Half Marathon number 2.

Saturday May 19th will mark 2 months since when I run my 2nd half marathon.  Time really goes by so fast when you are training for a milestone and when you are done it feels like you need to take a long vacation.  Well that is exactly what I did when I run my 2^nd half marathon and I spent a week in Siesta Key, FL with great friends.  After celebrating jumping that hurdle, shortly came my birthday celebrations, and a few pounds later I have been feeling so much heavier and slower 😊

Although I may not have shared my weekly updates about my training like I did the first time there was no difference when it came to the pain, hard work, sweat, tears and a few pain killers when needed during the training.  I thought this journey would be easier since I had done it before and I had told myself that I would probably be a lot leaner and fitter (yeah right).  None of that happened 😊 instead I felt slower and fatter and just had all these negative vibes going on in my head.  About 2 weeks before the race, we got an email from the race organizers that they were introducing a 10k to the route.  After I read that email my mind was torn between doing the 10k or the half marathon.  That temptation stayed dangling in my mind until the day of the race however, I just could not justify why I would take a week away from work and not run the half marathon while on the other hand I didn’t have to prove anything to anybody.

Race Day:

I earned my medal

The race started at 6:30 am and it was about 68 degrees F (20 degrees C) with almost 100% humidity which means it was too hot by the time we were starting the race. I had done all my training during the winter and with cold temperatures.  I was so hot, sweaty, and exhausted by the time I got to mile 1.  The start line had runners who were either going to run the half, first leg of the relay as well as the 10k.  By mile 3, I knew I was going to run the 10k and that was it and it was going to be ok with the decision I made.  From mile 3, there was another runner who had about the same pace as I did and we had kept pacing each other up until mile 6. At this point we were both huffing and puffing as well as listening to our individually played music so you can imagine what we both sounded like when we were singing.  My lovely friend Jackie came over to meet us and handed us water and showed me the 10k sign and asked me if I was going to continue with the half or just finish with the 10k since I had told her that my journey was ending at the 10k point.  As human beings, we are always quick to judge and make up stories about people just by seeing them.  I had compared myself to this lady who I had just met and who I will call Suzy (not her real name).  I decided that if she continues with the half marathon and I turn off at the 10k point she would have won and I would have failed.  That was my story and I was sticking to it.  So, I assumed that because we were both plus size runners we both must stop running because it is hot and we should both be exhausted because I was exhausted and felt I needed company to justify not completing the race that I had signed up for which was still going to be ok.

Well Suzy, went past the 10k turn off point while singing and I turned and looked at Jackie and told her I was going to keep going.  I didn’t have the right attitude and spent mile 7 comparing myself to Suzy and kept on wondering why she didn’t just stop running since I was now at a point I really hated why I continued the race.  Fast forward we started talking to each other during the race and I found out she was such a nice positive person who kept on encouraging me and reminded me that although we might not look like the other faster runners who we saw on the course we are both moving faster than anyone else on the couch.  We both finished the race and although the last mile felt a lot harder for me because there was a change in the course from the previous year we did it. 

My AHA moment after the race was that one should never compare themselves to other people in whatever journey you are going through in life.  You don’t know what they have gone through and you do not have a right to judge somebody because of how they look, how fast, or slow they move or whatever challenge or success they might be going through at the time.  A mile is a mile no matter how fast or slow one is moving and one’s attitude plays a big role in whether you are going to be successful or on how you will feel when you are done with any challenge.  I had to remember it was my race, my pace, my journey, and I thank Suzy for reminding me about the journey.  I did not do as well as I wanted to do but who cares I finished and that was the main goal.  Nobody promised that this be easy or even get easier with time, I just must remember that quitting is not an option.  One of my heroes always reminds me that all you must do is take a step at a time, be positive and it will be over before you know it. On to more adventures.

Longest mileage so far in 2018

This past weekend was not as cold as last weekend so I was a happy about the slight change of weather.  I still can’t believe I can celebrate temperatures in the 30s as great weather having grown up in a tropical country.  I sometimes wonder who I have become since there is a time not too long ago that I swore I would never run unless I was running for my life or even run outdoors.  Earlier in the week it was very cold and I was talking to a colleague and she saw somebody running outdoors and she pointed out to me and said “look at that crazy person running outside in this cold”.  I remember trying to correct her by saying “you should not call him crazy since you know I also run outdoors in these temperatures” and her response to me was “Oh I know and you are crazy too.  There is no way I would run outdoors when it is very cold”.   The conversation was a reminder that running is such a mental sport and not only physical as I had assumed before I started running.  I was reminded that although I may complain about running outdoors or even actually going out for a run whether it is extremely cold or very hot not everybody is able to do it for various reasons.

It is amazing how we are able to control our minds and decide on what we can or cannot do.  I believe our attitude plays a huge part in determining what our limits are or what we are able to achieve.  This could be done in your professional life or even personal life.  This weekend I run 9 miles and spent most of the time reflecting on how it felt like the first time I run 9 miles last year.  I haven’t run the same distance since early last year since I didn’t have any reason to run that many miles after I did my first half marathon.  I think I celebrated finishing my half marathon and remained in recovery without doing more than 5-6 miles for the rest of the year.  Just like last year, my strategy was to divide up the miles in my head as a pie divided up in thirds so that I don’t think about the whole number 9.  I would try not to focus on how long it would take me but think about different things a mile at a time.  I decided not to run with any music on so that I can pray, try and sing as well as try and focus on my breathing.  Those who know me know that I cannot hold a tune for more than a second so singing was going to be so much fun.

Different bridges a long the way

After about half a mile I gave up on focusing on my breathing because I didn’t like that I sounded like I was huffing and puffing to bring something down.  I decided that would be depressing and I would end up not finishing my run.  I started singing and realized that I never know any lyrics to any songs.  I guess am one of those people who would ask a DJ to play a song and not know the title of the song or even the words of the song and try to sound it out.  😊 My next thought was to focus on the first third of my pie which was my first 3 miles and count how many people I would meet along the way.  For my first 3 miles I met 17 people and 2 deer.  These deer stood by the trail like they either were waiting to say hello to me or were wondering what is this human doing this early in our area.  I had to stop and start walking with the hope that they would move but since I don’t run that fast these animals did not move and just stood in my way.  While I approached them, I found myself coughing loudly and tried to shoo them so that I could continue on my run but they first stood still and watched me until when I guess they realized I was harmless then moved on.  I went past wondering if they stayed laughing at me in their deer language about how I was trying to scare them. I was too scared to take a photo of them LOL.

