Changing of the Seasons
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: October 19, 2009
First of all, last Saturday, October 10th, I finished my first marathon!! I did a lot more walking than I wanted to or planned for but my only goal was to cross the line and I did! My official time was 6 hours, 33 minutes, and a few seconds. I think taking our Alaska trip when we did really messed with my training schedule. The two weeks that should have been my highest mileage were my lowest mileage weeks and I never got back into the running groove after our vacation. Oh well, I wouldn’t trade our trip for anything. And since I’m already signed up for my second marathon in January at Walt Disney World (actually I’m doing a marathon and a half–39.3 miles), I’m dedicated to making the second one go a little better and training smarter.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed, I haven’t been around blogworld at all lately. I’ve been reading your blogs but I haven’t commented or written a post for my own in a while. And over the last few months I’ve been MIA a lot…I’ll post and then won’t post again for weeks. In those weeks when I’m not posting, I feel guilty for not posting and not commenting on your blogs. I feel like I should come up with something to post about even though I don’t really want to post anything.
After a lot of thinking, I’ve made the decision to “officially” step out of the blogworld…essentially it’s what I’ve been doing for months but I just haven’t made it official. I’m sure I’ll still be reading your blogs on occasion but I won’t be commenting or posting.
I’ve felt for a few weeks that this is the right step for me. I believe that there are seasons in life…seasons of love, seasons of loss, seasons of running, seasons of not running…this is a season for me. A season when I’m not feeling inspired writing-wise and posting has become a chore. And I need to listen to myself and step back for a while.
There’s been a lot going on with my family lately and now, more than ever, I feel that the only person I can count on is myself. Which sounds so depressing but it’s a fact I’ve known since I was 10 years old and it’s been reaffirmed for me over the past few months. When I feel hurt or wounded, I curl up into myself and reflect…I don’t want to share myself with others because I’m terrified of what they can do with that information.
I’m not saying any of you would use my emotions and feelings to manipulate or hurt me but that’s what my family has done. I feel like I have to protect myself and I shut myself off. I know this isn’t the most emotionally healthy thing to do but this is how I deal with this at this point in my life.
When the seasons change again and I feel ready to open myself back up, I know where to find all of you. Thank you for your support.
Back from Vacation!
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: September 23, 2009
I’m back from my vacation to Alaska!! Expect a few upcoming posts about our trip; it was amazing, wonderful, and beautiful. It also ended with me meeting someone very famous but more on that some other time. How’s that for a teaser?!
I’m sorry that I’ve been so MIA lately…I fully intended to write before my trip but work was suddenly busy and I just didn’t have the time. I’m still figuring out how to balance my new job with blogging and commenting. I haven’t found the solution yet but I’ve got some other ideas to try out.
I cannot believe my marathon is in 17 days! Holy crap-ola!! I can’t think about it too much…I get nervous and feel like I’m going to throw up or cry or a combination of the two.
Anyways, just a quick note to let you know I’m back and I’m alive.
Busy, busy bee
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: August 28, 2009
Hey lovely ladies!!
Sorry I have been MIA this past week…Stephen’s mom was here, I had a cold/bronchitis, and work was super busy. It’s been an interesting and l-o-n-g week. But today’s Friday and 2 weeks from today, I’ll be leaving on my trip to Alaska!! I’m so very excited for this!!!
Anyways, I wanted to do a quick check-in and let you all know that I’m okay. Next week should be much more un-exciting so I’ll have more time to post (good thing—I’ve got tons of stuff I want to talk about) and read & comment on your blogs (also a good thing—my reader has ~200 unread posts in it). I’ll leave you with some pictures of some of the activities we did when Stephen’s mom was here.
P.S. Huge congrats to Lynn who reached 100 lbs lost!! Lynn, you are truly, absolutely freaking amazing.
Review of “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: August 17, 2009
I recently read “The Omnivore’s Dilemma” by Michael Pollan and wanted to give you all a quick review of the book.
