Tag: workouts

Setbacks

Yesterday, I hosted my annual Christmas party for our families.  I was up super early to cook all the sides and prepare for the crowd.  My menu was well planned, as were my table settings.  I thought of every last detail and couldn’t wait to get started.  Family arrived and festivities began.  I decided to be lazy and throw a gift box from the door of my kitchen into the garage.  Well…

That’s when it happened.  Crash, boom, bang came from the garage.  I had closed the door so when I heard it I was kind of surprised.  I quickly went to run out to see what happened and that’s when my three small toes on the left foot got jammed in the metal kitchen door.  So, what do you do when you have a house with 16 guests, dinner ahead of you and three possible broken toes.  You do what every good hostess does.  Your sister in law and you quickly joke about sharing on Reclaiming Health blog and appropriately title the sharing – Setbacks.  (LOL – Helga!)

We had some good laughs over my misfortune all day.  My daughter graciously pulled out my crutches, used the past two winters.  That experience came in quite handy as I knew how to maneuver around the kitchen on them.  My brother in law wondered if he was the cause of my misfortune as some type of jinx.  Me I just said, the show must go on and pass me a shot of that alcohol on the counter.

Today I am in pain, resting and soaking the foot in cold epsom salt and hoping for the best.  Yes, I will admit my first worry was my training run that I’d likely have to miss today.  I remembered my twenty weeks off last year and subsequent addition of ten pounds.  I hoped this would be a small setback and not a long one this winter.  I wondered why I get hurt every darn year.  Then I realized it’s partly because I’m always rushing around trying to get everything done at once.

In my training plan I have had to slow down to stay within heart rate targets and now again to hit cadence targets while maintaining heart rate.  It’s been quite challenging to run that slow, but I’ve noticed something – I enjoy the time and afterwards feel refreshed, not exhausted and spent.  When hitting my 180 cadence target with the metronome this week, I thought I’d never hit the cadence because I had to cut back my speed to running slower than walking.  Funny, I hit the faster cadence at the slower speed.  I remember wondering if life couldn’t be just like that.  Could we continue the push to do everything in life while maintaining the ability to enjoy it?  I now wonder if these constant setbacks were trying to get that message into this stubborn German brain.

Hence, my new resolution was formed.  I will continue my pace of getting things done in my work and personal life, maintaining the speed and pace of a full life.  But, I will slow the process to smell the roses.  I will savor the sights and sounds on those morning runs and not just try to fit it in and get it done.  I will read deeply the words on pages in books and not just read to finish it.  I hope you will take some time to do the same in your life.  Life, it seems goes by so very quickly while we are busy racing around living it.  It’s sad to think of being at the end of life and realizing you missed it.

Merry Christmas to all and have a Happy New Year!

 

 

 

80/20

When I was a little kid I basically could eat anything I wanted, like Ring Dings for breakfast. Seriously, I lived on junk but was such a skinny little thing.  Growing up in Queens, we were outside morning, noon and night.  We ran and played long into those hot summer nights.

Most of my adult life, I’ve strived hard to be the best I could be.   No matter what I took on, I believed if you worked hard enough you’d get it done.  So it’s no surprise I approached healthy living with the same gusto.   Unfortunately, striving for perfection in this area can often be a huge source of stress.

Striving to eat entirely clean, or eliminating foods from the menu often left me craving them even more.  Then of course, if I allowed myself to indulge, I’d feel guilty and beat up on myself emotionally.

Exercise can be the same.  You set out on a new journey and join a gym.  You vow to go every day.  Every single day.  Within a few weeks you are sore or burned out.  Seriously, who hasn’t done this?   I know I have and ended up injured.

I’ve finally realized you can’t really strive for perfection in this part of life.  You can strive to do the best you can each and every day.   Each day is a clean slate, a chance to start anew.

I’ve been doing a heart rate training plan for the past seven months.  It calls for me to use the formula 80/20 when planning my runs.  80% of my runs are done at my MAF HR of 130.  20% of my runs are done with no HR cap.  I’ve recently decided to apply this same formula to my healthy eating plans.  I’m going to shoot for 80% of my choices being healthy, but allow myself a 20% cushion for life.  That glass of wine over dinner with friends last night no longer is a source of guilt.  Pizza on Friday, no problem.  As long as I stay within the 80/20 range it will all be fine.  It’s about balance after all.

