside as possible.
3. "Life": By this, I mean the "life" part of the work/life balance. Meeting new people, exploring new hobbies, maybe adding another volunteer gig. Just making sure that I can reflect with satisfaction on the way I'm spending my time outside of work.

To wrap up my very introspective posting now and end on a dreamy, optimistic note, I'll end with a quote from one of my favorite books, Anne of the Island:

"Oh, there's another bend in the road...," answered Anne lightly. "I've no idea what may be around it--I don't want to have. It's nicer not to know."

A Little Bit of Perspective

Greetings! It's been many months since I posted... With the change in season and the start of my 28th year on this planet, I decided a little accountability for my running and health would be a good thing. Hence, the first post back since I ran a half-marathon in May.

My goal for this summer was always just to maintain some level of running. I've sort of done this. I'm still running 3-3.5 miles a few times a week, but long runs are a thing of the past right now, and I'm still struggling to find a routine that works for me.

During the week, I've been setting my alarm for about 5:15am in the hope that I can get out the door for a run by 6am. So, my alarm goes off (three of them actually: buzzer alarm, CD player with dance tunes plays in my bathroom, and two alarms on my phone). I repeatedly stumble out of bed to my dresser to snooze my alarm, I have become a pro at ignoring my CD player, and I thrust an arm to my nightstand and squeeze every button I touch until I manage to snooze my phone. And the result is that I don't have time to run before work. One week (my birthday week) I ran four mornings. This past week? Um, not at all.

And here's an example of how my last two Saturday mornings have gone: I set my alarm for 7:30 or so, planning on running at 8:30 or so, so I have time to shower and eat breakfast before 10:30, when I leave to volunteer at the SPCA. But, it's about 8:30 before I roll out of bed, then 9:15 before I get my running clothes on... then 9:30 comes around, and I'm still here... then I start calculating whether I have enough time to run and shower before I volunteer, and I spend so much time calculating whether I have time to run that I run out of time. I end up changing out of my running clothes, eating breakfast, then rolling on out to volunteer (and I'm usually a few minutes late anyway).

Finally, tonight at 7:30pm, after spending most the afternoon on the couch, I realized I needed to stop making excuses and get my butt out the door. It may have gotten dark 10 minutes after I got outside, and I felt like I was going to have to walk a couple of times on this 3.5 mile run, but I pushed through it. I didn't cut any corners from my route, and I didn't walk. On the hills, I imagined myself doing the warrior pose in yoga--I focused on the determination and focus that pose requires, and I used that same drive to get up the hill.

And as I finished the last half-mile of my run, feeling great, I realized that I have become the QUEEN of excuses not to run. "It's been a long week. I should sleep in." "I'm sore from yoga. I need to rest." "It's too dark (never mind the fact that the first two months I trained for the half, it was dark in the a.m.)." "If I run tonight, I'll try to run again in 12 hours, and that's not good. I'll be too tired."

Um, hello!? I realized tonight that I worry more about the harm that will arise from running twice in 12 hours (oh, the horror... running 6-8 miles in 24 hours. Puh-lease.) than I worry about 5 days--or 120 hours!!--with only walks to and from my car for physical activity. (Which is what I did this week.) Yikes!

So with the realization that the biggest obstacle to my success as a runner is myself, I'm hereby recommitting to my half-marathon training schedule. My goal isn't to rush through it in 11 or 12 weeks. This time, I want to take my time with it, feel comfortable at my long run before I move up. I promise myself that even if I don't feel like running, I'll go for a walk to my local park (less than a mile away) and do some lunges and other strength moves. I pledge to use those long days at work when I feel too tired to run as the very reason that I need to go move around and get some exercise, running or not. And, I will do my best to chronicle what I know will be a fun and satisfying journey, here in this blog.

Excuses, be gone. It's time for some action.

The Journey Completed: From 3 to 13.1 in 11 Weeks

(Blog written Saturday, May 2, after the race)

It's official! This morning, in High Point, NC, I finished my first half-marathon! What an experience. I'm so glad that Kelly was there to share this experience with me: we had a good time.

