Getting My Head In The Game

I'm struggling this training season to get my head in the game. I'm used to starting over. I'm used to pushing through pain. I'm used to it not being easy. But this season has been inconsistent and discouraging. I was managing my weekday runs really well until I had to do 5 miles on the "dreadmill".  My consistency began to slip and I have not managed to pull it back in. With my hubby home on the weekends, I have been able to go out to do my long runs. My new freedom came with a price, horrific shin splints. I was so bad that I stopped wearing heels and went to the doctor. His answer was take some time off, which really helped with my inconsistency. So I ... 

tried acupuncture. It helped, but the pain came back as soon as I ran a distance longer than 4 miles. So I... 

tried KT tape. This has helped the most. I kinda wanna wrap my whole body in this tape. The soreness came back as soon as I took the tape off. I even...

Went to the spa and did a leg massage with hot stones. Felt amazing, but short-lived. 

I am staying with the KT tape for now and doing my best to get my head on straight as well. Fortunately, I have friends who force me to.

My friend, S, invited me out for a group run when I really needed some motivation. It was a great run, very hilly and challenging. I managed to shave over a minute off of my average per mile. I felt it the next day and the next day... And the next day. 😀 I'm trying. I really am. I just gotta get my stuff together and do it. So until then...

Peace, love, and KT tape! 

A sixer in the bag

Today was a brutal, slow six miler. I have had a crazy week and didn't get all my weekday miles in. But I really wanted to hit my 6 miles this morning. We had a late softball game last night, and I knew it was going to be rough getting up his morning. It was. (But I got a new shirt last night.)

Then I stepped outside and it was sooooo humid that everything   immediately felt damp. It's one of those days where you have to chew your air before you breathe in.  I hate that feeling! I started and it was rough. Brutal. Sometimes excruciating! But sometimes the universe sends you exactly what you need when you need it. This morning was a very social run. I was inundated with greetings of puppy kisses. I met 3 very enthusiastic new friends who gave me sloppy dog kisses. All very sweet. Then at the 3 mile mark, my right feet started falling asleep. I'd stop adjust my shoe, shake it out a little, stretch nothing helped. I powered to mile 4 and was giving up and going home when I ran into one of my favorite people, B. She told me that she didn't want to be out there either , but she had just finished her 6. She's really an amazing person, you guys!  (And not just because she ran 6 miles.)She encouraged me to keep going. So I did. I found my stride about mile 5.5 and was headed back home and the wind changed direction, and the temp dropped about 3 degrees. I was looking around for Mary Poppins to appear, it was so wild out there.

I hit my 6 on my way home. It felt great. It was slow and awful, but it's done. That's always a great feeling. Thanks B for telling me to stick it out. You're an inspiration! Now I'm going to stretch out and drink my smoothie. So until next time... 

Peace, love, and sixers! 

Slow and steady....

Won't really win the race, but it'll get me across the finish line in one piece. That's the plan anyway. This week has been a little rough. I was taken off the new medication because it was causing some really adverse effects. So I'm back to just ibuprofen. I'm ok with that, but it's going to take a minute to get me back to where I was. Despite that, I had a steady run on Monday. Tuesday's run was a disaster from the beginning. It was short a few miles because I step off the treadmill to go to the bathroom and tweaked my ankle.

So I took a few days off and came back today with a 5 mile run. It started off pretty enough. It was really nice to be outside.

It quickly turned into a nasty, brutal run. I was a little overly ambitious and chose a hilly route. It slowed me down significantly. I knew going into the run that I just didn't have any oomph today, but I needed to get a longer run in that did not involve the treadmill. So I did it. I'm pretty sure that I'm going to feel that tomorrow. Hell, I'm feeling it right now. Afterwards, I did a little post-run yoga. The kids wanted to participate, so we broke out the extra yoga mats. 

I love these two! Overall, it's not been a great week, but it's not been a horrible week either. It's just another building block to a really great run in the future...I hope. 

Peace, Love, and Future Runs! 

Don't blink or you'll miss me!

So... Not really. Unless you blink really, really, REALLY slowly.  However, I am steadily shaving time off my miles. Last night, I ran two sub 16 miles. This week I have consistently running sub 16. I have even run a sub 15. I know that isn't Flash fast, but it shows steady improvement. I began my training running 17:00+\mile. At this rate, it is quite possible to reach my goal of 11:00/mile. I know it seems ambitious since I'm still in my lower miles, but those tend to be my hardest miles. I am having a little trouble regulating my breathing, but I am working on it. I am in a fair amount of pain lately for different reasons. But despite all these little things, I have a feeling that everything will start to click very soon. I just have to keep plugging along until it does. It actually felt good to hit two miles tonight. I had some kick ass power songs to push me through. It was all about the ladies last night.  Brandi Carlile,Joan Jett, Florence + the Machine, and P!nk brought me home. Carly Simon and Carole King helped me cool down during my post-run yoga. Well, until my dog, Omar, decided to jump on my stomach and lie down while I was doing a bend. 

There are worse ways to end a night then puppy snuggles. 

