One of these is not like the others...

One of these is not like the others:

Here let me give you a close up in case you missed it:

It wasn't that long ago that I was an adrenaline junkie always on the search for the next big rush!  And never in a million years did I think I'd be where I am today in my life, but I'm happy it all worked out the way it did!  I consider myself a very lucky person and am so thankful for all that I have.  Let me tell you though I'm glad I went sky diving when I did because having a child kind of changes your perspective on certain things and I might not have been as eager to try it.  But I know I will still find adventures to conquer, now I'm taking on the biggest one yet:

Love these guys!

I have been managing to work out but not as much as I had envisioned.  My weekday workouts have to be accomplished during my lunch which can be a challenge sometimes.  So I've been getting anywhere from 2-4 workouts during the week.  Then on the weekends I've been getting a family run in where we take turns pushing the stroller (man that's hard) for about a 2 - 4 mile run on Saturdays and Sundays I escape for an early spin class.  The nice thing is that with breastfeeding my growing boy I can still eat what ever I want and lose weight, I'm about 7 lbs. away from pre pregnancy weight which is very exciting.  I am fitting in most of my pre pregnancy pants but it does change your shape for ever.  I'm ok with that and eventually I will go buy some new clothes. 

I have come to terms with the fact that I won't get to do any skiing this season.  It's just too hard with a little one I'd have to leave at home and where the heck do you pump?  It's more like a milkshake up there in the cold mountains! :-)  But I'm ok with that too I can miss a season knowing that soon enough we'll get to take the little man with us and the look on his face when he gets to go down the bunny slope for the first time will be priceless!

So as my year starts to wind down and I look back to what got me here and where I am now, I'm happy!  Do I sometimes miss picking up on a moments notice for the next adventure?  Sure!!  Do I wake up after a sleepless night and look forward to that precious smile on my little guys face?  You bet!  Everything has a time and a place and I'm so glad I've gotten to experience so much in my life!

I'm not shy anymore and more truths...

So let me tell you it already took a lot to embarrass me because I grew up with a mom that speaks her mind at any moment and doesn't apologize for it, she taught me to be unique, individual, and proud of who I am.  This is the same person who also told me not to point out what I think are my faults because people only notice them when you point them out!  But after giving birth to a room full of 10 people and having people around telling you how to breast feed and what feels like the whole world seeing your privates you lose ALL inhibitions.  My first clue of this was when someone would asked me how it went and I noticed I might have made a few of them squirm and realized it was TMI either that or birth control for some of my friends. :-)

Truth #1 I gained 40 lbs during my pregnancy not the 25 - 35 that they recommend.  But to be honest I'm not as freaked out about it as I thought I'd be.  I lost 10 lbs of that the day I gave birth and another 10 lbs in the week after that.  Now 6 weeks after I have about 16 lbs left to lose to get to my pre pregnancy weight and I am up for the challenge now that I can exercise!

Truth #2 it's not the weight gain you have to be worried about it's the fact that you have no ab muscles and there's all that extra flab around your belly.  So that's the number one goal during my workouts... Yup you heard it right I'm not concentrating on getting a PR any time soon or on speed work at the track or placing at my next triathlon, just on getting those ab muscles back and tight.  That's what will prevent me from getting into my pre pregnancy clothes even when I lose those last 16 lbs. 

Truth #3 I cheated a little and the week before I got the ok to work out I ran 1.5 miles almost every day just to start testing myself.  Now this week I'm doing some running and weight lifting and plan to start incorporating some spinning and swimming ASAP.

Sat. I went straight from my Dr. apt to the gym did 30 minutes on the elliptical and 45 minutes of lifting and ab work.  Sunday got to busy and I had to skip my 1st workout!!!  Today I got a 2 mile run in before hubs had to head to campus so hopefully when he gets home at 7 tonight I can run to the gym to do some weights.  Yes, having a baby makes some of the simple things in life seem a lot more difficult to do, like sleep but it's true what they say it is so worth it.  Just watching him smile or stretch as he's waking up makes me forget about everything I just mentioned above!!  Yes, I've now become one of those moms.

