Moving On

In 1990, I was fitted for a pair of new running shoes. It was my first year of high school cross country and by the end of the first week of training, my feet were experiencing major problems. I had lots of pain. 

Ouch. I saw a podiatrist who suggested I get "fitted" for the proper pair of shoes for my needs. 

Huh? You don't pick shoes based on your own color preference?? 

This was news to me!

I took off my Nike Pegasus' (plucked from obscurity at my local Lady Foot Locker for their fine flashy colors) and began to try on a series of shoes selected by the shoe guru at the local running store. After watching me run (and over pronate), he recommended a  neutral stability shoe - a mid level Asics. I wore them out of the store (in a grotesque color, I might add) and have been loyal to said brand ever since. 

 

That was 22 years ago for those keeping track at home.

Two decades plus of all sorts of Asics. I've loved each pair ( and as per an earlier post - have a large majority of them in a large bucket in my garage. How can I throw them away?)

My Asics and I have run for a high school Varsity letter, 5 marathons, countless 1/2 marathons and an endless number of 10 and 5ks. Not to mention a few mud-based races as well!  We've been together on beautiful runs from London to Paris and San Francisco to Orlando. All over The Mitten State and over and over on my favorite route of all time - Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. (Addison to McCormick Place to be exact.)

Loyal Companion

So when, over the past year, my post-runs have been nothing short of debilitating, I sought expert advice.

Did I need surgery? Medication? Cortisone injections or a brace? After experimenting with everything short of surgery, a minor tweak was suggested: it's time to change my shoes.

(GASP)

I am not someone who fears change, yet I am fiercely loyal where it counts. I know it's silly to have such deep rooted loyalty to a brand  - these are shoes, for goodness sake, not a person! Yet, I couldn't help but feel like a complete TRAITOR for just giving consideration to this suggestion. As I began to research shoes outside of the world of Asics, I moved from TRAITOR to worse....when I took the step to walk into a running store and ask for recommendations based on my issues, I may as well have worn the scarlet letter on my shirt. That's me: "A" for adulteress.  When I walked out of the store with my new shoes, I became convinced I know what it feels like to cheat on a loved one. 

I've been loyal to Asics longer than my own dear husband ! By a whole 7 years!!! 

Oye. The fact that I have drawn this comparison in my own warped mine should provide you a sense, dear reader, of my love for these kicks.

Lacing up my new, slick pair of Brooks Pure Cadence that night was exciting - which of course, made me feel even worse. Taking those first steps in them was different. They not only felt different on me, I felt different in them. My stride was different - lighter? easier? I'm still not sure.

New Boyfriend

The big test came by way of how I felt the next morning. I managed to look myself in the mirror, convinced I had my integrity in tact. It was just a little 3 miler last night, right? What's the harm? My Asics will never know.

That's when it hit me: GASP! I didn't hobble to the mirror. I walked, easily straight from my bed. My last Asics run resulted in my "normal" a 5 minute ordeal to rise from sleep to walk/hobble to the bedroom door. Pure pain. 

The new guys didn't have the same effect.

Oh boy. 

Maybe it's ok that I'm moving on. 

People change right?

While I've only done 2 runs in the newbies, I've felt great during and after on both occasions. 

They jury is still out though. 

These bad boys have a 90 day return policy attached to them and I'm not afraid to use it.

 

Shout out:

1. Are you brand loyal when it comes to your training gear?

2. Have you "cheated" on your gear? Please tell me I'm not the only one to feel like a total tramp.

3. What's your oldest piece of gear you can't get rid of??

High five,

Steph

Training vs. Laundry (and why training wins everytime)

For anyone working to incorporate a training schedule into their lives, while also juggling several other responsibilities, you will know that at some point, SOMEthing has to give. For me, it’s been laundry. I can wash and dry the laundry like it’s my J-O-B.  However, my assembly line comes to a complete halt after the clothes come out of the dryer. Freshly laundered clothes sit in baskets or assorted piles in far longer stretches than I am willing to admit in print. 

Thanks Google Images

I hope my inattention to laundry will not negatively affect my kiddos in the long-run. I do my best.  As a mother of three young children, I hope that I live my life in such a way that sets a positive example for my trio.  I’m working to live a healthy lifestyle by staying active. I drink my water and eat my vegetables.  I set lofty goals for myself hoping my children will see me working toward them and sometimes (okay a lot) even failing while trying. When I discovered Triathlon a few years ago, a whole new world opened to me. By association, my children  (and husband) were introduced too. This is when we all began to wear wrinkled shirts. 