Peace, Love, and snuggle buddies! 

Rocky Start

It's just the beginning of training season for me.  The plan is to run the Route 66 half marathon in November, but if all goes well, I might get the itch to run a big race before then. My goal for the next race is a sub 2:00:00. My personal best was a 3:11:17 at Route 66 in 2013, so even if I just break that I'll be happy. I've been training for a couple of weeks now. My miles are still low, which sucks because the first 2 miles are always the hardest for me. It takes that long for my body to adjust to what I'm doing to it. I loathe the first 2 miles! I am looking forward to my first 5 mile. 5 is my happy number. Lately, I have been working through some pain issues. I'm in pain every day. Most days, it is manageable, but this past week has been a rough one. It is weeks like this that reminds me why running is so important to me. Running can give me pain, but it also gives me a sense of accomplishment. A reason to have pain, instead of just having pain.  It's like my therapy. There are runs when I cry during or after my run. This week I've had a couple of those. Tonight's run was one of those. I cried the minute that I stepped off the treadmill and continued through my cool down and post run yoga. I don't mind a good cry after a good run. I felt clean afterwards. Well, not clean like I didn't need to take a shower clean.  Just clean. So this is my rough week, my jumping off point. My buckle up and hold in week. Yet I'm still here and I'm still going. That's all I can really do for now. 

Peace, love, and better days! 

Slippery When Wet

I had a slow miles week.  And I didn't get my long miles in, but.... I did get a day date with my hubby! With his traveling, we very seldom get to spend time together, just us. So we jumped at the chance to take the kids to my sister's and going slip slidin' together. 

We arrived early and got a good spot in line. The line was slow the first couple of turns. Once the crowd thinned out, we started doing a slide every 5 minutes, even with the trekking required to get back to the top.  I didn't get my miles, but I got plenty of steps. We managed to slide 7 times before our time was up. It was worth it to spend time with him. 

 

After all the fun in the sun, we got a celebratory snow cone on our way out. 

This week it is back to crazy miles and cross training.  So here we go... 

Peace, love, and slip'n slides! 

It's Been A Good Long While

I'm notorious for taking breaks in training, but I've never taken a break this long before. Did you miss me?! You should have, but don't fret, I'm back. A few things have changed. I am no longer diagnosed with Lupus. My kids are older and involved in all kinds of activities. My husband travels even more than he did before, which often times makes it difficulty for me to train. However, I am back with a firm resolution. I have began training for the Route 66 Half Marathon. I bought a treadmill to run after the kids go to sleep. I'm doing this all crazy like, but at least I'm doing it. So here are my goals: 

Short term: figure out a way to train without neglecting family obligations, train for the Route 66, and beat my R66 PR of 3:11. 

Long term: become more consistent with training, train for the R66 Full (gasp!) Marathon next year, get a decent Full underbelt before 2019 When we do the Dublin Marathon. 

My training schedule is much more balanced this time and I am doing better about cross training. I am running on Monday, Tuesday,Thursday, and long on Saturday. I am cross training with yoga on Wednesdays and softball on Fridays. Once softball season is over, I plan to add weights and rowing. 

Ambitious for me, I know, but I'm getting this done. 

As for my medical condition, it has changed too! Right now my diagnosis is "undetermined auto-immune disorder". I have begun seeing a new specialist (she's amazing) and she has already helped my pain management tremendously. We put me on a Vitamin D supplement since I was deficient, switched me from ibuprofen to Meloxicam, and have done a multitude of testing. This is the specialist that switched my sister's Dx from Lupus to Scleroderma (which we have ruled out for me so I am hoping that she can figure out what is going on with me. I feel better than I have in a while. I'm still fatigued and stiff, but my daily pain has went from an 8 to a 5. Progress! 

So here goes my next adventure. Until next time...

Peace, love, and future days! 

New Year....New Adventures!

This winter was a rough one. The cold weather always puts a damper on my routine, but this winter I have had more injuries than I've ever had before. One right after another: foot, hip, quad, hip, back, hip, ankle, hip. See the pattern yet?! Everything I tried seemed to have no effect or make the pain worse. So I started seeing a chiropractor to see if he could fix this blasted hip.  X-rays showed that my hip was way out of place. So after many session and lots of exercises to strengthen, and yoga to well.... just keep my sanity. I am feeling super duper ultra mega better. I have also found a new favorite, acupuncture. I know it sounds awful, but I LOVE it!!! 

This season has already been a bad one for wind and allergies in Oklahoma. My answer to this problem has been acupuncture for my sinuses. We have also tried it in the hip, calf, and shoulder for various other issues. But my favorite is the back and neck.  I just lie there like a human pincushion and it's glorious.

I'm doing everything I can to feel like a normal, functioning human being without caving in and taking a bunch of expensive medications. I'm not saying everyone should do this, and I'm not knocking people who have to take the meds. (So save your hate mail!) I am just trying to hold off as long as possible. I know that one day my Lupus may get the best of me and I may have no choice but to take all the medications. Until then I will explore other avenues that work for me. Is that enough of a disclaimer?!