Things I never thought I'd have to worry about when I worked out:

• Leaking, yes if you are breastfeeding you do have to worry about this when you work out
• Feeling like your insides might fall out at some point during your work out!
• Deciding to wear your maternity bathing suit when getting in the hot tub and realizing now that it's lose on you the jets will blow air into the most awkward places so you just hope the jets don't turn off until after you get out
• Having to wear 2-3 sports bras when you work out so it doesn't hurt
• Getting home in time to feed your baby

My dog is happy we are training for the 5k doggie dash and doesn't feel quite as neglected anymore.  Ok she is pretty jealous that she doesn't get to come jump on our bed in the mornings anymore or sit on the couch between us if the little guy has her spot, but she's doing ok considering.

Happy Training Everyone!!!

December to Remember: FITspiration

Let's make this a December to Remember!    Remember being FIT that is!  I figured everyone was doing a thankful post each day in November why not do something for December.  I remember I use to always hear people talk about the "holiday" weight gain but I had never experienced it until last year.  I gained about 4 lbs last holiday season.  See where I work starting the first of December they assign 2 people for each day to bring in snacks.  There are 2 separate holiday parties where we eat and they still have 2 people bring snacks on those days too!  So I thought I'd be careful not to partake everyday but obviously I wasn't careful enough. 

It's also the beginning of "off" season for most of the endurance community and it is normal to gain a few pounds for that but if you add holiday weight + off season weight = slow runner!

So who's in?  Let's post something every day on our FB or other media pages that will help us remember to stay fit this off/holiday season.  If you want like my FB page and tell me you are going to participate then I'll make sure and link back to your page each time you post a December to Remember FITspiration or just come on over and share mine that I'll be posting each day!

Today is the 3rd so I already posted one the 1st & 2nd

December 1st was:   December to Remember FITspiration #1: It may be too warm for snow but don't fret "Frosty the snowman knew the snow was hot that day So he said lets run and have some fun before I melt away" Did you go for a run today?

I see this guy everyday now driving to work!

December 2nd was:  December to Remember FITspiration #2: with the long winter months ahead usually off season you forget what you look like under all those comfy layers. SO go try on a cute bathing suit at your local fitness store (they are really cheap right now) since you are in awesome shape from a whole season of training, and stay ready to fit into it as soon as spring is here!

... today's will be:

December to Remember FITspiration #3: December to Remember FITspiration #3: Find inspiration in unexpected places and act on it. Every time I'm going to get a new pair of tennis shoes I remember this book and my first run in my new shoes is always exciting and I may even try to jump over a few things! :-)



































My new tennis shoes, and yes, yesterdays run was a fun one!

Why I love my running club:

1. It's like having a HUGE extended family from the funny Uncle that can make a mundane maintenance run fun, to the wise aunt that has a cure for every running ailment, and the clumsy cousin who manages to always pick themselves up and you can always count on someone to be there rain, sleet or heat!










2. There is always a fun run that can help make training fly by.  Those of you who have read past posts know how much I love our club's Handicap Runs! 

3. Monthly meetings are informative, usually have a guest speaker, and sometimes giveaways!  I often see groups running before the meeting also!

I know I should have picked a better pic :-)

4. Instant fan base!!!  I LOVE IT when I'm running a race and when some of the volunteers recognize me from the running club and I hear "Keep it up Natasha" or someone from the running club passes me and encourages me to keep moving just when I think I want to start walking (World's Toughest 10k) "IFM"  Incessant Forward Motion!








5.  They never get tired of listening to you talk about all things running related!  If I talk about my training plan, nutrition, or upcoming race they have the appropriate level of interest and even provide feedback! 


That is why I'm so excited about taking on a marketing role with our club and trying to spread the word.  I just need to get a little creative because as is with all non-profits it needs to be on a tight budget. Any ideas?  Why do you love your running club?

Attack of the tumbleweeds!

Ok Ok so they didn't literally attack us but it sure seemed like they were aiming for us!  More on that in a minute..