The second third of my run pie which was from miles 4 to 6 did not have as many people as the first third but I spent most of my time focusing on being positive and determined on finishing that portion of the run because I would be more than half way done.  While I was in my happy space and it was beginning to get a little warmer than I had expected I realized that I was only able to see 7 people during that time.  I finally met up some of my running friends who were doing 10 miles while I was getting closer to my turn around spot which was such a relief to see familiar faces.  While I was warm and excited, I decided I needed to remove my jacket since I was warm and at that point my watch decided it would also take a break.  The watch was able to save slight more of my first half of the run and I was going to have to start my watch again for the 2 half of my run back to my starting point.  Those of you who know about the challenges of gadgets know how frustrating this can be especially when you have a rhythm.  I had no choice but to start the watch again which of course messed up my calculations on how far I had gone with my pie and what I had left to do on my way back.   For about a mile and a half I was just so mad and kept grumbling about my watch and how I need to have it checked or even buy a new one until when I realized that I should not spend too much time complaining about something that is still calculating my mileage. Oh well!

The watch issues happened at about mile 5.5 and I had grumbled enough that I decided to turn on some African music to keep me going until when I was done.  The joys of listening to African music is that not only does it take me to a happy place and make me feel like dancing it makes me stop focusing on what I can or cannot do or how hard the run.  I was able to push myself and of course my highlight at the end of the run was meeting my buddies wrapped up in their blankets still waiting for me to arrive.  I appreciate the friendship and support that we all share during this journey.  Double digits here I come even though it is a sign that the days to the race are also getting closer.

Happy New 2018!

Happy New Year to everyone and I hope this year has everyone thinking of new challenges and goals for themselves to make themselves better this year. Although it might seem like it is a little too late to say Happy New Year to people but I must since this is my first time reaching out to everyone. Although January seemed to be a pretty long month here we are at the beginning of February and know how fast this month flies by if we are not focused.  The beginning of the year always marks the beginning of new opportunities in one's life .This past weekend marks the first year in which I started my blog about my run/fitness journey and although I was consistent for the first half of the year life took over and gosh did I fall off the bandwagon on updating you on my journey.

I took my blog for granted and only saw it just as a way to vent about how I felt when I was training for my first half marathon.  I didn’t realize that I was inspiring some people who were able to make lifestyle changes.  I received a few emails from friends who said that they had come out of their comfort zones and either started running, walking or took on whatever exercise they preferred.  So, what does this mean for me in 2018?  One of my goals is to remain consistent with writing about my journey and to do it for the rest of year.  I plan to share about how I feel, what my struggles are and what my successes are during the journey.  I hope to fight Zeek (my negative personality) that keeps getting in my way and hope to succeed this year with the number of goals I have set for myself. 

I would like to thank those of you who have held me accountable by asking me the status of the blog and why I stopped writing or if I would continue to write.  You know who you are and have been given permission to hold me accountable in the future 😊.  One of the lessons that I learned from last year was that I never set any additional goals after my first half marathon and the Avon 39-mile walk.  So, when I accomplished these big goals I went into chill out mode and even though I did a few 5k and 10k races later in the year I found that I didn’t push myself the way I wanted since I had already achieved my goals earlier in the year.  This year I plan to set additional goals to push myself and see what I can set my mind to do and if am able to pull it off. 

In about 7 weeks I will be running my second half marathon.  My main goal is to do the best I can and enjoy the journey.  I will not beat myself up with how fast or slow I can do the race as long as I finish and get to enjoy every moment.  I am obviously still freaking out like I haven’t done this in the past and will have moments on self-doubt but am determined not to let that take over from the experience.

Run over the 270 highway last weekend

Yesterday, I run 8 miles which I had not done in a long time (more than 6 months) and it felt like I had just started my journey from scratch.  It was 12 degrees when we started and I can't remember when I last run when it was that cold.  For about 2 miles I thought I had lost my fingers and part of my face because it was so so cold.  My water froze and I didn't have any water to drink until when my lovely sister/friend met me and shared some of her water which made a difference and I was able to finish the run 😊  Nobody said this journey would be easy and there are going to be times when I will keep asking myself why I do this to myself but with the amazing support that I have from my run family I know everything will be ok and I shall be successful.  Here is to positive 2018 vibes everyone.

Where have I been?

I would like to personally apologize to all my followers for the silence.  It has been a few months since my last post and to be honest I don’t know where to start.  A lot has been going on but that is no excuse for the silence since the title of the blog is Moments to Miles.   Life takes over and I could come up with so many excuses as to what happened and why I took a break from blogging however, I will be transparent with what has been going on and where I have been. 

The last time I posted I was getting ready to participate in the Avon 39 mile (62.7 km) walk for breast cancer over a period of 2 days.  I was excited about the walk mainly because of the cause and was looking forward to sharing my experience about walking that number of miles in 2 days.  I knew I was going to compare walking to running.  The best way to interpret this was I was going to walk the distance of a full marathon on day 1 and half a marathon on day 2 just in case I ever thought about doing a marathon in the future.  Fast forward I realized that for the first half of the year I had achieved many of my fitness goals was humbled and grateful for what I had been able to accomplish then laziness hit me like a storm.    

Still standing after the walk

The Avon walk ended on a Sunday and by the time I got home that day I had no energy to even thing about writing although I was so excited that I still wanted to share. I started procrastinating about when I would write the post, came up with excuses and before I knew it Zeek (negative inner voice) had taken over.  The interesting thing about life is that you cannot afford to under estimate the power of your mind.  Yes, I was physically exhausted and it took a while for me to recover but that didn’t mean that I should stop typing and or share my story.  Life has a way of taking over or one lets life take over as an excuse to avoid doing anything and you can come up with several excuses.  For example it is too hot or too cold, I think my head hurts, I’ve worked long hours, I would rather go for happy hour, I just had a baby, I just got married, I just started dating, I just broke up, I have to deal with the kids’ home, my hair will get messed up, I cannot exercise alone, the gym is packed, I don’t have gym membership, there are too many people in the gym, am always so good, eat health and exercise all the time it’s time to take a break and the list goes on and on and on.

