You Are Worth the Work

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I’m a list girl.

I make endless lists – grocery lists, to do lists, lists of stuff I need to do now and stuff I want to do later, project lists, lists of action items, lists of all my lists.

Most of those lists are made for work projects. I’m mighty organized and focused when it comes to work. I think most of us are. But when it comes to home and life projects, I don’t give them the same attention and focus as I do work projects. But why not? Life goals are as much as, if more, important than work goals. The potential outcomes will positively impact everything, including work. So why do I shortchange myself and give more prominence to my work performance than my life performance?

I know I’m not alone in this. I know many, many people, who when it comes to work, they will outline objectives, develop strategies, create plans and assign duties and prioritize so that they are successful. But somehow, they feel as if they can surmount incredible obstacles and challenges and succeed in their day to day lives without outlining their long term objectives, strategies, and an action plan that will help them get there.

I’m here to tell you that if you apply the same strategies to your home life as you do in your work life, you will find you are much more successful. This applies to long term goals as well daily ones. For example, yesterday, my goal was to clean my house and do all my laundry. Had I had the whole day to devote to it, it most certainly would have been an achievable one, but I had errands to run and grocery shopping to do, and I was given the opportunity to run, so I took it. By the time I got home and started cleaning the house and putting laundry in it was 5pm. I knew at that point I wasn’t going to complete that project, so I made a plan, right then and there. My goal was to get both things accomplished and I wasn’t going to be able to do either that night. So instead of staying up until 2am to finish both, I did dishes, dusted and wiped down all of the rooms in the house. I decided to do everything else except vacuum and mop. I knew I was taking a rest day from working out today so I would leave that for tonight. With the laundry, I vowed to do all of the laundry I had sorted and left in piles on my floor. That way, I would be able to vacuum that floor the following day and would only have a couple of loads left to do.

That new plan made the project seem more do-able and not so intimidating, and when I got home tonight I was able to finish up both without much trouble. By simply sitting down and mapping out how I had to tackle the project to get it done in a reasonable timeline, as efficiently as possible, I was able to accomplish it and keep my sanity. As a result, I have a pretty clean house, clothes to wear this week and no guilt as I pack up my gym bag for tomorrow.

Your life is worth the time and dedication you give to your work. So when you’re thinking about how on earth you can possibly get everything done, think about the strategies you employ when you’re handed a project at work. Chances are, you are either given or identify a goal and you develop a plan to achieve that goal as efficiently as possible. Perhaps you delegate some responsibilities – if you can do that, by all means, do. You will be surprised at how much even small, daily accomplishments mean when you’re working toward a larger goal. You are worth the work.

Finding the Right Balance

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Hard to do always, but especially hard this time of year.

I’ve been trying to find the right balance for several months now, which hopefully explains my absence for about a month or so.

I think by now you’ve surmised I didn’t qualify for Boston. Not by a long shot. I was pretty disappointed but I’m over it now. I’ll try again for sure, probably in May for the Buffalo Marathon. That way I can take some time to regroup and refocus since training won’t start in earnest until February.

I started a new job a couple of months ago, and I love it, but I’m trying to rework my schedule since it’s across town and I’m finding it difficult to drive back and forth three or more times a day if you include the times I have to drive to and from the gym. It makes for a very long day, for both me and MsFitMama’s Boy. So I’ve been trying to work that out.

Plus, it’s the holidays. Always stressful when you’re the Thanksgiving turkey, the party planner (MsFitMama’s Boy will turn 6 on December 12), decorator, baker, Santa and everything else. It’s crazy, and busy and lonely but this year I think I’ll be able to take a substantial amount of time off at the end of the year to try and get my house in order, literally. Organize, maybe do some painting – start the new year off right.