I survived my 1st week of training but not without some mishaps, the good news is I didn't let it slow me down.  Well, maybe it slowed me down time wise but I still put a lot of heart into it and pushed through! 

Saturday was this month's running club handicap run and it was a "prediction" run which meant that you were not allowed to wear a watch and you were told the total distance and had to guess how long it would take you to finish.  This was a 2 person team so the team who predicted their time best won.  My friend that went with me had never done one before so I put down our times I wrote her in at 36 mins. and myself at 37 and she looked at me like I was crazy because it was only a 3.4 mile run.  I told her "trust me"  I've ran out here before and the hills are killer.  As we made our first ascent I could hear her behind me saying "wow this is tough you were right!"  As we had to stop and walk up some patches of snow/ice I new I had made the right call.  Now on the downhill I got so excited and was running a little too fast, hit a rock, and went for a tumble!  I'm pretty bruised up, have a swollen hand, knot on my elbow, and my shoulder and hip hurts still.  I shook it off and kept going but it hurt...  Good news is we won the prediction run by only being off by like 30 secs each so the Starbucks gift card helped me forget about my injuries...

1st hill

I'm still smiling after the fall...

The next day I had committed to meeting a friend at the "bosque" trail which is a flat path by the river.  Trust me I probably would have wimped out if I hadn't said I'd be there.  The winds were up to 40 mph gusts with wind chills and I was hurting more than I thought I'd be from the fall.  We still did all 9 miles and thankfully my running buddy was there to get me through the last couple of miles because I was struggling.  The first few miles were in the 9-10 min. range and the last half were closer to 11  I was sooo dehydrated from the wind and a few times I swear the wind almost ran me right into my friend.  Not to mention the tumbleweeds that you had to dodge as the wind blew them over the path!!

So now I'm at work licking my wounds but so happy to have completed a tough week of training.  I start the week off with some weight lifting and plyometrics...

Happy Friday!

I know this video has made it's rounds several times but the way I am feeling this week it seems appropriate!





This week was the 1st week of my 1/2 marathon training which also means the kickoff to my entire 2012 training season.  Now this may not mean much to most but to me it has been amazing!!  For the past year or two I have been just going through the motions, putting miles in entering a few races just to say I raced that year and kind of dreading most of my longer workouts.  So when my dad had asked me to enter IM AZ with him I was extremely hesitant.  When my friends asked me to do this 1/2 marathon in March I was even more hesitant.  After the last 1/2 marathon in Disney I was depressed for a while after I knew I had gone to hang out with my friends mainly and hadn't trained enough but I really felt the extra weight on me during that race and I felt that I wasn't enjoying the sport anymore.  I was devastated thinking I had lost the "joy" in it all.

So I started this week timidly but made myself stick to my workouts because the last two years that has been my biggest problem not sticking to my plan, I would get burned out too quickly and just barely show up both mentally and physically.  So the most exciting part about this week is that I feel like I'm BACK!!!  Mentally I'm all in.  Obviously I'm not back physically yet it's only been 1 week but I can tell I'm ready to get there, I want it back!  I called my dad after my workout yesterday and proudly announced "IronTash is back!!!"  Thanks Dad for getting me back into it and hope you have a speedy recovery so you can join me again soon!!

Week 1 training:

Mon. - Rest Day
Tues. - Treadmill speeadwork 1 mi. warm up, 1x 1200 @ 1/2 marathon pace, 2x800 @ 10k pace, 4x200 @ 5k pace, cooldown
Wed. - 1 mi warm up, strength training
Thurs. - Track speedwork, 1/2 mi warm up 6x400fast w/400 job, 1/2 mi cooldown
Fri. - 2 mi warmup, strength training
Sat. - 3.6 mi. hill work outdoors
Sun. - 9 mi flat course outdoors

It feels so good to be excited about my training again, now I just keep it up and hopefully the results will follow!  How do you stay excited about your training?

So many activities...

So I have been super busy and loving every minute of it.  I managed to sneak this post in because I couldn't sleep so I came out here to do this while the house is still quiet.  So much fun in so little time!  I'll mainly do this one as a wordless post since the pics speak for themselves.