We got to High Point yesterday around 5 or so and checked into our hotel, the High Point Hotel. The great news is that, without really realizing I'd done it, the hotel I'd booked for us was a block away from the race start/finish, which took a huge stress off of us knowing that we were so close to where we needed to be. In fact, we could see the finish area from our hotel window!

After a nice carbolicious pasta dinner, we headed back to get ready for the morning and get a good night's sleep. Knowing that our alarm would sound at 5 a.m., we managed to turn the lights off at 9:30 (halfway through a good episode of “What Not to Wear”).

After some confusion figuring out how to turn off the hotel’s alarm (hey, it was early), we ate good breakfasts (bagels and coffee!) then headed down to the start/finish area to pick up our race packets. That's when it really hit me what we were about to do. There were many runners picking up their packets (which included our race number and a timing chip that we tied to our shoes), and there was a great buzz in the air.

Pinning on my racing number bib felt pretty official (#1537). (Although, I do have to say, it was slightly disconcerting to write on the back of my bib my name, allergies, weight and emergency contact in the event of the worst-case scenario.) In addition to our numbers and timing chips, we also got goody bags with shirts, hats, pain medications, and a few other fun running knick-knacks.

Around 6:40 or so, Kelly and I dropped our bags off back in our hotel room, used the restroom one last time, then headed down to the start line! There were at least 1,000 people running the marathon or half-marathon (which started at the same time and ran together for the first 7-8 miles). Kelly and I agreed before the race to run at our own paces, so within the first quarter mile or so we had split.

At first, I worried about other runners--who was passing me? Who was I passing? I tried hard not to let others influence my pace, since I knew slow and steady would be my best option. I absolutely refused to let myself look behind me to see who was there: I didn’t want the race to be about anyone else but me.

Very quickly, though, I realized that running is the great equalizer. It's amazing. I got passed by women who weighed probably 50 pounds more than me, by men and women who were 30-40 years older than me. I passed men and women my age or younger who looked really muscular and fit. In running, appearances mean nothing. Age, gender, apparent fitness--these are all completely inaccurate predictors of pace.

Once I realized that, it was much easier for me to settle down and enjoy the race. The first half of the race, I felt amazing and strong, and I maintained a good pace--about a 10- or 11-minute mile. The course was pretty hilly, but I was impressed (if I may so myself) at my body's ability to power up most of the hills at a good pace.

We had a lot of support throughout the race from volunteers, police and locals, all of whom cheered us on as we ran past. At one house, the residents had a hose shooting a stream of water into the road for us to run through (which I loved), and on one steep hill a truck blared "Eye of the Tiger" for us as we ran past. The encouragement definitely helped.

The second half of the race, particularly around miles 8-10 were the hardest. Mentally, I started questioning myself. My breathing felt very strong, but my legs started to tire. Toward the end of the run, my calves felt ridiculously tight, and I ended up walking much more than I had the first half. (The first half, I probably walked 3-4 minutes total.) It was only when I saw the marathon 23 mile sign (our 10 mile marker) that I began to feel like I could get through this.

The greatest moments of the race came in the last half-mile. When our hotel came into sight, I gained a whole new surge of energy. In front of our hotel, Kelly was waiting to grab a picture of me. As I turned the last corner of the race, a huge crowd was waiting to cheer runners on to the finish. To be honest, I'm not sure how many.

My eyes were focused on one thing, and one thing only: the "Finish" sign hanging in front of me. I began to sprint. As I drew the near the finish line, the emotion of it all hit me, and I began to choke up and my eyes filled with tears at my sense of accomplishment. I could hardly breathe and had to force myself to gulp in air. A joyous feeling I don’t think I’ll ever forget.

I finished. I crossed the line at about 2 hours and 25 minutes. Not a record-breaking time by any stretch, but it was a good pace: 11:18 minutes/mile, much better than the pace I'd trained at.