The good news is that somehow through it all, I’ve kept up with my workouts, keeping them to 4-5 times a week. The off season – the time I’m not training for a marathon – is actually kind of fun because you get to do all kinds of things you don’t get to do when you’re training since you’re constantly running all the time. I’ve been taking some yoga a couple of times a week, which has been great for my tired legs. I’m spinning more, which I always like to do, and I’m spending more time in the weight room. I’ve gotten to do a little TRX, which is suspension training and will kick your ass! I have also been able to go to my friend Patty’s Boot Camp a couple of times to get in even more plyometrics and drills, etc. The funny thing is, I’m probably working out more and pushing myself harder now than I was when I was training for the marathon! But it doesn’t feel that way because it’s such a variety and it’s been lots of fun.

So all in all, I think I’ve been able to find or at least work toward keeping the right balance of work and play in my life. Thanksgiving was the perfect example. On Wednesday night after work, I decided I wasn’t going to work out, and instead made dessert for our family dinner the following day. I packed our stuff up and we went to my parents’ house to spend the night. On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up and drove to meet my sister-in-law for a local Turkey Trot race. What a great idea it was for us to run that morning! It was a beautiful, cold morning – sun was out, temperature climbed as the day went on, the 5K didn’t start until 9:15 so you had time to eat and move around a bit. My sister-in-law ran the 5K, I decided to run both the 5K and the 10K races, just to get in some extra distance. They were back to back but there was time in between to grab some water and get ready for the next. I felt great, ran good races – placed 8th in my age group in the 5K and 11th in my age group in the 10K. Then came home, showered and helped Mom make dinner. We cooked and gabbed while my father and my son played games and watched TV. We all ate dinner, cleaned up and my brother, sister-in-law and their two kids joined us for dessert. We didn’t stuff ourselves, we had just enough to enjoy everything, and each other’s company.

The next morning, after my brother and sister-in-law headed back home, I was getting ready to pack us up to leave my parents’ house as well. MsFitMama’s Boy said to me, “Mom, are you going for a run?” I said, “No, I hadn’t planned on it. If you want to ride your bike in the park for a while I’ll run while you do that, but otherwise, no.” He said, “Mom, why don’t you go for a run and I’ll stay with Gramma and Grampa for a little while.” I said, “Why buddy?” He said, “Because, Mom, you always feel better after you run.”

He was right. I did go for a run and I felt much better afterward. He reaped the benefit because we had a great rest of the day – Mom was happy, relaxed, not stressing about whether or not I would be able to fit in a workout or when I could work out the next day. And he was happy because Mom was fully focused on him.

Every day, it’s about finding the right balance that works for you and your family. It takes some planning and shifting of priorities, but if you take the time to take care of yourself, people in your life will see how much better their lives are because of it, and they will help you along. It gets easier, even when life gets harder.

 

The Moment of Truth

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Well, this is it.

I leave today for Steamtown. The race is tomorrow morning at 8am. The weather? Perfect. 50-55 to start, easing up to a high of 78. My friend Patty, an amazing athlete herself, is going above and beyond the duties of friendship and is making the trip with me, just to support me. I’m touched – it’s the first time since my first marathon that anyone has been waiting for me at the finish. She’s going to meet me at mile 22 and run in with me, which I know will be the perfect time to have support (the Steamtown course is extremely flat and fast but cruelly, it features killer hills at the finish, starting at mile 23).

Am I ready? I honestly don’t know. I’ve followed my training schedule almost to the letter. I did a REAL taper this year, which I normally never do. Hell, I haven’t run since Wednesday. I’ve tried to fuel up this week as best I can. I haven’t had any alcohol in over a week. I’ve tried to get rest, though that’s been tough. However, last night I slept for 9 hours. I’ve gone to the chiropractor and had him adjust my back, my neck and even the foot that hurts so terribly when I run. I’ve selected my outfit, I finally went through my whole shoe dilemma and have decided to wear the Newtons, even though I’ve never run this distance in them. I’ve packed up everything in advance so as not to forget things (like in my dreams when I’m at the start line when I realize I’ve forgotten my Garmin or race bib or similar).

I’m prepared. But am I ready?