1st Running Club's Holiday Party

Goodies, I took a pair of running socks!

Eating yummy Italian food, the baked polenta was awesome!



It's not a running club without skinny Santa!

2nd we got another round of snow just before Christmas and had to take advantage of it!

We all love the snow!

Sledding was not the best idea here...

We love hiking and snow makes it even funner!

3rd My friends decided to do a Christmas Eve beer run where you ran a 1 mile loop then stoppped to drink a beer between each lap, the person to complete the most laps in 90 minutes wins.  I wasn't going to participate the plan was just to say Hi to my friends but with a little peer pressure before I new it I was on my 9th lap! My friend Gwen is a way faster runner but apparantly college paid off for me becuase I was a way faster chugger!  This also counted as my Virtual 5k with Daily Vitamin F~

Before we started waiting for everyone in the COLD, brrr!

Gwen realizing I was actually participating :-)

She fell because she was laughing so hard..

My wonderful hubby who was my DD and cheered me on when I wanted to quit, at lap 8 I said I was done and still had 10 minutes left ont he clock, he yelled, You've never DNF'd right?!?!  So of course I kept going!

Now on to more adventures!  I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas and I hope you all have a safe and Happy New Year?  What was your favorite part of Christmas?  What was your favorite gift?  I got photoshop software and a ski trip to Wolf Crekk!!

Handicap Run & Salsa

So my absolute favorite thing to participate in with my local running group is their Handicap runs!  I had convinced a couple of my running buddies to join me so that made it extra fun. Not to mention that I had lost touch with my wonderful friends in the running group and they always know how to have an awesome potluck!

So what is a handicap run?  Here are their rules:

Monthly handicap fun runs are held all over the city.  The timed handicap is designed to equalize runners of different abilities.  Each participant (runner or walker) is assigned his or her own start time which remains the same for the duration of the series. In theory, all runners would finish at the same time.  So the idea is to improve upon your own time so you can beat the other runners.  The first person who crosses the finish line receives the same number of points as there are runners.  The second finisher receives one less point and so on.  But everyone receives at least 5 points for participating or volunteering.  We organize potluck meals or go out to eat afterward, and you can have fun in friendly competition with your fellow runners.  Visitors and new members are always welcome!  No charge to anyone. Volunteers are always appreciated. Results including your paces are posted on the handicap page each month. Cumulative points for each runner are also posted so you can track your progress.

The year-long handicap series is divided into two six-month series.  The first-half series begins in January and the second-half series begins in July. A free pair of shoes is awarded to the points winner at the end of each series. 

The point of these of course is to have fun but also to motivate you to improve your pace over the 6 months.  I  love them because it gives us slow runners a chance to run with the speedsters and it personally it always gets me pumped up to try harder!  This one was a wake up call for me because I had stopped really running hills of any sort for the last few months and it definitely made my lungs burn.  


So another fun event from the weekend was going with my mom to see Kings of Salsa.  What great rhythms and wow were they in shape!!  I'm thinking Salsa dancing needs to be added to my workout routine!  Ok so maybe they have to do a little more than salsa dancing to get abs like that!  My mom finally couldn't contain herself and during their last song got up and busted a move!  :-)

Remember you have one more week to enter my giveaway!

I RUN....

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about what running and exercise means to me what a huge role it has taken in my life.  It’s gotten me out of some dark places and made the fun times even more meaningful!  Recently I had a close friend reach out and need some help.  More than one of us tried to remind her to run!  We know that when we are most stressed, anxious, or depressed is usually when we forget to eat right or exercise yet that is usually the quickest road to recovery in most situations.  So I’m trying to think of the best way to remind her or anyone of us of that when we forget.

I RUN….

I run for myself 

I run to stay sane

I run to remind myself that I am strong

When my feet move and my heart pounds I am alive and for that moment my problems disseminate, my anxiety releases, and my energy returns. 

