Double Take...

I'll admit it...
I forgot.

Truth be told, I wrote it in another location, my personal journal.

You have been with this for a year and so I thought you were due some closure.

About my 2014 New Year's Resolutions.....
let go of that breath I know you were holding. (snark intended)

First, let's review the list and why I chose them here....

And now for closure,

#1.  Get cards to people on time.
      My best year ever.... my niece, who's Birthday was December 26th, may not agree with me as I sent her card not only late but to her dorm address and not her home address where she was at the time of her Birthday.  A pleasant surprise will greet her when she gets back to school.  Surprise!!!  That was my only big goof on this one.  My entire family was pretty much in shock this year.

#2.  Finish Projects in a timely and sane manner.
    I Let it Go!!!  Let it Go!!  Sorry, couldn't help but breaking into song.  I released this notion that it HAD TO BE DONE NOW!!!!!!  and had more fun with my crafty and other projects this year.  The ultimate irony of this, by relaxing I generally got things done faster.

#3.  Work on my personal style.
    I did ok with this one.  I struggled with a little weight that I put on throughout the year and it definitely put me in a not buying clothes mood.  I did, however, clean out my closets and drawers and donated clothing I either did not like, did not fit, or was so totally out of style no one would want to be near me when I wore it.  I actually bought 2 items that are in my Pinterest 'My Style' board and love them.  I also realized I am completely ok with going to the grocery store in sweats and no makeup and I stopped feeling like I had to dress up for things that did not matter to me.  On the flip side, I love to dress up for events.  Glam me up on those occasions.  The last thing I did for my personal style was to CHOP my hair!!  It went from reaching the bottom of my shoulder blades to right below my ears.  It was liberating and apparently flattering because people have been telling me to keep this hair cut.

#4.  Figure out my Yoga practice
  I found a studio, 2 streets away from my house that I can walk to, and LOVE LOVE LOVE it.  It is not a trendy place.  It focuses on the basics and it makes be calm.  I was very inconsistent, however, about going when life got funky, which is the absolute worst time to stop and that is something I am still working on, consistency.

#5.  Find balance in my workout schedule.
   Remember how I almost did not put this on my list?  I wrote a whole post about it in February, called A bit of the Blahs....  This resolution gave me grief.  I struggled the ENTIRE YEAR and it was not until mid December during an Abdominal Massage in Mexico that I realized why.  It was an emotional moment I tell you.... I honestly could not breathe....  I was working out due to fear.  I was never going to find balance in fear.  It is just not possible.  I had to and have to continue to workout from a place of love.  For example, I love what my body is able to do today or I love how I feel when I am in class or I love what I am doing.  This is going to be a lifelong process, but at least I know now what balance in my workout schedule should look like.
   Since December, I have taken days off when I have not felt well, instead of pushing myself too hard.  I have let go the expectation of what my poses should look like in yoga and have made progress like you can not believe.  I have made plans not to do it alone.
 
#6.  Cross items off my Bucket List.
  I love this one....more National Parks were visited, I completed a MARATHON, I had a tarot card reading, I'm almost done with the 100 best movies ever made list, and there were a few more.  This will make another appearance in 2015.

#7.  Do a monthly savings challenge.
  Absolute failure on this one.  I did not have a plan.  I did not make a plan.  I should of had the plan before I made the resolution.  Financially, I did ok in 2014, but I could of done better with a plan.  I am redoing this in 2015 and I already have my plan in place.

#8.  Be more creative.
  I put a lot of thought, effort and time into this one and eventually it paid off.  It was not without its pitfalls, however, I took classes that I just didn't click with, struggled with finding the right medium, and had some doubts.  In September, I found my unexpected gift.  I fell in love with Watercolors and for a person who is unable to draw a straight line with a ruler (I get that weird ruler bump), it loved me back.  I am enjoying painting immensely and am continuing my classes in 2015.

#9.  Maintain my progress and Move Forward.
   This year was interesting.  It had some High Highs and very Low Lows.  I got completely flipped by the end of the year and had lost my balance.  The benefit, however, of some life experience is that I flipped back right side up faster and with more ease than I had in the past.  I realized there are some very simple things that help keep me in balance and will use them not only when things are going well, but when they are not.  I also will ask for help before it gets too bad.  I am very lucky and grateful for the people in my life who have offered and given help to me.