In my case Zeek took over and although I would like to blame Zeek, I take full responsibility and I cannot get rid of her because she is a part of me.  I started off by telling myself I will share my experience next weekend after I rest and those weekends ended up being months.  I took a break from exercising too and at some point, started to feel guilty because I realized I wasn’t putting myself first.  Having a running group and workout friends makes a huge difference for me because even if I don’t want to do a thing I have people who will hold me accountable. I have struggled and continue to struggle however, I try my best not to give up.  I always tell myself that quitting is for failures and I don’t want to call myself a failure. 

Different Saturday run scenes

To those who have sent me messages asking when I will blog again, have asked what happened, have told me they have made changes due to my posts I thank you.  I thank you for holding me accountable and reminding me that in my own small way I am making a difference by sharing my story.  It is not easy and I don’t’ think it will get easier but I know anybody can do it if I can do it.  For somebody who wasn’t athletic at all when I was growing up I sometimes feel like an Olympian..LOL.  The smile on my face when am done with a race symbolizes that “I did not quit”.  I am very lucky to have role models who inspire me, motivate me and I continue to admire in a positive way.  There are so many times I would rather stay home, watch TV, eat delicious food and relax however, in the long run I don’t think I would like the results of what it would do to my health.  During this time off, I have still been able to run one 10 k race and three 5k races while I try to get out of my own way. The one hour or 30 mins or even 45 mins you spend exercising either 3 or 4 times a week is a gift you are giving yourself.  Whether you like working out with a group or on your own let us continue encouraging each other by taking a day at a time.  Am back and here is to many more moments to miles.

Does the statement, you are what you eat true??

I have always been curious about the validity of the statement you are what you eat?  From fitness pages to diet promoters you always hear trainers or coaches talk about how one should always watch what they eat because it affects your body.  When you are told that diet is 80% in your weight loss journey and exercise is 20% makes it more challenging for one to stick to as a lifestyle.

Did it but didn't appreciate it.

I have been working out somewhat consistently for about 4 years however, my diet hasn’t changed that much over several years. About 8 years ago, I decided to go onto a weight loss journey and I was so disciplined that I obsessed about how much I ate as well as made sure that I worked out consistently.  I lost the weight but I don’t think I recognized the effort I had made mentally and never saw myself as having achieved anything despite the hard work.  Life happens and I fell off the bandwagon and went back to being “comfortable” in my own skin.  I met somebody who once told me that she knew I would not keep the weight off and I recall shrugging my shoulders and pretended to ignore what she said but to be honest it cut deep. Yes, the weight came back but that still does not define me as a person.

I love good food, I believe the best time to socialize with loved ones is over food and you always get to learn more about people when you are sharing a meal.  Whether it is brunch, lunch, dinner, coffee or even happy hour I think people are usually their authentic self when sharing a meal. Two weeks ago, I decided I would keep a promise to myself and watch what I eat while I continue with my journey of being a better me.  I decided to do a 10-day cleanse to reset my body from all the sugar and junk food I had been eating from mid-March since I was still celebrating my half marathon and my birthday.   Talk about taking a celebration too far and I was not guilty at all.  While I was on the detox I continued to go running and it was so rough out there.  Without food in my system I felt like I was carrying 4 people on my back while I tried to run.  I now understand why people are advised not to exercise while doing a detox. 

One of the things am going to observe over a long period is if am going to become a stronger runner, if my body will change, if I will be able to sleep better, how my ankle feels and how I will feel overall.  I don’t expect to have changes immediately since I didn’t get to where I am in a day.  My goal is to remain consistent and enjoy the journey while am at it. I don’t expect to deprive myself of any delicious food but I also don’t expect to over indulge. I will not only use the scale to record my progress but also use a tape measure because there can be changes to your body that cannot be measured by the number on the scale.  Of late the scale is not my friend so we are getting a divorce.  I know there will be days when am frustrated and others where I will continue to be happy but the one thing I know am going to do is enjoy every moment.  None of this will be important if I don’t feel good about myself and are satisfied with every single milestone whether it is big, small or not even visible. 

 In 3 weeks, I will be taking part in the 2 day Avon 39 mile (62.76 km) walk. Training for the walks while also running has been challenging but as somebody told me the other day is that the important things is that it is getting done.  Walking these miles will be a very tiny contribution in the fight against breast cancer.  I will not only be walking in memory of my late Aunt Elousa but for some of my amazing great friends who have fought the fight and are here as a testimony that they are warriors.  I will also walk in memory of those who have lost the battle but did their best.  Here is to a new chapter, a new year and work towards making myself healthier, stronger and a better me.  In the words of my fierce coach remember it is “your race, your pace, your journey”.  Let me also see if you are what you eat is a true statement?

What next, two weeks after the half marathon?

It is two weeks since when I ran my first half marathon.  I was very sore for several days and I think swore I would never do this again.  My first workout class last week was a cycle class which was 4 days after the race and before I got back to running.  My first run was 6 days after the race and I think my legs felt like bricks but I was able to do 5 miles that morning.  Last week was our last training week for the 10-mile program that we started 12 weeks ago and I can't believe how fast time has gone by.  The best part with our training run this past Wednesday was that it was my birthday. Some of my friends who had sent me messages asked me if I was going to do something different apart from running and I told them that I would take the day off, spoil myself and yes, I would still go out running since it was the last training night.  We did our training and met as a group to celebrate my birthday with drinks and cake.  Thanks band, I love you all.

My swings will make me go faster..vroom

I signed up and was selected to do the Cherry Blossom 10-miler which was my first 10-miler last year.  I remember how nervous I was last year and knew that if I had done 13.1 miles then in two weeks I would not have a problem doing 10 miles.  A few of my very experience runner friends had told me that running 10 miles after the half would be a lot easier however, I had my own reservations based on how I felt.  As the days got closer to the race I felt like I was not ready and I became nervous since the Cherry Blossom 10 miler has a time limit and if you don't make by a certain time you would have to be stopped from completing the race.  I always set high expectations of myself and when I feel that I cannot get to them I feel like I have failed.  While I struggled, and got stressed about doing the 10 miles I reached out to a very close friend and told her how I felt and what was keeping me awake. One of the advantages of having an amazing support system is that they reminded me about what I had accomplished, how hard I worked and that I should stop and take it all in and bask in my own glory.

