Lucky Thirteen!!

It's the weekend, hooray!!  It is supposed to be a scorcher this weekend too, I am excited for a bit of 'summer' in the usually temperate Portland area.

Today I ran with my training group, it was "Pace Day".  We do a mile warmup, then run a mile on the track at a pace you can comfortably go and keep up a reasonable conversation.  That pace is where you start to train and build up to the mileage of your target race (mine is 13.1 miles).  My mile pace is so disappointing to me.  11:45.  God, I feel so old when I am reminded that I run SO slow!  I did this same training group a year ago with a run/walk pace group and ran the Holiday Half Marathon in December 2011.  I had wanted to move up to a full running group this year, but the slowest one is 11 minutes.  I have fleeting thoughts of just starting out with them and trying my best to keep up and pushing myself until I can do it.  But I also know myself...if I am too discouraged I am not going to stick with it.  I think it is better to start again with a walk/run group and just keep at it.  Last year I ran with the 13 minute walk/run group.  This year I'll try the 11 minute group.  The run/walkers tend to be a lot of fun, too!  The 1 minute walk breaks give the group a lot of time to talk and get to know each other, I guess!

Oh well, so I did my work out today.  3 miles in total on Grant track - my body could do more but I just can't stand the monotony of the track.  I'm energized to train each weekend with the run/walk group.  I'll keep my weekday runs to just running - as fast as I can manage - and just keep plugging away at it.

Happy Saturday!

Day Twelve

Whew, TGIF!!  If I ever needed a Friday, today was the day.  Last night DD and I went to a farm to pick berries and attend an outdoor concert.  The list of friends who were supposed to meet us there had been dwindling all week long and yesterday finally settled and only me and DD.  Well, being over tired and excited by the music DD went quite wild...so the night was exhausting for us both.

So, I guess that is a long explanation for something I decided today....each week I need to designate one day as 'rest'.  I will do something on these 'rest' days - today it was gardening.  But no workout in the traditional sense.

So, Happy Friday.  My day of (not so much) rest!

Day 11

Whew, busy day lined up today!  I went to bed early last night, although I tossed and turned a fair amount and DD didn't go to sleep on her own so she ended up climbing into bed with me and we both finally fell asleep around 9:30.  A bit earlier than usual for me...but not enough to feel like it made a difference this morning.

I did an "early" run, which for me means 7:30.  I still need to map out my route to see the actual miles, but it is one that I like to do through the neighborhood and one that I feel like I am getting faster and faster on.  Today I was done in 29 minutes 10 seconds.  I want to add a few more blocks here and there to stretch is back out to the 35+ minute range.  Even though I am tired and still feel like I am sucking wind and struggling during every run, it is fun to see my times start to inch down.

OK - so here's my rant for the day:

The past few weeks I have seen big plastic pools for sale outside of every grocery or hardware store around, and this week, when I have decided I want to buy one...they have all vanished.  It is going to be a scorcher this weekend and I want a basic pool for our backyard - and all the stores have turned over to back to school.  It is August 2.  It is finally hot in Portland.  What kids are going to want to go shop for a new backpack, lunch box, or fall clothes right now???  I always forget that you can't go out and buy something you want, when you want to use it....you have to buy it during the "retail season".  Aargh!

Day 10

Today I feel like this:

I am a bit behind at my job (I work part time from home) and I needed all the time DD was away from home to work.  I managed to get my work out clothes on and hit the community center gym while DD and Dad were at swimming lessons.  It was right at 6:00 pm and I was very disappointed that the news was on and I couldn't catch any of the Olympics on TV.  I managed 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer, and limped home.

Tonight, I was falling asleep at 7:30 reading books to DD.  So I decided to just go with it and go to bed early and try to get up tomorrow and run in the morning.  We'll see how a long night of sleep and 3 tylenol do for my super tired and achy bod.

Day Nine - a Two-Fer

Yesterday I committed to a group run with DD in the stroller.  I don't usually do this anymore (she's heavy!), but it was my every-other Sunday group of friends and we'd all have our kids this time - so I wanted the opportunity to meet the little ones we're always talking about.  We had a great run.  2 miles to a park (a few Moms went further and turned around to meet us), a bit of playing for the kiddos, then 2 miles back.  It was a difficult work out for me with the stroller, but also a lot of fun.  (I also really like to get out there with my daughter to further model how much fun exercise can be.)