Besides I like trying new things: new hairstyles, new makeup, new books, new exercise classes, new adventures. This year seems to already be chalk full of new things. I am starting a couple of new adventures here very soon. I signed the paperwork the other day accepting a new job. I'm very excited/nervous about it.    Hubs is taking on a new roll at work, which completely changes our routine at home. We have decided to try to do something new as family each month, whether it's a new restaurant, new festival, new craft project, etc.   But perhaps the biggest new thing that I'm going to try is the Idle Ironman this month. My crazy friend, Jess, has talked me into signing up for this thing, where you complete the distances required in an Ironman, but you have 28 days to do it. I'm good with the running and the swimming (even if I have to put on a bathing suit, EEK!), but the cycling... ugh the cycling! I've never been much of a bike person. It hurts my bum and sometimes my hoohoo and I just don't enjoy it. But I'm gonna give it the ol' college try!

Just felt like putting up a pic where I don't look like Pinhead. : ) 

I gotta run for now because...well I gotta go run! : ) Slow and steady may not win the race, but it keeps me sane. Until next time....

Peace, Love, and new adventures.

OMG!!!!!

I have had a pretty intense 5 months, but I still don't know where all the time went since my last posts. So much has happened that I don't even know where to begin. The beginning it is.....
the holidays and winter weather also put a crimp in my running style. Normally I can power through, but this year time just got away from me. Between my son's birthday, Halloween, Thanksgiving, my sister's birthday, my husband's birthday, my daughter's, Christmas, New Year's, final steps in the adoption, and my birthday. Time seemed like it has moved in warp speed. I am pretty sure that I even had a few races in there somewhere, but I can't remember what they are. : ) OOOHH... I remember!

I did the Hot Mamma's Race with some of my great friends. Three of us dressed up as super heroes. My hubs, who hardly ever gets to come to races, brought the kids out to watch.

 

Then I did the Run or Dye with my great friend, L, who just moved back after being away for a long time. It was nice to spend time with her, even if the weather was awful.

 

 

That's where it all just sort of blurs together. I broke my foot and the holidays swarmed me and the next thing I remember, it's January.

 

So here almost a month into the new year, I am already behind schedule. But I am taking better care of myself this time around. I have been to the doctor more times in the past 6 months than I think I have ever been. And for me that's saying a lot! But I'm trying to be proactive with my health instead of reactive. So far I'm about 50/50. I have been very faithful to yoga during this winter and hope to continue that while adding running and weights back into my routine. I want to be ready to run the OK Memorial half marathon this year. This year contains a new PR. I can feel it.

 

I have a great support system that has expanded this year with some great new friends with #run3rd.

 

My family is always my loudest cheerleaders. My kids hold me accountable (even though they are too young to realize that is what they are doing). My hubs is the all-time greatest.So I feel like this year is the year for great things.

 

 

 

Peace, Love, and a New Year!

Operation Titty Holepunch

   The following information may be TMI for some but I feel like I need to share! (Don't worry. It's not about poop.) Enjoy! 

  I am young. I won't say how young, because a lady never tells her age and I pretend to be a lady. But I'm young enough that I had not thought about something happening to me. Suddenly I had some issues pop up in the breasticles area. I didn't want to play around with that given my extensive family history of the big C, including breast cancer. So I made an appointment with my doc who referred me for my very first mammogram. That was a lot of fun. My breasts squished between two giant plates one at a time. Though I will admit that it didn't hurt nearly as bad as I had feared and they let me wear a cape. (Ok, so it was more of a caplet, but when I walked it flared out behind my like a superhero cape. So I'm going with cape.) Three mammograms later they found something that they deemed disturbing, which disturbed me. Thus began Operation Titty Hole-punch (a name that my mom rolled her eyes at and my doc didn't even crack a smile at). Had I had the time I would have made T-shirts, but I was scheduled for a biopsy that following week. I am happy to report that I have the results and it was benign. 

My doc says that with my family history I should have started mammograms a couple of years ago. However, insurance probably wouldn't have paid for it unless I had the issues that I just had. And thank goodness for self exams. So ladies, please be vigilant, be aware, and don't be afraid to get tested or ask questions. 

 

Hopefully, we won't have to re-up Operation THP anytime soon. And I'm ecstatic that I have been released to exercise. Yay! Maybe I can shake some cobwebs off and get back on track. 

Until then... Peace, love, and self-breast exams. 

Feeling So Guilty

I have heard over and over that you taking time for yourself can improve the quality of time that you spend with your family. That by making time for exercise is leading by example. But I'm here to tell you that THAT is easier said then done!

Hubs has been working out of town. Like WAY out of town, which makes me a suddenly single mom. I work a full-time job that requires me to be away from my children for 9 hours a day. Then we come home, do homework, cook, clean, play, visit, do sports (baseball, soccer, track, and now dance), and bathe and the envitable bed time story. At the end of the day, I'm exhausted. I could push through that if I needed to, but it's not like I can leave the kids at home by themselves while I go for a run.