So, as I head into the holiday weeks, I’ll be sure to make healthy choices as often as I possibly can.  I’ll rely on my buffer to get me to the other side of this season with minimal change to my lifestyle and minimal weight gain.  80/20 is simple and manageable.  It’s also a realistic lifestyle that allows room for some detours.

If your eating and exercising routines are becoming a source of stress, it’s time to rebalance.  Why not give the 80/20 ratio a try.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Habits

So many of us head into the holidays full of excitement.  We over indulge on many things, including food and alcohol.  Then we vow to start a diet for the New Year.  The cycle then begins anew.  Have you ever wondered if they’ll come a day where you’re not in this exact same place?   I know I have.

As I reflect on this past year, I’ve made great strides toward my healthy lifestyle.  But, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t thinking about the extra ten pounds I’m still trying to shed.  They still come and go like an old friend who never leaves.  I guess it could be worse.  In the past it was way more than ten.

So, as I head into this next year I’m keeping with my daily habits theme.  If you change a habit, you have the ability to change your life. My latest habit is one I’ve been holding on to tightly.  I’m talking about my dear friend – coffee.  Heck I’m only two years into this addiction, must I give it up already?   Most of you’ve had years of indulging.  Well, the answer is no!  I don’t have to give up coffee at all. Rather, I have to rethink the way I drink it.  I’m a half coffee, half flavored creamer kind of girl.  I justify it by trying to only have one cup a day.

What I fail to acknowledge is the amount of sugar and chemical my creamers contain.  I’ve tried the heathy ones, but seriously they are disgusting.  Why bother. I’ve thought of doing artificial sweeteners with half and half but I don’t want to use those sweeteners.   I’ve had a long talk with myself about this.  Tea just doesn’t do it for me in the morning.   I’m not looking for caffeine, I’m looking for taste.

This past week I decided to give this habit another look. I tried once before with the bullet coffee, but hated it.  I watched some videos and read some articles and settled on a new recipe.  I whipped some up and I’m drinking it every day.  I don’t feel the huge surge of energy that’s talked about, but I do feel better about my chemical intake.  Not one drop of creamer in the past week and I don’t miss it.  I’m so hoping this new habit is the start of my next phase on this healthy journey.

Heres the recipe if you’d like to give it a try.  I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

1 cup hot organic coffee brewed

1 tsp coconut oil, raw honey and collagen powder

1 tsp raw cocoa powder and grass fed Kerry gold butter

1/2 tsp turmeric, vanilla and cinnamon

Combine all in blender of choice. I use vitamix. Blend and enjoy.  It’s creamy and delicious.  The fats are healthy for you, but don’t overdo it.

The recipe can also be adapted for hot chocolate. You’d just substitute two tablespoons of raw cocoa and cup of hot water for the coffee.

One day and one habit at a time, together we can live healthier.

Gift of Learning

As we move into the holiday season, I think of all the gifts I’ve received this year.  The gift of learning is always top on my list.  This year I learned a lot and really pushed myself to do things I never thought possible.  It was such a great feeling when I accomplished a long term goal and bucket list item.  Finishing a half marathon was wonderful, but the best part of it was the journey I took to get to that finish line.  If I had to sum up my journey and what I took away from it, I’d say the realization that the cycle of learning can apply to all situations.  As an educator, I’m always reading and focusing on how children learn and process information.  It was so interesting to me to see the connections of these concepts to my personal running life.  Specifically, for me the cycle of learning consists of:

  1. Target/Goal – Clearly identified goal or target you are trying to meet.  For me the target was a race; but for many it’s a weight loss amount, or something they’ve always wanted to learn to do.   Having a clear target helps you focus on what you are trying to achieve.
  2. A Plan – Creating an actionable plan that breaks down the steps you need to take to achieve your target. They say a goal without a plan is really just a dream.  I would have to agree strongly with this statement.  For me, having a plan kept me organized and focused on my desired outcomes.  I knew each week what I had to do in order to meet my overall goal.  The plan was created by back mapping from my race date.  I had twenty weeks from when I started to my goal race.  This window of time gave me enough time to realistically set plans for each week.  This was critical as many of us tend to have unrealistic expectations for the time it takes to accomplish our goals.  For example, if we are looking to lose twenty (20) pounds, it is not realistic to expect to lose that in just one week.
  3. Accountability – having a system for accountability is critical to success.  For me, I had many layers of accountability.  I had friends who were on the journey with me holding me accountable.  I would never want to let my tribe down!  I had a coach/teacher who was holding me accountable for doing my work.  I had to report to her on my daily runs and had to publicly post them on Facebook using a GPS app.  Finally, I had personal accountability.  I had an online private calendar on which I logged my runs.  These many layers kept me on track and moving toward my goal.
  4. Support – as we all know the best laid plans can go awry.  That’s true for everything and therefore we need to have a support system.  For me, I chose to have a personal coach to whom I turned.  Through her, I met wonderful running friends who I often turned to first.   We chatted together on a private Facebook group and shared our common journey.  This support system got me through many rough patches along the way and provided answers to my endless questions.  I couldn’t have done it without them.

