Traveling to the Blue Oval

Image Credit - Traci Nolan

Last week our son ran his toughest race ever and finished second in the 3200 meter at the State Qualifying Meet. He finished with a personal record best time of 10:02.70.

Photo credit - The Gazette

Today our family heads to Des Moines to watch Patrick along with several other teammates run their hearts out on the famous "Blue Oval" at Drake University.

It will be a fun weekend and I can't wait to see how everyone finishes. Patrick is going in ranked 7th in 3A and several other teammates are ranked in the Top Ten as well. I'm looking forward to hanging with all the other track parents and watching some close races!

If you'd like to watch, there is a live feed - http://ihssnlivestream.com/. Patrick runs at 4:05 today.

So, it's been a crazy week with my maternity leave subbing, meetings at night, and getting ready to leave for state track. I'm sorry that the blog is quiet, but I'll be back soon with more bookish posts and reviews.

A Little Monday Inspiration

Run when you can, 

walk if you have to, 

crawl if you must; 

just never give up. 

Dean Karnazes, American Ultramarathon Runner

This has been a good quote for me as I am participating in the Runner's World RunStreak Challenge to complete 40 miles in 40 days. From Memorial Day to July 4th, runners just run one mile/day. It sounds pretty simple, just one mile a day.  But, it has been more difficult that I thought.  Some days I just don't have time for even 1 mile.  So, a few times already, I have had to add it on to the next day or even the next day.

But, as the quote above says, I'm not giving up.  I'm getting those miles in whether I'm running, walking or crawling (haven't resorted to that one yet). I will finish this challenge!

What race, challenge, goal, milestone do you need to finish? It doesn't matter how you get there, but just that you finished! Enjoy the journey, get back on track, and finish that race!

Monday Motivation

For the last 7 days I've been participating in Runner's World Run Streak. I have 7+ miles out of 40 marked off my calendar.  This weekend I walked my miles as a break for my calf that was tight and painful.  As long as I get my mile in, it doesn't matter to me how I get my mile in.  This quote sums up my philosophy on my running.  I many not ever get the best time, but I will finish the race.

Don't worry about your time or your distance, just go. 

And, you can always run a little farther. 

You won't die if you run to the next mailbox. 

Brad Wilkinson, runner

If you need some motivation to get started, remember it doesn't matter how fast you are, how far you go, what you wear, or where you run or walk....it just matters that you get moving. 

Each time you run, you can push yourself a little farther or a little faster.  You can try that street with a hill or a higher incline on your treadmill.  Run til the next commercial or the next block. 

It's not too late.  Join me and finish up the 40 mile challenge and run or walk a mile a day through July 4th.  By then it might just be a habit that will take you farther than you ever imagined! 

A Little Monday Inspiration

Life is often compared to a marathon, 

but I think it is more like being a sprinter; 

long stretches of hard work punctuated by brief moments 

in which we are given the opportunity to perform at our best. 

Michael Johnson, 4-time Olympic Gold medalist in Track & Field

Photo source - HERE

My guess is for most of you, you may feel like you are a hamster in a wheel.  Running and running and arriving out of breath at your next stop. Never feeling like you are getting anything done. That is how I feel a lot of days.  I'm running around the house, trying to check stuff off my to-do list.  I get distracted by clothes on the floor, a dirty sink, and then reroute and get back to my list.  Then at night I'm running to a sporting event, practice, or commitment and then running back home and starting all over again.

Now, I'm not literally running, but some days I do feel like I have run a marathon.  I'm exhausted at the end of the day.  But, then miraculously, I will have several days in a row, where I can slow down my pace.  I can take a nice leisurely walk through my week, stopping to enjoy the beauty of sunsets and flowers, and even baking a batch of cookies.  

No matter whether your life is a marathon, a sprint, or a leisurely stroll through a park, enjoy the moments.  Live in them. Notice your surroundings. Cherish those who you are spending time with. Every once in awhile, make sure to stop and smell the roses during your run! 

Book Review: Run Yourself Skinny By Michael Thomas

RUN YOURSELF SKINNY 
Lose Weight Fast Without Dieting

By: Michael Thomas

Published:  December 21, 2012

Non-Fiction





If you are like me and LOVE to eat, you have to find something that will combat those calories so they don't end up on your waistline.  RUN YOURSELF SKINNY is for those who are looking at beginning a habit of running.  By running, you can burn those calories without giving them up!

This book will teach you how to start running, whether you are running outside or inside on your treadmill.  It will show you how to begin running and maintain it so you can make it a habit.  It also offers suggested menus for runners so you are getting the fuel you need.  

The goal of this book is to get you running for 30 minutes as many as 4 days/week.  This is the best way to maximize your weight loss and make significant changes to your health. My favorite tip from the book was, "In the beginning, try to always run farther or faster than the day before."

When you are beginning a new routine, you need to decide what is going to motivate you.  Your goal is to make running a habit and what is going to motivate you to do that?  This book is full of motivational quotes and ways to keep you on track.  It includes links to charts and printables to keep track of your running as well as your eating.

If you have a goal of running a 5K, then find one coming up in your area and set a goal for yourself to run and finish it.  Then once you do that, set a goal to finish quicker than last time.  This is one way to stay focused and motivated to keep running.

Even though this book didn't have a lot of new information for me, I did find it to be very encouraging and helped me focus on my own goals with running and exercise.