Sure I have some options. I can check them out of one daycare and then check them into the daycare at the gym. I could ask my awesome running buddies to watch them for me. I could even drop them off at my mom's and go. That's when the guilt comes in. I am away from them so much and the rest of the time is spent working toward some goal (dinner, baths, homework, sports) that I don't feel like I have time to SPEND with them. So running has fallen to the wayside until I can figure out a good balance for me.

I know I have the weekends, but I miss my husband so much that I can hardly pull myself away when he is home.

I'll figure this out, I know. But until then my pace times are taking a beating.

Peace, Love, and Family.

New Beginnings

Today is Independence Day, July 4th, the birthdate of my great country. So I find it only fitting to talk about starting over and new beginnings.

I haven't posted in quite some time. I always try to take some time off after a big race and focus on my family. So after the OKC Memorial, I took some time off from runHers and sort of running in general. I wanted to rededicate myself to my family. And then all hell broke loose. I have had some scary days in my life. The day my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer. The day my daughter was born. The day the doctor said that my husband may have a brain tumor. But May 20th was the scariest day of my life to date.

I had went home early sick, but because of the weather went ahead and picked the kids up from school. We were at the house when the weatherman said to get the hell out of there. Grabbed the kids, the dogs, and the important papers and took off. I was on the highway headed north when it hit my neighborhood. By the time that I got to the shelter that we usually go to, they were showing my area on tv and I knew that my house was gone. My sister's first words to me where "Sissy, you don't have a house." Miraculously, I do have a house. Half a block more to the south and I would not. Half of my neighborhood is gone. Friends homes are gone. Our park is gone. But we have a house.


Entrance to our neighborhood

We had some structural damage and lost all of our fence and trees. But we were lucky. I know people are probably tired of hearing about this, but I need to say it. I haven't had a time to mourn. Mourn for my neighbors, my friends, my city, my state. My husband was sent out of town for work three days after the first storm. I had to handle everything on my own. Then the next storms hit, affecting a huge part of the state and hitting my house again, my city, my parent's house. And me. I was in my car with the kids and the hubs, who thank goodness was back for the weekend. And we were hit by a tornado in our car. It scooted us a little and the wind and flooding that followed ripped my wheelwells off of my Jeep. How we weren't washed away I have no idea.

Hubs is back out of town. We are fighting with insurance company and still doing repairs. Tball season has started and I am coaching this year. We are spending 4 nights a week at the ball field. I have 2 kids to take care of. I don't have time to think let alone mourn.

While repairs are being made, my bestest furbaby gets out and has been missing for over a week now. Every day I look for him and wait for that dreaded phone call, but nothing.

So today, my hubs (who's home for the holiday) suggested, nay, pushed me out the door to run. I haven't run in almost 2 months. It was a horrible run. Slow and sad. I hurt in places I forgot that I could hurt. But it felt like a new beginning. Like cleaning a slate. I got to mourn while I ran. But instead of cry, I sweat out my grief. I feel lighter. So here's to a Happy and Safe Holiday! I hope it is so for everyone. Much Love to you all!

Thank you to all the amazing volunteers that have helped get my city on the road to recovery.

Peace, Love, and New Beginnings. 

2013 Memorial Marathon

One of my favorite races is the OKC Memorial Marathon. Not just because it is my home. Not just because I know people whose lives were changed forever that day. Not just because the people are always so incredible. It's one if my favorites because the enduring message of hope that permeates from everyone and everything around you.

 If you've never ran the OKC race, we begin very near the memorial site. In the early morning dark, you can't help but notice the glow of the chairs sitting there to commemorate the 168 lives lost. There is a palpable energy that only intensifies as we observe 168 seconds of silence. This year 3 seconds were added to remember the 3 lost at Boston. Besides the Oklahoma wind, the only sounds are the whispered prayers and muffled tears of those around you. One might think that after a few years that this tradition would not be as poignant as the first time, but the opposite is true. Each year it affects my heart a little differently. This year was no exception. There was a cohesiveness, an inclusion this year among the runners that I had never felt before.

 Sure we are a running family. We encourage each other and cheer. But I have never felt such a strong connection among us all as I did on Sunday. I'll admit that the day of the Boston Marathon fear entered my heart . Lots of people said that OKC wasn't "high profile enough" to be a target. But we all felt that way before April 19, 1995, too. I knew that I would still run, but wasn't sure how many others felt that way. I didn't know if I was going to let my kids participate in the kids marathon. I didn't know how safe I was going to feel. But Sunday fear was nowhere to be found. I felt like the strangers surrounding me were my family and anyone of them would protect me and I, them. It was a beautiful amazing day.

I ran the fourth leg of a relay team. It was a first for me. We ran as team Tag It Forward. We ran to honor the memory of a young man who suffered from mental health issues and to bring awareness to the lack of mental health care in the United States. We ran for Boston. We ran for OKC and the 168. I ran for my friend who is battling leukemia. And I ran for the many dedications for my run3rd family. I ran for hope, happiness and peace.

