Comments (13)

By kilax, January 19, 2009 9:16 pm

My entire right arm, right shoulder and the right side of my neck are sore. It’s the result of carrying too heavy of a purse for too long, bowling* for the first time in months on Saturday, and playing Wii Tennis** a bit too intensely on Sunday.

The funny thing is, I’ve been ignoring the neck pain caused by my purse for a couple of months. It wasn’t until this Saturday, when the pain spread to my shoulder, that I thought I better do something about it, because I was worried it would affect my running. Since I’ve been training for the half marathon, I’ve really become more in touch with how my body feels when running, and what I need to do before and after running to make it feel its best. My neck wasn’t bothering me too much while running, but I could tell the shoulder pain was going to turn into something awful if I didn’t act on it. So I am acting on it. So I can run better.

It’s really interesting, to follow a half marathon training program, and learn so much about my body while I am doing it. I just never expected to become so in touch with what my body likes and doesn’t like. I won’t go into details, but I’ve learned how important my diet is when it comes to running. If I am running that night, I need to stick to my healthy diet throughout the day, or I am going to be sluggish and uncomfortable on the treadmill. And the thing is, when I am running that night, I DO want to stick to my healthy diet. I am enjoying the training so far and how it makes me feel. I just hope I don’t have any more interruptions in my training schedule. December through mid-January has been hell on my schedule.

*Remember when all I used to blog about was bowling? Then our summer league ended, I and quit playing, because my hip was killing me, and I wanted to focus on running. Well, even though it took me an embarrassingly long time to get back into the swing of things on Saturday, I had a lot of fun, and I miss it.

**Christina and Kyle came to visit us this weekend! We spent ALL day Sunday at home, playing Wii and… playing Wii. Maybe we watched a DVD? I don’t recall. Anyway, I’ve had the Wii for over 5 months and NEVER played Wii Tennis. Kyle and I were fooling around with it, and convinced Christina and Steven to join us after our late lunch. We ALL became ADDICTED! Christina and I had to go change into gym clothes because we were working up such a sweat! Why didn’t anyone tell me Wii Tennis is so fun? I think we spent over 3 hours playing it yesterday. Christina and I were teamed up against Steven and Kyle most of the time, then we let the two of them duke it out, “competitive ass” style.

Competitive asses in action.

FYI: I haven’t really been feeling like myself lately, and I realize that this blog post is a big steaming pile of crap. And… it took me almost 2 hours to write. I mainly wrote it to make Christina happy… are you happy now Christina, are you?!?! Ha ha. Come back to Chicago!

Comments (9)

By kilax, January 5, 2009 12:39 pm

December is full of celebrations, family get-togethers, and days off from work… then January hits and NOTHING is going on.

I distinctly remember spending most of LAST January’s weeknights and weekends on my couch, watching DVDs, and probably eating something.

As awesome as that is, I really hope I don’t let that happen again this year. It’s fun for one day (like yesterday, where I stayed in my pajamas until 8:00 pm when I put on clothes to exercise), but then it just becomes an addicting cycle of doing nothing that makes me feel worse and worse about myself.

I like to have something to look forward to. I know I am supposed to live in the moment and all that, but having something to look forward to gets me going through the day.

So what I am looking forward to this winter?

• Our trip to the Bahamas at the end of January. HA HA, JUST KIDDING! I WISH! HA!
• A (real) trip to Denver to see friends and try skiing for the first time.
• A weekly fencing class that runs until the middle of May.
• A gun safety class in January (okay, I just had to put that one on there to be funny).
• A 4-day weekend in both January and February.
• On-going half marathon training.
• A game night with friends?
• Seeing friends and family? Nothing is set in stone, but I always look forward to that.

Yeah, it’s a pretty lame list, but it’s all I got. Anything on yours? Or are you able to make it through the winter blahs without one?

Comments (8)

By kilax, January 4, 2009 1:21 pm

Yesterday was our first run of the new year, in Steven’s parent’s very, very hilly neighborhood.

When we were driving into their neighborhood on Thursday, I thought, “Wow! These hills will make a good challenge!”

Ugh. My quads are so stiff today.

Steven used his new training watch to keep us at our normal pace, 6 mph (10-minute miles). I was struggling though. I was out of breath, my heart rate was too high, my nose was running like crazy… yay.

And I suppose the fettuccine alfredo, curly fries, sesame seed bread, mozzarella sticks, pie and soda from the day before weren’t helping me feel any better.

I think I am going to have to slow down my pace a bit, and build it back up for the half marathon. I’m kind of disappointed in myself for slacking so much in the last month and a half. I knew I was going to have to cut back on exercise and be less strict with my eating during the holidays, but it got a bit out of hand. And I let it.