As you can see, the above cycle can truly apply to any life situation.  I believe it’s the cycle of learning and though it may seem to some an oversimplification of the process, I believe it’s truly all that’s needed.  They say less is more and that always resonates with me.  Take a moment as we head into this New Year and think about your goals.  What would you like to accomplish this year?  I hope you can use the above cycle to get started on the path to wellness.

 

Daily Routines

Most of us head into the holidays with some unease.  We wonder if we will be able to make it through without packing on weight.  We vow to say no to drinks, desserts and all the stuff that comes along with the holiday season.

Thanksgiving has come and gone.  I hosted as always, but tried to keep it simple and healthy.  I didn’t over indulge in food, but I did on drinks and preturkey warm up foods. Normally this type of breach opens the floodgates and I’m off wildly making my way to New Years and new weight gains.

This year I’ve decided to keep it simple.  Looking to my daily routines and ensuring I stay on track with healthy routines should help me get there without extra baggage.  This week I kept up with my daily routines regardless of the holiday.  It didn’t take long and was worth the efforts.  I drank my morning detox drink and did my scheduled workouts.  How easy it would’ve been to skip it all and blame the holiday.  Not this year.

Every day is a new day.  It matters not what happened the day before. We can’t change the past ever.  It’s over and done.  Looking forward is our best move.   Friday morning I woke stuffed and bloated.   I drank my detox drink even though I didn’t want to.   I ran one mile even though I felt like a stuffed turkey.   I drank tons of water to flush out the alcohol from Thursday.  Keep the daily routines and move forward.

Today I got up and felt achy, likely sugar overload from crappy eating. I did my long run as scheduled.  I was slower and definitely felt heavier.  I’m continuing to drink lots of water and eating healthier, but still have company so not totally healthy.

The point here is I’m trying hard to keep my daily healthy routines in place during the storm of the holidays.  I’m not throwing all these routines out simply because I’ve made some bad choices.  It doesn’t have to be an all or nothing mentality.  It also doesn’t have to mean giving up.  Keep plugging away at it and take it one day at a time.  Don’t give it all up because of one bad day.

If you want to change your outcome this year try something different.  Creating daily healthy routines will give you the power to come out ahead.

Temptations of Life

One of the best rewards I received from my running training was gaining a true knowledge of myself.  I now have a true handle on this body I have, what makes it tick and what “right” feels like.  Often times, we spend enormous amounts of energy wondering, “Is this normal?”, “Does this feel like it’s supposed to?”, “Am I injured or just sore from workouts?”.  Following my two serious injuries, I’ve gained a new perspective into what “normal” feels like.  I know when to hold them and when to push through.

Following the half marathon, I decided not to take off the coach recommended two weeks.  Instead, I took off two days.  Yeah, yeah, I know not too smart a decision.  Following those runs that week I felt pain in my left hip adductor (inside area of leg near groin) and hamstring.  I ran the rest of that week and it didn’t improve so I took two weeks off.  Then I started back up and still had the pain.  The good news is I knew it was muscular because I know this body so well.  I knew the pain was different from the bone pain I felt when I had the stress fracture in my other leg.  I also knew how to work through it.  I needed to slow down and go easy.  This morning on my long run I thought about how different this felt from the last two times of uncertainty over injury.  Stressing and googling and not truly knowing if what I was doing was the right thing to do.  I also thought a lot about the things in life that seem to block my path of reclaiming my health.