 Now that I'm done sounding like an after school special, let me tell you how I did. I also want to tell you about some of the less poignant but just as awesome things that happened. Like I said, I ran the 4th leg of the relay.

It was a long 5k, which means it was over the standard 5k distance. The exchange was a little chaotic for my liking, with a mix of marathoners and relayers coming in at the same time. They would bellow out your bib number when your team mate was quarter mile out. However, there were so many marathoners coming through that we were cheering too loud to hear our bib numbers. So I didn't hear mine until my teammate started screaming my name as she came to the exchange point. My time was average for me. It could have been better and it could've been worse. I completed my section on 47 minutes. Not my best 5K time by far, but not bad with a still mending toe. Once I finished my leg, I hightailed it back to the finish line to meet up with my teammates. Your last leg was injured but soldiered on and we crossed the Finish together.

Two of my wonderful teammates and runhers ladies

Unbeknownst to me that while I'm racing my oldest child is being police escorted during his race. T (5 years old) got slightly overwhelmed by all the excitement and veered off his race course. A wonderful police officer scooped him up and pointed him in the right direction. Then a bike cop escorted him all the way to the finish. Only my kid! He was so excited to sit in the back of the cop car and that the other cop followed him on the bike. Thank you so much to the 2 OCPD officers who helped my son. You saved my husbands life. 😉 In all fairness to the hubs, he was expecting to get to run beside our kiddo, but was unable to. So our little boy ran his first 1.2 miles all by himself. They grow up so fast! And it better be his first AND last time in the back of a police cruiser.

I am so proud of my friends who participated in the races. I had several finish the 5K with new PRs.
All of my friends who did the half marathon PR'd. And my geek twin, Aubs, finished her very first full marathon. I was so proud and I love them all.

If you have never ran in OKC, you should. It's a beautiful race in a great city. And I don't just say that because I live here.

Peace, Love, and Unity.

So Much Has Happened.....

So much has happened since I last wrote ...

There is so much that I want to say about recent events, in my personal life, in the running world, in the world. I just don't know that there is anything that I can say that hasn't already been said and far more eloquently than I could ever state. So I turned to the thing that I have always found comfort in (besides my family and running of course!), music. There's not a theme or a lesson to be learned from the following playlist. It's just a list of good music that I enjoy running to. It's just one of the simple things that makes life more enjoyable. We should never take the little things for granted.

1. Just Keep Breathing  - We The Kings
2. My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light Em Up) -Fall Out Boy
3. Champion - The Chevin
4. Animal  - Conor Maynard
5. Possum Kingdom - The Toadies
6. I Will Wait -Mumford & Sons
7. Home  - Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
8. Suzie  - Boy Kill Boy
9. The Kids Aren't Alright  -The Offspring
10. Grace for Saints and Ramblers  - Iron & Wine
11. Insane In the Brain  - Cypress Hill
12. Now  - Paramore
13. Symptoms  - Atlas Genius
14. Run Riot  -Def Leppard
15. Love Bug - Baby Bee
16. Jump Around - House Of Pain
17. Girl On Fire  - Alicia Keys
18. Down With the Sickness  - Disturbed
19. Calabria 2008 (feat. MIMS & Natasja)  - Enur
20. New Slang  -The Shins
21. Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin
22. The Phoenix  -Fall Out Boy
23. Little Talks  - Of Monsters and Men
24. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This) -Eurythmics
25. Ho Hey  -The Lumineers
26. Can't Hold Us (feat. Ray Dalton)  - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
27. Trains to Brazil - Guillemots  
28. Longview  -Green Day
29. Thinking 'Bout Somethin'  - Hanson
30. Excuse Me Mr.  - No Doubt
31. Low (feat. T-Pain) - Flo Rida
32. Sabotage - Beastie Boys
33. Home  - Phillip Phillips
34. Just Got to Be  - The Black Keys

Peace, Love, and Savoring the Moments.

It's No Fun Having to Start Over, But...

There is a motivational picture/saying that I see often that says something like: If you don't want to start over, stop quitting. While that sounds logical and good in theory, it just isn't possible for some people. I am one of those people. I am chronically "starting over",  but not because I'm a quitter. It's quite the opposite actually. If I was a quitter, I wouldn't get up, dust myself off, and start all over every time that I get knocked down. I know that most of you know this already, but for any newbies out there, I have lupus. I have a rather mild case in that I have pain (most often tolerable without medication pain), joint and extremity inflammation, and discoloration (usually red, blotchy attractiveness). But I function normally, sometimes just a little more slowly. This, however, can cause a little bit of a problem for me when the cold weather hits. I hurt more, swell more, and have to decrease my exercise due to stiffness. So any advances that I make in the summer and fall disappear in the winter. Poof! Gone up in smoke like a new year's resolution. So every spring I start over.

This winter has been exceptionally hard for me. I had the flu for almost two weeks (thank you, weakened immune system) and have had dental surgery with complications. That's on top of all my lupusy goodness. I have been a barrel of fun and laughs for the past couple of months. But my family and friends have toughed it out and been uber supportive and loving. They are just as ready for me to get back to running as I am, though.

