Positively Wednesday

Howdy,  howdy y'al!  Happy Wednesday!

We're already halfway through another work week,  and personally,  I'm more happy about it than usual.

This has been the  most  craptastic week from hell ever!

I've had a very difficult,  unsettling work situation to deal with this week.  I'm finding out the hard way,  that you can't trust anybody these days.  It's been rather difficult  for me to process this.  I'm not usually a  mean person and I get my feelings hurt very easily when someone is mean to me.  Someone at work felt the need to attack my character. I'm trying as hard as I can not to take it personally,  but that's easier said than done.  I've been told that "I did a great job"  and "consider the source".  Well,  I'm trying!  My sweet hubs  said  last night  "sometimes,  when a fly lands in your tea,  you just have to dump it out and get a fresh one". I think that's  the best thing I've heard in a long while,  so now I'm in search of "new tea"

But,  in the meanwhile,  I'm trying to stay as positive as I can.  A couple of weeks ago,  I was challenged by a friend  to  post 3 positives for 7 days. During the course of this little  challenge,  I realized that despite all the negative in the  world,  I really  have  a lot to be grateful for.  It made me realize that not every day may be good,  but there is something good in every day.

So,  I challenge you all to write  down  3 positive things daily for the next  7 days!

In the meanwhile,  PW3 had a good run last night.  It was track night and that scared some of them. But  they did a great job,  especially considering the  heat index was 100 degrees.  We did  800m x 2 then  400m x 4.

Our splits were:

800 @ 5:45
800 @ 5:45
400 @ 2:33
400 @ 2:45
400 @ 2:44
400 @ 2:33

Personally,  I  was glad to leave some of my frustration  behind on the track!

Ok,  until next time--get up,  get up  and  get moving!  Whatever you do today,  be awesome at it.

Your friend,

Theresa

Wrappin' It Up

Hello, hello folks!! TGIF

Sorry about the lack of posts this week. It's been busy and I've had a bit of writer's block. I'll try to do better next week.

So, here's a quick recap of what's been going on lately.

I haven't really run very much. :-(   I have, however, been consistent with my workouts this week.  I mentioned earlier that I was trying out the 21 Day Fix from Beachbody. It's a nutrition plan based on portion control along with a workout program. I'm loving these workouts!!  They each 30 minutes in length and are easy to modify if needed. Even hubs can do them!!  Here's what I did this week:


Monday: Total Body Cardio Fix
Tuesday: Upper Fix
Wednesday: Lower Fix
Thursday: Pilates Fix
Friday: Cardio Fix
Saturday: Dirty 30
Sunday: Yoga Fix

Yesterday, in addition to the pilates workout that I did yesterday, I did an upper body strength workout at lunch and then I met a couple of friends after work for a little run. We ended up walking most of our 3 miles because Patty's leg was bothering her. And I was ok with that after doing the Lower Fix on Wednesday, my left quad was a little tight too. The pilates workout helped stretch that out a bit though.

So, for 2 weeks, I've been working out consistently and I'm happy about that. I've been thinking about my long term goals and I think that I'm going to take some time to focus on strength training. I love running but I'm tired of being an injured runner. I hired a personal trainer yesterday and we're going to take the next 6 - 8 weeks to work on strengthening my non running muscles so that I'll be ready to return to running, hopefully injury free, when that fall training programs kick off in mid-July. I'm taking a hiatus from coaching the 10k program during this time. I've agreed to be a substitute coach on an as needed basis only. I need more flexibility and I have my own agenda at this time. I feel like I wouldn't be able to be as dedicated to that runners as I should be, so I think it's best to take a break.

This weekend, we're going to Lake Tenkiller to get our trailer set up in our usual camping spot for the summer. It's going to be warm this weekend, so we're going to take the boat out and I couldn't be happier!! I'm definitely a warm weather girl! I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE warm sunshine and floating on the water!!  It soothes my soul! So, for the next 6 months, you'll find me at my happy place every weekend!!  We have some friends and family meeting us to go out on the boat, so this should be a very fun weekend! I'm been waiting for this since last September!!  It will be difficult for me to be very productive at work today! I've been trying to make out a list of food and supplies that I need and I'm discovering that boat snacks are going to be tricky this year since I've drastically cleaned up my diet. I still don't have it all figured out, but I will.

Until next time--get up, get out, and get moving. Whatever you do today, remember to be awesome!!

Your friend,

Theresa

Random Rambles

Hey y'all!

Happy Friday!

This has been the longest short week ever! I had a respiratory virus early in the week and that has just zapped me. I'm looking forward to some rest this weekend!

