Reality Check

So this is the picture at the finish line from my 11k race last weekend.  Now two things stand out here to me: the time on the clock; at the 6 mile mark the time they called out to me was around 54 or 55 mins. that means it took me about 8 minutes to run the last .6 miles really!!  What happened! and I look like I'm WALKING, the second my foot crosses that line I'm done?  I should have sprinted all the way to the end cuz apparently I started walking too soon that is why at the very last second someone snuck up right behind me and passed to cross the finish line before me, you don't see her b/c she is in front already getting her number removed!

Ok this weekend calls for an 8 mile run on Sat. and some cross training today.  But tomorrow is a 4 mi. handicap hill run with the running club with a potluck that I always enjoy and I have to be ready for a "ball" at night funny huh I don't even have a dress picked out, or I'm afraid to see what I still fit in to.  On Wed. when I tried running the dog outside my lungs were still burning from the cold and having a cold and this morning I still had a bit of a sore throat.  So I've decided I'm going to do my long run indoors today after work.  I'm going to try and do 8 miles on the treadmill and if not at least 5 with some elliptical or stairstepper thrown in to mix it up.  Then tomorrow I will still do the 4 mile run with my running group.  I hope to get a swim in on Sunday which means not staying up too late like Cinderella I'll have to leave at midnight only there will be no prince charming ok ok I already met my prince charming but when he will have access to an open bar I'm afraid prince charming will also disappear at midnight!  So I might as well be in bed by then anyway right?!?! 

So here's to a good weekend to get back on track and to no more walking finishes.  My next finish line photo will show me in full sprint leaning forward trying to cross for the perfect photo finish!

Overwhelmed yet optimistic

Becoming slightly overwhelmed with feelings of helplessness from time to time is normal it's how we deal with it that counts, or so they say...  Let's see what do I feel overwhelmed about? 

1. My weight, tracking my food, increasing training and having to give in to buying a bigger pair of jeans to fit into is overwhelming because I haven't seen any progress in the last 2 months I feel like it isn't fair as my bf loses weight with our increased training I'm still at a plateau. I know we can't compare the two metabolisms, and I shouldn't resort to malicious tactics such as forgoing the HUGE free muffins they gave us but taking it back to my bf to eat tonight just in hopes to even the playing field (j/k I would never do a thing like that)
2. Having depressing work meetings that tell us the doom and gloom of the next years to come with the economy and the prediction that the unemployment rate will take 5-10 years to fully recover.  Realizing that I was the last in to my dept. and that usually translates to first out during layoffs.
3. The holidays are coming up and my savings account keeps going down instead of up.
4. The learning curve on my new job should be better in my own eyes but everyone keeps telling me I'm right on track...
5. The pressure to be married and have kids in order to avoid the social stigma of becoming an old maid, I mean really ppl what century do we live in...
6. Is it really that important to be excited about a fancy holiday party coming up when I will be going through all my old dresses keeping my fingers crossed that I still fit into one while thinking I should be more worried about other things.
7.  Being sick and not having gone to the gym in 3 days.

But I'm feeling better and today I will be back at the gym so all this should be shaken off by the end of the day with a whole new bright perspective!  I still have a job, I still have food on the table, I still have my house, I have close friends and family to spend the holidays with and I will try to help others in need in any way I can with some extra volunteering this next year! 

So I'm not giving up I'm gonna keep trucking along and this weekend's long run should put me back where I need to be.  Cheers!  This weekend I go shopping for yummy vegetarian THANKSGIVING food and going to practice being THANKFUL!

2011 Calendar Photos

I was trying to pick which photos to submit for my 1 free calendar they give us at work to create my 2011 calendar and it was so hard!  I did realize that I prefer and do more in the fall and winter months because I didn't have many "summer" pictures.  I did play around with the colors and cropping on a few of them.  But here are the finalists I chose.  Now for next year I'm gonna try to make it a point of taking a few pictures each month of the year in preperation for next year's calendar!  I'm excited to see my final result...

 

 

Ow! Week 3

Keeping up with my long runs on the weekends!  Working harder to keep up with my workouts during the week.  Missed a few last week but did a 9.9 mile run last Sat. on a loop course which meant there were 3 hills.  Training for a hilly marathon is way harder than training for a flat one....  At least on race day we'll be at a lower elevation than we are training in, woohooo! 

This was the first run the bf actually ran faster than me!  Not on the first loop but the 2nd a 3rd loop he smoked me...  He must be doing his weekly workouts now and I decided to slack last week, oh oh!  Also my foot hurts soooo bad ever since my long run Sat.  It's on the big toe of the right foot I believe it's the ligament that hurts.  It's a hard place to try and stretch.  Today walking around is very painful.  So tonight instead of a 40 minute run that it calls for in my training I'm going to do a 40 minute bike ride then go take my dog for a walk.

Hopefully this gets better soon because my run last Sat. although I felt good was pretty pathetic time wise.  It's been unseasonable warm for this time of year which has made it easier to get out there and run but that is supposed to change this week.  Next week for the long run we are doing the Veteran's 11k then gonna keep going to finish out the 14 mile run that's on our schedule.  So here's to hoping for a speedy recovery and motiviation on week nights to pump out those important evening workouts.  Wed. I start another indoor soccer season so that should help with sprints as long as I don't sprain my ankle again.  I think I'll wear my ankle brace during games to help prevent that!

I'm excited for these beautiful fall colors....
See you on the road!

Back on track, kind of

Stuck to some awesome workouts last week!  Did my speedwork on Wed., my cross training on Tues. & Thurs., some weight lifting and best of all the 8 mile run on Saturday!  It took a little longer than I would have liked 1:26 but I was in a lot of pain (lady problems) and pushed through it.   So I was very proud of my self....

Then came Saturday night!!!  I ended up staying up way past my bedtime (3:30am) and did partake in some of the celebrations but mainly keeping everyone else calm and safe.  Needless to say Sunday we were both useless and barely got the kitchen cleaned up.  We have decided that for now we are done being hosts.  We love having friends over and enjoy everyone's company but not always being the hosts.  It's time to let others step up for a while or only host small groups )2-4) for dinner. 

This week hasn't been as spectacular as last:
Mon. 40 minute 13 mile bike ride with hills AWESOME
Tues. Upset stomach & voting (coincidence?) = no workout...
Wed. 30 minute run/walk with my new puppy (fun but could have been a little more productive if she didn't try to run in front of me everytime a car went by)
Thursday (possibly no workout at all because I have vegetarian cooking class until 9pm tonight)

But Friday I'm going to lift weights then head out to a low key date to carb up with my bf.  Saturday we're doing a 5k Diabetes run then just gonna keep going at the finish line to make it a 10 mile run.  Then my dad is visiting on Sunday and would like to get a bike ride in.

So hopefully even though I was off to a slow start it will pick up the later half of the week.

Also need to sign up for puppy training classes.