First blocker is my ego.  You all know that darn part of you, right?  Yup, the ego is the voice that tells you, “Suck it up bitch.”, or “Push through the pain, you are tough.”  Whenever I listen to that voice I end up in trouble.  The ego has gotten the better of me more times than I’d like to admit.  Like who thinks at 55 years old it’s ok to not take off the two weeks your coach recommended after running a tough course half marathon.  The ego gets in your way in life often too.  Like when you can’t admit you’re wrong, or think it’s your way or the highway.  Or, how about when you eat unhealthy but blame your nutritionist, or latest diet because you refuse to admit you didn’t truly follow the plans.

Sometimes we need to kick our ego to the curb!  This week I forced myself to do just that.  I knew I needed a break from the hills and the hard road surface I run on.  My body needed a break from the pounding to recover.  So, I forced myself to run on the treadmill (aka – dreadmill).  I found the running on their so much easier on my adductor and joints.  I also needed to not push off and run slow, something my ego doesn’t truly like.  But I did it and learned to enjoy the absence of pain.  Today I did my long run outside and felt like my leg is finally on the road to healing.  Secondly, I finally admitted to myself that I need to give up drinking red wine.  It just truly doesn’t agree with my body, though I LOVE it.  I haven’t been drinking wine during training and when I purchased a bottle last weekend, I immediately noticed I had pain in my joints and my body.  So, I finally said it out loud and admitted what I already had been told – I need to stop drinking red wine, it doesn’t agree with my body.

The second blocker I’ve encountered often are those false advertisements and promises of restoration of health through – pills, diets, books, shakes, coaches, tests, etc.  I usually fall prey to those ads and Facebook seems to know it because they pop up constantly on my feed.  Three day detox, supplements to solve life’s problems, you name it – it’s out there.  The latest I almost fell victim to – a DNA test to help a nutritionist tell me what kind of food I should be eating and what supplements I should be taking.  All for the low price of 800.  The fact that I even considered it blows my mind.  But, I’m very proud that I wrote back to my dear friend and said – “Thanks so much for thinking of me.  Truly sounds interesting, but I can’t justify spending that kind of money to chase the holy grail of health.”  Been there, done that.

Next up, a colleague came by my office recently.  She has never been particularly friendly before but suddenly was very willing to chat.  I soon realized, in a round about way she was trying to sell me something to make me healthier.  She found the answer to all my problems.  Ugh, here we go again.  This was a strong sales pitch for Isogenix!  These shakes and detox, according to her would cure me.  Hmm, been there, done that.  No shake or detox holds the answer to all of life’s problems.

I know what I have to do.  I have to eat healthy, organically and move my body.  I’ve read tons of information on this subject and it all boils down to your body is your temple.  What you put into it greatly affects what happens.  The rest is genetics, pure and simple.  While I do agree you can’t possibly get by without any supplementation, I am determined to get as close to it as I possibly can.  I want to heal my body with food, pure delicious, clean food.  I know what I should eat, as well as what I shouldn’t.  I don’t need a DNA test to tell me what is good for my body.  I can feel that now.  I can feel how my body feels after I eat certain foods and drink certain drinks.  I can feel it when I exercise and when I merely go through my day.  I am in control of my destiny and these people who want to make living out of my quest can just move along.

I hope we all can get to a place where this multimillion dollar diet industry can move along to somewhere else.  There are so many desperate people in the world that they prey upon.  Read, learn and trust yourself.  You know what you have to do so, “Just do it.”

 

 

 

 

Truth

Wanna know a truth?

Head down.
I focus on the very next step.
For there awaits everything I seek.

Head down.
I pay attention to the details.
For there are found the answers.

Head down.
I move forward.
For there all finish lines are attained.

Quietly.
I believe in my strength.
For it has never failed me.

Quietly.
I go about the work of growing.
For it is my actions not my words.

Quietly.
I speak my truths.
For even whispered I hear all I say.

Determined.
I am accepting of the difficult.
For I did not come here for easy.

Determined.
I am accepting of the path.
For I trust it to lead me home.

Determined.
I am accepting of the wall.
For I know it can be moved.

Unwavering.
I face the unknowns.
For I am greater than my fears.

Unwavering.
I pursue my dreams.
For I am worthy of them.

Unwavering.
I choose to love.
For I am simply following my heart.

Head down. Quiet. Determined. Unwavering.

