Motivation Monday

So, I don't really have anything profound to offer up for "Motivation Monday," but I DO have a new-found motivator!

We went camping with my family in Caseville this weekend.  They are what I consider "real" runners.  They're fit, faster than me (not hard to do!), and don't have to schedule a run in the calendar to make it happen, it just does for them.  We decided that a Saturday run needed to happen, as we're all training for something (high school track, The Crim, Detroit Women's Half Marathon).  The guys took off and soon they were out of view.  My aunt stayed back with me.  It was so nice! We ran with no music or technology, and between small gasps of air (what I considered doing good-HA!), had conversation.  The longest she has run was last year's 10-mile Crim in Flint.  Early this year, she said she would run her first half-marathon this fall with me at the Detroit Women's Half.  Due to injury, she was losing confidence and admitted she did not think she would be able to run it.  After our Saturday run together, we found our pace was good for each other, and felt we could both keep it up together for the half!

I was struck with glee from having support, then fear; "Oh no! I really need to make this happen now!" HAHA!  It's just the motivation I need.  I want her first half experience to be positive, and I refuse to be an anchor.  I know you're supposed to make changes for yourself, rather than others.  But in this case, it works for both!

So that's my new motivation: I WILL be able to run and finish the Detroit Women's Half Marathon 9/21/14, and I WILL be able to keep up with my aunt!  I think the best part is, I'm excited again.  Running was getting daunting for me because I was being too competitive with myself.  Now that I can do it for fun and to help ensure my aunt's successful race, it's FUN again!!

What is motivating YOU lately??

Pinocchio hated wires, and so do I

Maybe it's the heat, maybe it's the extra 15 lbs I've put on eating like a runner and not being able to run, buuuut my back's really been giving me trouble.  Spasms make it feel as if I can't move my legs. Thankfully, I've been prescribed a pretty nice TENS unit that I attach and it provides me some pretty decent relief after some time.  I was told by the neurologist that I can wear it while working out.  No. Way.  It seems way too ridiculous to me.  There's four nodes that affix to my back, sending electrical pulses, with four wires trailing out, that attach to the machine that has to attach to my hip blah, blah, blah.  Seriously?  I don't really know who could work out, let alone run, with that thing on.  It made me mad and frustrated though, because I needed it in the first place to get going... I didn't want to do it at all.

But, this is what I've got, right?

So, I wired up for about 40 minutes to stimulate some muscle movement and try to right my mind.  I took off the unit, stretched, and set out for a run.  My nose would be growing if I said it was easy.  It was a slow, stiff run.  But I swear, with every step, I could feel myself loosening up.  My gait was awkward the whole run, but I got it out!  AND I felt great after!  And did I tell you I was on my annual Girl's Camping Trip in Muskegon, MI??  I took a dip in the 58 degree Lake Michigan later that day, and I have to tell you it felt great!

Vacation would have given me a great excuse to skip it...under the guise of "Mission: Relaxation."  But I'm so glad I didn't.  This was as much a mental boost as it was physical, and I really needed both.

Love-Hate intervals

Is there anyone who really loves interval training??  Blech...

I have gotten serious about my Half Marathon training, which I acknowledge needs to include some interval training if I want to at least maintain my time from last year's.  Part of my favorite aspect of running is the whole "losing yourself" thing that happens when out for a run, and I can't seem to achieve that doing intervals/speed work... I think because it really is so much more "work" for me! LOL!

Here's the moral of today's story, though:

I committed to it, I did it, I survived it...and I even feel better for it!  I scheduled out every day from now until 9/21/14 for the Half.  On the schedule last week, I realized I was dreading all week the day I had speed work scheduled.  I committed to 8x400s and was DREADING it.  What I found during each segment, though, was relief I had counted one down, focus to maintain the increased speed (at least less than a 10-minute-mile pace, as that is fast for me), and determination to get through all 8.  I didn't realize I had that in me!  How is running still teaching me things three years later?! I LOVE IT!

Ok, so not that I'm looking forward to this week's interval day, but I know it doesn't have power over me, like I tried to give it last week.

Said in "sing-song:" awe-sommmmme  :D

9 1/2 Weeks

Catchy title, huh?  ;)

Not the psaltry movie, but my remaining training time until my Detroit Women's Half Marathon !!  I don't feel nearly ready...or even on track for that matter. My spine issues really set me back both in physical training, and mental strength.  Fear is setting in..."Can I really do this this year?"  Does this make sense:  I have a strong desire...but little motivation.  How can I have both?? How do you get out of this funk and back to business??

In 10 1/2 weeks, I have a 60-mile BikeMS bike ride, too!  When I agreed to participate in it, (I wasn't having flare ups!) I figured that would be a great cross-training day for my running, biking for my ride! Great theory...not working so much in reality.

Oh, and did I tell you:  I don't have a bike! HAHAHA! (Picture a sinister laugh, because I don't have a hearty one in me right now!)  So today I'm on a mission, continuing to research for bikes (you know that's my second favorite hobby behind running: research!), and planning to purchase one ASAP.  I'm thinking I'd do well with a hybrid bike.  Bear in mind, I'm a runner at heart, so don't prefer to pay $1000 for a bike.  Anyone happy with a happy-medium bike?  A road/commuter style I think would be good for me.  To help get me on schedule, I've even enlisted a friend's help and scheduled a bike ride this weekend.  Of course in the meantime, I'll be actually scheduling my runs, too!

