After looking at the 7 day forecast for Des Moines, it appears that we won't get relief from the excessive heat and humidity anytime soon. Unfortunately, I used the heat as an excuse to avoid my training runs. If you're like me, you've had in your mind that it's going to cool down soon, and it's too dangerous to run outside right now, so it's better to just wait it out. And it's hard to go back to the treadmill once you're used to running outside. It's just not the same.
I ran outside on Tuesday, and felt fine after one lap around the Aviva lot, so decided to go for a second and make it a longer run. Bad decision. Half-way through the second lap, I was soaked in sweat and I could feel the heat radiating out every inch of my body. It was like running in porridge. This is a guess, as I've never actually had porridge. Does it actually exist outside of storybooks? Anyways, I'm pretty sure I could have walked faster than I was running at that point, but continued running because I just wanted to get back to the air-conditioned building ASAP and lay my head in the drinking fountain. To make a long story short. I should have been smart and not pushed it, because by the end, I had the urge to throw up and the chills, and I didn't feel better until later that night.
Back to my original point that the heat and humidity aren't going anywhere. It's time to stop excusing ourselves from training, whether it be for a 5K, half marathon, or a mile, and time to reacquaint ourselves with the trusty old treadmill. Yes, it's boring and you don't get the same feeling when you finish, but you're still excercising. And it's air conditioned and safer, and in the end, our ultimate goal is our health, right? My recommendation is to try and mix it up a little bit with intervals and try out a new playlist on your iPod. It should make the time go by quicker. And don't forget to increase your incline to at least 1%. Doing so will prevent shin splints, give you more of a workout with little noticeable strain, and it boosts your booty :o)
Who am I?
A runner....or Herky the Hawk?
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Bring on the Half...
I'd like to start this post by saying that I apologize for the lack of posts lately. With my brother getting married (congrats Adam and Krisie!) and my new role at work, I haven't been able to focus on the blog, or my running for that matter, as much as I'd like. And to be honest with you, I didn't think anyone would notice my absence. BUT to my pleasant surprise, I've learned that I do have a few people out there who actually read this, and a couple of you have even used the word "inspiring" when you ask me about it. And hey, being a positive inspiration, even if just a small one, is a great accomplishment in my book.
As you know, I intended on using this blog as a tool to motivate myself to train for the Des Moines Half Marathon in October. Throughout the past couple months, I have had serious doubts about whether or not I can complete the Half...but last week, I woke up one morning and decided that I'm ready. I'm ready to set the sights of my mind, body, and spirit on it, and ready to take training seriously.
As I commit myself to the Half, I ask that you put some thought into challenging yourself and perhaps, commit yourself to a fitness goal. It can be whatever you want...it's your goal after all, but I'd love for you to share it with me so I can help you get there as you're helping me reach mine. It's easier to get through the hard times and more fun to celebrate the good times when you have someone beside you :o)
And here we go....
As you know, I intended on using this blog as a tool to motivate myself to train for the Des Moines Half Marathon in October. Throughout the past couple months, I have had serious doubts about whether or not I can complete the Half...but last week, I woke up one morning and decided that I'm ready. I'm ready to set the sights of my mind, body, and spirit on it, and ready to take training seriously.
As I commit myself to the Half, I ask that you put some thought into challenging yourself and perhaps, commit yourself to a fitness goal. It can be whatever you want...it's your goal after all, but I'd love for you to share it with me so I can help you get there as you're helping me reach mine. It's easier to get through the hard times and more fun to celebrate the good times when you have someone beside you :o)
And here we go....
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Why I run
In no particular order...
1.) Stress relief: It gives me a chance to have a mental conversation with myself without interruption. And I feel as though I am sweating the stress out of my body.
2.) Music: I love music. L-O-V-E. My body responds to it as it provokes specific emotions. Depending on how I feel, I choose a genre and ride the wave of emotions, be it happy or frustrated, which takes the focus away from my aching legs or lungs.
3.) Cardiovascular Health: Who wants to be the gal that gets winded playing with her kids? Not this girl.
4.) Speed: Because you never know when you'll need it...but at some point, you will.