I don’t know. I’ve sliced and diced up the race a million different ways to try to find out what will work best. Do I try to go for a negative split (when you run the last half of a race faster than the first – hard to do, I’ve never done it)? How slow a pace should I run down the hills (the first 10 miles of the race are all downhill and many take them very fast to try and bank time)? Can I run any part of the race at a 9 minute pace and then quicken the pace here and there? How on earth can I run 26.2 miles at an 8:30 pace when I’ve never done that before ever???

The reality is, no matter how I slice it, I have to run the race at an 8:30 pace to come in under my BQ time. And I’ve never done it before (in a marathon anyway). I’m determined as hell to do it. This is my year – even before they changed the qualifying times I said this was my year. It’s 15 minutes – 15 minutes less than my PR. That’s all. And my PR was last year, at Mohawk-Hudson. AND, during that race, I was injured (knee and calf injury), and was sick (had a fever that struck the night before the race and I got a sinus infection the day after that lasted 2 weeks). And I STILL got a PR. Imagine what I can do healthy!

So I CAN, if all things go my way, do this. Quite truthfully, I feel like it’s inevitable. I’ve pictured it in my head a million different times. At the end of every run, long or short, I picture myself crossing the finish line in 3:40. It fires me up, it gets my legs moving, I feel like I can sprint. I always said that if the weather cooperated, I had this in the bag.

So I guess I’m prepared, and I’m ready. Ready as I’ll ever be. Now, it’s just a matter of doing it. Mentally, physically, just getting it done. I can do this. I trained for this. I deserve this. I want this. I need this.

At 8am EST, the gun will go off and I’ll be on my way. The road to Boston begins at Steamtown. Wish me luck!

The Hardest Part

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No matter what they tell you, the time in between your long run and your race is the hardest part of any training plan you’ll ever do.

It’s called taper, and it’s usually 2-3 weeks before your race. My taper started last Monday, after my 22+ mile run last Sunday. It was my last long run; everything from then on is single digit mileage at an easy pace – no tempo or speedwork - and is meant to rest your legs so that you’ll be well rested for your big race.

Sure, 22 mile runs are hard. 18 mile runs are hard. 13 mile runs at race pace are hard. I’ve had plenty of all of that over the last several months. But nothing, and I mean NOTHING, is harder than taper.

It sounds easy. You’re finally done with long runs. No more killing yourself running miles upon miles at more than a minute under race pace. The hard work is behind you and you’re resting your body so you can run your race like you’ve trained to run it.

But it’s horrible. First of all, you have all this free time! Sundays are usually spent running half the day and recovering the other half. Today, I literally could do WHATEVER I WANTED. Yup, that’s right. I didn’t have to run today. A Sunday without a run???? I wanted to crawl out of my skin at around 10am. Instead, I took MsFitMama’s Boy to Chuck E. Cheese, I cleaned my house, did a bunch of laundry, and ran tons and tons of errands. I cooked for the week like I used to do before the advent of 3 hour runs on Sunday mornings. It’s like nesting before you have a baby – you feel like you have to occupy every minute of your time with something.

You know what else you tend to do? Obsess. I’ve started to have nightmares about all the things that could go wrong before the race. I forget my bib – that’s a common one. Last night I dreamt I forgot to wear my Garmin and was at the start line when I realized it. I’ve started to revamp my race strategy; I’ve probably redone it in my head 4 times today alone. I’ve started to check the weather in Scranton hourly. I’m currently embroiled in a dilemma that has me wondering which shoes I should wear for the race.

When I’m not freaking out about the race itself, I’m freaking out about how I should be tapering. What should I be eating? I think I’ve looked this information up every single morning for a week, and have re-read the same information about a dozen times. When should I be running, and for how long? I wonder this even though I have a training program that tells me exactly when I should be running and for how long right up until the day of the race.