I was feeling pretty good about my day and was just hanging out in the backyard with DD, we were in lawn chairs with our feet in a kiddie pool chillin', when I realized it was the week for my regular Tuesday night run.  Oops.  Double booked.  My every-other Tuesday run is short (just shy of 3 miles), but hilly (up Terwilliger if you know the Portland area), and is followed by beers at a local pub.  Hmmm.  Running doesn't sound so great.  Beer sounds wonderful.  Decisions, Decisions!

Since it is 5:45, and I am still in my running clothes since I haven't had a minute since returning from my morning run, and DD's Dad will have to do bedtime if I run - I'm going for it!  My body may hate me later, but my mind could use a break from the bedtime tedium and a chance to catch up with another group of friends.
I'll let you know how I feel tomorrow!

**Update**

I went to my run at 7:30 pm....and was the only one there.  Oh well.  I thought about a track workout (we meet at Wilson High) but just couldn't get motivated for that without my iPod.  I headed home to take a shower, and since my daughter was fast asleep (thank goodness!) I used the evening to cut out a fun little skirt for her.  Not a total loss.

Day Eight

OK, Monday.  Right back on track!  I RSVP'd to a long run with DD in the jogging stroller tomorrow morning, so I declared today a "cross training day".  I, personally, totally doubt that time on the elliptical trainer ever does much for anyone...but today it was enough for me to get my legs moving, break a little sweat, and watch some Olympic swimming.  I am so moved by the Olympic Games and the athletes and so discouraged by the American companies and the aggressive marketing.  I know, I know sponsors pay for the games to even happen.  But do even one of those elite athletes ever darken the door of a McDonald's?  I highly doubt it!!  (I don't, and I don't rely on my body for my livelyhood.)   Aggressive and gratuitous advertising aside, it was great to see some of the games for a bit this am. 

*as an aside, we are not watching at home because we don't have cable TV.  This year NBC has decided that any and all broadcasts, TV and Internet, can only be seen if you have a cable TV contract that includes at least one NBC channel.  We pay for internet, but can't watch the Olympics on the internet (like we have the past few games) because we don't have pay TV.  Isn't that somehow against the spirit of the games? I'm pretty peeved!!*

So, my workout today was good.  I feel good overall.  I haven't seen any changes to my body yet - but my mood is definitely much better and I feel like I am not so deep in a hole.  I am still making some bonehead food choices (wine, cheese, and a baguette for dinner the other night...ice cream yesterday) but I don't feel so negative about them.  I'm tackling one thing at a time.  First I am getting my body moving, then I'll work on fueling it better, then we'll see what else falls in line...

Day Seven

Oops, my first hiccup in my schedule.  I was sort of wondering if I should build in one day of "rest" in this plan just to be kinder to my body, and today sort of became that rest day.  I did walk to and from the park this evening with my DD and her Dad - we had a pot-luck with families from the school she'll be starting this Fall.  I also did a ton of gardening outside today.  But no real "work out".  It is 9pm.  DD is just now asleep, Monday is looming which means getting DD up and to camp with a packed lunch and then several work tasks on my plate.  I could pop in a yoga DVD or even go for a jog since it is still light out.  At this point I think some prep work for the week makes more sense....but if I change my mind you'll be the first to know.

Day Six - the weekend!!

I made it to my run this morning - I feel great!  I should also mention that DD and her Dad were out running errands a good chunk of the day, so when I returned from my run I could shower, immediately and in peace, and actually got to do my hair and get some things around the house done before they returned!!

Today my run was the start of a 20 week training program for a 1/2 marathon with a group called Foot Traffic University.  This is the second time I've done the program and I really enjoy it.  Today I ran with a run/walk group that does 2 minutes running and 1 minute walking - maintaining a 10:30 minute pace overall.  We ran 3 miles together and it was a good challenge...but not super tough...which was good for today.  Next weekend we'll be doing a pace run to determine what pace groups we should train with for the session.  I am not sure if I will stick with a run/walk group or try to push myself into a running group.  The slowest running group is 10:30 - so a bit faster than my comfort zone for distances.  Should I push myself to keep up - or do something that I know I can accomplish?  Tough call.  Stay tuned!