As life goes on and obstacles appear I remember I am a runner;

I don’t give up

When the voice says stop I question it

When the pain feels unbearable I assess it

When I hit that wall I leap over it

I run, not away from my problems but through them

I run, to my next personal record

I run, until my head is clear and I am once again STRONG!

We’ve all heard the different phrases that we sometimes refer to as our mantras when we have to reach deep down and find that hope that will keep us moving forward. 

“Incessant Forward Motion”  IFM

“I feel good, I feel great, I feel wonderful”

“Pain is weakness leaving the body”

“One foot in front of the other”

What is your favorite mantra?

How has running (exercise) helped you with your daily life or get through a tough situation?

What tips would you give someone close to you going through a hard time to help them get through it and back to running?

Random thoughts....

I posted this on facebook today:  Listening to people complain about the rising cost of healthcare at their place of work, yet when the conversation leads to the fact that 60-80% of dr. visits that contribute to the rising cost are due to personal actions they get up and leave the meeting hmmmm.... I don't really care what side of the "health care reform" argument I'm on but if there is something I can do (exercise) or not do (put down the doughnut) to improve my health or prevent taking medications, sign me up!

 

I'm curious if I'll get a completely different response in comments on there than if I post it on here or DM? :-)  I know health care reform is a touchy subject but why don't we at least try to control what we can that's all I'm saying not trying to get political.

So I looked at some of the new layouts for blogger and I liked some of them but it seems like it takes away some features like does anyone know how someone would choose to follow you (not that I really have this problem but just in case) it doesn't seem to give you the option to add "widgets" on that one or I wanted to change the color of my Blog title so that it would show up with the new background I had picked but I couldn't do it under the new version.  Just putting this out there in case anyone has some insider tips I'm not aware of?

Yesterday I went for a run with the dog trying to get her prepped for a doggy dash and doddle but I can't use my running leash because it goes past 6 feet.  This will be a very interesting run.  I tripped over her at least 4 times and almost got my arm ripped off twice when she tried to stay behind sniffing or standing on her back legs trying to check out where the barking was coming from (behind the fence).  My mom practiced riding my commuter bike for this weekends Day of the Tread that we will be doing with the whole fam.  I'm so proud of my mom she can lift weights right there next to Mr. Macho Heavy Grunting Scary Dude and not get fazed, she goes to spin class with me and tries her best, she will jog/walk a 5k just to be able to do it with me and she can hike trails with her friend in the mountains like you wouldn't believe!  I'm so glad I learned good habits from my parents!  They are also celebrating their 36th anniversary this weekend!  Congrats Mom and Dad!!!!  I will be making them an eggplant lasagna for dinner that night.

Weekend Wrap Up

Very fun yet exhausting weekend!  F says me and Lexi (the dog) feed off each others energy.  I can’t help it if we are both a little excitable, might expend all of our energy at once running around in circles, pass out from the sheer excitement of it all taking a little power nap, growl if someone disrupts our rest, and then ready for another round.  J    Friday was my rest day so I kept myself busy with a couples date at an indoor glow in the dark mini golf, I know I’m not 15 anymore but isn’t it fun to act like it!?  We then were very excited that Kiva Juice has a special on their frozen yogurt after 7pm it’s half off what a deal!  And yes, I only ate this because I knew I had a long run ahead of me the next day. 

Saturday I woke up a little later than my usual for my run I got on the road at 7:10am for a 10.5 mile run.  It had some easy rolling hills on it.  The humidity was pretty bad when I first started and made it feel hard to breathe.  I also decided to try and carry a water bottle this time but decided it was throwing me off and ditched it about mile 2.  Once I got to the turnaround point the humidity lifted and it was still a little over cast so I felt myself pick up my pace a little.  The rest of the run I felt awesome, I stretched at the stop lights and this helped a lot.  I had a negative split which was awesome but I was a little disappointed to see it still came out to 10 minute miles.  It felt a lot better than this when I was running it, not sure where I’m going wrong.  I seem to be getting slower and slower even though I’m training more, on my sprint days I’m able to run faster and pick up  my speed over time but as soon as I get outside for my long runs it’s like my brain is hard wired to do 10 minute miles now!!!  Grrrr ok I will figure this out!  