In short, taper is hell. It’s no wonder I’ve really never had a real taper before a race. My brain can’t have this much time to obsess and think. But it does make you realize how much of running is totally mental. For the most part, it literally is mind over matter. If you can dream it, you can train for it, and you can achieve it. The good part is, I’ve trained for it. I’ve trained hard. I don’t think I’ve ever trained so hard for a race in my life. And I want it. Bad. Boston is THE goal. The one I always knew was out of my reach until last year. Last year when I recognized that its more than just putting in the miles. It’s quality miles, quality nutrition, quality support, and a quality life that will get me there.

I’ve done the work this year. I’ve done it all right. And during taper, you come to realize there’s nothing more you can do. At this point, it’s really out of your hands. You’re not going to get any faster, or stronger, or more determined. You have to kind of let go during these last two weeks and trust that you’ve done the best that you can. I’ve done the best that I can do, and now I can only hope it was enough.

With all this extra time I’m going to be sure to rest, fuel myself well, and pray for sun in Scranton on October 9th!

 

Challenges & Opportunities

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What a week!

Started my new job this week. I love it. It’s so much different than previous jobs. Small company, family-like atmosphere. Smart people really passionate about their work. We’re encouraged to think differently, to share ideas. It’s definitely challenging to learn a whole new industry and find my way around an entirely new atmosphere, but it’s been really great so far. I think I’m going to finally find value in my career, and that’s a very exciting opportunity.

Of course, a new job means a new schedule and a whole new set of challenges. I now work on the other side of town, where my gym is. So instead of driving from north to south to north to daycare and then further north to the gym, I have to drive from south to north to daycare, further north to work, then back south to daycare, and back north to the gym. I essentially go back and forth from one side of town to the other 3 times a day. It’s thrown a bit of a kink into my workout schedule but I’ve been able to make it work this week. Let’s hope gas prices go down!

The point is, I haven’t let inconvenience derail my determination. I’ve got 2 weeks until my marathon and my workouts now are more important than ever. Skipping one isn’t an option. So I hit the gym 4 times this week and found someone to watch MsFitMama’s Boy tomorrow morning so I can run my last long run - 22 miles – before my race. Things will now get easier after that, since my longest run until the marathon is 8 miles after tomorrow. I still have a speed and tempo workout thrown in there but my mileage is low enough that it won’t take up too much of my time to complete. And, I’ve decided to take a full week off after the race. Whether I qualify for Boston or not, I’m taking a full week off from working out all together. My body needs a break.

It’s definitely a challenge when you work out frequently to not get overtrained. Right now, I’m more than overtrained. I can tell – I’m lethargic, I’m tired, I’m not as motivated as I usually am. I dread long runs. I don’t sleep well. I don’t fuel well and I’m gaining weight. My body hurts. I can’t straighten my legs and I couldn’t touch my toes on a bet. But unfortunately, I don’t have the luxury of a rest period right now. I need to keep pushing in order to get my body to the point where a long run feels good. I’m hoping tomorrow feels good. I’ve prepared well – I switched shoes; I love my Newtons but found that long distances made my glutes and hamstrings feel like they’re burning, during and long after my runs. I found some shoes that are more supportive that seem to be helping. In addition, I went to see my chiropractor again. Seeing my chiropractor is like taking a yoga class for me – I dread it, but once I do it, I kick myself for not doing it sooner and more often. One adjustment in and I feel like a whole new person.

So my determination is there. I’m hoping my body plays along, for just a couple more weeks. But if you feel any of those symptoms I’ve just named, and you’re healthy otherwise, you’re probably overtrained. And you don’t need to work out 6 times a week to feel that way. Lots of other things can contribute to feeling overtrained. Stress, a packed schedule, lack of sleep, poor nutrition, starting out too vigorously, doing the same thing over and over - all of these things can lead to a feeling of lethargy and burn out. My recommendation is to take a couple of days off. Rest, eat well, hydrate, de-stress. Then start back on something that you love, and start slow, as if you’ve just begun working out again. Or try something that you’ve always wanted to but haven’t. Sometimes switching things up can be the best medicine.

Moving out of your comfort zone is, well, uncomfortable. It’s certainly challenging. But in doing so you give yourself the opportunity to see things in a new light. And in that light, we can shine brighter than we ever though possible.