Was that a year or what?
Some successes and some not.
But I will never regret making the Resolutions....

Melissa

One Size Fits All?

If you have been following this blog, you know that I have been leaning off the edge of the health and fitness wagon and am working on getting back in the saddle.  One of the benefits of getting a little older is that you know your body a bit better, so you hopefully know what works for you....

For me,
Diet Cokes have to be gone.  When I drink them, my lower abdomen gets immediately puffy.  When I eliminate them from my diet, it goes away.  I have noticed this time on Diet Cokes, the sugar rush and resulting crash.  The puffiness, alone is worth getting off Diet Coke, but the rush/crash cycle is what has me motivated to get off them this time.  I think my body is realizing this is (FINGERS CROSSED) the last time Diet Cokes are around, so it is RESISTING big time.  I will make it, but it is taking some time.

Next for me, the more natural and less processed the better.  I have found that I can even have desserts in moderation, if they are homemade.  My body does not react well to the preservatives and chemicals.

And finally for me, movement....  A mixture of high and low impact cardio and yoga seems to work the best.

Now, you will notice that at the beginning I said for me...
there is a reason behind this.

My friends and I have been having conversations about diet and exercise lately and we have noticed a common theme,
One size (or diet or exercise plan) does not fit all...

but there are a few common ideas that do.  We call them the 4 M's.

1. Moderation.  No matter what you eat moderation is the key.

2. Movement.  Find what works for you and have some fun.

3. Mindfulness.  Be aware of your diet, movement and your thoughts.

4. Mind your Own Business.  What works wonders for you may be a nightmare for someone else.  For example, a vegan diet is a nightmare for me, due to the fact that a lot of the protein sources come from nuts and I have a massive issue with most nuts. (They trigger massive Migraine headaches)  However, if it works for you, I am happy and pleased for you.  Please do not judge or condemn a person for the diet and workout regiment they have chosen.  This also applies for exercise--Running is a favorite of mine for cardio and I toned up and got in shape faster with it than with any other exercise program.  One of my good friends would rather face her worst nightmare than go for a run, and that's fine by me.....

Notice that the Mind Your Own Business is the one with the most info on it.  My friends and I got into an almost fight before we realized this one was the most important one.  Losing weight is hard enough as it is and if a person has recognized that they need to lose weight, and trust me on this one, they know they are not looking their best, so any condemnation or criticism is going to hit deep and hard.  If they ask for help that is one thing and even then, be kind.  But for the most part, just encourage and celebrate their new choices and changes in their life.

I saw a quote the other day that sums up how I am approaching life lately...

Be firm on your goals,
But flexible on how you get there.

Making progress,
Melissa

A bit of the Blahs......

It's funny when I was making my New Year's Resolutions and the list was getting longer and longer, one of the items I wanted to take off the list was Find Balance in my Workouts.

I thought I had that down, so why was it keep popping up as a Resolution and one that WOULD NOT  go away?

This post is the reason why...

After my marathon and trip in January, I took about a week and a half off from working out.  I walked the dogs, but that was about it.  I was exhausted, and thanks to that foot that fell asleep during the race and a slip on the ice when I got home, I had a fatigued tendon in my ankle, no long term damage, but I needed to pamper it for a bit.

As a result, all of my motivation and excitement for working out was gone.

The schedule that had guided my life for almost 10 months was no longer needed.  I had completed my goal.  Yes, it was amazing and wonderful, but what I have been struggling with is this....

Now what?

It turns out that my Finding Balance in my Workouts was not only about getting all of the activities I love in, but more importantly......

Working out without a major goal in mind.

Yes, I know, my long term health is a goal, but it's not as exciting as running your first 5K, 10K, Half or Full Marathon.

I've been struggling with working out on those days when I am tired and the couch looks oh soooo comfortable and the Olympics are on or any of the other excuse that is easy to find.

The crazy thing is this....whenever I break thru the excuses, I always feel good and never regret the workout, even when my muscles are quivering from fatigue from a tough workout.

I need to find joy in the routine, in the little gains of strength, in breaking thru the plateaus of weight loss, and in the long term positive effects on my health.

I need to break thru the Blahs.......
and Just Do It.