Just like any other person I have my own struggles where I get into my own head about what I can or cannot do.  I freak out and have doubts that make me stop believing in myself and make me feel like giving up.  A few days before the Cherry Blossom race I decided that I would opt out of the 10 miles and do the 5k race.  I know I would have probably finished the race however, I did not have the mental strength to hang in there for 10 miles. I did very well during the 5k race and surpassed the goal I had set for myself for the race.  Does this mean that I failed or quit?  Obviously not although a part of me felt that I had disappointed myself until when I was reminded that there will be very many opportunities in the future and I did not have anything to prove to anybody.  Does this mean that my journey ends now that I managed to do a half marathon?  Of course, not I will keep running and will continue to sign up for races to see what I can do since this is my journey, my race and my pace.

Last year, when I signed up for the half marathon I wanted to lose at least 20 - 25 lbs (9 - 13 kgs) before the race. I had read somewhere that when one loses about 10 lbs they can improve their speed by about a minute and I was determined to make sure that I lost the weight.  I told myself that with that amount of weight down I would be able to do the race without a problem and even be a lot faster in my own opinion.  By race date I think I had only lost about 8 lbs which was less than 50% of the goal I had set.  If my only focus was on losing weight, there is no way I would have done the race.  I realize that we choose what we want to believe to get to accomplish what we want. If you want to accomplish something in life, you will do whatever it takes to get it done. We must learn to stop and silence the negative voices or stories we tell ourselves and go for what we would like to achieve.

I finally got it done - 13.1 miles - check.

It is exactly 3 years since I started this journey with running after I broke my ankle.  I had to take a week off from blogging to allow myself to think about the experience and take in everything leading to the race and the race itself. This past Sunday March 19, 2017 was the date I was able to conquer one of the biggest challenges I had set my mind to do this year which was the half marathon distance (13.1 miles/21 kms).  I had been told by my Coach Karen in the fall last year that she believed that I was ready to do a half marathon this year and that as long as I trained for it I would be ok.  All the people I have run with in the past year or more believed in me more than I believed in myself and I decided to stop putting myself down and do my best.  This journey has not been easy and there is no way I would have done this if I had not surrounded myself with people who are not only there for me but influenced me to push myself and do better. 

In the past several weeks I have shared with you how it felt like when I went up in mileage in preparation for the race.  The half marathon was done in Sarasota, Florida which meant I would have to fly out of the Washington, DC area to go to Florida for the race.  I traveled with a couple of friends and we spent time visiting friends'parents as well as touring and going out to eat.  Having a busy weekend was a distraction for me so I was not able to focus on the big race on Sunday morning. 

Race day:

Saved until the end

The start time was 6:45 am and we got there by 6:00 am.  I was nervous but not too nervous until when we came out of the car to get ready to drop off our bags and meet other friends.  In the process of looking for where to drop off our bags it was only natural for me to start looking at runners bibs to notice who were running the half and those who were going to run the relay. Most of the people who were out there had what I defined as athletes bodies and never looked like I did physically. I could not relate to anybody and felt totally intimidated.  I remember saying I had not seen any plus size person and the ones I saw were going to be spectators.  I panicked and actually got emotional because at that point I thought I had bitten more than I could handle.  Jackie had to calm me down and remind me that I was ready since for some reason I just could not stop crying and that I should hold my tears for when I was done.  I had all the members of team remind me to trust my training and that I was going to do great. 

The race started and I had no choice but have my game face on for the race.  It was not easy but it got done. Seeing the band members while on the race course gave me energy while we cheered for each other.  I was doing ok until about mile 8 when I felt I was getting too hot.  There were two couples who were in front of me and one of these couples were wearing sweatshirts.  I just didn't understand how they would still be wearing sweatshirts while I felt I was melting and was running with the sun.  By mile 9 I had cooled off since there was a breeze and I had stopped judging these couples who were still ahead of me.  Mile 9 was tough for me until when I got to mile 10. I had to change my mantra to "trust your training you got this" and that is what I kept telling myself. I knew what it felt like to run 12 miles and all I wanted was to get there and will figure out how I will get to the end. I got a burst of energy and went past the two couples who had practically run most of the race near me.

Getting to mile 12 was emotional for me because I knew had done most of the race and just had to finish the last 1.1 mile.  This mile was dedicated to my friend Corynne who was not with us on the trip and usually says you can slow down but don't stop and you cannot quit.  I did not quit and kept going until when I saw the mile marker 13.  I could not believe that I had actually made it to mile 13 and could not control myself but start crying.  My amazing friends saw me and just started screaming and cheering me on while I approached them.  They then surprised me with a sign and I don' think I will ever forget how I felt at that time.  The love, the support, the excitement that I was almost done is what gave me the energy to cross the finish line.

I once heard Steve Harvey on the radio station talk about how you are able to know a person’s character by the people they surround themselves with because you became just like them.  I am proud to say am a runner and have the most amazing running support group anybody would wish for in their lives.  Some have asked me if I would run a half marathon again and my answer right now is that I know I can do it but am not sure I will do it again just yet.

One step closer!

It was 7 weeks ago when I decided to start this blog to document my journey to my first half marathon and I cannot believe that the week before the half marathon has finally arrived and I have mixed feelings.  I can't believe the 10 weeks of training have already come to an end and now I just need to trust myself, trust my training and believe that I am ready.  I am excited that I get to experience this with an amazing group of people who have been there with me from day 1 during my journey. Am I scared? Oh heck yeah I am so scared but I believe it is normal to freak out before you start something new in your life.  I will treat this as just another weekend run and remember to enjoy the moment during the journey.  Two years ago if you asked me if I would be running a half marathon (13.1 miles or 21 kms) I would have laughed at you and my response to you would have been are you out of your mind??.