As expected, I felt very sore when I'd finished. Right past the finish line, volunteers placed medals over our heads (shaped like armchairs in honor of the furniture industry in High Point). The organizers had water, oranges, bananas and breads waiting for us so that we could replenish our fluids and nutrients. Kelly and I met up and stretched for a little bit before grabbing "lunch" (at 9:45 am)--Subway sandwiches, cheese and cookies.

Amazingly, not too long after we ate, we started seeing marathoners coming in--less than 3 hours after the start. (Somehow I don't think I'll ever reach that level of running, but it's certainly inspiring.) We chatted with another runner who also finished the half-marathon and had previously run marathons. I do think a marathon is on the horizon for me (it is, after all, on My Life List). But I’m going to get a few more half-marathons under my belt first.

First and foremost, I’m just going to relax and really enjoy running. I’m going to have fun running hills and doing sprints and other non-long-distance runs to build up my pace. I’ll keep up long runs on the weekends, but instead of the 8-10 mile range, I’ll focus on the 5-7 mile range. It’s going to be fabulous.

So, here I am, having completed my first half-marathon. Very sore and tight, getting ready to soak in a lavender mineral salt bath and take a nap soon... very soon. For now, I’m just going to sit here and re-live those last 30 seconds: the feeling like I was flying across the pavement, the finish line banner beckoning to me, the crowd cheering, and the joy of completing a challenge.

A journey of 13.1 miles begins with many, many steps

All right... it's been ages since I've posted, which means my blog has not quite accomplished my initial goal of tracking my training progress. The half-marathon is 1 day and 14 hours away from starting (!), but hopefully it's not too late for me to provide an uber-quick recap of my last month of training by focusing on my long runs. And, if nothing else, at least I'll be able to capture my sentiments pre-race!

Let's go back to April 5... my first ever 8-mile run. I met up with Kelly (my race buddy!) at Bond Park in Cary. I mapped out a route that was supposed to be 4 miles. "Supposed to" being the operative phrase. We started off at a good pace and about 25 minutes later had finished the route. We set off at a good pace... but not that good. Clearly the route was closer to 2 miles. (Note, too, that the route itself was not ideal as it involved running through a wooded path filled with tree roots, quick inclines and declines, and lots of mud.) Lost for a plan, we decided to just keep running around other paths at the park.

My stamina that day was awful, and I soon had to resort to walking breaks as I began to experience cramping. I felt awful for Kelly, because she clearly was at a faster running pace than me, so I felt like I was holding her back. Bless her for sticking it out with me! We ended up jogging for about 1 hour and 40 minutes total, which I later figured was about 7.5 miles or so. All in all, it was a very discouraging experience for me.

The following weekend was Easter, and I was heading out of town to Charlotte, so I opted to complete an 8-mile run Friday morning. This time, the run went great. I had to walk a little, but my overall pace was better, and I actually felt good by the time I'd finished. This was definitely a key confidence builder for me... and a much-needed one. I'm still unsure what the key to my success was, but it just worked out.

April 19 was my 9-mile run... again, not a great experience. Like my first attempt at 8 miles, I experienced more cramping than normal (there's always some, but I can normally run through it), and I walked more than I would've liked. It took me more than two hours to complete the nine miles--more than a 13 minute/mile pace.

This all led up to last weekend, my last long run before the half-marathon, a 10-mile challenge. This time, I decided to do a "trial run" of the half-marathon by trying to replicate everything as closely as possible. Instead of my normal Sunday run, I planned to run at 7am on Saturday (the half will take place at 7am this Saturday) before my SPCA volunteering at 11am.

I got up at 5am to eat a bagel with cream cheese, drink a small cup of coffee, and hydrate with some water. You may remember/know that I gave up coffee in the fall, but aftering reading that it's a great performance enhancer, I decided to give it a go. I also opted to carry a water bottle with me, which I viewed as close to race conditions because there will be water stations along the way, and I took along a packet of some crazy carbohydrate energizing fluid (chocolate flavor... hmm). I wore the exact outfit I plan to wear for the race to make sure I wouldn't have any wardrobe malfunctions. (I look kind of ridiculous in this outfit... a grey running skort, white tank and white baseball cap... preppy, but it works.)