First of all I should say that I loved this book. I found it to be extremely informative and some of what I learned truly shocked me. What I liked most about the book is that Pollan gives the reader information without pushing a particular way of eating or living. My biggest complaint about Jillian Michaels’ “Master Your Metabolism” was that she basically says that you have to eat and live one particular way or otherwise you’re going to die (she wasn’t quite this brash but you get what I’m trying to say). There’s none of that pushiness in “The Omnivore’s Dilemma”. Pollan simply gives you the facts and lets you decide how to eat and live.
I found the book to be eye-opening and can’t wait until “Food, Inc.” comes out on DVD so I can watch it.
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I didn’t do my 22-24 miles this weekend but I did do 15. And I feel no guilt whatsoever for not doing a longer distance. 1) I woke up at 3:30 on Friday morning to get my run in before I had to meet my friend at 11 AM. 2) It was hot and humid on Friday. I started getting dizzy and knew I had to stop.
Stephen’s mom came into town on Friday evening and we spent the weekend showing her some DC sites—Air and Space Museum, Mount Vernon, and a Baltimore Orioles baseball game. We had a lot of fun and did a lot of walking. We also got some great pictures but they’re on her camera so I’ll have to wait to post them.
I hope you all had wonderful weekends. I’m off to catch up on all that you’ve been doing.
Terrified of the “2″
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: August 13, 2009
Hey lovely ladies!!
This past weekend was my sister’s baby shower in Oklahoma. It went okay. Baby showers are not my thing at all plus with the unresolved stuff going on between me and my mom/sister, it wasn’t the best time. But I did get to talk to my mom a little bit and I feel like we’re at a better place and she understands where I’m coming from on some issues. I didn’t get to talk to my sister…I’m still very hurt by some of her comments a few months ago and I’m not ready to talk about it yet.
The reason I bring all this up about my trip is because last week before our trip and while we were back, I noticed that I’m still very much an emotional eater. I’m better than I used to be but it’s like I don’t feel my hunger/fullness cues because I’m too busy feeling other things. Definitely something to keep working on.
I also attempted a 12 mile run on Saturday. I thought my issue was going to be the hot weather (it’s been triple digits in Oklahoma compared to the 80 degrees I’ve been enjoying in DC) but it was actually my tummy. I did 6.5 miles and my stomach was bothering me so much, I had to stop. I’ve noticed the last few times I’ve traveled that my stomach is pretty sensitive and almost always bothers me. Oh well, 6.5 miles is 6.5 more than doing nothing!!
Tomorrow Stephen’s mom comes in to visit us for 10 days. She’ll be staying with us for 4 days and then moves to a hotel when her friend arrives from Boston. Since I’m getting into crunch time for my marathon training (and I have tomorrow off), I’ll be getting up and doing a 22-24 miler tomorrow morning. I’m absolutely terrified…it’s the first digit being a “2” that’s getting to me.
But after my long run, I’m going to see “Time Traveler’s Wife” with a friend!! I am so excited!! It looks amazing. I’ll be sure to let you all know how it is.
Wounded Warrior Project
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: August 4, 2009
Thankfully, my weekend was much better than last week!! I was scheduled for a 20 miler but mentally, I could not get into it. I know it was all the mental and emotional stress of last week. I did about 11 miles and called it good. While a part of me felt like I had failed because I didn’t do what I was “scheduled” to do, I also knew that it had been a horribly rough week and the fact that I even attempted to do 20 miles said a lot about my mental fortitude. (I also think it’s funny that 11 miles isn’t a long run for me anymore…it’s still a long distance to run but in my training plan 11 miles is an intermediate distance.)
My new hydration pack works wonderfully!! I love it! It holds soo much more water and there are tons of pockets to put my phone, keys, ID/cards, chapstick, and mid-run fuel of gumdrops and Swedish fish. It is an expensive product but I love that I don’t have to ration out my water while I’m running…I just sip when I’m thirsty and don’t have to worry about running out. The only downside is that the water doesn’t stay cold (there’s not a lot of insulation in the pack itself) so it’s a good idea to put some ice cubes in the water bladder. I’ve also been putting those freezer packs for lunches around the water bladder and that’s worked well.