5.) A Toned Body: Well, that's the goal anyways :)
6.) The Feeling Afterwards: It's a feeling of accomplishment that you can't ignore.
So tell me, why do you run?
1.) Stress relief: It gives me a chance to have a mental conversation with myself without interruption. And I feel as though I am sweating the stress out of my body.
2.) Music: I love music. L-O-V-E. My body responds to it as it provokes specific emotions. Depending on how I feel, I choose a genre and ride the wave of emotions, be it happy or frustrated, which takes the focus away from my aching legs or lungs.
3.) Cardiovascular Health: Who wants to be the gal that gets winded playing with her kids? Not this girl.
4.) Speed: Because you never know when you'll need it...but at some point, you will.
5.) A Toned Body: Well, that's the goal anyways :)
6.) The Feeling Afterwards: It's a feeling of accomplishment that you can't ignore.
So tell me, why do you run?
Monday, June 13, 2011
1:16:38
I ran 7 miles yesterday (in 1:16:38)! And I didn't die!
In fact, I even enjoyed myself!
The common theme of the advice that I'd received from my runner friends was to pace myself. I'm still not very good at it, so I started out slow knowing that I had a long ways to go. I felt great the first 3 miles, with the exception of some pain in my left ankle, I must have tweaked it early on. After 3 miles, it's as though I could hear my body say 'Wait a minute, it's time to stop...where are you going?'. It was used to running 5Ks. It protested, but I was able to quiet it down and made my first goal: To make it to the 4 mile mark without stopping to run. This would be a personal record for me, as I had only made it 3.5 miles before stopping. Between miles 3 and 4, I passed my brother and sister-on-law's house. It brought me back to when they first bought the house in the spring of 2008. Shortly after signing the papers, the house flooded and and the water was up to the top of their basement stairs. It was definitely not something that a young newlywed couple should have to deal with...and I felt my heart swell with pride as I remembered the cause for this race...to raise money for flood victims of 2008. I was even lucky enough to see Karen at the house as she was letting the dog out. I shouted her name and waved and kept on going.
I made it to mile 4, and set my 2nd goal: 5 miles without stopping to walk.
My left ankle was still sore and my right knee started to hurt, so I did my best to stay on the level part of the road and kept pushing. As I looked ahead of and around me, I saw people standing on their porches, waving or clapping for us. People would stop walking their dog to turn and cheer us on...and even a few drivers would clap as they were waiting for us to cross the street. My heart swelled and I made it to mile 5.
Unfortunately, shortly after passing the 5th mile marker, I had to stop and catch my breath, but after about 150 yards, I was good to go again. And you know what guys and gals....I finished the race without stopping again.
My friend, Michelle, who ran her first Dam to Dam 20K a week ago, told me that she experienced "Runner's High" when she finished...and when I crossed that finish line, so did I! Don't get me wrong, I was glad I was done, but I felt an energy that I hadn't felt in years...since track meets in high school. It was just as awesome as I remembered.
I did something I never thought I could do. And I'm 30! I keep going back to a memory from when I was in high school and my track coach, Lowell, made us run 3 miles to improve endurance (I'm sure there were some other reasons), and he had to pull me the last half mile. Fifteen years later, I still didn't finish the race alone...but this time, I wasn't being pulled.
Thank you, Tony, for encouraging me to push myself and not leaving my side on Saturday. Without you, I wouldn't have found out what I'm capable of.
(Pictures to come)
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
I hope I don't die
So, if you've been following my blog, you are aware that I have a race this Saturday. It's the Cedar Rapids Run the Flood, a new one for me. Races are fun. Typically, everyone is excited to run for the particular cause we are there for, some have personal records they are aiming for, and weaving in and out of the laughter and excitement is an adrenaline rush that eventually makes it's way to each and every participant.
Up until Saturday, I will have only run one mile races and 5Ks...this is a 7 mile race, folks, and I'd be lying if I told you that I'm excited for the race.
7 miles....7 miles.....7 miles....double a 5k....7miles...7 miles...I hope I don't die.
This is the string of thoughts that has been running through my head constantly the past few days...oh, and "What the hell was I thinking?!"