The weather this week has been crazy from warm temperatures to frigid temperatures.  Our mid week training was track workout.  I have mixed feelings about running on a track because you just keep going round the track over and over again without any scenery.  When we are out on a trail we complain about rolling hills and how tough the trail was and when on a track we still complain about running on the track.  Nobody can win either way because we shall still complain no matter what but at least get it done.  Great coaches always listen to us and are always able to rise above our complaints and make sure we do what we have to do to get the work done. I believe that in order to be successful in life your hard work as well as being consistent despite the challenges you face a long the way you will get to where you want to be at the right time.

Start temps in C & F- chubby fingers after the run

Roles were changed this weekend while the rest of the 10 mile program participants had 9 miles to run I had 6 miles to run. I never thought that I would say that "am only running 6 miles today" and make it seem like it is not a big deal.  I was excited that after a few weeks of doing more mileage compared to the rest of the participants I get to finish early enough before the group and be there to support them when they returned from the run.  It was so cold and nothing like what it was 2 weeks ago weather wise.  The trail had rolling hills and looked different from what I recall the last time I was out there last year when it was full of snow. I only started listening to music from mile 3 and actually didn't have to spend too much time thinking about how hard or long or gruesome the run was compared to last weekend when I had to run 12 miles.

Mother Nature seems to be sending us some mixed messages this week. We started the weekend extremely cold, there is a winter storm warning for early this week but we won't know until when she decides on what to do.  Either way I plan to hydrate, eat well and get enough rest in preparation for next Sunday.  Those who know me know that I call my negative voice Zeek and whenever, am lazy and don't want to do anything and feel like giving up I know that Zeek is winning.  I hope to channel positive energy despite my anxiety as well as excitement and will let you know how everything went when am done.  It might be the battle of Zeek before or running the race but this girl is determined to win and finish what she started.  Stay tuned.
 

12 miles (19 kms) is no joke!

This weekend was yet another milestone weekend and I wasn’t even sure how I was going to deal with the distance. 12 miles (19 kms) is no joke and I don’t know how runners get to run marathons or even longer distances.  This not only needs physical strength but also mental strength and a great support system. 

I thought the rock was yelling at me

To have a good run one must prepare for it before it happens. Some of the things one must do to get ready is to make sure they have hydrated well during the week, eaten well and most of all had enough rest.  I did my best with hydration during the week and but didn’t hydrate well on Friday.  I went out on Friday night with a friend to watch a song writing competition so by the time I got to bed it was way past midnight and this was going to be a second night where I was operating on about 3 hours of sleep for two nights in a row.  Talk about doing the opposite of what am supposed to do to prepare for the long run.  I didn’t roll myself out or even stretch the whole week and my muscles were so tight I think I was already wobbling before we started.  Talk about being ready for a milestone distance…ha!

.

Early Saturday morning I got encouraging messages from friends telling me I would be ok and will do just fine.  One of the messages that stood out for me was “don’t think just put your shoes on and run”. My first 5 miles went by so fast because I had the best company running with me.  Our conversations during the runs are usually super interesting but as they say what is said out on the run remains on the run.  We found a dead snake, lots of large animal poop and a pickup truck.  The driver of the pickup truck parked to wait for us to go by and our reaction at that point was he has a long time to wait since there is no way we could move faster than what we were already doing at that point.  Shortly after that I was to run on my own for the next 7 miles which I called the great trek.

Oh no when do I finish??

I was doing great between mile 6 and 7 until when the wind picked up and it was brutal.  I tried to keep a positive attitude and tell myself that I was a warrior until when I got to mile 9 and it as tough.  It was so windy and with cold temps it felt a lot colder and was the start of my discouragement.  The trail is beautiful however, having water on both sides of the trail made me feel like I really needed to pee.  I kept on thinking about giving up and the feelings about wanting to pee made it worse.  Mile 9 was also a reminder that although I was almost done I still had 3 miles to go and when you are exhausted and feel like you can’t do it anymore the 3 miles feel like 100 miles.  I decided to walk for about 2 minutes but then with all that cold my nose just started running.  When I stopped to wall my nose would run and when I run my nose would stop what the heck??  My left hand got cold, I had to put on 2 gloves on my left hand while the right side was ok and since that was the side of my tight quad muscles I started to think that maybe I was getting a stroke while running.  The things one’s mind can come up with when they decide it is the end of the road.  So not only was I almost crying, dealing with a ridiculous snorty nose, want to pee now I think am getting a stroke my world is going down.  You can’t come up with such thoughts when you are sitting on a couch watching a movie and eating juicy food…LOL. Was there going to be any hope?

I was finally able to get out of my funk by listening to my Thumb Print radio station on Pandora that had been playing some African and Latino music.  I needed some pick me up music and some of my favorite gospel songs started playing that helped me sing along on my way and helped me change my attitude.  It is hard to cuss and be negative while listening to gospel music..hahahha.  By mile 11, I was in a good mood and was able to get to the end with some energy and could still smile.  Priceless moment for me was seeing friends bundled up and patiently waiting to see me finish the 12 miles.  Love you guys! The body aches later that day and into the rest of the weekend have made me walk like a cross between a duck and a penguin.  Major lesson learnt this weekend is to make sure that I hydrate, get enough rest and eat well before the next run.  I look forward to taper week and I believe I will be ready in two weeks for the half.  

Milestone Day finally got here!

I wasn’t too sure how I was going to handle 11 miles since this was going to be my first time running 11 miles.  My initial thoughts were should I think about it as just adding a mile on what I did last weekend or should I think about it as adding half a mile to the 5 I would run out and another half to the other 5 running back to where I started?  Either way it was going to be 11 miles whether I liked it or not.  I was nervous about it but knew that I was committed to finishing it no matter what. I got a message that morning from a dear friend that said “it doesn’t get easier. You get stronger” and I took that to heart and used that as a mantra while I was out there. 

