Friday Follies

I wasn't stoked to head out on my 5 mile run but I was looking forward to crossing it off my list. But as luck would have it, as I walked out the front door of my office building, it started to rain.

Not allowing myself to be completely defeated, I dusted off the P90x Back and Legs DVD and brought out my 100 Push-Up/200 Sit-Up/200 Squat Challenge notebook and got to work.

Challenges	Push-Ups	Sit-Ups	Squats
Set 1	11	17	15
Set 2	15	22	20
Set 3	9	14	13
Set 4	9	14	13
Set 5	15	22	22
Extra	10

At least I got my heart going:





Have a great day!

A Friday Frought With Questions

I feel tired. I feel run down.

Am I taking on more than I can chew? Maybe.

Can I do this? ABSOLUTELY!

Are you certifiably insane? Probably but what's life without a little insanity in it? :)

What exactly am I doing you say?

I have set new goals.

1 - I want to go back to school. I want to get my Masters in MIS.

2 - I have decided that ultimate fitness goal is an IRON MAN 70.3

3 - I want to actually follow my fitness plan for the Half-Marathon and not feel the regret of "shoulda-coulda-woulda" on race day.

Hence, yesterday I decided (as I usually do which means instantly and on a whim) that I needed to take the G.R.E. by the end of this year.

Do I have enough time? Yes, They recommend about 3 months.

Am I ready? I am quite overdue considering next year I will be 10 years from my College Graduation.

But wait, aren't you an English Major? Yes, but I do have an innate ability with computers and management that I am going to capitalize on.

Also, using visualization, I decided that I am going to get a 750.

Is that overly ambitious? Sure. But if you don't shoot for the stars how are you ever going to land among the clouds.

My decision about the Iron Man 70.3 also came as usual but has lingered. This is a gift I want to give myself. I have endevored to do crazy and insane things before but this one I have no doubt in my mind that I can complete (something that doesn't happen often).

How are you going to do it? One step at a time. First my half-marathon, then a Full marathon, then my first triathlon, then longer distances until I make it to IRON MAN 70.3. I will follow my plan and make it there.

Yesterday, I really didn't feel like working out. I really wanted to skip out!

Did I do it anyway? YES!

Did I follow my plan? Yes and no. I did do 3 miles but instead of running I speed walked with my co-worker which did two things: I did need to ease off a little bit (but I did do the fastest walking of my life) and as it turns out my co-worker needed a motivational boost having me chase her on the speed walk ... so I am thinking I score one on the Karma board :)

Today I am scared of my 5 mile run. I feel a dull soreness all over and still feel run down. Also, I have plans this evening and I am afraid I will ditch it but I don't want to! I don't want this long weekend to wreck havoc on my plan.

I'm going to try having something that will boost my energy levels for lunch.

What is that, you ask? I HAVE NO IDEA but wish me luck!

Wishing everyone a wonderful long weekend!

Thankfully Thursday

I woke up late today. When I opened my eyes my heart sank as it read 8:04am (when I normally get up at 7am). I trudged myself out of bed and got ready for the day.

Now, for the last couple of days I've been having Black Tea and I've been fine tuning my recipe.
The first day I made 2 Tea Bags with 20oz of water and 2 splenda only to reach the brink of heart palpitations being that I later realized Black Tea has ALOT OF CAFFEINE! Yesterday, I tried 1 Tea Bag with 20oz of water and 3 splenda and it was ok. Today I did 1 tea bag with 32oz of water and 4 splenda and I think it's just right. It even has a sweetness that resembles honey. But it still maybe too strong on the caffine side, I will keep experimenting. The reason I've taken up this new habit is because Black Tea lowers stress hormone levels of cortisol which supposedly helps you deal with stress better and helps you keep fat off the mid-section.

Today I wanted to show what I am thankful for in pictures:

• Boyfriends who cook every night while I am out on the run.
  
• Moms
  
• Silliness
  
  
• Orbital - Halcyon + On + On
  
  
• Memories of my grandfather (his birthday would've been this weekend)
  
  

Have a great Thursday!

Wednesday AMP Up

Today I wasn't entirely sure in the morning what I would be doing in the afternoon. I had an invite to run with Ms. Firemen but wasn't confirmed. I had also toyed with doing a 5 miler but knew I should probaly stick to doing cross training instead.

I put together a snack of a toast with PB2 and a slice of Guava Paste instead of Jelly. Holy yummer, was it good!

I waited a good 45 min and hit the DVD rack.

I started with the P90x Legs & Back warm-up.

Followed by a 1 Mile run around the block.

Then back to the DVD where I finished off the Legs & Back work out and my challenge sets and finished it all off with Billy Blanks Boot Camp Abs.

Also, being that I set the goal of passing the FBI PFT by October 1st, I boosted up to level 3 on all my challenges. Making them tougher but still do-able.

I'm off to a PB2 and Chocolate Silk Soy Milk Shake and some very well earned relaxing!

Have a wonderful evening!

Rainy Tuesday

I was researching my foot falling asleep issue from last's weeks post: Yuk, McDonalds? which happened again yesterday on my Monday Make up albeit a lot less than last time.