Melissa

Letting it Sink in...

On January 12th, I completed a goal.

A big goal....a goal that was fairly high on my Bucket List.

One that I had been actively working on for over nine months.

One that I had first made when I was a Senior in High School, but had to let go of for a while.  I got the idea when about a month before graduation, a teacher was asking us what we wanted to accomplish in our lives that was not related to work or family.  He listed a bunch of things, but only one item stood out.  Run a Marathon.  This quickly went out the window as a not going to happen item, when five days after Graduation, I had the first of three knee surgeries.  After the third one, I was told due to tight hamstrings, weak quadriceps, and bad form, I needed to stop running.

Grrr....

Twenty years later, things had changed.  My hamstrings while still a battle to stay loose are better; my quadriceps are stronger; and most importantly, a trainer helped me to change my running strike.  I was a toe runner, basically, never having a heel strike.  Not good, as it added strain to my knees.

As documented here, I started with a 5k and permission from my knee surgeon.  I progressed slowly and with no pain.  The twenty year gap was needed, but not for the reasons I thought.

I had a training plan that physically seemed possible and gave me some extra time.  The part I did not expect was the psychological aspect.  It was tougher and harder than the physical part.

This is where that 20 year gap came in handy.  I had toughened up, gotten more dedicated when things went wrong, and been introduced to meditation.  In fact, if you recall, in 2013 I had set a resolution to meditate every day.  There are decisions that when you look back on them seem really really smart, and this was one of them.  I wish I could say that I knew the effects meditation would have on my running, but I had no clue.

I picked the Walt Disney World Marathon in Orlando, Florida on January 12, 2014.  I picked it for a couple of reasons--#1.  It is recommended for runners as a good beginner marathon.  #2.  I love Disney and the course went thru the four parks.  #3.  It was a fairly flat course.  I found out that running downhill for an extended period of time bugs my knees.

Training was at times frustrating, exhilarating, tiring, and energizing.  It ran the spectrum of emotions.  I started to struggle once my training runs were past 18 miles.  I had to slow WAY WAY down in order to survive.  That was not easy for me to accept.  Although, my only goal was to finish the marathon, when I first started increasing my miles, I had a plan.  I was aiming for about a 4:30 to 5 hour marathon.  Reality and acceptance told me it was going to take a bit longer.

If you are wondering when I am going to talk about the actual race, I will...
but I have realized something in the time since the race, the time on course, while a big deal is not what a marathon is all about.  It's the training......because the training makes race day possible.  The race day gets the attention because you are there with a bib with a number on it; thousands of others attempting the achieve the same goal; that lovely medal you get at the end; and the amazing people who cheer you on on course, but you do not cross the finish line without the time and energy put forth in the training.

I have a obnoxious trait that shows up about a couple of days before a race that has a new distance, I start questioning my ability to do it.  I stress and drive people around me CRAZY!!!  This should never happen again, as I have now run races at every distance.  I should of meditated more and just believed more, but the focus I had put on this event started to weigh on me.  I just wanted it over, good or bad, finish or not........the pressure, that was only in my head, had gotten to me.

Now for some race details...
There were 20,000 plus marathon runners at the Walt Disney World Marathon.

In addition to the marathoners, there were 2 crazy groups of people... Group #1 were called Goofy's.  They ran the Half Marathon on Saturday and then the Full Marathon on Sunday.  They totaled around 9,000.  Group #2 were called Dopey's.  They were insane...on Thursday, they ran a 5 K, on Friday, a 10 K, on Saturday, the Half, and on Sunday, the Full..  All totaled they would run/walk 49 plus miles in 4 days.  There were 7,000 of them.

As you can tell, there were a lot of people on course.  All 50 states were represented and all continents, except Antarctica.  We started in waves, but had to be at the start line at 5:30 no matter what wave you were in.

With a 5:30 start time, I was up at 3:20!!!  Me up at 3:20.  It was not pleasant.  I caught a shuttle to take me to the start line at 4 am.  There was security to get thru, stretching to do, bathroom breaks, and calming by family!  I ,then, went to the start line, which ended up being almost 2 miles away.

5:30 am the elite wave left.....