My run went really well. I finished at a 12 minute/mile pace (a great improvement!), and I walked significantly less than prior runs. I had stretches of feeling amazing and strong--I actually felt like this whole race thing could be a fun experience. It was a great boost. I still had some pretty rough cramping but worked through it. Overall, my body held out just fine. (And I got through the race in part by spending a great deal of time planning my wedding, something I've really never considered in detail at all... hey, it worked to keep my mind off running. Never mind that I'm not even dating anyone now. My dress is going to be beautiful and very classic.) ;-)

So, how do I feel? Right now, I'm honestly trying to not think about it too much or too closely. I could think about my pattern of good run followed by bad run in recent weeks... but I'm choosing to believe that the water/gel pack/food combo boosted my performance last week and will do the same this week, plus I'll have race-day adrenaline pumping to carry me through those last 3.1 miles.

My stomach is already in knots, and even as I type this, my foot is fidgeting wildly, and I can feel my heart pumping a little faster. But all I can do it breathe deeply, focus on how far I've come (I mean, really people, I could hardly run three miles 12 weeks ago), and hold on for the ride.

I'm very fortunate to have great supporters here. My friends Marty and Jeanine from work wrote me the sweetest card for encouragement and gave me a gift card to Starbucks along with a commemorative mug that I'll be able to decorate with things from my race (my number, finishing time, etc.)--a special way to commemorate this occasion. They're the greatest.

Tomorrow, I'll start the day with a very gentle, 1.5 mile jog just to get loosened up, then spend the morning pulling together my race supplies to take to High Point, NC. (Incidentally, here is the race site: http://www.ncmarathon.org/.) Kelly and I will head out tomorrow afternoon and spend the night in a hotel so we can be well-rested before our 7am race start. By 10am, it should be (God willing) all over. We'll grab some food, shower, and head home... with a very significant 13.1 miles under our belts.

I don't want to wax too melodramatic before the race has even happened, but I do want to record that this truly is one of the best gifts I've given myself. Committing to and completing the training program has changed me. In some way, I feel like if I can do this, I can do anything I put my mind to. Yoda's expression "Do or do not... there is no try" has become my mantra. And I just can't wait to see what that will look like for me in the coming months. But, I can worry about that later. First, I have 13.1 miles to go.

Of Geese and Rain

Well, friends, it's been a while since I've posted (yet again), so I'll focus on highlights again this time...

First, things have been going really well with the training runs! I've been running about a 12-minute mile pace, but last week I found my pace picking up.

My great accomplishment was my Sunday run (two Sundays ago) in the pouring rain at 40 degree temperatures--brrrr! That said, it was definitely my triumph thus far. Allow me to explain...

I decided for my first "official" 6-mile run to head back to Shelley Lake, a 2-mile loop around an (obviously) tiny lake in Raleigh. This was the site of my first real training run after I decided to train for a half-marathon, a 4-mile attempt with one of the women's running groups in Raleigh. That first attempt was dismal: I ended up walking at least half of it and felt like I was completely out of my league, and I even contemplated switching to training for a 10K instead of the half after it.

This time, a month or so later, I not only ran the full 6 miles (in the cold, pouring rain, I'll reiterate) but I managed to do it at an 11-minute mile pace. It was glorious. I was soaked to my undergarments and shivering with enormous goosebumps by the time I made it back to my car, but I felt amazing. What a triumph! (I may have lost a cell phone to the downpour, but I gained a huge chunk of confidence with this run.)

Two days later, I managed 4 miles (at 6am, thank you very much) at a 10-minute mile pace!! I know it's likely my race pace will be slower than that, but it's helping me look forward to running some shorter runs at faster paces after the big race. (At this point, my goal is to finish the half in May, then spend the summer working on 5K and 10K runs... and training for another half in the fall.)