If you’ve tried training for any endurance event, you will know that it can be tricky meeting the demands of training while also meeting the varied demands of life....ie: parenthood (and who knows what else!?). During the school year, I organize my workouts during the day, around my flexible work schedule. Easy peasy. 

Family Fun

During the summer, with the trio off of school, I have a new problem all together. Getting the kids on board to “wait” to start their day until after my workout doesn’t go over well with them. Why would it? It’s summer vacation and they are ready to play.  This past summer, my Iron-Man –In-Training-husband and I were each looking forward to enjoying the summer as a family yet also were desperate to get our daily training done.  We found the perfect solution, or rather our kids did. They could “help” us train! (Because Heaven forbid they “help” with the laundry!)

Incorporating our family into our workouts proved to be challenging at first but quickly became so very rewarding. We found that there was actually a lot they could do to participate and feel included in the effort.  The best part though, came when our “helpers” asked if they too, could register for an event.

Looking  to involve your family in your fitness effort? Here are some tips:

Training Daddy

   1)      Find an event you can all train for together. Whether it’s a 1 mile fun run, a 5k, a Triathlon, etc. Putting an event on the calendar and then preparing for it together will provide an opportunity for quality family time

   2)      Get Everyone OFF the bench - If the adult(s) are training for an upcoming event, find a way to invite your family to help you. On long training runs, family members can ride bikes alongside you.  On shorter runs, maybe they could even run WITH you. While swimming, have family members  count laps for you or video tape you so you can observe your form. If you’re adventurous, arm a child with your stop watch and note how much they love shouting out your pace!

3)      Create your training meal plan together. Talk about healthy food options and carb/protein requirements. This is a great way to teach kids about healthy eating as a fuel source. Prepare meals together and make the Pre-Race meal a fun event for everyone!

4)      Let your family choose a sports day activity. They’ve been good to count your laps and support you – how can you support them? Pick up a bat/ball or strap on some ice skates if that’s what your family is excited about.

5)      Goal Set together – When everyone is on board for the same goal, achieving it means so much more. Get their buy-in from the beginning and it will feel as though you all crossed that finish line together!

By the end of the summer, our kids had helped us train every bit as much as our training buddies.

Kids' 1st Triathlon!

What was most gratifying though, was seeing them compete in their first Triathlon. Our local gym organized their first-ever all kids triathlon that my 2 oldest JUST HAD to do. They did great. I was more nervous to watch them compete than I had EVER been at ANY of my own events. My stomach flip-flopped the entire time they were on the course, but they knew just what to do. My heart burst with pride when my 8 year old daughter shouted “ON YOUR LEFT” as she passed another kid athlete.  Since then, they’ve completed a couple 5k races and plan to suit up this summer for their second triathlon.

At all of these events, the kids were awarded with a nice finisher’s medal and your typical race shirt. They are excited to be training for upcoming races and know now how much time it takes to even be able to step up to the starting line. 

I'm training too and love spending time with them as we coordinate "training plans" together. I suspect they understand now more than ever, exactly why their shirts are so wrinkled.

Shout Out:

1.) How do you incorporate your loved ones into your training schedule?

2.) What's the best way your family can support you in your training?

3.) What something has to "give" for you in order to honor your training, what is it?

High five,

Steph

Measure Me

I believe that little victories are important. They matter. Those small "wins" eventually add up to a BIG win, but good grief - patience is needed!

This week, I did something I haven't done in MONTHS. Something that brought all of those tiny victories together in summary.

I got on the scale.

I loathe the scale and it loathes me.

For the past, I don't know... 20 years, the scale and I have had a fickle relationship.

Just when I am feeling good about my training and my nutrition and my strength, that pesky scale would reflect a number back at me that didn't match the rest. 

It could (and has) ruined my day. I should add that this relationship never seems to improve. Even at my fighting weight, a small fluctuation, up or down would leave me baffled. How did I lose a pound? How did I gain 4? Ugh. There never has seemed to be a science to it - at least not a code I can crack.

So in December I decided to be done with it. After gaining 20 pounds the year prior, I meticulously counted calories for a few months in the fall. I denied myself many enjoyments of food and drink and kicked up (returned to) my exercise routine. At the end of it all, the scale didn't move. I FELT stronger and had regained some serious cadio, but that number staring back at me didn't reflect any improvement. So I put it away.