About an hour later, the starting gun for my wave finally went off and I started my marathon.
(FYI, the elite runners were at mile 13 when I started)

To prevent me from starting to fast due to adrenaline and the surge of runners, I planned on a run/walk strategy for the first 3 miles.  It went well.  Then, I went to a slow run phase....

I alternated between the two phases until mile 21...

and my left foot fell asleep.  Not good.  When we were not in the Parks, we were on the roads that connected them, which were angled.  Great for draining water, but after a while not good for runners.

I had officially started my marathon.

Why do I say that?  Marathons are exercises in discipline, dedication, in learning about yourself, and the knowledge of what is temporarily uncomfortable or actually dangerous.

My asleep foot fell into that temporary category.  At a water/aid station, I leaned against a table and lifted my foot and shifted in my shoe and the tingling immediately went away.  No damage, just a fun little quirk I had to work thru.

I slowed WAY WAY WAY down, barely running until mile 25, but I KEPT GOING!

And this is the lesson I learned....
The voice in your head that says you can not do it.
IS A LIAR.

I felt better by the time I got to mile 25 and started slowly running again and ended up running across the finish line with tears streaming down my face as I high fived Minnie Mouse and looked for my mom.

I saw her, threw my hands above my head, and yelled, "I DID IT and NEVER AGAIN!"

Happy Crying at the FINISH Line!!

The next step was to get the finisher medal around my neck.  More tears....

I love that medal...

I was exhausted, but not in pain, which was my goal all along in training.  To finish without pain.  We made our way back to the hotel where I took a much needed shower, changed, and made some phone calls.  I rested but never for too long.  We then went over to Downtown Disney for dinner and to celebrate.

It seemed surreal for about a week, what I accomplished...
like it was someone else who did it or that it was just a dream.

Now, I can say I am a Marathon Finisher!

and no, I will not do it again.

One last thing, even though this post is running long, while many aspects of training and running a Marathon are solitary endeavors, the support and love you get from the people around you are invaluable, so THANK YOU!!  A million times THANK YOU!

Melissa

2014 Resolutions...

It's time...

To set my intentions/goals/resolutions for the year.

It took me a couple of days to figure out the list, mainly because I kept wanting to make it shorter, and the list wanted to stay longer.

So, beware, 2014 is going to be an ambitious year.

#1.  Get cards to people on time.
     
        One of my sister in laws is amazing at this!!  She is my role model for the year.  The main reason behind this resolution--my brother, who just happens to be married to the really good card mailer, got his card over a month late this year.  A MONTH!!!  I've gotten really good at buying the cards in time, but getting them in the mail so they get to the person before their birthday/event is the area of concern.

#2.  Finish projects in timely and sane manner.

        I am not talking about work projects or things for other people.  I'm talking about craft projects and such that I do on my own.  I will be posting about the reason behind this when I finish a project in a week or so.  It was the reason behind this.

#3.  Work on my personal style.

        Lately, I have been feeling like I am a sweats and a little too casual kind of girl.   I know that I am not a fussy style, but I want to be more pulled together and polished.  There are a couple of stylists around town that I may call to help me pull it together and get an unbiased opinion on what looks good and what does not.  It's an option I'm looking into.  Pinterest actually brought this to my attention, believe it or not... I was going thru my boards and realized the one board that I pin to quite a bit but have done nothing from was my 'My Style' board.

#4.  Figure out my yoga practice.

       My yoga practice the last couple of years has been inconsistent and varied in style.  I feel like it has become more of a creative workout instead of a yoga practice.  I have been researching two yoga studios here in town that I believe are what I am looking for.  The next step, getting to the studios.  I am going to take a break from antigravity, Bikram, and all other types of non traditional yoga and see what happens.  I also want to get my home practice going.  If I am not in class, I do not do my poses. I read, somewhere, not too long ago, that if you do not have an active home practice, you are not really practicing yoga.

        The culminations of this resolution will be in December when I journey back to Haramara and have another week long Yoga retreat.

#5.  Find balance in my workout schedule.

      While I have enjoyed the mental and physical challenge of training for a marathon, it has put a certain rigidity to my workout schedule.  In 2014, I want to find a balance of running, swimming, yoga, and all the other fitness activities that I enjoy.  I will still enter races on occasion to challenge myself, but I want the workouts to be the reward and challenge.