The first few miles were in a new location for me and it was beautiful.  I always wondered how people got to the Mormon Temple since it looks inaccessible when you see it on the beltway.  A friend’s daughter Jalyn always asked me whether that was a castle and I always told her that it kind of looked like one but wasn’t one and she always asked when we would go there and I always told her there must be a mystery road to get there but we shall get there one day.  Watching the sun rise and the rays reflect on the top of the temple was beautiful.  I thought to myself I should stop and take pics and save them for when I see Jalyn and tell her that I was not too far from the “castle” when I was out running.  I stopped to take a pic until when I realized this was just around mile 2 and I had 9 miles to go.  I had no time to spend taking pictures and off I went knowing that I would be back to take a few pics on my way back at

the end of the run.

It was about 60 degrees when we started and was hot and I started to complain about the heat until when I decided oh no this is what we must deal with today so I have no choice but to keep it moving.  Along the way, I was reminded that the half marathon I am running is in Florida so these temperatures are just getting me ready for the heat if any on race day so yet again I had no choice but to check myself. The times when I would get negative thoughts and feel like giving up I would find a familiar face along the route which makes it easier and a little enjoyable that you are not in this alone.  Talking about familiar faces along the route, I met Sarah twice on my way out and back and I think she is the only person who I have met who is able to smile, run fast and is with a dog J Where do you get all this energy from Sarah?   

Somebody asked me about what I think about when am running and I told them my mind is all over the place that one would probably think I was a little crazy.  Well we all have a little crazy in each and every one of us so don’t judge me…LOL. So here were some of my thoughts while I was out there:  Hmm will I be able to do anything the rest the day when am done, OMG am I really running 11 miles, snap out of it Lynn you got this, ok ok, hmm look at those very fast runners, do they feel the aches and pains that I do?  Do they experience any chub rub, oh chub rub a topic for another day, I guess they are fast because they are skinny..arrgghhh, you don’t have to be that fast there isn’t any animal chasing you, is that what they call their slow run, gosh what am I going to have for dinner? Hmm somebody promised to make me dinner, will I be able to get there to enjoy the dinner, oh have I paid my bills, what am I having for breakfast after all this, it is really hot, gosh it is so hot I think am going to throw up, does that mean I like running in the cold, oh no am getting converted to being a winter runner, hmmm I wonder if I will see any familiar faces, why don’t people smile when they are just walking their dogs, oh that is a really cute couple, hmm I wonder how long they have been married. Are they married, did I take the trash out, what a beautiful house, I should start clean eating again hmm why won’t I commit to a clean eating even for 10 days and the thoughts went on and on   and on. 

View of the temple and yummy dinner

Anyway the 11 miles were finally done woot woot, I was able to walk after that and still be able to function later on in the day.  I got to be pampered with homemade dinner and the only thing I was not able to do was take the extra photos on my way back for Jalyn because this girl was beyond exhausted. I hear from seasoned runners that if you can run 11 miles then you can run 12 miles so 12 miles here I come so help me God!

Double Digits here I come.

Cherry Blossom 2016

My goal was to conquer 10 miles as a training run this past Saturday and hope that I would function after I had completed the run.  I had previously run 10 miles twice last year and that was only during races. The first time I run 10 miles was in April 2016 at the Cherry Blossom 10 Miler.  I recall that being a very emotional race for me and can’t forget the look of all the band members who were waiting for me at the finish line to celebrate the milestone. I remember thinking there was no way I was ever going to run 10 miles again.  I called in sick the next day and almost called in on Tuesday too. I could barely walk to the bathroom that night or even function the next day.

Fast forward to October 2016, my second 10 miles was at the Army 10 miler.  During training, we never run the actual distance of the race we are targeting so that we are ready and it reduces the risk of getting injured before the race. The Army 10 miler was an emotional race in a different way compared to the Cherry Blossom race.  I was inspired by how many wounded veterans were out there doing the distance.  I recall seeing a runner who lost both his legs and was running on blades and had stopped for a break because he was in pain but he didn’t quit.  Watching the strength of these wounded men and women was enough to keep me going.  There was no way I was going to feel sorry for myself or have time to complain about anything being hard.  What a humbling experience and a reminder that you can’t take things for granted and you are the only person who limits yourself in what you can do in this life. 

Earlier in the week, I attended a talk titled “Resilient and Ready:  How to Thrive Through Challenge and Change” by Valorie Burton a life coach who specialized in positive psychology and felt so inspired from the talk and decided I would have to channel positivity during the run.  A part of me was still stressed out but got encouragement from my friends that I would be able to do it and it helps to get the extra boost from friends even when you are freaking out.

Phew I found them 😊

I started off the morning with a few setbacks (left my inhaler at home) on my way for the run but I wasn’t going to use that as an excuse not to do the run.  I decided to visualize the mileage as a pie that had 5 big slices each representing 2 miles.  Using this method wasn’t as daunting as dealing with the miles one at a time since the route was challenging and needed one to dig deeper.  I guess all the hill repeats we did on Wednesday came in handy on Saturday…thanks Coach KC.  It was a beautiful day and it was nice to see friends out doing their own training.  My highlight though was meeting the training group that was doing 7 miles at their half way point since I didn’t expect to find them.  At that point I had been singing to myself since my phone battery was down and had seen a few runners who I didn’t know and just wanted to see one familiar face.  At mile 6.5, I kept on saying to myself multiple times please meet the band and my only prayer at that point was answered and the feeling was priceless.  Thanks guys you know am always humbled by your support.

I finally finished the 10 miles and was still able to stand and celebrate with friends on completing my accomplishment.  Interesting how a year makes a difference, I was able to go to church later that evening and volunteer which I would not have been able to do last year.  Reality is beginning to set in that I need to acknowledge that am getting stronger and with the right attitude I will conquer the half.  Next weekend will be new to me so bring on 11 miles woot woot.

Do you really run?

I have met several people who have asked me questions about my running experience and I sometimes wonder whether these questions are because they are curious about running or for them to compare themselves to me or even doubt that I run or whatever reason they may have to ask these questions makes me sometimes wonder what they would like to know.  Here are some of the questions that am usually asked:   Do you really run the whole distance, are you sure you run and not just walk fast, are you serious you can do the distance, don’t your knees bother you, what about your leg does it bother you and oh I didn’t think you were serious when you said you run? Depending on the tone and how am asked, I find myself sometimes being defensive in explaining why I run and have had to always go into depth to explain why and how I started running.  One of the main reasons is that I run to challenge myself and see if I can conquer whatever challenge I set for myself.  Secondly, the amazing friends I have met and kept through running are who inspire and motivate me to do better every time am out there and finally it’s all about the social part the food, drinks and chill out time…woot woot.  Who doesn’t like rewarding themselves with good food or a drink.