And now for your consideration…
When I was thinking about signing up for and running a marathon I knew I wanted to use it as an opportunity to raise money for a cause but I wanted it to be for a cause that meant something to me. While a lot of people raise money for cancer research (a very noble and deserving cause), cancer (fortunately) hasn’t impacted me personally. After some brainstorming, I knew that I would do fundraising for injured soldiers. My brother is in Afghanistan right now and he has previously served in Iraq and Bosnia. His wife is in Iraq for the second time and has previously served in Bosnia. While neither of them has been injured, they have had close friends who have been injured.
I spoke to my brother and he pointed me in the direction of an organization. After reviewing their corporate mission statement and a lot of research, I decided this was the cause for me! I am raising money for the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization that helps soldiers and their families transition to a civilian life after serving in the military.
Please consider making a donation to support this organization. More information about the Wounded Warrior Project can be found here. My personal donation page is here.
Thank you for your consideration!
An Off Week
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: July 30, 2009
It’s been an off week for me on many levels. I feel mentally, emotionally, and physically beat down.
The past two days at work have been rough…today, thankfully, has been better. Essentially, there’s a bully on a power trip and this week was the week he chose to pick on me. I was upset and frustrated yesterday plus I was tired (which never helps). But I decided this morning that he is just one person and if I let his attitude affect me, then I’m only giving into his bullying. Obviously, I can’t redo yesterday or Tuesday but from here on out, I will not allow him to impact my mood or attitude.
Stephen and I will be going back to Oklahoma next weekend for one of my sister’s baby showers (she’s having 4!!!). Anytime we go to Oklahoma, I feel stuck in the middle and like I can’t please anyone. I’ve been stressed about how to deal with everyone and getting plans sorted out. And I know Stephen’s tired of hearing me complain about it but ultimately, I decided to go so I just need to stop complaining. It may not be the best trip ever but I made the decision to go and need to just stop stressing about it. My mantra for the trip: I can only control my happiness, no one else’s. I have to make the choices that I feel are right and do what I want to do.
And running had been tough this week. Over the weekend I did a 19 miler which was awesome! But Tuesday and Wednesday I just haven’t had good runs. Both times I’ve stopped running halfway through and walked the rest. I suspect it was rough because I was tired. I haven’t even used the elliptical once or utilized the work gym in the afternoons. I’m just in an exercise slump right now, which happens from time to time. Today I didn’t run, instead I got up a little later than usual (5:15 instead of 4:30) and used the time to do some cleaning around the apartment. I think I’ll take tomorrow off as well and give myself some time to rest and feel rejuvenated for my 20 miler on Saturday morning.
I’ve noticed over the past few weeks that my co-workers bad eating habits are rubbing off on me. I’ve started eating a lot more processed foods (including a Burger King trip for lunch one day this week…and I don’t even like Burger King!!) and I feel like crap. Probably a great reason why I feel beat down. I need to remember how awesome I feel when I eat cleanly and how I haven’t even really enjoyed all the processed garbage I’ve been eating.
I know this a downer of a post but we all have moments/days/weeks where we don’t feel 100% and it’s important to realize that it’s all part of the journey.
Having Fun
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: July 23, 2009
As you all know, I love to run! Since my first half marathon in December, I’ve gotten into races as well. I’m the type of person who enjoys schedules and routines so training for an event fits well with my personality. When I’m training for a race (rather than just running because I love it), I tend to be rigid about the way I’m running. For example, I must do 9 minutes of running, 1 minute of walking my entire run.
Tuesday morning I headed out to do a 5 miler and for whatever reason my iPod+ sports kit wouldn’t work. My iPod would play music in normal mode but I couldn’t get the iPod+ to work. I had two choices, I could either go home or I could just listen to my music and run without having the iPod+ telling me what my precise mileage was. Well, the former wasn’t even really an option and I’ve run the trails near my apartment so much that I know where to turn around.
To be completely honest, the first couple of miles were hard. It was hard for me to not know my exact time and be able to calculate my mile splits. But somewhere between miles 2 and 3 I started to feel a little free. And with that freedom, I did something I haven’t done in a very long time. I turned off my sportswatch and ran as hard as I could for as long as I could and then walked to recover. And it sounds nuts, but it was fun!! It was like being a kid racing on the playground.