Goals = Rewards

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12 2133 Christina Sorbello 1:51:12 F 40 Syracuse NY

So I’ve been off the grid for a bit. Things have been so crazy I had to take a break and focus. But I’m back, happier, older (yes, I turned the big 4-0), and maybe wiser.

A lot has happened in a little over a week. As I mentioned, I got a new job. I start on Wednesday, and I’m so excited. Excited to be a part of a team, a growing company, a new environment, new challenges and new experiences. My last day at my previous job was Friday, and it was sad but I left feeling great about the work I’d done there and the contacts I made. It was the ideal transition. My goal had been to get a new job by the holidays and I met that goal. The rewards will be sweet, and long-lasting.

I turned 40. I was excited about this for a long time. Excited to reach a milestone, excited to tell people I’m 40 and hear them say “no way!”, excited to enter a new age bracket for racing (I’m no longer competing against people in their 30s with young, fresh legs!). This milestone came with many rewards – not only a new age bracket, but a reminder of just how many people care about me. Getting older can be hard for some, but I’ve always looked at them as a celebration of your life. That attitude makes every birthday special, in many ways.

I ran another half marathon. This one stood out, since it was the day after my birthday and I was running it with one of my best friends whose birthday is also the same day as mine. It was a gorgeous day – you couldn’t have asked for a better day to run a race. My friend and I had matching t-shirts with our birthdates on them and mine had “Queen of, Not Over The Hill” on it. We ran side by side for the full 13.1 miles and crossed the finish together. My results are at the top of this post – I placed 12th in my age group (40-44 – yes!) out of 127. My friend, who turned 55, placed 5th in her age group. My goal was a PR and I only missed it by 5 seconds. But better yet, I ran it at a little under marathon pace, had my friends with me, and a few surprises and milestones along the way. And I placed 12th! It was a fabulous day all around.

Today, I had a free day. No job to go to yet and no workout scheduled. My goal was to clean my house and I did just that. With the exception of one room that needs a massive cleanout, I organized and cleaned everything from top to bottom. My house feels like a home again. I have another free day tomorrow, and my goal is to finish cleaning the bathroom, begin the massive cleanout of my office/guest bedroom, run a few miles and review materials for my new job.

Planning small, do-able daily goals lets you reap rewards every day. Without them, you can feel like you’re just coasting through life and you never really get the opportunity to think about all the things you accomplish every day. Even small accomplishments – like cleaning your house – are worth celebrating when you have a to-do list a mile long. So go ahead and draft that massive to-do list every day, but make sure you make a separate list alongside of it that outlines your goals for each project and how you’re going to get there. For example, my to-do list for tomorrow includes cleaning out my office/guestroom. Now, I know I won’t be able to accomplish that in one day. So my goal for tomorrow as it relates to that project is to move all of the clothes off of the bed and into drawers and closets. If I can do that, I know that I will be able to tackle the next step toward the end goal of getting that room cleaned up. Breaking major projects into small tasks not only makes the job easier, but as you accomplish each task it gives you more motivation to move on to the next step.

My advice? Set goals for yourself every day. There is nothing more satisfying or more rewarding than the satisfaction you get from a job well done.

Tip: Getting Organized

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It’s amazing what getting organized will do for your mental health.

When things get crazy, like they are now, I tend to let things without deadlines slide. Like cooking, or cleaning, or laundry, or filing. I do a little here and there but don’t devote nearly enough time to them to make a significant difference. To look at me,  you wouldn’t think I’m particularly organized. I’m a piles person. My desk is a mess most of the time. So is my car. But at a certain point I need to take some time to reorder things and get my stuff together or I’m no longer productive.

On my days off of work and working out, I try to make the most of my free time to get things done around the house and with my boy. I try to maximize the time I have by creating to-do lists and sticking to them as best I can. Sometimes it can make even free days seem like a chore, but at the end of the day I have a feeling of accomplishment and I know that my workdays will seem much easier as a result. Also, I know that doing this allows me to fit in my workouts without sacrificing too much of the important things, like time with my son and important daily activities.