But at the same time, 2008 was a very good year for me (and Steven!), health-wise, and I should be proud of myself for that. I not only ate healthy (most of the time) and lost some weight, but stuck with running. I’ve gone on and off running a few times. But now, I feel a deep commitment (and desire!) to it that I haven’t felt before. It’s great to be training with Steven, and we are both really excited about running a half marathon.

And now, with the holidays over, I am excited to reevaluate my exercise schedule and recommit.

Comments (19)

By kilax, December 23, 2008 5:38 am

Yeah, so… that half marathon training I mentioned… it’s not going so well actually, uh… cough cough.

Maybe a week and a half before Christmas isn’t the right time to start a training program (EXCUSES! BS ALERT!). We were only home two nights out of five during the week, and out of the house all day Saturday. Steven still ran on Sunday night (he is doing great with the training), but I had that sugar overload, and felt sick even thinking about running.

Do I even deserve the awesome running gal necklace I ordered myself for Christmas? (Thanks, Kim! But uh, can you still call yourself a runner? You only ran once last week!)

I spend a lot of time imagining how things are going to be. When I was in college, it was what it would be like living with Steven. I also imagined what my first job would be like, what the wedding would be like, what the honeymoon would be like. I even think about simple things like what my evening, or weekend, or someone opening a gift will be like. I work out this optimistic, perfect scenario in my head.

Well, those things are never what I expect them to be, because they have other people involved. That’s just the nature of life. But my running is all about me. It is one of the only things I can imagine and actually see through on my own. Yeah, I run with Steven, but our records and exercise plans are still ours. Neither one of us controls the other’s routine, goals, or body.

So, maybe I should take more control. Since I actually have the opportunity to do so.

And I am sure I will. Once I have some actually freaking FREE TIME. Ugh. Really, I love the holidays, but they are STRESSFUL. Just because we aren’t hosting them, doesn’t mean we get to relax 100%. We have to drive there, fly there, get the presents there, pack the bags, pack the house… blah blah blah. It’s not fun. It’s a PAIN IN THE BUTT.

Hmm. Where did all of that come from?

Back on track. I bought Steven the Garmin Forerunner 405 watch for his birthday. (Yes, another watch. And yes, he knew what I got him.) Whenever we run outside, he is always saying how he wants to know our pace, and how far we actually ran and so on and so forth. Well, this watch will tell him all that. And more. I’m excited to do some long runs outside, with it. I mean, with Steven wearing it. Of course.

Think I’ll (we’ll?) actually run over the holidays though?

Comments (11)

By kilax, December 14, 2008 9:26 am

I don’t know if you’ve been paying attention to my little weight-loss tracker on my sidebar… but it has gone up! As in, I’ve gained some weight.

It all started when my family was out here baking cookies, and I ingested 12 pounds of cookie dough/baked goods. Then Thanksgiving came. I tried to eat healthy, but that didn’t last the whole day. Then, with the stress of changing jobs…

See how wonderful I am at making excuses for myself?

It’s amazing that I can be so hard on myself when I make what I perceive as one little mistake (like eating an extra cookie or something) but so easy on myself when I have been just eating away, piling on the pounds, not really taking care of myself, or caring.

What is that about? Really? Where does this mentality come from? “Oh, it’s okay if I pack on a little weight around the holidays! Everyone does, and it will come right off!”

No, it is NOT okay. Because once I start down that track, it is hard to get off of it. I recognize that right now is not the most sensible time to be losing weight, but I do need to stay on track and only allow myself a few indulgences (except Christmas Day – no restrictions then).

The sad thing is, I recognize the triggers that make me overeat – boredom, stress, frustration, guilt, restriction – but I’ve just been ignoring my inner voice. Well, it’s time for that to stop.

I don’t know HOW, but it is time for that to stop. Or at least, for me to stop making excuses for myself.

In other “health” related news, Steven and I have discussed our plan of attack to train for a half marathon (13.1 miles). We are following two  guides from Runner’s World – an 8-week program that takes you from 3 miles to 6 miles, then another 8-week program that takes you from 6 miles to 12 miles. We’ll start the program tomorrow.

There are two half marathons in Illinois in April, but I don’t think we will be ready for them if we follow this training, but I am going to search for a target race for us. I am excited about it! I think this will be a fun adventure to embark on together.

Comments (20)

By kilax, December 6, 2008 2:28 pm

When you wake up at 7:30 on a Saturday morning, still recovering from a bad cold, and look out the window to see the ground covered with fresh snow, and more snow coming down… what do you do?

You get out of bed to run a 5K! Ha!

Mr. and Mrs. Santa Runners

Today we ran the Santa Sleigh 5K, for the Arlington Heights Rotary. I’ll admit, the big thing that got me to run this race is that EVERYONE is given a Santa costume to wear! (And yes, we did get to keep our costumes)

Santas at the starting line

I was laughing so hard when we driving around to park our car, because we were seeing all these random groups of Santas walking to the race.