I know what I was thinking. When Tony told me about this race, he promoted it to me as a good training race to prepare me for the half marathon in October. That made perfect sense at the time because you have to build mileage in order to finish the 13.1 miles of the half marathon...but recently I've been shying away from committing myself to the half marathon. I won't go into the details because if you've been following me along this journey, you know the reasons.
You'll see in my Running Log that I haven't run in over a week, and I'll tell you now that I probably won't run again before Saturday's race. I have changed up my workout routine in hopes to bust out of the rut I'm in, but that change doesn't include running...unless I have a desire to log some miles. I've started a Spinning class and a weight lifting class at Aspen, and I'm hoping the change will boost my metabolism, improve my endurance, build muscle, and lose some inches. I'm not sure what it will do to my marathon training plan, but I'm having fun again, and right now, fun is what I need, or otherwise I will stop doing anything.
So, I ask that all of you out there think of me, offer any advice you may have...and if you dont' have any advice, prayers are very much appreciated. Prayers that I won't die Saturday, that I'll finish the race, that I'll find the fire within me that I need right now, and that I'll make a decision on the half-marathon so I can pull myself out of limbo are all accepted :o)
Thanks guys :)
Up until Saturday, I will have only run one mile races and 5Ks...this is a 7 mile race, folks, and I'd be lying if I told you that I'm excited for the race.
7 miles....7 miles.....7 miles....double a 5k....7miles...7 miles...I hope I don't die.
This is the string of thoughts that has been running through my head constantly the past few days...oh, and "What the hell was I thinking?!"
I know what I was thinking. When Tony told me about this race, he promoted it to me as a good training race to prepare me for the half marathon in October. That made perfect sense at the time because you have to build mileage in order to finish the 13.1 miles of the half marathon...but recently I've been shying away from committing myself to the half marathon. I won't go into the details because if you've been following me along this journey, you know the reasons.
You'll see in my Running Log that I haven't run in over a week, and I'll tell you now that I probably won't run again before Saturday's race. I have changed up my workout routine in hopes to bust out of the rut I'm in, but that change doesn't include running...unless I have a desire to log some miles. I've started a Spinning class and a weight lifting class at Aspen, and I'm hoping the change will boost my metabolism, improve my endurance, build muscle, and lose some inches. I'm not sure what it will do to my marathon training plan, but I'm having fun again, and right now, fun is what I need, or otherwise I will stop doing anything.
So, I ask that all of you out there think of me, offer any advice you may have...and if you dont' have any advice, prayers are very much appreciated. Prayers that I won't die Saturday, that I'll finish the race, that I'll find the fire within me that I need right now, and that I'll make a decision on the half-marathon so I can pull myself out of limbo are all accepted :o)
Thanks guys :)
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Why weight?
Okay, quick review of Saturday's race: Ran the 5K, forgot to set my timer, so guesstimate time was 31:30 because we had to stop for traffic twice. Was windy as hell, group consensus was that we had a head wind for 80% of the race. And it was chilly. BUT I finished my first REAL 5K of the season (let's be honest, the Bar Run was not a real 5K because it was interrupted by alcohol and food...AWESOME time, but definitely not a real race). So I finished my first 5K of the season and was rewarded with a giant piece of apple pie a la mode...YUM!
I want to turn the focus to a topic that has been weighing heavily on my mind lately (pun intended)....the female obsession with weight and our negative perceptions of our bodies. My personal struggle started back when I was a teenager. I started comparing myself to the girls in Seventeen magazine and the girls on TV, and then of course the girls in school. Fortunately, I loved being active so burning calories came naturally. I have an athletic build, so I frequently heard comments about my "guns" and my strong legs...which looking back now, is pretty cool...but rather than embracing my athleticism and being proud of it, I was embarrassed. I didn't want to be "strong" because another word for "strong" is "thick" and "thick" meant "fat" in my mind. I wanted to be dainty, I wanted to be thin. You have to remember that Kate Moss was the ideal woman, so the "waif" look was in.
I'm sure you're all thinking, "Okay Danielle...no epiphanies here...tell us something we don't already know" so let me tell you know that there won't be any epiphanies...just some things that hopefully you can reflect on. Besides, this is my blog right? Which pretty much means that most of these blogs are brain dumps...