During my cool down walk, I started thinking about how much fun I had and why I get so caught up in my schedules and times. Part of it is because that’s what fits with my personality…part of it is because I am training. But I can still train and have fun. I’ll still be able to do my marathon in October even if I sometimes run sprints without timing myself.
In the spirit of having fun, I woke up this morning and wanted to wear my cowboy boots to work. Even though it’s not seasonally appropriate I wore them anyways. And it’s been fun!! I feel satisfied in an odd way…like my body was craving my cowboy boots and I gave into that craving. Who cares if it’s July? I don’t; I love my boots because they remind me of my roots and they’re unique (for DC anyways).
Point of the story: It’s okay to have fun and let go of the “rules” every now and then.
Hydration and Refueling Issues
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: July 21, 2009
Can I just say how happy I will be when July 31 has passed? Things at work have been INSANE. I like being busy though so it’s good. Plus I don’t snack as much when I’m busy.
My hip/IT band has been feeling much better. When I first start running, my IT band will be a little tight but within a couple of minutes, it feels almost normal. This week I’m going to try running on back to back days…I love running and if I’m able, I want to run 4 days a week.
I ran 18 miles this past weekend!! Well, actually I ran 14 miles and walked 4 miles so I still got my 18 miles in but it wasn’t all running. I walked the last 4 miles because I felt weak and sick…I’m not properly refueling and rehydrating during my long runs. What is happening is that because it’s warmer outside, I don’t want anything in my stomach and the thought of chewing my Clif Shot Bloks makes me feel sick. But I need to be refueling. On Sunday I bought candy (Swedish Fish and Gum Drops) to take on my long runs instead of the Shot Bloks. My thinking is that since I really like the candy, I’ll be more likely to eat it. If it comes down to it, I need to force myself to eat something.
As far as rehydrating, I’ve been using this hydration belt since last fall when I was training for my first race.
But it’s not enough water/Gatorade for me when I’m running 15 or more miles. Some of the trails I run on have water fountains but some don’t. Plus it’s a pain to stop and refill the bottles.
So I purchased a new hydration vest/bladder thing. My friend has one and has used it on long runs and says it doesn’t bother her. I ordered it online and really hope it gets here before Saturday when I’ve got 19 miles on the schedule.
I’m off to stalk this package online and see where it is!!
Hip Assessor, Review of “Master Your Metabolism”
Posted by: everystepoftheway on: July 8, 2009
Yesterday morning I had planned to do a short 3 miler, basically to assess my hip problems I was having last week. While I had some tightness in my IT band, I didn’t have the pain I felt last week in my hip joint. I was so relieved, I started crying. I have been extremely worried that I wasn’t going to be able to run for several weeks.
Even though I wasn’t feeling any pain, I still kept with a shorter distance. I took today off from running and I’ll run again tomorrow. I think part of my issue has been the back-to-back running days so for the next few weeks (at least) I’ll be running Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays and cut out the Wednesday running. I’m also being a good runner and stretching/foamrolling for at least 10 minutes after every run. It really helps keep my muscles from being so tight.
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Book Review: “Master Your Metabolism” by Jillian Michaels
I read this a few weeks ago but just haven’t gotten around to writing a review. There were a lot of things in this book that I found interesting. I never realized how many hormone disruptors we have in our environments on a daily basis and that part was so eye-opening.
HOWEVER, I had to stop reading the book. I was getting so upset it wasn’t mentally or emotionally healthy. Overall, I think the information is helpful but I felt so overwhelmed that I didn’t know where to begin to change my life. I know from Jillian’s radio shows and Biggest Loser that she scares people into changing their lives. While that works for some people, it doesn’t work for me.
I also realized halfway through the book that I wasn’t ready to overhaul my life. For example: Yes, I know that plastic storage containers are bad but 1) I can’t afford to replace all of my plastic with glass and 2) I use those storage containers to carry my lunch/snacks to work and you are absolutely nuts if you think I’m going to get on a crowded, bumpy train with a bunch of glass in my bag.
In general, I felt the information was useful but being scared sh**less about something doesn’t motivate me to do anything about it…just my personality. If your personality is like mine, you may not get as much out of this book as others have.