So here I am, on the edge of a precibus, with the decision to start all over or give up. If I start over, I will have to do the same things that I have done before. I will have the same struggles that I have had before and possibly some new ones. I will have to start all freaking over again! And it's never an easy road for me.

 

WHY DO I DO IT?!!!

 

 

I have a such multitude of reasons why I do it that it would be impossible to list them all, but...

 

I do it because I still can.

I do it for my family.

I do it for my sanity.

I do it because this disease does not define who I am.

I do it because this disease will not limit me.

I do it to feel better about myself.

I do it to feel better.

I do it to prove to myself that I can.

I do it to inspire others.

I do it because I love it.

I do it because I'm NOT a quitter.

 

The flu, a torn muscle, a cold, surgery, life. All of these things can get in your way. All of these things can cause you to have to start over. It happens! So will you start over or will you give up?

 

Peace, Love, and New Beginnings!

 



I'm still here!

I have had to worst running luck ever since the holidays, but hopefully, I am making my way back now. I had the flu over the holidays, like so many people. The worst part of the flu for me has been the relentless cough. It took forever to shake it, and made my return to running very difficult. T. hen of course, my entire family got it. I spent two weeks taking care of all of them. They are all healthy and back to their normal onry selves. Thank Goodness! Just when I started to feel like I could get back to running (with my doctor's permission, of course), my wisdom tooth starting moving and pushed my jaw out of alignment. Long story short, I had to have serious dental surgery where they removed part of my jaw bone and five teeth. And I looked like this.

 I was not a happy camper! And since it can never be simple of me, I have had some not so cool aftereffects.  One of my teeth was chipped during surgery and I have bone sticking out of my gums where they took part of my jawbone. They say that they are probably bone fragments that will work their way out on their own. However, there is a chance that they may have to go in after them. : (
Good news is that I have been cleared to start running (to my discretion, but not too much). So am not going to be able to do the half marathon that I wanted in April. Instead I will be a part of my very first relay team. That helps take a little of the sting out of not being able to run the half.  Hopefully, by late spring this will all be sorted out and I will be back to running full-time. I want to start training early to set a new PR at Route 66 in November. I want to break the 3 hour mark. It shall be done!

Until next time,


Peace, Love, and Chipmunk cheeks.

Holiday MIA

I have been missing in action, I know. But you know that the holidays are never my best time for blogging. I'm always a little busy, visiting family, baking, wrapping presents, etc., etc. I did do a few things differently this year.

Usually once the weather turns chilly, I hang up my running shoes for the season. This year I bought some cold weather gear and I have done a few cold, winter runs. They are still not my favorite thing, but I will admit that they aren't AS horrible as I always thought. With my lupus the cold weather is not my friend and often times causes me to have some really bad, painful days filled with swelling and stiffness. I had a few of those but they seemed to be more easily managed. Oh, and a few 70 degree days in December didn't hurt. Gotta love that Oklahoma weather. I had every intention of getting a few more winter runs in while Christmas vacation, but two things happened that wrecked that plan. The first is the amazing present that I received on the day after Christmas. My favorite Aussie arrived. I just wanted to spend as many minutes with her as I could. After spending over a day traveling to get here, she was completely exhausted and we still stayed up late talking until we almost fell asleep in the floor.

We did some shopping, some more shopping, lots of talking, and a little bit of eating Mexican food. We had even intended to do a little running. However, the second thing disrupted all the plans that I had. I got the flu. : ( And it sucked!  We had a whole weekend of shopping and talking and running and shopping all planned out. Instead I spend it and most the next week lying on the couch in a cough syrup coma. I even had to spend New Year's Eve all by myself. The hubs and kids were sent away si that they wouldn't get it.Two of the three ended up getting it anyway. We are all starting to get better, thank goodness. It's gonna take more than a few days to get my house back in order, take down the Christmas stuff, and kick this nasty cough that the flu left me as a parting gift. I also have to try to spend as much time with Aussie as possible before she leaves again. I am just adding it all to the long list of things that I have planned for 2013. And I do mean, LONG list. 2013 should be a spectacular year and I can't wait to share it with you all.

 

Peace, Love, and Winter Runs (post-flu)!

 

New PR, Hanson, & A Cool Medal...Oh MY!

 

The Route 66 Half Marathon was a great experience for so many reasons. I hardly know where to start. I got to roadtrip with my geektwin, which made me happy. Met tons of new people which is always an adventure in itself. The expo was cool and I bought some great stuff, including a new runhers tee. But the race...I'll be honest now.  I was kinda dreading it. It was supposed to be super cold that morning...and you know how I feel about morning runs. I seriously considered staying in the bed for half a millisecond. But I didn't! I got up, got dressed, and headed out to face the race. 