Anyways....so a marriage and 2 kids later, I still struggle with my body image. So much that I have sent myself into anxiety attacks over the first signs of "muffin top". My anxiety comes from my frustration that only 4 months ago, I was a size 2. I was the smallest/thinnest I have ever been...and my desire to get back there has been overwhemling to the point of unhealthy. I easliy forget that the reason I lost all the weight was due to a high level of anxiety and circumstantial stress, so I had no appetite and only ate so I had enough energy to be able to run over my lunch. I forget the frustration I had every morning because I couldn't find anything that fit, everything would just hang off of me. I remember the comments from Yashmine that I had become the typical WG (White Girl)...meaning I had no booty. And again...I WASN'T happy! As I began to heal, the appetite came back (Tony's cooking helped with this, of course), and I began to enjoy life outside the gym again. I now understand what the phrase "Fat and happy" means now, but the "happy" is starting to be hidden by the shadow of a growing poor body image.
The funny thing is...if another female friend of mine comments on how she looks, I'm the first to stop her and tell her that she looks great and that I wish I had her curves...which is true! Curves are beautiful...they're what make a woman attractive. But why can't I appreciate mine? So I want to throw this out to the ladies reading my blog...or heck, you guys can chime in too about your frustration with women and our obsession with our looks. Ladies, why do we look at each other and think, "I wish I looked like her"? I mean, think about it...odds are there is someone out there that has thought that about you...yet we continue to criticize ourselves. So if you have an opinion, please share. Hopefully we can work together to keep each other in check.
I want to turn the focus to a topic that has been weighing heavily on my mind lately (pun intended)....the female obsession with weight and our negative perceptions of our bodies. My personal struggle started back when I was a teenager. I started comparing myself to the girls in Seventeen magazine and the girls on TV, and then of course the girls in school. Fortunately, I loved being active so burning calories came naturally. I have an athletic build, so I frequently heard comments about my "guns" and my strong legs...which looking back now, is pretty cool...but rather than embracing my athleticism and being proud of it, I was embarrassed. I didn't want to be "strong" because another word for "strong" is "thick" and "thick" meant "fat" in my mind. I wanted to be dainty, I wanted to be thin. You have to remember that Kate Moss was the ideal woman, so the "waif" look was in.
I'm sure you're all thinking, "Okay Danielle...no epiphanies here...tell us something we don't already know" so let me tell you know that there won't be any epiphanies...just some things that hopefully you can reflect on. Besides, this is my blog right? Which pretty much means that most of these blogs are brain dumps...
Anyways....so a marriage and 2 kids later, I still struggle with my body image. So much that I have sent myself into anxiety attacks over the first signs of "muffin top". My anxiety comes from my frustration that only 4 months ago, I was a size 2. I was the smallest/thinnest I have ever been...and my desire to get back there has been overwhemling to the point of unhealthy. I easliy forget that the reason I lost all the weight was due to a high level of anxiety and circumstantial stress, so I had no appetite and only ate so I had enough energy to be able to run over my lunch. I forget the frustration I had every morning because I couldn't find anything that fit, everything would just hang off of me. I remember the comments from Yashmine that I had become the typical WG (White Girl)...meaning I had no booty. And again...I WASN'T happy! As I began to heal, the appetite came back (Tony's cooking helped with this, of course), and I began to enjoy life outside the gym again. I now understand what the phrase "Fat and happy" means now, but the "happy" is starting to be hidden by the shadow of a growing poor body image.
The funny thing is...if another female friend of mine comments on how she looks, I'm the first to stop her and tell her that she looks great and that I wish I had her curves...which is true! Curves are beautiful...they're what make a woman attractive. But why can't I appreciate mine? So I want to throw this out to the ladies reading my blog...or heck, you guys can chime in too about your frustration with women and our obsession with our looks. Ladies, why do we look at each other and think, "I wish I looked like her"? I mean, think about it...odds are there is someone out there that has thought that about you...yet we continue to criticize ourselves. So if you have an opinion, please share. Hopefully we can work together to keep each other in check.
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