Day Five - Part 2

Whew, I made it!!  I got my workout clothes on while getting my daughter ready for swimming class and while her and Dad went to the pool I got out in my neighborhood for a run!!  It was a great break in my day just zoning out to my iPod.  It was a little hot...but I can't complain.  I did a loop through my neighborhood that I like, it is just shy of 3 miles, and it felt good.  Here is my playlist:

City Girl - Echo Kings
We used to Wait - Arcade Fire
Rolling in the Deep - Adele
Loser Like Me - Glee Cast
Hello - Martin Solveig and Dragonette
Boom Boom Pow - The Black Eyed Peas
Best of Me - Morningwood
Dreaming - Blondie

Tomorrow is my first day with a running group, Foot Traffic University.  I am anxious, nervous, hesitant...a tangle of mixed feelings.  I want to run on a regular basis, so I like to schedule races to motivate me to train, and I have learned that I really need the structure of a group to keep me honest about my long runs.  If I am alone I tend to give up when I get tired or it gets difficult.  The only bummer about the group is that I am going alone - and I don't know anyone else there - and I feel uncomfortable in situations when I need to push myself out there to talk to new people and mingle.  Ah...sort of funny that I'm more anxious about the social part than the running...

Day Five - TGIF!

I feel pretty good as I get out of bed this morning, my muscles aren't sore and I don't feel more tired than usual.  The only thing that has suffered this first week of daily workouts has been my to-do list!  I really feel like every hour I am awake is already taken, so finding work-out time each day means something else must give. 
This morning I decided I needed to get all my little errands done first after dropping DD at camp instead of a workout - a choice I hopefully will not regret later.  I have had a few things on my list for days that were more urgent than the treadmill - first was Target, where I nabbed tylenol, shampoo, and claritin - all key ingredients to keep my workout schedule on track - and I also got the CD soundtrack to Sound of Music for my car (a purchase I am sure to regret - but my brain can take no more KidzBop).   Second was a watch battery so I can keep track of time without having to look at my phone.  (I still carry around an old pink Motorola Razr, complete with a Trader Joe's sticker on the back, so I try to avoid taking it out in public unless I absolutely must.)  Third, and most exciting, I got a ballpoint double needle for my sewing machine! Last week I got some great knit fabric from Girl Charlee and I am dying to try out this tutorial from Make It-Love It.

So, it is Friday.  I managed to run some crucial errands and get a bit of work done this morning, so I'm feeling productive....but I'm not entirely sure how the workout is going to fit in today.  At least it is summer and light until 9pm.  I may have to head out for a neighborhood run after DD is in bed.  Stay tuned...

Day Four

OK.  Thursday.  Always a challenge since I have DD to myself all day, and she's tired from a week of activity (which right now includes daily swim lessons), and I'm burnt out on kid play.  I decide that I am going to try running with my DD riding beside me on her Strider Bike.  I've scoped out a paved trail that goes from a park where we hang out a lot about a mile to another park we've never been to.  Wednesday was a scorcher, so I wanted to get out of the house for this adventure around 8 so we wouldn't get too hot.  Well, morning went the way most mornings do when we don't have an absolute deadline to be somewhere.  DD and I have a real problem getting out of the house without conflict - and this morning it took until 10 before we were in the car with all the necessary gear to try our first bike/jog. 
Can I just say, overall, that it was a huge success and very fun for both of us?!?!  I am sort of in shock.
Yes, the particular path we took is mostly downhill on the way to the park and uphill back, not great for our first time out.  The whole way there (1.2 miles) I basically had to chase DD as she went as fast as possible shouting WHEEE the whole time.  There were a few times when she rounded a corner out of my sight that were a bit heart pumping - which wasn't helpful given that I was already running at my heart's max pumping speed anyway.  We made it, though, and we got lots of happy looks and smiles and comments from people we passed on the way.
At the park DD played while I got my breath back (and cursed myself for not putting a sweat towel in the backpack I was making her schlep with a few necessities) then did some squats and lunges to make up for the fact that this was only going to be a 2.4 mile run.
It was a good thing I did those squats, the run turned out to be a 1.2 mile sprint there and a walk back while encouraging my daughter that, yes, she could in fact make it back to the car without me carrying her or the bike.
In all, though, I have to say it was a lot of fun and killed an entire morning outside with none of the typical 3YO struggles that have come to so define my days lately.  I'll take an easy workout in trade for a drama free day here and there!
Now...what to do tomorrow...