I got to meet up with my runhers ladies and my favorite neighbors before the race. We walked around warming up, using HotHands, and taking pictures. You know before we are a sweaty hot mess. (Sidebar: yes I did put HotHands in my bra. And yes, a friend commented, "You really do put everything in there". Yes, yes, I do. Safest place on earth. No ones getting in unless I say so. ) It was cold, but it could've been so much colder. I was so thankful that the racing gods smiled on us and gave us such a gorgeous day.  Since I wasn't completely miserable, I started to get excited. I'm kinda like a kid at Christmas waking her parents up every few hours, asking if it's time to open presents. "Can we go yet? Are we running soon? Is it time to start?"

The race started and I was shocked at how easy it was for me to start. Normally, it takes about 3 to 5 miles to shake the rust off. I was going from beat one. I did my run-walk method with a ratio of 10:1 but it wasn't feeling right, so I just trusted my body and my instincts and ran what felt comfortable. There was even a couple miles in the middle that I didn't stop at all. I know, I know. I had a training plan, I should've stuck with it. But it felt really good, so I did it. My playlist was a dead on for the race. It hit all the points right when I needed it to. And my powersong fittingly enough was Give A Little by Hanson. I know, right?! Local boys to the rescue.

I honestly don't remember  a whole lot of details of this race. I was in the moment a lot more than I usually am. I do know that I ran with my phone to use as an iPod and a GPS. This was my first time doing this. I know that when my music softens it means that someone is calling or texting me. I got several texts at the beginning of the race and I knew that I didn't want to look at them. 1. It would throw off my stride and 2. there was a good chance someone was going to make me cry. I continued getting texts all throughout the race (which made me feel very loved, but I was running a race here people). Finally about Mile 9 I snuck a peak at my phone and it was my husband. He made me cry. : /
I did not look my phone again until I was well past finished.

There were a lot of hills. Not ginormous hills, but there were enough of them to make them feel ginormous. My bum is paying the price for those hills today. Though wind was the biggest issue I had. Fortunately, it was only an issue for part of the race. I have to say I felt really good about this race. I even had enough oomph left to sprint across the finish line. A far cry from barely walking across the finish at my first half-marathon. I didn't shatter any records by any means. My time isn't even impressive on it's own. But it's my new PR and I love it. I had set a goal of 3:30. I finished in 3:17:26. I know that I couldn't have done it without the love an support of those around me. My family, my friends, my runhers group. You all helped me in ways you may never know. I thank you. Today I am sore, but I'm already thinking that maybe I can get my time down to 3:00 by next year. I'm gonna need you all to get there. I hope that everyone had an amazing time at the race. Now take this upcoming holiday to rest, relax, spend time with your loved ones, and remember to be thankful for the many blessings in your life, especially if it includes a new PR and a cool new medal like this one.

Peace, love, and joy this holiday season for everyone!

66 Songs for Route 66

I feel like I'm running behind about a week in my life lately. There just don't seem to be enough hours in a day. I don't know if it's because the time change has thrown off my mojo. (It gets dark at 6:30
pm! What's that about?!) Or it's the upcoming holidays and birthdays that I have this time of year. Or if it's because work is unexplainably CRAZY this time of year. Perhaps it's a combination of all of the above.

But I took a time out tonight. I needed to pack up my gear for the race this weekend. While packing, I decided I have been training sooooo hard that I have completely worn out the my playlists. I need some freshness for this race. So I sat down and built a new playlist. There are some oldies, some newbies, and all goodies. I wish that I could take credit for 66 songs that I ended up with, but it just sort of happened (which in Cyndiland means that it is kismet). Now as usual I do not intend to use all of the songs. There is about 4 hours worth of music in this list. I am aiming to finish the race in 3:30 or less. But there is always a song or two that sounds good at home but just doesn't fit the moment. So I always bring extra. :)

1. All My Life - Foo Fighters 
2. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen 
3. B.O.B. - OutKast 
4. Ho Hey - The Lumineers 
5. Bang a Gong (Get It On) - T. Rex 
6. Champion - The Chevin 
7. Billie Jean - Michael Jackson 
8. A-Punk -Vampire Weekend 
9. Clocks - Coldplay 
10. Firestarter - The Prodigy 
11. 18 Wheeler - P!nk 
12. We Come Running - Youngblood Hawke 
13. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey 
14. Cherry Bomb - The Runaways 
15. Beverly Hills - Weezer 
16. Rock and Roll - Led Zeppelin 
17. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees 
18. Mercy - Duffy 
19. Excuse Me Mr. -No Doubt 
20. Black or White - Michael Jackson 
21. Fighter - Christina Aguilera 
22. Bad Reputation - Joan Jett 
23. Firework - Katy Perry 
24. Born Alone - Wilco Born
25. Fluorescent Adolescent 2- Arctic Monkeys 
26. Give a Little - Hanson 
27. Dog Days Are Over - Florence + The Machine 
28. The Kids Aren't Alright - The Offspring 
29. Gunpowder & Lead - Miranda Lambert 
30. I Will Wait - Mumford & Sons 
31. The Longer I Run -Peter Bradley Adams 
32. Hash Pipe - Weezer 
33. Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)- Eurythmics 
34. Without You (feat. Usher) - David Guetta & Usher 
35. Hey Now Now - The Cloud Room 
36. Sleeping Aides & Razorblades - The Exploding Hearts 
37. I Gotta Feeling - Black Eyed Peas 
38. Gold On the Ceiling - The Black Keys 
39. O.P.P. - Naughty By Nature 
40. Seven Nation Army -The White Stripes 
41. Lonely Boy -The Black Keys 
42. You Can't Hurry Love - Phil Collins 
43. Run Riot - Def Leppard 
44. My Body - Young the Giant 
45. One Way or Another - Blondie 
46. Places to Go - Leftover Cuties 
47. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson 
48. Use Somebody - Kings of Leon 
49. Hazy Shade of Winter - The Bangles 
50. Kerosene - Miranda Lambert 
51. Runaway Baby - Bruno Mars
52. Search And Destroy - Iggy Pop
53. Wide Awake - Katy Perry 
54. Good Life -OneRepublic 
55. Too Close - Alex Clare 
56. Spirit In the Sky - Norman Greenbaum 
57. Sabotage - Beastie Boys 
58. Gone Tomorrow - The Gossip 
59. We Are Young (feat. Janelle Monáe) - Fun.
60. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine 
61. Take Off Your Shirt -Bibio 
62. Thinking 'Bout Somethin' -Hanson 
63. Thinking- Ke$ha 
64. Salute Your Solution-The Raconteurs 
65. What Makes You Beautiful -One Direction 
66. It's Time - Imagine Dragons  