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ll see my weekend posts are virtual to-do lists of things I need to get done in order to make my work week easier. And yes, the days can get overwhelming, especially when you consider that my toughest workouts happen on the weekends. For example, here was my Sunday:

- Drop MsFitMama’s Boy at grandma’s at 8:30a

- Drive across town to meet running group by 9:15.

- Run 18 miles (did it with an average pace of 9:11 on a VERY hilly course – woo!)

- Meet parents to pick up MsFitMama’s Boy

- Shower, make grocery list, pack gym bag

- Go to work, work for an hour, get work to take home

- Take MsFitMama’s Boy swimming at the YMCA

- Leave YMCA at 6:30, go to grocery store

- Eat dinner with MsFitMama’s Boy at grocery store, buy groceries, drive home

- Unpack groceries, tidy house, get MsFitMama’s Boy showered and ready for bed

- Sit and talk with MsFitMama’s Boy before he falls asleep, put him to bed

- Work for an hour

- Sit and watch TV for an hour before going to bed

I don’t think I sat down for longer than 3 hours the entire day. But that was what I had to do and I did it, and the fact that I did means that I was able to deal with a problem I’m having with my running shoes after work today – I in fact bought a new pair, as well as a foam roller and some inserts for my aching feet. I was also able to get online and pay bills tonight, spend some time with MsFitMama’s Boy and plan out my workout schedule this week so that I am able to attend my son’s open house at kindergarten.

Making your health a priority isn’t necessarily about sacrificing, though there is some of that involved. It’s about prioritizing, scheduling, and making time for the things that are important. I find that if I don’t organize my time carefully, I feel haphazard, out of sorts, and I typically forget things as a result. I also feel like my life is a mess, and that’s a very bad place to be. That feeling oozes into every part of your life and makes you feel overwhelmed, like you’re not good enough, and as if you’re out of control.

My best advice is to take control of your life by organizing and prioritizing your days. Start small – schedule your entire day tomorrow, from sunup to sundown. Write it down, hour by hour. If it looks overwhelming or like you could never finish it even if you had a week, cross off the things that aren’t deadline sensitive that you might be able to do tomorrow or on the weekend. Can you delegate some tasks to free up more time? Then do that. Make sure you incorporate at least one free hour devoted to mental or physical health, whether that’s reading a book, working out, talking to a friend, meeting someone for a walk. Get a to-do list for tomorrow that you can handle and do it, line by line, crossing off tasks once they’re finished. You’ll be amazed at how quickly your confidence and momentum can build as you move down that list.

When I was a new mom, everything was overwhelming. I had no set schedule, because it was dictated by when my baby slept and ate, and that wasn’t consistent for a long time. I had no goals for myself other than to make sure my baby was taken care of. I had no plans, no ambition, and I felt like a machine moving through my day. Even after I went back to work it was all foreign territory and the idea of dealing with all of that and then going home to something unfamiliar was terrifying. When the new year hit, I decided I had to take back control of my life. I set several long term goals for myself – realistic goals I could meet within the next year or two. Become debt-free, run another marathon – these were things that were lofty but do-able if I buckled down. I wrote them down, and then wrote down what I would need to do to reach those goals, day to day. Doing so made such a difference. It allowed me to make valuable use of my time and to structure my days to ensure that I was doing what it took to meet those goals.

I felt in control again. I felt like I was a person again, with dreams and goals and ambition to do more, to be something better. It gave me a confidence I never thought I’d find again. I had a purpose to my life that wasn’t necessarily wrapped up in other people. I found me.

It sounds crazy, but simply getting organized can do amazing things for your self-esteem and self-worth. It can do amazing things for your relationships as well. Letting life roll over you and being reactive to it doesn’t allow you to dictate and work for what you want. Assessing and being proactive puts you in control. And when you’re in control, you can do anything. Watch out world!