These.
The choices I have made.
For how I shall live this life. ~G

#forbenjamin
by Tony Garcia

My online running friend writes and shares beautiful poetry.  He starts them all with a simple question – Wanna know a truth?  Tony’s words speak to so many of us and always touch something inside.   This poem really connected me to my experiences with trying to reclaim and maintain my health.

Most of you know my reasons for fighting this fight.  Many obstacles have presented along the way but I have, as Tony so eloquently writes, been unwavering and determined.  I’ve put my head down and focused on the next step.

Right now I’m resting my leg due to some pain.  Determined not to do damage I’ve dug in and forced myself to rest.  Unwavering in my quest to not eat unhealthy in response to stress, I’ve decided to do some detoxing.  No, I am not taking pills and drinking powdered food.  I’m doing a healthy detox, meaning simply I’m eating super clean, well except for that darn pizza last night –  Stacy’s fault.

Here’s my plan which, except for pizza temptation, is super easy and healthy.  Disclaimer here though, the pizza was preceded by a beautiful salad.   It was also fresh, clean and even had arugula on it.

Upon waking everyday, prior to breakfast, I drink a simple detox drink. Here’s the recipe:

Mix 4 oz coconut water with 4 oz of filtered spring water.  Add 2 tbsp of organic lemon juice and 2 tbsp organic Braggs apple cider vinegar. Add pinch of Cayenne pepper.  Stir and drink.  (Dr Axe)

Breakfast for me is a vegetable/fruit smoothie.  You know I need to sneak those veggies in somehow.  No powder required!

Sample of one –

3/4 cup coconut water and 1/4 spring water.  Add 3/4 cup frozen organic blueberries.  One raw organic egg.  Tbsp organic honey (Not required but oh so yummy). Handful organic spinach.  Blend in vitamix and drink.  Delicious!

Lunch is easy and many options.  Any combination of protein and vegetables or salad.  Keep it clean though.  I had these things for lunch this week.  Homemade vegetable soup on Monday, Tuesday – Thursday I had salads.  Clean organic romaine, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and a protein. Either grilled chicken or nuts.  My dressing was clean too.  Simple organic lemon juice with grape seed oil.  So refreshing.  There’s lots of other choices for healthier lunches.  Just be creative, while avoiding cold cuts, mayonnaise laden foods and fast foods.

Mid afternoon, I have a second detox drink.   Same as morning  version. Nice energy boost without coffee.

Dinner is protein and veggies also.  Organic grass fed meat, chicken, turkey burger or wild caught fish.  And of course last night’s delicious salad and pizza with friends.  My favorite dinner this week was the chicken tacos.  So clean and wrapped in romaine lettuce not taco shell.  The recipe for this is so simple.

Marinate organic chicken overnight in organic lime juice, cayenne pepper and chili powder.  You just need a tbsp or so of each spice, but I added a touch more as I like it spicy.   Just put it all in a ziplock bag.   Next day grill chicken.  Shred with fork.   Place chicken, raw organic cheddar cheese and guacamole on romaine lettuce boat.  Delicious and simple.

All my meals were homemade, simple, delicious and healthy.  Dinners took no more than 30 minutes from cooking to eating.  The only planning ahead required was shopping, menu planning and marinating overnight of chicken for the tacos.    It doesn’t have to be hard!  We just have to be unwavering and determined.  We have to know we are worth it.

Tony runs for his marine son and Benjamin.  I run and fight this fight for my health.  I do this for my daughter, my mom, my grandmother and all those who suffer from Alzheimer’s.  Nobody should lose the memories of their beautiful life.  Nobody should look at their husband of over 50 years without recognition.  No daughter should have to visit a mother who has no idea who they are.  This heartbreak will hopefully end in my lifetime. But, for now I will put my head down and focus just on my next step.

*The simple detox I discuss is based on that of Dr Axe.  His website has tons of information on how to live healthier lives.

Rising Up

Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I’m back on my feet
Just a girl and her will to survive

This past Saturday I ran and completed my first Half Marathon.  I’ve shared my training journey these past twenty weeks with you all.  Finishing this race and meeting my goal was quite an emotional experience.  I’m still on cloud nine and ready for my next race in just four short weeks.  During the endless miles you question your sanity and swear you won’t ever do this again.  But, much like childbirth, as soon as you cross that finish you’re already forgetting all that and thinking of the next one.