Last in a race but won't stop

The running community is such a welcoming community that does not pass judgement on people based on how they look or how fast they run.  This is where I fully understood the statement never judge a book by its cover.  There are all types of people, different personalities, sizes or even with disabilities but with a common goal to enjoy the activity.  Before I became a runner yes, I just called myself a runner I always thought that people who run had to be skinny and lean and must all be fast like the Kenyans we watch on television who win marathons.  Those who have known me or have met me know that I don’t have the typical “runner’s body” or what we assume to be the typical runner’s body but that does not stop me from going out and doing the best I can to make myself better day by day.  This journey is not easy at all but it gets easier if one remains consistent and let us not forget the mental strength.

Oh what the hills elevation

This week’s training was tough.  On Wednesday night was oh what the hill night?  I think we were all speechless when we did our first hill repeat and by the time we were done with the 5^th repeat we were probably cussing in another language whether you spoke more than one language or not it was just rough.  The temperature that night during the run was the only pleasant thing until when we were

done.

On Saturday, while the training group was scheduled to run 7 miles I had to prepare for 9 miles.  I didn’t know whether I should think about it by splitting it in half and deal with one half 4.5 miles and then the next or to just think of the 8 miles I run last week and just add 1 more mile.  Either way I was going to have to find some inner energy to do the 9 miles.  My fourth to fifth mile was brutal.  It was very hilly and am so glad we had done hill repeats during the week.  I can’t believe I just said that but gosh am I glad we had done some tough hill during the week.  A part of me thought that somebody had paid Coach KC was determined to test the level of my strength and resilience during the training.  Coach told me she had faith in me that I would do it but a part of me had my doubt while I was going up the hill but am glad I did it.  I finally made it and can now look forward to the next weekend when I finally get to my next challenge the double digits.

To those who think they can’t run there is always something out there for anybody to do such as walking or swimming or whatever fitness journey you would like to take on for a healthier life.  Just find out what your passion is and go for it because the sky is the limit.

This is it with the excuses!

The start of a new month meant that I would really really stop with any excuses I had since January felt like it was 40 days long.  So, I woke up the morning of February 1^st just singing to myself “This is it” (don’t know the title of the song or who even sang it) although I wasn’t feeling too well and didn’t know if I was catching a cold or I was just exhausted.  With this weather, anybody can come up with an excuse not to do anything.  I felt like a warrior and there was nothing going to stop me this time. Wednesday nights mean it’s a training night.  Our training schedule had hills and we were scheduled to do 5 hill repeats that night.  We were going to a new location (hill) and there is always something that makes me anxious about either the new location or the hill and how steep this hill will be during the run. 

Hills never disappear

When we got to the bottom of the hill, I didn’t know what to think since it was steep on our way down. For a moment, I felt that I was going to have to dig deep since that was going to be tough to conquer.  Little did I know that we were going to run up a different hill and I should check my attitude before giving up so easily. I used to be so hard on myself about my pace and realized that all that matters is that am out there doing something.  Everybody was done with their 5^th hill repeat while I was finishing my 4^th and had to go for the last repeat while they waited.  A part of me felt like giving up but thought oh no I woke up singing “this is it” so off I went. The amazing thing about teamwork is that some of the runners joined me to give me support while I finished my 5^th repeat while others made sure I was hydrating since I wasn’t feeling well.  When our fierce leader talks about no runner left behind this is confirmation of great teamwork thanks guys.

My Saturday schedule had 8 miles with temperatures in the low 20s and gosh was it cold.  I wasn’t sure how I was going to mentally prepare for the run and I did not want to get overwhelmed with how and when I will finish.  I decided I would deal with the mileage in quarters and after I finish the first 2 miles then I can deal with the next two miles and so on and so forth. 

Where are the leaves?

The first two miles were just tough because I was freezing and I didn’t think I would ever warm up.  By mile 3 I was already warm and sweating except for my fingers even with my thick gloves.  Hmm I guess I need to buy hand warmers for the next run. I decided to count how many people I would meet while out on the trail as a distraction before negativity set in.  I believe I counted about 7 people by the time I got to mile 4.  At mile 4, my fingers were warm except for my ring finger on the right hand. I started thinking oh no what is going on, has my finger frozen, is this frost bite, has it fallen off, so where will I put my ring when my future husband proposes, wait that is put on the left hand, OMG should I take my glove off and lay down and pass out or call for help.…LOL.  Such thoughts made that mile go by pretty fast and by the end of it all my fingers were warm.  Talk about being so dramatic.

All by myself ...

From miles 5 and 6 all I could think about was why am I doing this until when I began to see familiar faces on the trail.  I met up with the runners from the program that were doing 6 miles on their way out while I was heading back to my start point.  Seeing familiar faces made those miles go by fast.  I don’t think I really remember my last two miles all I had in my head was when the heck does this end?  I used both the map my run app and my garmin to measure out my mileage and they were not telling me the same mileage so I opted to select the one that had higher mileage. It helps to accept some of the alternate facts about the mileage when it is convenient for you right?  My garmin measured 9.3 miles for some strange reason and my phone said 8.16 miles so my conclusion was I did 8.5 miles….LOL.  A bear claw pastry from Panera was my reward after the run..opps what happened to clean eating and the theme song at the start of the week??  Oh well on to the next week.

Moments to Miles: Week 4 of training

Moments to Miles: Week 4 of training: Last Sunday just before I published my first blog I was so nervous about the process since all this is new to me. I thought I would start ...