Tomorrow, we'll be going to visit my brother and sister in law for my niece's 3rd birthday party. She is my mini me! I'm really excited to give her my gift. I got her the most adorable pair of running shorts and matching dri-fit top! We also got her the movie Frozen, but I'm more excited about the clothes! :-)

I finally did it! I ran! It wasn't very fast or far and wasn't very pretty, but I did it! I ran 3 ish miles in 37 minutes with some walk breaks. It was not pain free, unfortunately. I had a dull ache in my heel for the majority of the run.  Although my mind is ready, apparently my body is not. I guess I still need a little more time and rehab. I also need to find a good insert for my running shoes. I don't think I have enough arch support, which is probably a contributing factor.  But I am encouraged and more hopeful than I was a few days ago.

Another thing that's been on my mind for a few days--mean people suck! I attended my college reunion last weekend. I was genuinely happy to see everyone and truly enjoyed myself. However, some people's behavior made me realize a few things:

1. Once a mean girl, always a mean girl.

2. It doesn't take much to stir up my old insecurities.

Although I was in their group, I wasn't in their clique. And I desperately wanted to be. I just wanted to belong, to fit in, to be accepted. I probably tried too hard. I'm sure I was ostentatious and obnoxious. I probably wouldn't have liked me very much either.

I guess my expectations were way too high going to the reunion because I expected  that they would have outgrown that childishness. Boy, was I wrong! I was really upset about it for a couple of days.  I've finally come to the realization that it is their problem, not mine. I am proud of who I am. I'm proud of where I am today and what I've accomplished/overcome to get there. I am who I am and their approval is not required. I guess I need to remember to be kind to unkind people, because they need it the most. I don't know what issues they are dealing with, so I'll reserve judgement.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today! Have a fabulous Friday and a safe, wonderful weekend!

Your friend,

Theresa

Do you use inserts/insoles/orthotics in your running shoes?
What brand do you recommend?

Friday Followup

TGIF friends!!

Yay!!  We finally made it!!

Yesterday was VERY busy at work. It seemed like things were going well then, out of the blue, things suddenly went south and everything blew up! I went from "ok, this is going great, I might get out of here on time" to "I'm sorry honey, I'm still working and don't know when I'll be finished" Even my co-workers were surprised. They kept saying "what are you doing here, isn't it time for you to go home"

When I finally got out of there, I blazed a trail straight home. I had a new workout to try and I was eager to get to it (not really, but trying to be enthusiastic for your sakes) Hubs and I have been doing our 30 day strength training program pretty faithfully. I'm really liking it. I think I can see some changes in my arms already. We adjusted our rest day this week to accommodate schedules though so we were taking last night off. Well, I was browsing the interwebs the other day and I saw that Jillian Michaels has a new workout DVD out, the One Week Shred. I was intrigued.

I'm a fan of Jillian. I have most of her DVD's. It's an intense 7 day workout and custom diet plan designed to help you lose the last few stubborn pounds that you've been dying to lose for a special event. Well, I just happen to have a college reunion next weekend, so I bought it. You're supposed to start with the strength workout in the morning and do the cardio workout in the evening. Each workout is about 30 minutes. Well, I did them both back to back last night. I've done several of her workouts in the past and I have to say that this one is pretty challenging. When I finished, I felt like I had done some work! It will be interesting to see the results at the end of the week!

I'm supposed to meet some friends for happy hour after work. I really would like to go, but I don't want to miss my workout so we'll see. No big plans for us this weekend. We're just going to play it by ear. We may stay home and chill but we might fly by the seat of our pants and find something fun to do. Who knows?!

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving! Have a fabulous Friday and a wonderful weekend!!

Your friend,

Theresa

What's on your agenda for this weekend?

Spring Fling!!

Good morning y'all!!

HAPPY SPRING!!

I think this might be my favorite day of the year!!

I once had a patient tell me the first true sign of spring was the forsythia blooming. I've been looking everywhere for it for a couple of weeks now.
I finally saw one on my way home from work Tuesday. Perfect timing!!

 

 

I can't wait for warmer weather so that I can start getting out and enjoying it!!

I'm ready to feel the sun on my skin!!

 

 

Have a wonderful day!!

 

Until next time--get up, get out, get moving and be awesome today!!

 

Your friend,

 

Theresa

Finally Friday

Good morning folks!!  TGIF

This has been a long, challenging week at work. One thing I don't talk about too much here is my work. I really wanted to write a long, ranting post yesterday, but I refrained. I tried very hard to be positive even though I didn't want to. And I think it worked. It actually wasn't a terribly bad day after all! But I'm more than ready for the weekend!