During the race

The race went very well, considering that it was snowing and slushy, that we haven’t been running as much lately, that I am recovering from the cold from hell, that we ate Mexican food last night, and that I had to hold my pants up during the entire race (we got there 20 minutes before start and I think all they had left were the XL and larger sizes). I think we finished just after the 30 minute mark.

My disheveled post race outfit

The Santa beard actually kept my face surprisingly warm! I told Steven I think I am going to start wearing it during my walk to work in the mornings! Ha ha.

I think this is going to be our last 5K in 2008. It’s getting a bit cold outside. We plan to keep training during the winter, and maybe run a half marathon in the spring!

Comments (16)

By kilax, November 15, 2008 11:59 am

This morning was the WonderGirl 5K! I didn’t get as many photos as I thought I would because Steven decided to run it with me (instead of being my photographer)!

I’m really happy Steven decided to run it. Even though we don’t talk much while we are running, it’s nice to have someone I know next to me. It keeps me going.

More than 2000 people ended up running this 5K. We got there around 8:00 (the race started at 9:00) and there were already tons of kids everywhere, getting warmed up, having their faces painted, drinking free hot coco, decorating foam tiaras to wear during the race… it was energizing to have so many people out, all so enthusiastic about the race.

I tried to take a photo of of the huge crowd…

Look how beautiful the sky was. NOT!

I saw a lot of school groups running with the young girls, but I also saw families, fathers with daughters, mother with sons, and single people like me and Steven… there was a huge variety. It was inspiring to be running by a father and daughter and hear him say, “You set the pace, and I’ll follow you.”

There was no official timing of the race. There was a clock in the end, but the focus was on everyone finishing – on everyone being a winner. We all got medals. I thought that was pretty cool.

I’m proud of my medal!

I know our time was about 2 minutes slower than normal, but I wasn’t out there to kill my last time. I was just out there to participate. (I think that is what my winter training is going to be about – staying in shape, not working on timing)

After we finished, we went back to part of the route to cheer other runners on. We did that for about 20 minutes until my Under Armour started to turn ice cold and I had to get into the car and heat up. I am happy we stayed to keep cheering though. It’s always nice to have people cheering for you, whether or not you know them!

I had a lot of fun at the event. I saw a lot of women running with younger girls, letting them set the pace, and just sticking with them. I would love to be a mentor (well, they call it a “running buddy”) like that, but I know my schedule doesn’t allow the time. I think I will contact the Girls on the Run organization near my home and see what I CAN help with.

Comments (12)

By kilax, November 13, 2008 7:49 am

Usually, when I am making a “life decision,” I just follow my gut. I stick to whatever my natural inclination is.

That’s a luxury, I know – a selfish one – to be able to make decisions solely for myself.

(And unfortunately, it’s not always THAT easy. I’ve learned that the big life-changing decisions take me a LONG time to sort out)

In my gut, I knew that I really wanted to participate in the WonderGirl 5K this Saturday. Like I mentioned before, I read about the organization in a magazine, and felt like it really called out to me.

But there were a few logistical barriers: the race is about a zillion and one miles away from my home (okay, 60 miles), I would have to wake up at the crack of dawn to run it (okay, Data is waking me up that early every weekend anyway), and I would have to run it alone (okay, I’ve done that before – no biggie!).

And the big one – I felt guilty asking Steven to get out of bed that early on a Saturday, to drive me halfway across the state (slight exaggeration) and watch me run a 5K – possibly in the snow – with a bunch of young girls and families.

But you know what? I really wanted to do it, so I signed up for it first thing Monday morning, and have been excited about it ever since then.

It struck me as odd this week, that I felt so much excitement simply by signing up for this race. I usually don’t feel this excited about a race.

Yesterday, I found out there is a chapter of Girls on the Run in the county next to mine. From the content on their website, it sounds like they are just getting started.

I found myself getting excited again, imagining myself becoming a running buddy for a young girl in the program, or helping the program set up their first 5K. I was fantasizing about volunteering.

This feeling of excitement helped me get through the day.

But for some reason, I am kind of embarrassed about it.

I am kind of embarassed about being hopeful!

What a weird reaction. I am attributing it to my natural skepticism. Inside me, a voice says, “Yeah, it sounds like a really cool program. But maybe on Saturday you’ll find out it’s totally lame and a big waste of time!”

I can’t go to the race feeling that way, so I am going to continue to be excited, positive and upbeat about it. I am going to continue to look forward to it, and hope that I’ve found a good organization I may like to give some of my time to. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Comments (13)

By kilax, November 2, 2008 12:10 pm

5K #3 – The Red Ribbon Race in Lake Forest, IL.