I found lots of posts accusing tight and misfitting shoes but considering that both runs were done with different shoes with which I have run quite well in the past I didn't think that was the answer.

I found a post on runner's world from LizardJedi:

I've gotten this before too, and I've linked it to a hamstring issue.
Mine have ALWAYS been really tight (and I've had issues with them before), and sometimes after running or stretching my feet will fall asleep, and my ex-PT and I figured that it was the muscles tighnting up and cutting off circulation (it was usually a lot better after stretching).

So maybe try stretching a bit more?

I figured it was worth a shot.

I made sure to stretch my hamstrings well and today's run went well.

Although my run today did end up being cut short due to the weather. I was forced to convert my run into 400s and was able to complete 9 before the weather kicked it up a notch. Here are my splits:

02:34.4

02:42.2

02:44.0

02:41.0

02:38.6

02:35.0

02:43.3

02:41.0

02:41.8

I was also able to fit in my challenges. I finally did some push ups, sit-ups and squats once I got home.

Challenges	Push-Ups	Sit-Ups	Squats
Set 1	6	9	13
Set 2	8	12	16
Set 3	6	9	13
Set 4	6	9	13
Set 5	7+ (Did 8)	10+ (Did 12)	13+ (Did 15)

Also, Check out the great Yoga Mat giveaway from "And Her Little Dog Too"

Have a great day!

“If” by Rudyard Kipling

“If” by Rudyard Kipling

I found the poem, “If” by Rudyard Kipling on Youtube read by Roger Federer & Rafael Nadal. If you’re looking for a bit of motivation, check this out.



IF you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don’t deal in lies,
Or being hated, don’t give way to hating,
And yet don’t look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream – and not make dreams your master;
If you can think – and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you’ve spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build ‘em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breathe a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: ‘Hold on!’

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
‘ Or walk with Kings – nor lose the common touch,
if neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you,
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds’ worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that’s in it,
And – which is more – you’ll be a Man, my son!

Have a great day!

Summer, where have you gone?

I heard on the radio this morning Summer was ending.

It hadn't occurred to me and I thought: School has started. Labor day is this weekend. True Bloods is nearing it's season finale. And, come to think of it, for the last week or so my runs have been so much more comfortable.

I should have known the tide was turning. Last weekend I took out my knitting supplies (something I only do in Autumn and winter) and I have been looking over a Brown Sugar Scrub Recipe as of late, daydreaming of adding spice for an ultra exfoliating spa-bath experience to make for myself and the mommy. I guess it's that subtle string that ties us back to our caveman days. It's that time to get the nest ready for the brutal winter. Mind you, our brutal winters in Miami last an average of 3 or 4 days and usually don't go below 50°degrees.

It's almost funny how those instincts are still in us all.

... and now back to our regularly scheduled program ...

Last night's run was H.A.R.D.!

I started out early, at about 5:30pm, because the day was nice and cloudy and comfortable at 87° with 69% humidity. You could feel that rain threatened but that it had no intention of coming through.

My stomach was feeling achy but I didn't want another Monday of "Felt sick. Was lazy. Just watched True Blood and anything else on TV". So I still set out, not even sure I would finish the 6 miles I was hoping to get through although anything I could accomplish would have made me happy at that point.

I walked out the door, hair only half picked up and with no water or shot bloks in my possession and just started to run.

As soon as I started I noted I was running a decent 6.0 MPH but I could feel my energy was on the low end. I usually start out my runs at about a 7.0 MPH and fade down from there. I started to wonder if I could even get through my short course of 3 miles. Then I started to visualize ... I pictured the route, the 6 mile route and got it firmly planted in my head ... it was what I wanted ... it was what I was going to do.

I kept pushing. I fought to keep my speed in the above 5.0 MPH range but I had to stop and walk about 2 or 3 times being mindfully of keeping my walking time short less it wreak havoc on up my splits. I knew I wasn't going to break any record but I still wanted a decent showing.

As I neared the end of the 4th mile I was still running and had the chance to turn around and head home with a potential 4.8M which would have been respectable in hind sight. But I was focused ... the thought didn't cross my mind!

I started the final leg of my course and heard rumbles in the distance. I feared the rain had decided to come through on it's threat and I wondered how it would feel to run my last mile in the rain. I though it might be awfully nice and cool and also up my runner-street-cred to say "I run in the rain!". WOOP, I felt a cold drop on my left elbow. I sped up a bit and feared it would start sooner than I hoped. Then nothing.

I need to get closer to home before this down pour starts! I kept pushing. I didn't feel anything and I almost sighed of relief when: WOOP, I felt a cold drop on the back of my neck. Keep pushing. Then nothing.

Then it occurred to me that's not the rain ... that's just your cold sweat drops flying off your hair which you forgot to pick up in your usual slicked back style. I laughed almost audibly.

I finished the run without incident. Making it to 6.16 miles in 1:13:45.

The rain never came. Although it played it's teasing rumbling game most of the night.

And I vowed never to leave home un-prepared again.

The End.

On deck for this evening: 3 mile run with my co-worker and Inglorious Basterds with Mr. Boyfriend.


Happy Tuesday!