I've started running without any music, which I think is helping my pace. I focus on keeping my breathing even and find it easier to get into a mental zone that way, whereas with music I try to run with the music's beat, which isn't always ideal. I enjoy the silence, too, and I'm finding it very therapeutic this way. I compose some great blogs while I'm running, if only I could record my thoughts and transcribe them after it would be perfect! During my Shelley Lake run, I amused myself with mental blogs about the geese that crowd one section of the path--I'm always a little nervous they'll go on the offensive ("Geese survival tip #1 for runners: run past them gingerly, and avoid flapping your arms about"). So, I'll keep my iPod with me for now as a safety blanket, but I think this is my new strategy.

And, a quick update on my trip to Florida. I didn't stick to my training schedule, but I did manage to squeak out two quick runs Thursday and Friday mornings--about 2-2.5 miles total. (Plus, I did some strength training on Friday, from which I'm still a little sore!) The first day was ROUGH, I think because of the humidity. The second day? Not so bad. I was just proud of myself for getting outof bed for 8am runs on my vacation. It was a good sign of future things to come for my lifestyle changes.

The bad news? I got three hours of sleep Saturday night (between nerves over the early a.m. flight and having to get up at 3am for the flight). As a result, I felt a little queasy and generally off on Sunday, so I didn't run then, and I took tonight (Monday) to finish settling back in and take care of paperwork. (The good news: I was only supposed to run a 5K on Sunday, so I didn't miss a long run.)

I'm a little nervous for my 4.5 mile run tomorrow morning, given the break I took, but I'm just going to go for it. If I walk for a minute or two, I walk. I just need to focus on building up to this weekend's long run: 7 miles!! (Which will officially be the longest distance I have ever run at once. Yay!)

Okay, time to sign off and get some sleep for my a.m. run! Keep active, y'all!

Runs, Lessons and Laughter

It’s been a while since I last blogged—life has been busy! There’s so much to write, but I’ll have to be selective about what goes here so this post isn’t ridiculously long.

Here are some highlights: I’ve managed to complete both of my long runs this weekend and last (5 miles). Actually, I figured out today that my route is closer to 6 miles.

Last week, I got a little lost and ended up wandering through a neighborhood of very, very fancy homes. This week, I reversed my route and was able to find the correct path. However, this path changed my route from more of an oval shape to a B shape. That’s right. “B.”

This makes me feel better about my pace, which is slow, but would be VERY slow if I was running 5 instead of 6 miles. And, while we’re on the topic of my route, can I just pose the question: How is it possible that one running route could have so many steep and low-grade hills when you run it both ways? Both times I’ve had moderate and prolonged moments of pure torture with these hills, and I’m learning that running one direction is not any easier than the other. Ah well. Better training for me, right?

Since my last posting, I’ve also realized that I can no longer run at the gym on the treadmill. Running on the treadmill has become torture. (Hm, second time I’ve used that word this posting.) Seriously, I hit about 1.5 or 2 miles on the treadmill and want to curl up in a ball and lay there, gasping for breath. Outside, it’s tough, but I can push through those moments to run 3.5 or 5 or 6 miles. Running outside, I even have moments of pure joy—my breath comes easily, my body feels strong but loose, and I feel like I would run forever if it always felt that good.

I realized last weekend after my first 5 mile run that I hadn’t run that distance since my last 10K: 2005 in Scotland, almost 4 years exactly. In fact, I really hadn’t run much more than 3 miles (if that) since then. Sure, I’d done interval training on the treadmill that brought me to 4 miles, but never a full, steady run. It was a great moment.

(Side note: DANG. The UNC/Duke game is on, and one our players just landed on another guy who was on the floor—came down right on his groin area with his foot. OUCH.)

Anyhow. Here a few things I’m learning:

• Strength training is key. Pushing up those hills is hard work that requires intensely engaging my legs and butt, and even just being able to run for more than 2 hours straight is going to require really strong legs and arms (strong arms will help propel me when I get tired).
• A good workout iPod mix is a blessing. I’ve been able to push through many a hill with the right song. Today, I finished my workout (uphill, of course) to Foo Fighters “Hero”—perfect.
• I need to purchase a fancy baseball hat that has ventilation and will wick the sweat away. Otherwise, my hat makes me feel like I’m going to overheat. And I like that the hat keeps away rain, sweat and sun. Speaking of which...
• Judging by the brown freckles that cropped up on my face during my run today (they didn’t look so hot for a while, but they seem to have tamed down a bit now), I need to invest in some really good sweat-proof sunscreen for my face. My daily SPF 15 lotion just won’t cut it.