We then drove to a nearby lake and took the doggy for her first swim ever!  I so wish I had my bloggy with me and could have recorded her freaking out with the water.  The first few times we had to carry her into the water. But after a while of getting used to it she was loving the water, trying to eat the water when we splashed it, and was swimming behind me chasing me.  This was so much fun and the f packed a wonderful picnic he put together at Whole Foods which is quite the treat for us!  On the way back we got to watch a thunderstorm.  

Sunday I went for a 32 mile bike ride and felt great!  Averaged 20.5 mph and am happy that I’m at least not slowing down in this department.  Now I start taper week.   Let’s keep our fingers crossed that they open Cochiti Lake before the weekend which is where the Olympic Tri will be.  I would hate to have it postponed and drag out my training not to mention I already have another Sprint Tri the weekend right after that!

Happy Taper Week!

Catching Up

Hi there!  Looks like we have rain coming our way towards next week, woo hooo!!  Los Alamos fire is doing better the evacuation was lifted.  The Sacramento  fire  evacuation was lifted.  We are seeing the effects still with smokey skies and abundant wildlife in areas they wouldn’t normally venture.  

I went to the mountains for the long weekend to visit the parents.  It was an awesome 75 degrees for the high and I did a 10 mile run on Saturday and 32 mile bike ride Sunday.  This is at 9,000 feet and I normally train at 5,400 feet.  There were also lots of hills to be conquered along the way.  For my run I was a more than disappointed with how slow I was.  It took me 1:50 to run the 10 miles.  I could tell myself it was the altitude, hills, and the fact that I totally forgot to take any water but I still thought I felt way better than that while I was running!  

I even got to learn about the Solar System while on my ride!  That's what happens when you ride towards a town called Sunspot..

Then on the ride it took me 2:20 and I felt good, granted pretty slow on the hills, there were a few at 9% incline and one was a 2 mile hill that felt like 10.  I saw three deer on my run.  On my bike I saw coyotes and a bear crossed the street right in front of me!  I will admit it was a little nerve racking, I was wandering how hungry he was.  I almost stopped to take a picture then I decided to just keep going.  I was going so slow up that hill though that I attempted to take my camera out of my back pocket and snap a picture, needless to say it came out blurry.  Got a flat with only 2 miles left to go and tried to ride it in as far as possible then walked it in the last ¼ to ½ mile to the car.  The nice forest service had left me a warning on my car windshield thinking I had gone into the forbidden forest but I was on the road.  I have too much respect for our open spaces to ever risk being the reason for damage to it.  

My legs were fairly fatigued from these hard workouts and that combined with reading fellow blogger’s opinions about compression socks I went to go buy a pair.  Then I saw they were $60 and decided I’d wait a bit, especially since I don’t think they are fully proven to work.  What is your opinion on those? 

My dear little dog is such a nervous car rider that I had to give her some puppy downers to try and calm her and with that she still let out some ear piercing yelps at passing cars (I don’t think my bro and his gf will ever travel with me and my dog again)  so we covered her line of sight with the window visors.  This seemed to work but the poor thing was so worked up and exhausted by the time the trip was over she’s still recovering.  I don’t know what to do other than not take road trips anymore.  She did seem to really love our trip to White Sands the only problem is she kept trying to eat the sand!  It was pretty funny watching her chase the sand down the hill and try to attack it if I kicked it.  I took an extra day off from work and it turned out to be an ENTIRE day of errands UGH! Which meant no workout on Tuesday.  Oh and on Mon. when we went to the pool I was told it was the 4^th of July so I should relax every once in a while and compromise by only being at the pool for 1 hour, which he failed to mention that 1 hour included my shower time, so I only got 800 yds in, don’t say I never compromise..  :-p

Did you know that Body Combat is just cardio kickboxing?  I tried it yesterday to overcome my lack of motivation and the class was so unorganized I could only stand it for 25 minutes then I ran to the treadmill and found my motivation again!

Hope everyone had a happy Independence Day!  There I’m up to date and will now catch up on some blog reading!