One Step at a Time

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My story is like many of yours. I’m overwhelmed.

This week has been crazy. Some great things – MsFitMama’s Boy started kindergarten. He loves the bus. Loves school. Is making friends and his favorite days are gym days. Seeing him get on the bus every day makes me smile.

I got a new job. It’s a great opportunity, great company, great people and I’m very excited about it.

All this change so quickly has made my life a bit overwhelming right now. Prepping for school, prepping for a new job and closing out an old one, saying goodbye to colleagues and friends and saying hello to new responsibilities and letting go of my baby has all taken a bit of a toll. This along with my training and having to juggle everything has worn me out a little bit. This week has worn me out a lot a bit.

As a result, things are in a bit of a shambles. My house is a disaster area. I’ve come to realize that no matter how badly I may need a break, I cannot take even two days vacation and lose the precious weekend time I need to get things done at the house. If I do, I will need to skip a run or two to be home to do laundry or dishes or cook or get things organized. I did that this week, since I took two days away from home and went to visit a friend up at camp. I did my long run but then did nothing for two days, which don’t get me wrong, felt great and was a lot of fun. But this past week was a nightmare. Having to put in my two weeks’ notice, dealing with my ex, making up for lost weekend time doing laundry at the laundromat and doing dishes, instilling a chore chart for MsFitMama’s Boy – all of that needed time at home to do. And I had to skip my Thursday run to do it. After a lackluster distance run on Sunday, I didn’t need another lackluster week of running on top of it. So my confidence is lower than ever.

My weekend is full – so full it’s not taking away that overwhelming feeling. Tonight I got home at 7:30, ran 5 miles on the treadmill, spent some time with my boy, and here I am. Tomorrow morning is back to my routine – weights for an hour, spinning for an hour, but then there’s boot camp for 2 hours. Then I need to work in shopping for a washer/dryer and hitting the laundromat since I’m out of clean workout clothes. Sunday I need to run 18 miles at a 9:09 pace – and I NEED a good distance run. Desperately. Then I need to find some time to go into work and do some cleaning up before we have a new person in on Monday that I need to train. Next week is back to a full on run week with speedwork, and I have a race on Sunday. Half-marathon. Oh yes, and Saturday is my 40th birthday. A big one. And sadly, I have absolutely no plans. I will probably pass out dead tired at 10pm. Happy milestone birthday to me.

So that’s a lot. And I’ve got a million things on my mind. Don’t forget there’s a 5 year old I have to raise in between all of that. I know, my life probably sounds similar to many of yours. The only way to get through it, that I’ve found, and come out sane on the other side is to take one step at a time. Schedule everything and focus on one thing at a time. When I’m working out I don’t worry about what I need to do later, or what I need to do tomorrow. Just focus on the task at hand. The more focused you are, the quicker you’ll move through it and the better you’ll feel as you move on to the next thing. And schedule your lowest priority items at the end of the day, even if it’s more convenient to do them first. Odds are after a full day you’ll be exhausted and in no shape to do anything labor intensive like working out or jumping in a bouncy house or researching washers and dryers. So schedule the high priority, most labor/mentally intensive activities earlier in the day when you’re fresh and energized and ready to tackle the big stuff. If the day wears you out then you can skip some of the lower priority items without feeling guilty or worried that they won’t get done. And don’t forget, exercise is a high priority item. Make sure you tackle that one first, before anything, on a weekend.

Whenever I get that overwhelmed, heavy breathing panic attack feeling, I just remember, one step at a time, one step at a time. It will all get done if you just focus, breathe, and take that first step.

A Welcome Respite

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Well, I did it. Sort of.

I got through my long run this morning. I didn’t make 18, but I did 17. I could not go another step – it was about 80 degrees and 95% humidity. The meteorologist on the news called it “oppressive” outside. It’s September 3rd in Upstate NY and it’s Florida hot out there. I felt every step of it. I’m just glad I thought to start at 9am since it is now 87 degrees and I’m told 90% humidity. Ugh.