And, to close, here are some things that, had you told me in December or early January, I would have outright laughed at you:

• I’d be training for a half-marathon.
• I’d be sticking to a half-marathon training program, making my schedule fit the program instead of making excuses for missing days. (Okay, well, except for the snow day. But I didn’t even open my front door that entire day to step outside. It was treacherous out there.)
• I’d be getting up at 5:15 in the morning to run before work.
• I’d wear spandex while I ran (knee-length “running tights”).
• I’d wear spandex while I ran in public, in broad daylight.

’Nuff said. I’ll post again soon!

A series of unfortunate gym events

Today’s training task: run 3.5 miles. With my weight training class tonight, I needed an early morning trip to the gym to accomplish this. Although I’d prefer to run outdoors at this point, with temperatures in the low 30s, running outdoors in the dark and cold was not ideal, so I was treadmill-bound. (In retrospect, this is misfortune #9.)

At 6:30, I prepared to climb onto the treadmill and geared up my Nike+ to track my workout with my iPod. Now, I had noticed when I walked into the gym that it was warmer than normal but didn’t think too much of it (misfortune #1). The treadmill I typically use has a built-in fan. I signed it out on the gym sign-up sheets and walked over to it, only to realize it had an “out of order” sign on it (misfortune #2).

Back to the drawing board. I found and signed out a functioning treadmill. On my iPod, I scrolled to the Nike+ menu and selected a workout based on distance—3.5 miles. Yet, for some reason, my Nike+ will only let me select 10K as a distance (misfortune #3). This means that it’s not really tracking the workouts I’m aiming to accomplish, and I will not finish that workout until much later in my training schedule.

I tried to start at a slightly brisker pace than normal thinking it would be a piece of cake after my big run on Sunday—a mere 5.4 instead of 5.2. It didn’t feel so hot. So, I managed for a mile to jog between 5.2 and 5.3 miles an hour. My legs felt like lead posts, I was mopping my brow every 30 seconds with the heat and humidity in the gym, my face felt on fire, my throat was painfully dry, and I started to feel queasy (misfortune #4). I managed a mile, then slowed to a walk to grab some water with the intent of resuming my run to make my 3.5 mile goal. After a minute of rest, I picked up the pace again to 5.3. After less than a minute, I felt seriously ill. I had to stop (misfortune #5).

Panting and feeling worse than I had after running four miles only two days earlier, I stumbled to an exercise bike (the cross trainers seemed a little too intense at that point) that would allow me sit back and just let my legs fly.

Finally, success. I managed to bike 7.5 miles in 20 minutes at a reasonable level of intensity. I stretched for a few minutes but realized that it was 7:30. For me to make it to work on time, I’d have to leave the gym by 7:40 to stop by my car in the parking deck, exchange bags, and walk to work. Ten minutes for the shower (which is a process in and of itself in a gym locker room), makeup, hair drying (with a dryer on the wall). I was going to be late (misfortune #6).

When I made my way to the showers, I had two options: a handicap-accessible stall with no shelving to put my things on and a hand-held instead of wall-mounted shower, or the open showers where anyone could walk in and see me in my birthday suit, as it were (misfortune #7). I went with my first option, which made for a less than satisfying shower, I’ll say. On top of that, the girl in the stall next to me kept hacking and gurgling and making unfortunate sickly cold/cough sounds. Great, like I need to get sick because some girl is hacking up her lungs in the shower next to mine? (misfortune #8).

I managed to throw my outfit and makeup together, and made it to work at 8:20 (not a huge deal, really, since I’ll stay later anyway with my weight class at 6 p.m.).