It's going to be a busy weekend here! We're getting up early in the morning to travel to Little Rock, Arkansas. I was going to run the marathon there on Sunday. But, after an eye opening 15.5 mile run, I changed my registration to the half. I've been nursing an ankle/heel/Achilles/peroneal tendon issue since the first of the year. I've been on a 2 week running hiatus. I'm a little nervous about trying to run this race. The smart thing to do would probably be to defer until next year. But I'm hoping for "fresh legs" after this rest period. I've called it the "ultimate taper" I would be a little more excited about it if the weather wasn't going crazy here. I could have at least had fun with it.  But the good old "polar vortex" is going to return over the weekend. They're predicting a winter storm for our area for this weekend. It looks like it will be cold and rainy on Sunday. I'm not thrilled about this. I don't like to run in the cold and the rain is just ok, but cold rain is another issue. This is one race where I'm really not even sure how to dress. I've been told to bring "everything" so I guess that's what I'll do. With the weather conditions and my injury issues, I'm just hoping to finish. I could really use some good running karma and thoughts on Sunday morning if you're so inclined. :-)

I've been concerned about nutrition and fueling since I made drastic changes (no gluten, no dairy and limited sugar) to my diet recently. But I think I've got a plan that will work out well. I used dried fruit and nuts a couple of weeks ago when I did 12 miles. At mile 10, I felt like I was out of gas. I needed more carbs I think. So, I'm planning to make a "trail mix" of nuts, fruit, dry Chex cereal and a few M&M's. I'm thinking that will work out pretty well. I plan to use my Nathan Minimist hydration vest, so I'll use Gatorade G2 for additional carbs. And I plan to have my old standby Honey Stinger chews in case I need more fuel. That should be enough :-)

Alrighty, that's my weekend preview. What's on your agenda for the weekend?

Whatever it is, be safe and have a GREAT one!!

Re-evaluating Goals

Good morning folks!!  Happy Tuesday!

Last weekend, I ran the Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa Go Short, Go Long, Go Very Long 25k. This was my longest distance to date. I was counting it as a training run for my marathon. It was about 40 degrees when we started. I opted not to wear my hydration vest because I didn't want to get too warm. I wore a long sleeved tech shirt and a New Balance vest over it. I had plenty of nutrition and I had hubs stationed at the mile 6 water stop in case I needed a bail out plan or something. It was a beautiful morning. I ran with my friend Kelly. We chatted and listened to music. The first water stop was at the 5k mark. It seemed to take an eternity to get there and I was wishing that I had brought my own water. We continued down the west bank of the Tulsa Riverpark trails. We passed the 10k water stop. I got Nuun and water and an "I love you" from hubs. The Achilles was a bothering me a little bit but nothing I couldn't handle so we kept going. We were getting close to Turkey mountain and we discussed our strategy for the hills. We decided that we would do a run/walk up the hills and pick it up going back down 71st. We got to the parking lot at Turkey Mountain. I had to stop for the bathroom then we headed out. As we were running down 71st street, we both noticed a large bird and then we realized it was a eagle making lazy circles in the sky above us. It was so cool!!  We headed back north toward the finish and were in the home stretch. We passed the 13.1 mile mark. I became aware of every ache and pain in my body. My back was tight and hurting. The last 2 miles were not fun at all for me. We were nearing the 3 hour mark and all I could think was: if I'm running a marathon, I would have about 2 more hours to go" I just couldn't wrap my mind around that. And it was in that moment that I realized I was not having fun or enjoying myself at all. I didn't have any sense of excitement or accomplishment when I crossed that finish line, I was just relieved that it was over. It became clear to me that I had no desire to run a full 26.2 miles. I'm glad I realized it now and not in the middle of a marathon.


Still smiling....

Faking it till I make it!! 

I've given this decision a lot of thought. My goal for 2014 was to live outside of my comfort zone and to challenge myself to new things and one of those things was to run a marathon. But I think that some people are not meant to run long distances and I am one of those people. I'm running for fun and personal growth. I have decided to focus on half marathons instead. That is a distance that I enjoy. It's more comfortable for me but long enough that it's challenging for me. I've changed my registration for Little Rock, Arkansas to the half distance and I'm looking into the Dust Bowl series later in March. I've done half marathons in 6 states, Arkansas would be #7. I could do New Mexico and Colorado for #8 and #9.

I had a good but cold run with my Pathways group last night. It was about 18 degrees but felt like 9 with the wind chill. We still averaged an 11:20 pace on our 2.5 miles. I was surprised to see that 8 of my runners showed up to run in the cold. I'm really proud of them and I think that it's going to be a good session after all. Tonight is the TU track but I don't trust this Achilles completely just yet. I had a pain free run last night but I want to give it just a little more time before I tackle the track with them. Maybe next week.