I'll tell you; it's really the oddest sensation inside of me.  My brain and heart really want to go out and run.  My body is telling me, "....are you sure??"  My brain starts second-guessing itself, and another day goes by where I don't get out there.  Is this a funk?? Have you ever experienced anything similar, and what would you suggest to get out of it??

For these next two months, I need to be training, not watching psaltry movies! :P

PT and TC

So, because of my lower back issues, I've been going to PT to learn proper stretching and strengthening exercises.  Since I had such a positive experience at Total Health Systems for my HIIT style FitRanX class, I sought Physical Therapy treatment from there as well.  I'm happy to report another very positive experience! I'm sure I'll always have a low-level back issue, but now I feel confident in working out the tightness in my muscles, as well as strengthening them to help avoid more serious issues.  This back pain has really inhibited my training, which is TOTALLY bumming me out...  AND, I keep eating like a runner (without the benefits of running) and gaining weight! UGH! I'm ready to get back on track, though, and feel physically able to handle it now that I can manage my back pain.  I was recently prescribed a TENS unit to help, and it has immensely!

So, that's the "PT" part of my entry today.  The "TC" section is that I got to go back to Traverse City for the 4th of July weekend! I totally love it up there, and am grateful I have the resource in my sister to frequent there! LOL!  Truth be told, I didn't get in as many runs as I had planned, buuuut...I DID get plenty of walking in as it is Cherry Festival there.  I know there are so many route options there, but stuck to the one introduced to me by Michigan Runner Girl's blog , which is near the ol' state hospital.  SO pretty!  Is it just another excuse to say, "If I had such options around me, I'd find it easy to run every day!"?? Seriously, though; awesome, motivating terrain.  It definitely makes the effort worth it.  Maybe the best part was being able to have my 4-year-old daughter along and actually enjoy it because she found exploring the woods more appealing than running circles around our neighborhood! HA! Can't say I blame her...

Have you had to make a come-back after injury/pain lately?  How did you get back into it?

Any favorite Half-Marathon training programs you prefer after such issues??

Did you get to explore any new holiday runs this last weekend?

3rd Annual Run the Plank

Immanual Lutheran, St. Isidore, and St. Peter collaborate to sponsor a great race and raise funds for local Macomb County charities = A-MAZE-ING!!!

As I've said before, this was the first race I ever ran in 2012.  Last year, I had a big PR, so naturally I was looking forward to accomplishing the same this year! Am I right??

...until I didn't get in nearly the training required to do it.  Spine pain and muscle spasms kept me off the track and on my a$$.

I'm not going to lie here, and I'll preface this with I do feel totally ashamed of my thoughts here:  I knew people were going to beat me that had not beaten me before, and that was almost as painful an idea as not PRing.  BOOOOO!  I know, what a brat.   I had even recruited co-workers to this race, spreading the word about what a well organized and fun even it was (which it totally is, consider it for next year).  I was so stiff that I conceded and told my husband I would just walk it with him and my 4-year-old daughter.  While he was welcoming the company, he supported my trying to run it, reminding me it's about being out there and being mobile, not about beating my time or others'...blah, blah, blah.  In my heart, I knew he was right.  With prayer and medicine on race day, I decided to just run whatever I could, and use it as a launching point for training again.  Long story short, I PRd and was beaten by the people I knew would.  I was only relieved that I had beaten my last year's time so that I could say I met my goal, and inside focused on the fact that I was officially behind now.  Isn't that terrible?! My goodness...

So, there it is.  I'm STILL struggling with focusing on myself and my own journey, and not qualifying it against others', even when I meet my own goals.  Tell me I'm not the only one who does this.  And tell me how long this nonsense lasts in training and some ways to expedite getting over it!  ;P

"Up North" runs

I was lucky enough to be in Traverse City last week and got a couple runs in "up north."  Wow, just wow.  I saw on Michigan Runner Girl's blog a pic of a trail she was on near the old State Hospital, so my niece, nephews, husband, and daughter went on a hunt to find it...what a reward for us!

We actually found this trail, among others, and spent hours running through it.  It was a great time and a great run! 

One thing I was hoping to find on this vacation, was that spot in my soul that appreciates the hard work I put into running and training, and being grateful for it, instead of...constantly comparing myself to others.  I've talked about it here before, so you know it's an ongoing struggle for me.  I wouldn't say I found the spot, buuuut...I'm definitely getting closer... ;)  

One morning I got up to run, got my dog harnessed and leashed up, Garmin sats connected, annnd...the leash snapped, dog ran away, and I had to carry her 55 lbs back 1/2 a mile... I returned SO CRANKY! LOL! I hadn't felt like getting up anyway, and just wanted to sit back with my family, wake up with coffee while staring at the beautiful lake.  Instead, I hopped on my Twitter feed and looked to some of my regulars for motivation, inspiration, and no-excuses to not get back out there (@michrunnergirl, @acurls, @DETwomenshalf, @epicraces, @mileposts, @themotherrunner).  I did it! Ran 4 miles around Wolf Lake in Baldwin, MI, and was back in time for family breakfast cook-out!  It felt really awesome, as I know you can imagine.  It felt like I literally made hurdles that run, too: 1) getting back out there after making a short jaunt and necessary return, 2) fighting with my inner self to stop comparing myself every second and cadence of my run to others, and 3) just looking around, enjoying my scenery and the fact that I'm still able to be out there.  As the weather warms, my propensity for relapses and flare-ups has been increasing, creating barriers to improving my time, which also gets me down...  I have to be happy I am still able to be out there, and this weekend, I was! :)