It was somewhat discouraging to realize that I could bike a half-marathon today if I had to. So why does running have to be so much harder? I’m hopeful that soon the weather will begin to cooperate a little more and allow me to run outdoors before 7 a.m. Another lesson I learned today? I really do need to get out of bed closer to 5 a.m. (versus 5:30 a.m.) to allow myself enough time to really drink some fluids and also get to the gym earlier so that I can build in more time for stretching and still make it to work on time.

And, hey. Tomorrow’s got to be better, right? (At least tomorrow I’m getting fitted for new running shoes, which will be exciting!)

To end on a positive note, I’ll share a quote (from a Starbucks cup, surprisingly) that I think really speaks to this whole half-marathon thing for me:

“The irony of commitment is that it’s deeply liberating—in work, in play, in love. The act frees you from the tyranny of your internal critic, from the fear that likes to dress itself up and parade around as rational hesitation. To commit is to remove your head as the barrier to your life.”

– Anne Morriss, Starbuck’s customer

Down Goes the First Toe

I have a limited history of posting on this blog, and part of the reason for that is that I didn't really have a purpose when I created it. Now, I do. This past week, I decided to commit to running a half-marathon on May 2nd in NC. 11 weeks of training to jump from a 3-mile jog (paced about an 11- or 12-minute mile) to running 13.1 miles.

Why? Well, mostly gut. I saw a posting about the half-marathon and my gut kicked in to tell me it was time to go for it. I keep thinking I'll train to run 5K or 10K, but somehow with those smaller goals in mind, I can't do it. I think the half-marathon will be the perfect recipe to get me out and training. A bit drastic? Yes. Worth it? Heck yeah.

I don't have a great history of running: as a novice runner, I ran 10K races in March 2004 and 2005 (with minimal training for each--about three months both times), and any running I've done since then has been mostly sporadic. Most recently, since the fall, I've gotten into a jogging routine (about 2.75 mile route outside or whatever I can manage on the treadmill).

Today was my first "long" run, and the first time I've run outside since, oh, November. Maybe October. Each week, I'll jump up my mileage on the weekends. Today was four miles, and let me tell you, it was not easy. In fact, I had to walk a few times. I felt like my chest was going to burst, and my knees ached. I was a sweaty, gross, purple-faced mess by the time I finished, and I injured my toe for the first time. (I expect it will continue to happen: it is not unusual for me--I lost the same toenail several times in my 10K trainings... the same one that now hurts.) As I finished the four miles and met back up with the group I had started with, I heaved out a raspy "I think I should aim for a 10K first."

The good news? I have a running partner, my friend Kelly from graduate school. Upon my retraction of intent to run a half-marathon, Kelly exclaimed that I couldn't give up. She was right. As I drove home, a mess of internal temperatures (head steaming from the rain, legs aching from the cold, torso vacillating between overheating and freezing), I realized something: "Duh. It's not like this is going to be easy. You knew that going into it." Well, that and the fact that I've told about 20 people I'm close to that I'm running a half-marathon and posted about it on Facebook.

So I'm committed. Kelly and I went and bought some higher-tech running gear this afternoon, and I'll be back out there again Tuesday (tomorrow is my "stretch and strengthen" day on my training schedule).

Here, in my Natalies blog, I will chronicle my journey from 3-miles to 13.1 miles. I may not run the whole thing come May 2nd. It's not going to be pretty. But darnit, I'm in this thing now. No going back.

Time to Change

For most of us, January is a time to change our habits. I'm no exception. January instills a new sense of enthusiasm in me--I feel inspired, like I have a clean slate and a starting point to tweak my habits. First up for me: it's time to change time.

For years now, I've had a habit of keeping all of my clocks on different times--anywhere from 5 to 30 minutes fast--to keep me off balance and, supposedly, help me be on time. My only accurate time comes from my cell phone, which is how I make sure that I'm really on time/not too late.

My morning commute typically requires me to leave my house about 40 minutes early--so, if I'm out the door by 7:20, maybe 7:25, I can make it to work by 8am (factoring in the drive, parking, walking from the parking deck to work, etc.).