My recent trips to the chiropractor have made it painfully obvious that I've gotten weak in my core. I was making good progress last summer and fall but then I slacked off and have back slid. Ah, thank goodness for muscle memory!!  I'm going to participate in a 30 day #corecommit challenge hosted by Ericka and hopefully I can regain what I lost. Today is day 2. The W.O.D. is this 10 minute abs from Fitness Blender. I watched the video and wrote everything down. I'm hoping to get this done at the work gym on my lunch break.

For goals to be successful, they have to be realistic and running a marathon is just not realistic for me. I've been having second thoughts about it since I had to pull back on my training due to this Achilles injury. I guess that all things happen for a reason. I'm not unhappy about my decision. I'm relieved actually. I'm happy with my training recently. I've built up miles and endurance. But I'm looking forward to having more time to cross train and hopefully improve my half marathon performance. I'm also looking forward to concentrating on running a half in all 50 states. Goals are good tools on the roadmap of life to help you get where you are going. There are going to be obstacles and you're going to have to figure out how to overcome them to get from point A to point B. That's what makes a goal successful....to figure out a way to keep going when the going gets tough!

Have a terrific day, y'all!

Tuesday out.......

Embracing My Crazy

Howdy Folks!!  TGIF!!

Whew!!  This has been the longest. week. ever!  I thought Friday would never get here!! It has been a busy, hectic week!

I had a good spin workout Wednesday night followed by 3 rounds of the workout that I posted for Workout Wednesday. I got a pretty good sweat on!

Thursday, I was supposed lead Pathways on a 3 mile run. Well, my boss had scheduled a staff meeting for 4pm. She told us that she would try to keep it at 1 hour, but that almost never happens. Consequently, I didn't get out of there in time to make the group run. I'm not entirely that upset about missing it either because it was about 18 degrees/felt like 6 with the wind chill at run time. I thought about getting some miles in on the treadmill but I'm scheduled to run the Go Short, Go Long, Go Very Long 25k tomorrow morning. My Achilles is feeling pretty good right now and I didn't want to risk irritating it again. I'm not sure that the treadmill isn't a contributing factor to the injury in the first place. I increased my pace and mileage but I also had never run on the treadmill until recently. I think in this instance, rest and erring on the side of caution was the right call to make.

So, this is going to be a pretty personal, revealing post. If you're not into that, then stop reading now. Otherwise, you've been forewarned.

I've been trying to wrap my mind around my meltdown the other day. I've been trying to figure out what happened. I remember from a very early age trying to be a "pleaser", trying to make everyone happy so that I would feel accepted. I struggled to fit in. I didn't make many friends. I didn't participate in sports or extracurricular activities other than band and choir. I was only mediocre at those. I didn't push myself or challenge myself because I was afraid of failure. I was not encouraged to either. I'll never forget my first grade teacher yanking me out of my chair and shaking me so hard that I wet my pants because I colored outside of the lines on the first freaking day of school even! Or the 5th grade teacher who ridiculed my art projects and belittled me/put me down every chance she got. I hope karma wears stilettos!! Apparently I never successfully mastered Erikson's developmental stage of industry vs inferiority. I've always had a low self esteem and confidence issues. I have had problems starting things and not finishing them. I've always sought approval and validation from others. I never learned to love myself and I often set unrealistic expectations for myself.

But all of that has changed recently and running has played an integral part in that. People joke about running being cheaper than therapy. Well, for me it is therapy. Running has empowered me. It is something that I can do for myself that no one can take away from me or diminish. It's not easy but I'm out there doing it and they aren't! I'm not a fast runner but my running friends and community accept me just that way I am. And the sense of accomplishment that I get when I cross the finish line is better than any drug could ever be!! I'm proud of what I've accomplished so far and have been so looking forward to completing my first marathon. Then this stupid Achilles acted up. I started to have doubt and fear. Additionally, there was negativity directed at me by one of my runners and I've really taken that personally. I had such a positive, inspiring group of runners last session and I guess that I expected that same thing with this group especially since they're in the advanced group. But I don't think that is going to be the case and I'm feeling discouraged and disappointed already. So, the other day when the doctor was trying to get me to engage my core and I couldn't do what he wanted me to do was the icing on the cake. All those old feelings of inadequacy came rushing back and the pent up frustrations that I've been dealing with came spilling out.