The road here has not been an easy one.   I fell in love with running long ago back on the track in Middle Village.   I used to run around Juniper Park in the early hours of the morning.   I used to run with my dad and we signed up in local races.  In this picture I think I was 19 or 20.

Dad was always faster than me and a man of few words.  But we had a great time training, talking as we ran miles around the park and racing together.   I know Dad wished he could have run this one with me too and he was my first after race phone call.

My long time friend showed up in Bethlehem to surprise me.   We’ve been through so much of life together.  We grew up together and she was my maid of honor at my wedding.   After kids and marriage and moving far apart, seeing each other often was challenging.   Running has brought us many opportunities to meet up at races.  We’ve had so much fun on what I lovingly call runcations.   Though she was sitting this one out with an injury, having her and my husband at the finish line meant the world to me.

Running 13.1 super HILLY miles was probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done.   The process of training, getting seriously hurt twice, coming back and finally getting it done has taught me so many lessons.   Though it may sound cliche, never give up was the most important thing I learned.  It would have been far easier for me to walk away from this goal.  Nobody would have blamed me for doing so either.   Had I done so I wouldn’t have felt the joy of accomplishment – the moment is indescribable truly.  Here are the main life lessons I learned through this process:

  • Anything is possible
  • Hard work pays off
  • The joy when you get there is what motivates you through the pain of training
  • Friendship and love trumps all else
  • Memories are forever
  • Consistency is the key
  • Listen to the signals your body gives you
  • Stick to the plan

Next up for me are two more half marathons – Philly in four weeks and Tobacco Road, NC in March.   Then I begin training for my next goal of a full marathon – 26.2 miles.    I’ve got my spot in the 2017 NYC Marathon ready to go.   Best of all, I get to run it with my dear friend Helen.   Together we will rise up from anything life throws our way and get it done.

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The Show Must Go On

Week 19 of my training plan, one week from race day and I get sick.  Can you imagine?   I’m pretty resilient and thanks to my job, so exposed to germs, I rarely get sick.  But this week started with a major allergy attack on Monday.  No big deal but it decided to settle in my chest.  All week I’ve had sore throat, fever, chest congestion and a very crazy stomach situation.   You’re kidding me right??

Well, we never know what curve balls life will throw at us. What we do know and can control is our response to them.  Thankfully I’m in a taper week so my total mileage this week was only 20 miles.  I thought about not running only once, yesterday.   I felt terrible and my stomach was making getting out difficult.  I had to make the choice and I chose to push through and get it done.   It was a very interesting 45 minute, 3 mile run.  I then went to work.  Spent four consecutive hours, with no breaks meeting with individual teachers discussing their baseline results for students.  I then came home, cooked dinner and finally climbed in bed to rest.

Today I got up and out and now I’m off until Monday’s run.  I’m not trying to brag here, because it surely wasn’t fun or pretty running with what feels like an elephant sitting on my chest.  Rather, I’m telling you this because as I ran today I thought a lot about my students.

What saddens me is the role models our children have in this crazy world.  Society raises up lots of “perfect” people and kids look up to them.  Athletes who are the star of the team, reality TV stars who splash their lives all over social media, smart business men and women whose book, or idea made them rich.   That’s all well and good, but what our kids really need to see more is the average person out there struggling to overcome.  What they need are role models who are striving, many times against all odds, to accomplish something.   Many kids don’t have a vision for that.  They have no idea that Tom Brady has to actually work hard to be who he is.  Or that as a young man he likely struggled to make a team.  They don’t get to ever see, or hear about that.

Why you may wonder is that so?  It’s because watching someone struggle is not perceived as a thing of beauty.  In fact, most people turn away from it, or worse laugh at it.  We have been brainwashed to feel we are less than perfect if we struggle.  So, many people are embarrassed to get out there because they don’t want others to see them struggle.  They associate the struggle with weakness, or failure.

It is my hope that we find ways to be better role models for all kids.  Let them see the struggle and the power that happens when you push through something on your way to reaching your goal.  When I finished my running work for the week, I felt empowered that I got it done in spite of being under the weather.   Had I not pushed through I would’ve felt quite different.  Kids need to see that so they can develop a vision for the rewards of hard work.  Glorifying stars and athletes only gives kids the vision of the results of hard work, not the struggles that came first.