For the past 6 months, I have been eating what I want, when I want. Mindful of course, to be eating WELL. Something I noticed early on is my slight massive addiction to carbohydrates. Bagels, pasta, pizza, bread in any form...my body was CRAVING those things and I didn't recognize it until I became conscious of just how MUCH of my daily diet was made up of carbs. I've never been a person to "over do" my intake - 2 slices of pizza is reasonable, right? But what I realized was that the daily bagel wasn't doing me much good, especially when I was eating pasta for dinner too. So, out went the carbs. OR as I like to call them "the devil's food". 

Well, OUT for the most part. Mama likes her pizza on a Friday.

What replaced said devil-hydrates, was protein. LOTS and LOTS of it. Cheese sticks and sausage in the morning. Salads with chicken for lunch. Plenty of fish - without my rice staple- for dinners. All alongside my steady training schedule of swim 1x week, run 2x week and bike as much as I can!

More than a number

I said in January that I would weigh myself again when I LIKED what I saw and HOW I was FEELING. How my clothes FIT. Whatever that number is, it is. 

So I decided I would hop on the scale Monday morning.

I'm happy to say that I am 16 pounds down....eating well and exercising being the only "thing" I've done. Whether it showed me 10 pound or 20, I'm confident I would be ok with it.

I feel like I'm in control again. I celebrated my new outlook yesterday by completing an indoor sprint triathlon at my gym. Yes, I was the only "competitor", but it felt great to get it done.

As I left the locker room, I saw a woman step up onto the scale, read the number and step off. Her head was down and I could see her body posture just "deflate". Ugh. The scale owns her right now and I know how that feels. Hopefully, someday soon she - and anyone else feeling bound to the Weighing Monster - will find measure in other things. 

I feel great.

But more importantly, I feel free.

Shout out:

1) Are you in the weigh yourself everyday club or the weigh yourself when you are only at the doctor club?

2) How other than the scale do you measure your health?

3) What's the best TIP you have to healthy living?

High five,

Steph

Chicked

Took advantage of the beautiful morning in The Mitten and hit the road with my pal MrsMac. 

On our nearly 30 mile ride, we rode familiar stretches and I was also "shown" some "other" routes complete with hella hills. Although I may have snarled at her a bit upon seeing said hills, I'm glad to have gotten them done. They were steep and I managed them just fine. 

Averaging 16 miles an hour kept us at a comfortable pace - until out of the blue - we found another rider locked in on our tail just as we were about to mount THE BIGGEST hill of the day. We exchanged some pleasantries and then turned our collective attention to the beast in front of us....... (dramatic pause)

....When he caught up to us 5 minutes later, he had regained his breath, but I'm pretty certain his pride looked a little bruised. (Wonder Woman stance).

 He wasn't chatty as he passed us and didn't appreciate us pushing him at 21-22 mph the remainder of the ride, but we enjoyed it. 

(maniacal laugh)

High five,

Steph

Mudder Me - Top 5 Tips

A couple weeks ago, I completed the Tough Mudder event. A 12 mile slog though greasy mud traversing military inspired obstacles. It was crazy nuts. I've had many people share that they too, would one day like to step up to the challenge and try to Tough Mudder. Many people have asked for my advice on completing the course too - so here it is, my list of  5 things to know before you Mudder.

1. Start time matters - An early start time was my preference. Why? I liked knowing that 8,000 people would be slugging through the mud AFTER me instead of BEFORE me (ewwwwww). One obstacle (Carry Your Wood) was actually closed by course officials later in the day because it had become too unsafe after hundreds of Mudders had run it down....I came to do as many of the obstacles I could, so seeing one "closed" would have made me one Mad Mudder. Since we were in an early wave, we were able to carry our wood. (For about 800 meters of uneven ground in the mud, up a hill, and down again....)

Team Hell Bent

2. Pick/join a team wisely - This event is about camaraderie and support. Putting others before your course time. Not whining. (and believe me, there's a LOT one can find to whine about on a 12 mile slog through mud) ... I suggest you find the best "choose a good attitude" kind of people you know and don't feel badly for telling the others you aren't taking applications.

3. Respect the distance - You don't have to be a marathoner to complete TM, but you simply can't discount the distance. Be sure to nail a couple long runs before you head the starting line. I ran up to 9 miles in prep and that worked just fine.

4. Don't monkey around - I spent A LOT of time strengthening my upper body in preparation for the greased monkey bars, rings and wall climbs. While I did get my guns toned up, this effort had little pay-off. The monkey bars were made for much bigger hands than mine - as were the rings. The arm/back/shoulder work did prove helpful climbing walls and tubes and the like...but the monkey bars were an epic failure from the first rung.