Day Three

OK, sitting at home the night of Day Two, trying to motivate myself for another gym session at the community center and I get an email about a new meetup of my running group.  Some "Running Mamas" are going to be going out the next morning to a trail I like- perfect!  A chance to chat with some friends and get in a good run.  I look through the list of Mamas, there are some that I know run a lot faster than me...but they will have kids in strollers and I will not....so I figure I can hang.  Well, I showed up and I tried, but with limited success.  I ran with an awe inspiring mother of 3 who had her youngest in a jogging stroller.  She went way faster than my comfort zone (11 min miles) and I gasped and gulped but hung in there for almost 2 miles before I had to admit my pain and slow it down or barf.  We eventually split ways (as often happens when kids are in strollers, the toddlers want out, the babies need changed, you name it) - I headed back to my car on my own while a few mamas kept going to run at least 5 miles and another stayed behind near a play structure with her 3 year old.  I made it back to my car  - running a hare shy of 4 miles in just under an hour.  I'm not super proud of that (I could blow that time/distance away a mere 6 months ago), but at least it is done and I still have a little bit of time to go home, shower, work, clean, do laundry, and do whatever else I can manage before I have to get my DD from camp.  Will there ever be enough hours in the day?!?!?

Day Two

Well, it is almost 6 pm and I had been at home with DD all day...and did I mention that it is still like 90 degrees outside?  I can't give up this work out thing on day two, so I decide to go to the community center and work out while hubby and DD go to swimming lessons.  Downside: the hour they are gone is the only hour in the ENTIRE day that I am alone on Tuesdays.  Upside: I can run in the air conditioned gym while watching TV.  (we have no TV at home, so that is always a big draw for me to hit the gym).  I go for it and run/walk on the treadmill for 40 minutes while checking out a relatively new episode of Bones.  I watch Bones now and again on Netflix Watch Now, and am obviously way behind.  Seeley and Bones, the stars who are in love with each other dance around it to keep the show interesting, now apparently have a baby?? Wha???  Maybe we really do need cable? (Not!)

Day One

Monday morning.  I'm tired from a weekend camping.  Sleeping in a tent is quite exciting for my 3 year old and she shows it by going to bed late and getting up early.  I feel like I could sleep all day.  The only thing that motivates me to get up and put clothes on is that I am taking my DD to summer "camp" today at the community center.  MWF mornings she plays there for 4 hours while I do everything in my life that I can't easily do while she's home.  (and, no, 12 hours a week is NOT enough time for it all!!!)

So...I drop her off at the camp at 9am, and head into the work out room at the community center.  I decided I can't bear more than the elliptical trainer today.  I get a Runners World magazine, and plug my headphones into Property Brothers, and barely break a sweat for 45 minutes.  Oh well, I'll do better tomorrow!

My Goal

Not sure what background to get into as I start this blog....better to pepper it in over the week, I think.  I'm a full time Mom with a part-time job, who recently transplanted her family from sunny Southern California to the Pacific Northwest.  We've settled in - mostly - the transition has been more difficult for me than I imagined.  I am "from" Portland.  It is the first place I lived after college and where I really struck out on my own as an adult, so for me it feels like home, even though I didn't technically grow up here.  After 10 years away I'm back in Portland, with a new husband and a young family, and we're trying to put down our roots.  The social soil is tough though, we're "from" California - which rubs some people the wrong way.  We both work from home, so meeting new people outside of our immediate neighbors has been tough.  The past year has been hard - hard on my brain and on my body.  I feel tired and depressed am carrying more that I want to - and have decided that shedding some of my physical Portland winter weight might help me to shed some of the other stuff hanging around too. 

Here's my goal: Work out every single day for the next 30 days...and see how I feel. 

Hopefully this blog will keep me honest.  Here's a photo of me from this weekend...my "before".

Things can only get better from here!