Be the change you want to see.  Make sure you are open and honest about what it took to get you the successes you enjoy.  You never know who you are a role model for. Share publicly your whole journey in the hopes that others will be inspired and learn that hard work truly does pay off.

Goals

Today was my last long run prior to the race.  Now I begin two weeks of tapering down to resting a few days before the race.   It’s funny that a 90 minute run now seems like a short run and a gift.  There was a time that 90 minutes was a real stretch run for me.  I remember struggling in the summer to hit the 90 minute target on vacation.  I used to average 3 miles and under on my short runs, which took just over 30 minutes.  Now I average 60 minutes most days and about 5 miles.  I find those days to be easy runs.  It’s funny how things change when you put your mind to something and set some strong goals.  Honestly, without the goal of running this half marathon, I’m not sure I’d even be back to running after my stress fracture.

How exactly does the right goal help?  It’s been my target for what I am trying to accomplish.  It’s what I’m shooting for and aiming to accomplish.  It provides me a strong layer of motivation and focus.

Today my determination was put to the test.  Yesterday, I ran close to 6 miles in the pouring, cold rain.  I was drenched and cold.  I didn’t have enough time to properly stretch and foam roll because I had to get to work.  Today, I was facing 12-13 miles and knew my legs would be tired.  I wasn’t expecting the pain to hit my bad leg before mile one was even complete.  I actually had a moment of panic and thought of calling for a pick up or turning around and walking home.  The pain was eerily familiar and in that same spot.  But, I knew this was my last long run prior to tapering and I really had wanted to get it done.  I kept going a bit, but the pain was getting worse. I was almost in a total panic at this point.  I couldn’t have come this far only to have this hit me two weeks out from my race.  Finally, I had to stop and walk.  I decided to stretch right there on the road and see if it helped.  I stretched out my quad and hip and then decided to try again.  I vowed to go super slow and easy and see if it loosened up.  Thankfully it did and I got the run done!  I was super proud and happy to have completed the run and not be in any pain.  Honestly, without the GOAL of my race in two weeks and the GOAL of the last long run, I truly don’t believe I would have continued.  I would definitely have turned right back around and gone home.

The goal was my motivation today and it made me try to do something that would allow me to get the run in.  The training plan also provided me strong motivation as I knew this was it, the last long run prior to tapering.  There was something so exciting about knowing I was in the home stretch.  This made me realize why I have failed so many times before to reclaim my health.  I’ve never set a goal other than one based on the total number of pounds I would lose.  Today I finally realized I’ve been setting the wrong kind of goals for myself.  My goals were actually too narrow and based on the wrong thing.  You see, I just set a goal to be a certain weight and when I didn’t reach it I felt like a failure.  There really was nothing to celebrate along the way because I never was able to hit my unrealistic target weight.  Had I set a broader goal, like being able to run a half marathon, followed by a full marathon, I would likely have had more success.

At this point, I don’t even really get on the scale much.  I weigh in just once a week now just to be sure I’m around the same weight with no major fluctuation up.  I used to weigh myself every single day, sometimes twice and then fret about it all day.  I don’t measure myself more than once a month, if at all.  I can generally tell by how my clothes fit how I am doing.  My broader goals have freed me from the confines of the minutia of weighing, measuring and fretting.  I measure my success now by how I meet the requirements of my training plan.  Did I get all the runs in and meet time targets?  Did I meet my heart rate targets?  This is something I struggle with.  I am averaging above the 140 target for most runs, but have given myself a pass on that.  I am running comfortable at 146-150 bpm and decided it’s just not worth stressing over.

My broader goal also motivated me to connect with a great nutritionist who has helped me learn how to fuel my longer runs.  I’ve tried my whole life to avoid vegetables at all costs.  Now that I know it is the fuel I need to meet my goals for running, I’ve been slowly learning to add vegetables to my diet.  I’m eating things I thought I’d never eat.  I even finally tried salmon.  I’m noticing how I feel on runs and track it directly back to my nutrition.  Isn’t it amazing what the right goal can do!

Once this race is behind me, I plan to start shooting for my next goal.  I will spend the rest of the winter running in heart rate zones trying to build some speed.  Then in the spring, I will begin to get ready for the full marathon distance.  I will continue to add more vegetables into my daily diet and learn new and exciting ways to cook them.  I think I’m finally on the path to wellness.  Hope you are too!