We all have our own issues and our own "crazy" to some degree. I really thought that I had made good progress in burying those old feelings but I guess they are still there and closer to the surface than I thought. I really don't know how to defeat all my demons, but 1 thing is certain, I've got to got to keep moving forward! I've got to accept myself and be happy with who I am, including that little bit of crazy that will apparently always be with me. The best thing that I can do right now is lace up my shoes and kick some serious asphalt! I'm not really worried about running with fear and doubt, I'll just outrun them!!

Have a fabulous Friday and a great weekend!

What are your plans this weekend?? Any races?

Yay for Friday!!

Good morning folks!!

TGIF

I'm so glad it's finally Friday!! Happy Run At Work Day!!

I won't be running at work because I'm off work all day but I will be running errands. Does that count??

I'm super excited about the weekend, even though it's going to be a whirlwind!!

I'm off work today for a dental appointment, a hair appointment, etc.

Tomorrow is the Quarter Marathon in Tulsa, Oklahoma. This event is supposed to be a training run for my Pathways group. My plan is to meet my group prior to the race and then pace them for the duration of the run. But, the weather is supposed to be beautiful tomorrow and my competitive side will most likely take over. I will probably race it trying to beat my last 10k time of 1:10

Afterward, we'll most likely meet for brunch. Then later, we plan on meeting friends and family for a little boot scooting to celebrate my birthday.

Yesterday was my birthday. I worked and it was a crazy, busy day!! I think all the patients knew it was a full moon day and took the opportunity to act all cray cray!

After work, I got a little bit of retail therapy. Then, I went to Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa for their VIP anniversary party. They are celebrating their 10 year anniversary. I absolutely love this place and these people! They do so much for the Tulsa running community!! I was thrilled to be considered a "VIP"

They had food, drinks, and gifts for us. But the most special treat of all was the guest speaker, Dick Beardsley.

Celebrating my birthday with Dick Beardsley :-)

 

 

He is so funny and inspirational!!

 

There's something that I need to come clean about because I haven't been completely honest. A couple of months ago, during June and July, I hit a slump. I felt burned out. I wanted to stop running because I felt that I wasn't enjoying it anymore. But I kept at it because I was coaching my group. I was discouraged with that too though and was feeling very frustrated about it. I wasn't going to coach this session. Before I had a chance to tell the program director that I wouldn't be back, he emailed me to tell me that he was changing my sweeper coach. Something clicked in my head. I thought that maybe I would give it another chance. Then I met my group. They are all so determined. I've seen them challenge themselves and it has been so inspiring to watch them. I LOVE this group!!  It was exactly what I needed to renew my love for running.

 

Listening to Mr. Beardsley last night, I really understood that we all experience peaks and valleys, but the important thing is that we keep going, do not stop, do not EVER give up! It was just what I needed!!

 

"It's those moments in life when we feel like we can't take another step, but we do, and them we take another..." ~~ Dick Beardsley

 

So, thank you Fleet Feet Sports Tulsa for throwing your anniversary party on my birthday. And Dick Beardsley for giving me the best birthday present EVER......HOPE!

 

Have a fabulous weekend!!

 

Have you ever met any running legends??

 



Thursday thoughts

Good morning folks!!

I had to look twice at the calendar this morning. Yep, sure enough it is May, but it feels like February: 40 degrees and a cold north wind with snow in the forecast. WTH, Mother Nature?! Stop being such a tease!!

LIFE IS A THEATER, CHOOSE YOUR AUDIENCE CAREFULLY

Not everyone is healthy enough to have a front row seat in our lives.
There are some people in your life that need to be loved from a DISTANCE.

It's amazing what you can accomplish when you let go of, or at least

minimize your time with, draining, negative, incompatible, not-going-anywhere relationships/friendships.

Observe the relationships around you. Pay attention.

Which ones lift and which ones lean?

Which ones encourage and which ones discourage?

Which ones are on a path of growth uphill and which ones are going downhill?

When you leave certain people do you feel better or feel worse?

Which ones always have drama or don't really understand, know or appreciate you?

The more you seek quality, respect, growth, peace of mind, love and truth around you...the easier it will become for you to decide who gets to sit in the front row and who should be moved to the balcony of Your Life.

For several years, now, I've tried to maintain this as my "mission statement". I've truly been a happier person. Unfortunately, I've had to limit some interaction with family and every once in a while, that negative drama rears it's ugly head. What frustrates me so much with this situation is that I always try to be so positive that I can't believe that I let someone suck me into their negativity. I even stooped to their level! So, I am reaffirming to myself, not to let anyone try to steal my sunshine, including family, even if that means that they can't sit in my front row. Today, I am choosing happiness!