This race supports LEAD (Linking Efforts Against Drugs) – a local area “organization dedicated to parents and other adults and their role in the promotion of healthy family relationships and the prevention of alcohol and other drug use and risky behavior by youth.”

Our sweaty “after race” faces!

I just realized I never tell you guys what the races we run are actually benefiting. Honestly – and this is going to sound really, really bad – I usually run them to benefit me, and my health. The fact that my entry fee goes to support something else is basically a plus. There have been a few races that support causes I really wanted to run, but haven’t worked out with my schedule.

There is one race that I am really excited about though – the wondergirl 5K sponsored by Girls on the Run, on November 15 in Bridgeview, IL. This organization supports running for girls. Check out this description from their website:

The bi-annual WonderGirl 5k is the culmination of the Girls on the Run-Chicago 10-week season each spring and fall. More than 1000 young girls aged 8-13 will celebrate their “girl power” by running 3.1 miles together with their parents, teachers, and community members.

Girls on the Run-Chicago is a non-profit after school program for 3rd through 8th grade girls. We use running to help prepare girls for a lifetime of self respect and healthy living. The character-building program focuses on building self-esteem, confidence and improving physical and emotional health. Over the course of a 12-week season our volunteer coaches teach life-skills lesson such as handling bullies, dealing with body image and the media, making healthy decisions and contributing to the community. Along the way, the girls train together to run in a 5k (3.1 mile) run, the WonderGirl 5k.

I read about this in a magazine and wanted to look up when the organization was racing in Chicago, and forgot about it until today – there was a flier for it in our race packet! The race sounds like it will be crazy, but a lot of fun. I love the idea of running a race that supports a group like this. If I had a daughter (or a son!), I like to think we would run it together. I am wondering if I can convince a fellow blogger to run this with me… (yeah, diane, I am talking to you! Maybe we can convince Tori to join us?)

I’m surprised I am even thinking about another 5K right now. Today’s was not so great for me. Steven did very well. He finished in under 26:00 minutes. We will have to look up his time when the scores go up this week (can you believe he didn’t look when he crossed the line?!). I finished at 27:04, 4 seconds slower than last time.

We did a great first mile – an 8-minute mile! I kept repeating in my head “You feel good. You feel good. You feel good.” And I generally did feel good, I just can’t figure out my breathing lately.

About half way through, I started to get a really bad stomach pain, like I was going to throw up. “You feel good” turned into “Keep running, you can do this!” and “Ignore the pain.” I didn’t have the watery taste in my mouth (that one you get before throwing up), but my stomach just didn’t feel right.

Steven went ahead of me (obviously) and I am happy he did. I could see him up ahead and I was thinking about how proud I was of him for running so hard. It didn’t bother me that we split. I don’t think we would split up on a longer race, but on a 5K it’s no big deal.

I sprinted the last .1 mile to try to beat my last time, but it just didn’t happen. Oh well. Now I just want to figure out why I have this stomach pain. My stomach still hurts right now, as I am typing.

If you want my body and you think I’m sexy… JUST KIDDING!

I don’t think the pain is any big deal. I just want to figure my body out – what to eat before a race, how to breathe, how to pace myself. Blah blah blah. I signed us up for a subscription to Runner’s World. There are a lot of good tips in there. I think I will be doing a lot of searching on the internet too.

Comments (22)

By kilax, October 18, 2008 11:30 pm

Today was 5K #2, in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The conditions were much different than the last 5K we ran – this race had two hills, and it was foggy and only about 45° (Oh yeah, and we had two blabbering idiots running behind us for the first mile. It’s cool to talk to someone when you are running, but not like you’re a valley girl who works in a salon.  [sorry, that’s the best analogy I could come up with. Steven said the girls sounded like Sarah Palin – is that any better?]).

Notice how I am checking my watch right before the finish line?

Even though this race was “rougher,” we finished with a time of 27:00! (It’s weird how this time also ended on an exact minute. Hmm.) I am contributing this 2-minute-faster-than-last-time finish to the fact that it was so cold… and that we both weigh less than we did at the last race.

We have some weird mist or frost in our hair!

My aunt, mom, and sister came to watch us. It’s always nice to have someone cheering your name when you cross the finish line!

My aunt, me, mom and sister

This is going to sound awful, but when I was running up the first hill, I was thinking, “How could I ever run a marathon?! This hill is wearing me out! I don’t think I can run more than a 5K!”

That’s so pathetic, especially since when I was done, I felt great, like I could do it all over again.

I’ve been wanting to train for a longer distance run. I really think Steven and I could run 10Ks. I’m just not sure if we should focus on decreasing our 5K time, running longer, or both. Probably both.

Right now, I am still loving running. I want to keep it that way – I want to keep it varied so we don’t lose our interest in it. We have been on and off running plenty of times. I want this to be the time we stick with it!