This morning, my alarms went off starting at about 6am (who knows what time that really means since I refuse to look at my cell phone that early)--my CD player in the bathroom played club-ish music to get me moving; my alarm clock in my bedroom screeched its typical buzz; and my cell phone's three alarms went off with my dance-inspiring ring.

Yet, after I snoozed and turned off all my alarms, when I finally jerked fully awake and looked at my cell phone, I realized it was 7:12. Let's do the math there--I had 8 to 13 minutes to go from pajamas, rumpled hair, smeared leftover makeup to work clothes, tidy hair and a fresh face of makeup. I managed to be here just 10 minutes late, but it helped me realize something.

I don't bother looking at my clocks, because I know they're not right. And that is just foolish. It's time for me to be on time. Accurate time. All clocks on the same time. My haphazard time-keeping system isn't working, and really--isn't having clocks that aren't accurate just some form of denial or delusion? No more. Tonight--the clocks change. I'll keep you posted on my success.

The second thing I'm changing will seem like any other New Year's resolution--to change my diet. But I'm not talking about going on a diet. I'm talking about completely rethinking my approach to food. A few years ago, I read a book called You Are What You Eat by Gillian McKeith. I remember loving it at the time, but somewhere along the way I lost track of the book.

A few weeks ago, I felt the urge to revisit McKeith's writings. Essentially, the book talks about what the title suggests--if you eat processed, fatty, sugary foods, you'll look and feel like it. If you eat natural, vibrant (think living food, like plants), wholesome foods, you'll look and feel like it.

I've been toying with just how much I want to subscribe to her plan. I mean, is it really realistic to swear off processed foods? But I had a revelation in the grocery store last night when I started reading nutritional labels to see how much sugar foods I commonly eat contain.

It was an eye-opener, let me tell you. A UNC nutritionist recommends limiting yourself to 40 grams of added sugar a day--a typical yogurt will have at least 20g of sugar--half the day's allowance! Sugar is everywhere in processed foods. And I'm kind of mad about it. No wonder the US has such a problem with obesity! Sugar is everywhere--everywhere!

So, with that in mind, I've committed to really trying to cut out most processed foods. A few things, I'll keep--like my light, multigrain English muffins (I've checked the nutritional values--they're okay). But otherwise, it's time to change.

What will this look like for me? Well, cutting out desserts; swapping salad dressings out and balsamic vinegar in; choosing brown rice over white rice; changing from instant, sugary oatmeal packets to rolled or steel-cut oats sweetened with pure maple syrup; avoiding white bread and pasta; adding grains like bulgur and quinoa to my diet.

I already dropped coffee and soda from my diet on Nov. 1 (green tea and white tea I will not lose--they have actual benefits), and I've greatly decreased my intake of cheese (an addiction, as you can see in my last blog posting!) and increased my intake of vegetables.

I know not everyone will understand or appreciate these changes, and I know it will be difficult when I go out for meals. That's why my goal is to make healthy decisions most the time--but keep a balance where it's not a big deal, or I don't feel guilty, if I have a cookie or white bread or a glass of wine.

And, I'm still trying to negotiate how far I'm going to take this. Will I buy a juicer? How many/what supplements/vitamins will I add to my diet? I won't decide that today, but today I have decided to be very conscious about what I'm eating and what that food will do for--or to--me.

Update as of 2/24/09: I've really been focusing on eating whole grains and lots of fruits and veggies (I've discovered kale and beets, yum!). I still eat sweets (more than I should), but I'm trying to be more selective and make better choices. I drink wine only when I'm out to dinner or having dinner at a friend's house, and I've cut waaaay back on cheese, a former staple of mine. I haven't started juicing just because it's so expensive to maintain, but hopefully someday I'll be able to.

The clock thing has helped--it does stress me out less to know what time it actually is, and I get up three days a week now by 5:30 a.m. to workout at the UNC gym before work. (Tuesday and Thursday nights I'm taking a weight training course through UNC, which I'm loving!)