5. Gear Up - Regardless of the weather, I recommend covering your forearms and knees. You'll be crawling through all sorts of terrain and those Shawshank Tunnels especially can leave you sliced and diced.

 Shout out:

1. Are you a Tough Mudder? What is your best piece of advice for would-be Mudders?

2. What event are you training for now?

High five,

Steph

On Notice

Given that I'm riding my bike 300 miles in 12 weeks, I thought I ought to get out for a long ride today. Thankfully, a few of my local cycling team peeps were thinking the same. We knocked out a beautiful 34 mile ride with plenty of scenic views and even a few hills. 

(Living in the lower part of The Mitten, finding a few hills to ride isn't a 'given').

MrsMac, Cheesy Poofs, McNewton & BQ

I've really come to love cycling. It allows me, above all other things to NOTICE my surroundings. When I'm running or swimming, I take in a lot less of my environment (not counting the water I take in during a swim.. hehe)... when I'm biking, I notice that I notice a lot.

Today I noticed many things. Among them wild lilacs in their full and fragrant bloom, the rowers pulling in the Huron River wearing sleeveless tanks (aren't they cold?). My pal BQ's emergency butterfly designed sunglasses, McNewton's long hair and sparkly highlights....things to see when one has the time to stop and take notice.

Today, McNewton's husband rode with us today for the first time and I noticed that he is just as helpful as his bride. Having him with his super sonic hearing, to call out "car" well before the rest of us sensed one behind us, was very handy! I had never noticed this acute skill before today. (Maybe just never had the chance to discover it?)

When we stopped to turn around, take in some water and slurp a GU, MrsMac took some time to notice my gear. How could you not, right? Today was all about function for me and though this "outfit" may be hard to look at, each piece was intentionally selected for it's functionality today. 

Plus, it's good to stand out on the road, right? Right?......

McNewton & Me - Colorful

With so much road ahead and so much out there to notice, I am already giddy thinking about our next outdoor ride. Who knows what I'll notice next time!

Shout out:

1. What activities allow you to slow down and take in your surroundings?
2. Are you a cyclist - whatcha training for?
3. Do you know anyone who can qualify for the Boston Marathon and then hop on a road bike for a 34 mile ride and completely knock it out of the park on her FIRST time?

High five,

Steph

Top 10 ways running is like life...

While in spin class today I did some reflecting...on running. There's a lot I've learned from running over the years and as I thought about them, I couldn't help but draw a greater comparison to life in general.

I asked some of my runner pals if they share similar reflections. Turns out, they had. So here they are for you, dear reader: The Top 10 Ways Running Is Like Life (according to my pals)

10) Friends make it fun - Running is more enjoyable when you have friends by your side. Not every road can/should be traveled alone.

9) Enjoy the flat road - Take the time to recognize when you are on even ground. Enjoy the "flat road". Most likely, a hill or a speed bump is right around the corner.

8) Obstacles abound - When you come to challenge on the road or in life, put your head down and tackle it. Don't shirk away.

7) The first mile doesn't determine your finish - Sometimes we get off to a rough start in different areas of life: a new job, a new relationship, a goal...don't let your START predict your finish. There's lots of road ahead of you and lots of time for you to turn it around.

6) You can do more than you think you can - Whether you are embarking on a physical challenge of a run or testing your mental fortitude at your J-O-B, the reality is that you can handle more than you think you can. If you aren't afraid to stretch yourself.

5) Goals Matter- Nothing great was ever accomplished without a passionate goal. Never tell someone they "can't" or they "shouldn't", especially while you eat your potato chips on the couch.

4) Make TIME for things that are important - Don't reply on "finding" time to make your run or your relationships a priority. Make time. You will thank yourself later.

3) Run your own race - Comparing yourself to your friend's finish time, or their car, or their home, or anything else doesn't do anyone any good. Work to improve YOU and don't worry about the others.

2) You can always start again tomorrow - Don't beat yourself up for a bad race or a set-back in training. The key in training and in life is to always get up after you've fallen. Get back on the road, the horse, the bike, whatever. The only direction is forward.

1) Give it all you've got -  Life is not a dress rehearsal - embrace your ability to run, find joy & gratitude in this gift and leave it all on the course.  

"Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to slide in sideways, totally worn out, shouting 'wow, what a ride!"

Thanks MrsMac, Atlanta, Denver, Chicago, Stems, Super Sissy & McNewton for the contribution!

Shout Out:

1. What has running/your sport taught you about life?        

 
High five,
Steph

Ta ride!"