The good news is that for the most part I felt pretty good. That last 4 miles was surely torture but I think I had a good pace going. I finished with an average pace of 9:10, and that included a half mile walking break, so I feel like I could have done better had the elements been on my side. And if I hadn’t picked such a hilly course. And if I’d brought more water/Gatorade with me. And and and…lessons learned. That’s what training runs are for really – to learn what you need to do on race day to reach your goal. I learned that next week will NOT be the taper week my schedule calls for. I’m only supposed to run 6 miles on my long run day but I will be doing another 18 because I learned that I need need need more distance miles on these legs before I run a marathon. My taper week will be my half marathon race week instead. 13′s sort of a taper, right?

Part of the reason I ran today – besides the fact that it’s supposed to rain all bloody weekend – is because I’m leaving in a bit to go up to a friend’s camp on the St. Lawrence River. Now, I’ve been spending much of my summers up there since I was in high school, but responsibilities (aka a 5-year-old and running) have meant that I’ve had to forego every weekend at the River. This is the first and likely only weekend I’ll get to go up and now that I have my long run out of the way I have the next 2 days free to do ABSOLUTELY NOTHING! MsFitMama’s Boy is with his dad, and I have 2 days of no obligations and nothing on the agenda except acting like a fool, swimming, and hanging out with my friend. I’m really looking forward to it!

This also means you won’t hear from me until Monday, so I hope you all have a safe and happy holiday weekend. If you’re racing, good luck! If you’re not, enjoy your family and friends and make the most of the last official weekend of summer!

Just What I Needed

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If you’re around my age, I just gave you an earworm. Here’s the video - enjoy, I did!

I’m on a crazy high right now. I must be – it’s 11:48pm and I’m listening to The Cars and blogging.

It was a great day. Good news which I’ll be able to share at a later date. Plus, I had an amazing workout. I was totally intimidated by my training schedule – a 6 mile tempo run, 4 at a 7:47 minute mile pace. For those of you who aren’t familiar with tempo runs, they are runs designed to force you to run at a sustained lower pace to get you faster on longer runs. They’re a pain in the ass but necessary. After my treacherous 16 mile run on Sunday (see this post for details), I was totally convinced I wouldn’t be able to do it. My training called for a warm up mile, 4 miles at 7:47, and a cool down mile. I did my warm up mile and ran the next 5 at 7:47 and I have to say, it felt easy! Not as easy as say, a 9:05 pace but it was totally do-able and I wasn’t gasping for breath or feeling like I was sprinting. It was a defining moment in my training and exactly what I needed to feel like I could really qualify.

Then I did some stretching – trying to be better about this because it makes such a difference in how my legs feel after a run and in subsequent runs. Then, some weights. I love love love it when I’m the only girl in the weight room. It gives me such a sense of power. I love the looks I get when I walk in, I love the stares when I pick up the 40 lb bar to do squats and dead lifts, I love it when an intimidated 20-something asks me if I’m using the bench, or when I have a group of men watch as I do push up after push up with my legs on the incline bench or the floor. If any of you ladies are intimidated by the weight room, don’t be. Get a trainer to help you figure out what moves to do and get in there and do them. It’s the best feeling when you can hang with the big boys.

Then, if that all wasn’t good enough, MsFitMama’s Boy came home after spending a day with his father at the Fair – riding rides, seeing a concert, eating junk, playing games. It’s always a difficult time when his father comes to town, because he gets to sweep in and play with him for days on end and be the “fun” parent, since he lives so far away. There’s always some level of anxiety for me because he has to come home to me – the disciplinarian, the one who has to tell him to brush his teeth, pick up the living room, go to bed. As a 5-year old, how can you not be disappointed?

But tonight, when he opened his eyes after a long, fun, amazing day and saw my face, he smiled a huge smile and wrapped his arms around my neck. He said, “Momma, I missed you!” And that was it. All the stresses of the day just melted away. I couldn’t have been happier.

It was just what I needed.