So I've packed my iPhone and my iPod (as I have yet to decide which one I want to use), couple of pairs of tights, a tee, a long sleeve tee, my favorite hoody, two pairs of socks, my favorite hat, and of course my Brooks. I wish everyone running this weekend the best of luck and the best of times. If you are in the Tulsa area, I hope to see you at the race Sunday, cheering, volunteering, racing, living. We are going to have a blast. My geek-twin, my bestest neighbors, and all my runHers ladies will be hanging out with me this weekend.

And I run3rd this weekend for all those children who are going without during this holiday season. Times are tough for everyone, but every little bit helps. Donate what you can: money, goods, or time. All are appreciated. Every child deserves to have a happy holiday season. I can't think of any greater joy than giving joy to a child in need.

Peace, Love, and Getting my Kicks on Route 66

Running Tights and Other Clothing Tribulations

Okay, here's the deal. Running isn't easy for me. I have to work at running. So I use every tool at my disposal to help make it easier, including running tights, compression pants, and tight tanks. Now as you know (and my blog name clearly states) the words: small, tiny, petite, thin, skinny, non-jiggly are not used to describe me. So..... While I know that spandex is a privilege, not a right, I wear running tights and I don't care what you think.

There are two main reasons why I wear them (and a few sub-reasons) and I am going to share them with you now.

Reason #1: I swell. A LOT. Like a lot lot. I swell up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade balloon. I am the giant Snoopy floating down the street, trying to take out some of my handlers down below. It's a symptom of my lupus. I've done it for years. It's a year-round thing, but gets worse in the winter and....when I longer distances. So I have found that compression running tights helps keep the swelling to a minimum and that feels awesome.

Sub-reason #1: Because they are so tight. They keep some of the jiggle out of my wiggle. ; ) Which also feels awesome.

Reason #2: When running longer distances, I really don't want loose clothes flopping around, creeping up, riding way up, digging in, rubbing raw, or doing any other thing that they should never do. I have tried just about every different type of running gear style out there, except those tiny lycra running shorts (because no body wants to see that and I don't wanna have to dig lycra shorts out of unmentionable places). I have tried sweats, windpants, loose capris, flared pants, tight capris, running skirts, shorts, you name it. I really have tried them all. I found that for me the bigger the clothing, the more flopping it does, the more it annoys me. I can't concentrate on my stride or breathing or tempo or anything else that I should be focused on. A few times all I could think about was wanting nothing more than to strip off whatever article of clothing that was irritating me. So I wear tighter clothing to help eliminate some of the problem/distraction. I won't wear shorts or a skirt over the tights because the flopping/riding up is again an issue.

Sub-reason #2: Big women want to look cute too! Big floppy ill-fitted clothes are not flattering on anyone. Why would bigger women be any different?! I'm not a pretty runner. I wish that I looked more like the people in running magazines that look like running is fun and easy, but I don't. I look like I am in pain and want to cry and/or puke all at the same time. So the least I can do is wear some cute running clothes.

Now cute running clothes in bigger sizes are difficult to find, but there are out there. Although, it would be nice if there were more options out there that would accommodate bigger hips and chest areas. **hint, hint, wink, wink** In the end, it really comes down to what are you comfortable in. Everyone is different. Some are more modest, others (like me) not so much. You should always be comfortable and confident in whatever you choose to wear, whether it be running or in general. You are beautiful!

That being said, you should always dress appropriately for the weather, climate, and time of day. And I insist that you invest in a good pair of running shoes and a really great running bra. The rest is up to you.

Peace, Love, and compression tights.

P.S. I  even incorporated them into my Halloween costume. Somewhere under all that tulle is an awesome pair of tights.