Week 4 of training

Last Sunday just before I published my first blog I was so nervous about the process since all this is new to me. I thought I would start off the new week by sticking to my clean eating diet but at that moment I decided I would just go to Five Guys and get a cheeseburger with mushrooms and fries for dinner and yes had sweet potato cake too for dessert. The sweet potato cake from the DC Sweet Potato Cake is amazing just in case you have never tried it.  I realized later that am an emotional eater and get temporary satisfaction from delicious food which is exactly not good for you.  In any case this is only one meal and won't be the case all week long.  I thought I would be guilty and beat myself up with the choice of dinner but oh no I was a happy camper until later on that night that guilt set in and that was no fun.  After beating myself that night I decided that I would make better decisions during the week and try my best to deal the realities about life while making the right choices.  My week in review:

Monday:
I started off the week feeling empowered and determined to stick to my clean eating plan and told myself I will not be breaking my own rules.  My breakfast that day was an egg white scramble with sausage, mushrooms, spinach and a little cheese.  Had the right snacks for the day  between fruit, roasted soy beans and almonds, I was so confident that I am on the right track and nothing is going to stop this young lady. My dinner that night was zoodles and baked chicken and made sure that I had prepared enough for the next 4 days to take for lunch as well as packed snacks for the week.

I bought new cycle shoes so I tried them out for the cycle class I did on Monday evening.  The feel of new shoes made the class more challenging compared to when I was wearing regular trainers and I felt different types of muscles burn and left the class feeling like a super hero.  Best part about this class is that I went with 4 of my friends and it felt like we were at the club dancing in one spot while exercising.

Tuesday:
Am still on a roll and feel am conquering the world with all my cravings and no one can stop me now not even my negative side.  Well I did pretty well, enjoyed the leftovers of the day before, felt energized and since it was not too cold went for a walk during my lunch break.  The barbell class was fun and is always challenging and we got to sweat, moan and groan during the class but got it done.  On my run training schedule, Tuesday night is when we are scheduled to do a 2 mile tempo run.  So after doing lots of squats, strength training and was all sweaty and exhausted I knew I still had to do my run homework.

The thing about running just like anything else in life is that you have to do the work in order to be successful.  So with that in mind and some whining about how I don't like running on the treadmill aka dreadmill I was joined by a friend and off we went running.  I really don't know how people are able to run on a treadmill and for a long period of time.  Running 2 miles on the treadmill felt like I was running 100 miles and the tough part is when you think that you are almost done with the run and you check the time and it is only 5 mins and you haven't yet done half a mile and wonder when will this end...arrgghhh.  While I watched the mileage increase very slowly and the clock looked like it was not moving at all all I could do is try and focus on my music. I was able to finish and felt great after I was done because that run on the treadmill is what I called mission impossible but it was done...woot woot.

Wednesday:
The night of hill repeats.  I guess this is the week of wearing new shoes and it takes a while to break into new shoes.  I bought a pair of new running shoes since I felt that the ones I had on previously were hurting my feet and knees so it was time for change. Have you been in a situation where everything isn't working for you the way you planned it and you just feel like you would rather just go home, chill, watch TV and eat some good food?  Well that was Wednesday afternoon, I had so much to do and for some strange reason didn't think that my baked teriyaki chicken with zoodles will be enough and bought some fries to add onto my lunch (see emotional eating again)   Clearly that is what one would call over eating but I convinced myself that I was "carb loading" for the hill repeats that night...yeah right...that is just eating for the sake of it.  Any runner would get a kick out of this comment.  The rest of the afternoon I felt so full and uncomfortable and started to regret my choices but the decision had been made and the food tasted good.

Just before training I realized I had forgotten my water bottle and flash light and at that point made up my mind that nothing was going to work for me that evening and doing these hill repeats was going to hurt  whether I had the right attitude or not.  I complained about how I don't like running outdoors, how it is dark outside, it is cold and how everything is so hard as if this is my first time running outdoors.  It ended up being a nice night, great running weather at about 46 degrees F.  Despite the negativity I was able to do it which is all that matters.

Thursday:
I decided to make this a rest day since I had to meet friends for dinner.  For somebody who had said they would not have any alcohol before the race I ended up having 2 glasses of white wine (don't judge me). I think this "live a little" attitude needs to be put in check because it seems am finding any excuse not to be disciplined and yet my days are going by fast.  The only form of exercise I did was go for a walk since am on a Fitbit work week challenge and needed to get my steps in for the day.  My highlight for the day though was the amazing company I had for dinner.  Nothing beats friends you haven't seen in a while and catching up over good food and conversation is a great pass time.

Friday:
This is the official rest day both from my gym routine and also my training schedule.  It was a pretty windy and cold day so I was determined to rest until when I remembered Friday is the last day of my work week challenge and my competitive side still had to come in a little.  I had convinced myself that I was really going to relax and looked at the number of steps that I had taken most of the day and they were only 357 steps.  How do I get to 10,000 steps as my daily goal while on a rest day? With extra push from my best friend who reminded me that I have no choice but to get up and do something I had to go for a walk.  This reminded me that having a support system is also important because it keeps you accountable.

Saturday:
Reality set in on Friday night after I got my run schedule for the half marathon training which meant that I was going to do more miles compared to the majority of people in the training program.  Most of the runners in the training program are training for a 10 mile (16km) race later this spring however, there are a few of us in the program who will be running half marathon races before the 10 mile race. Saturday morning started off when a few of us had to meet earlier than the rest of the crew to do a either 1 or 2 mile runs before the scheduled 6 mile run with the group.  It was cold with temperatures in the high 20s so one had to get ready with layers, gloves and hat and off we went.  I only had to do 1 mile but ended up doing a little over a mile after missing the turn around point.

We met up with the group to start out our 6 mile run and all I can say is that course was really hilly.  Whenever I went down a hill I didn't have enough time to smile and enjoy any flat course because we would end up going up another hill. I think the mental part was a little tough because every time I looked up and saw that I had to go up a hill I assumed that was the end of the hill but no not at all. One went up and down and up and down again until when we were done with the 6 miles.  In so many words many of the runners called this brutal and those who liked it well I didn't get to talk to them...LOL.   Despite the challenging course we all did it and finished strong.  Yes I run 7.4 miles on Saturday woot woot.  We were able to enjoy breakfast after our run and enjoy great company.  The rest of the day was spent chilling and that is all I could do since I was exhausted.

My week might have had it's challenges and I might have had some set backs with my eating and even my attitude when it came to running but am glad this week is over.  The best part about this journey is having a great support system and even when you don't want to go out and exercise accountability plays a big role in this process. Off to the next week and hope it will be better.