To learn more about Michael Thomas and his other books, visit his website, http://www.runharderworksmarter.com/

Books by Michael Thomas

I read this book for free on my Kindle with Amazon Prime.  This book is currently available on Kindle for $3.97.  If you have Amazon Prime, you can access thousands of books for free as well as music and videos. Try Amazon Prime for One Month for FREE.

Living and Active Week Three Check In

Running isn't about how far you go but how far you've come.  
Bart Yasso, author/marathon trainer/runner

My week 3 check in fits in perfectly with the above quote.  When I first got my treadmill and started running, I really could only run for 30 seconds at a time.  I can now run for for minutes at a time and at higher speeds. Each time it gets easier. I can get sucked into a program I am watching and literally forget I am running. Other times it is a struggle and I am watching the clock and distance until I can stop.  But, knowing how far I have come is what keeps me going.

With my birthday this past week, my eating wasn't so great.  Birthday cupcakes, homemade strawberry pie, my mom's lemon meringue pie, and cheesecake all made for me, so I had to eat them! But, this week, I can get back on track with my eating and push myself a bit more on my workouts.  As of now I don't have a very busy week and should be able to easily work the time into my schedule.

Week 4 is going to be awesome!

Patience

Perseverance 

Positivity

A Little Monday Inspiration and An Update

photo courtesy of guidance.fidelity.com

"Progress is rarely a straight line.  There are always bumps in the road, but you can make the choice to keep looking ahead. "
Kara Goucher, American long-distance runner

In the first 6 months of the year I have ran/walked a total of 64.72 miles.  I know to a great many of you, that may not seem like much.  But, for me, it is more than I have ever ran in my life.  I have never liked running and I don't expect to ever really enjoy it. But it is something I am trying to do to feel stronger, be healthier, and gain more energy.  Even though this averages out to 10+ miles per month, some months I did much less and some months I did much more.  There were plenty of "bumps in my road". My schedule got in the way.  My laziness got in the way.  Excuses were easy to come up with for why I didn't need to run.  But, when I added up the miles, I was surprised just how much I actually did.

I have noticed some progress so far this year. I ran a 5K in June, beating my previous time by 2 minutes.  I can run for longer periods of time without needing to stop.  I am not so out of breath at the end of my run.  I have more energy on the days that I run.  But, the best part is that I am so glad I did it.

 There are never any regrets after a run. 

 Just regrets on days I don't run.  

I have found the best way for me to get running is accountability.  If I say I am going to run, I need to run.  If I can make a running date with someone (even virtually) that forces me to stop what I am doing, then I am more likely to run.  If I have a movie or TV show to watch, I am more motivated to get on that treadmill.

So, I will be looking ahead to the end of the year.  How many more miles can I get in?  Can I get to 100 miles?  Can I get to 150 miles?  I think I will make 150 miles in 2013 my goal.  I'm going to need some good fall shows to DVR to keep me motivated.  I am curious about the new Netflix series, Orange is the New Black.  I've also started watching Devious Maids from Lifetime.  Any show/movie recommendations?

Book Review: Run Your Butt Off

RUN YOUR BUTT OFF

A Breakthrough Plan to Lose Weight and Start Running

By:  Sarah Lorge Butler, Leslie Bonci, and Budd Coates

Published: March 15, 2011

****

Shed unwanted pounds and keep them off ONCE AND FOR ALL with Run YourButt Off!, a back-to-basics, test panel–approved weight-loss plan and beginners’ running program that yields sustainable, healthy results. The Run Your Butt Off! program is founded on the simple concept that in order to lose weight, calories burned must exceed calories consumed. No gimmicks, no shortcuts, no silver bullets can circumvent that reality. With this program, you’ll learn to burn fat from both sides of the weight-loss equation—the calories in and the calories out—at the same time. Run Your Butt Off! will make you fitter, stronger , and leaner .

This book is aimed at non-runners who would like to learn how to begin running.  Th book featured a target group of people who tested the system.  Different chapters of the book featured what things worked for that member of the test panel as well as for other beginning runners.  I appreciated their honesty and the struggles, as well as, successes that they shared.  

This book gives you a very clear workout plan to begin running.  You start with walking for 30 minutes straight and work in more running each week, or however long it takes you to feel ready to move to the next step of the workout.

I ran/walked a 5K in June so I am obviously ahead of week 1 already, but I truly appreciated the explanation that running doesn't necessarily mean fast.  I think I have been trying to push myself to run faster, but I can still get just as good of a workout in running at my walking rate or a tad faster.  I am anxious to see if this extends my time that I can run.  

The steps into full-on 30 minute running are gradual and at your own pace which I appreciate.  The book also gives lot of websites and tracking journals for you to use.  A lot of the book also includes nutrition tips and heavily encourages you to keep a food journal.   As a new runner, I am not always sure what is the best to eat/drink before and after a run and this book explains all of that.

I really appreciated the tips in this book and had a few Aha! moments.  I am anxious to really get started with this plan because it is one of the few that really feels manageable.  

I read this book on my Kindle, but I almost wish I had this book in hand because of the workbooks and journals it includes.  I can go online and print them off though, which I appreciate.  

If you have never been a runner, want to get back into running, or are just curious about eating right and working out, I highly recommend this book.  "Those first few steps are a leap of faith."  Won't you take the leap with me?  I will keep you posted on how it is going for me.