#6.  Cross items off my Bucket List.

      When I created my Bucket List a while ago, I did not want to wait until the end of my life to start crossing items off the list.  I wanted it to be a lifelong adventure.  I have a couple of items that I want to accomplish this year---details will be revealed at a later date here on the blog.  This item will more than likely be on in 2015, 2016 and so on....  I want it to remain in the forefront of my mind.  Accomplish what you want to out of life and do not miss out on opportunities.  Good resolution, don't you think?

#7.  Do a monthly saving challenge to increase my savings.

       I am still formulating how I am going to accomplish this one.  There are multiple money challenges out there.  I am leaning towards one that has you do a different task every month.  As soon as I decide I will do a post and detail it out...

#8.  Be more creative.

        I have a mindset that I want to change....Because I can not draw, I question my creativity.  I want to explore different kinds of creativity and find mine.

#9.  Maintain my progress and move Forward.

       A nice vague goal...  It's really not, when you think about it.  2013 moved me forward by my resolutions, work, plans and just plain life.  Keep looking forward and mend the past.


This is the highest number of resolutions I have every listed, but I tried multiple times to eliminate one or two from this list and it just did not feel right....

The majority of my resolutions this year are more mindset than task oriented goals, though there are a couple of those, and I think that is why I am ok with the higher number.

Once again, I will update my progress through out the year, both good and bad....

Hopeful in the New Year..
Melissa

Mind the Time...

It's that time of year, when I look back and see how I have done on my 2013 resolutions....

Here is the post that laid it out on the line...

#1.. Meditate every day.
        I did miss some days and ironically they were quiet lazy days, but I do have to say that I call this one good.  In fact, the title of the post, 'Mind the Time', is from the guided meditations that I did where Deepak Chopra led.  When it was time for meditation time on my own, he would say that he would mind the time and let me know when it was time to end the meditation.

       This is one of those resolutions that I chose to start a lifelong habit.  My mind this year has been the quietest and peaceful it has ever been and as I keep meditating I expect it to kept getting better.

#2..Swim a mile and then decrease the time.
      I was in the pool more this year than I have been in the past 3 years combined.  I got my mile time under 30 minutes, then my marathon training took over and I let my swimming become more of a quiet recovery workout.

      The balancing issue of my workouts sparked an idea for a 2014 resolution, so it's a learning curve.

#3..Communicate more.
      What I realized is that I am changing the way I communicate with family, friends and even myself.  The journaling technique that I used for many years no longer works for me, and once I accepted that and stopped beating myself up about missing days in my daily journal and wrote when I wanted and needed to---it became effortless and enjoyable again.

       I wrote more consistently here on my blog and have accepted that around the New Year, I want to write more, so December/January will generally always have more posts than any other time of the year.  What I have let go of is this---the idea that I have to have them done by a certain date.  Do you know when ideas are floating around in my head?  No, not until I hit the publish button to send the ideas into cyberspace.  Let it go, Melissa.  You are doing this blog for fun.

    There was one area that I need to improve on in communication...getting cards and notes out in a timely manner.  Once again, I will be building upon this year's resolution in 2014.  More details to come..

#4..Be Fearless!
     I actually think I did pretty good on this one.  My voice lessons, which I took from January until April, got rid of my fears of singing in a group, and I actually had fun!
    I took classes thru community education by myself in subjects I knew nothing about and met new people.
    I crossed items off my Bucket List and moved my life forward.
    Fear did crop in every once in a while, but I was more apt to plow thru it knowing this was a resolution for the year.  I may have to do this one more often in resolutions...

#5..Continue.
      Yes, I did.  In fitness, I completed 30 day challenges for planks, squats, wall sits, and push ups.  I ran a half marathon and will be running a full marathon on January 12, 2014.  Of course, there were ups and downs, little weight gains and then losses, but I kept going.
     In relationships both with myself and with others, they grew, got stronger, or if needed, moved on. It is always interesting to look back and see how things changes.  As you are living each day, most of the time, you do not notice all of the little changes, but when you look back you recognize the changes.
    I have also done quite a few items from my Bucket list.  I did my Bucket List to help me realize opportunities when they come into my life to do the items that matter to me, and that is another way of Continuing for me.

It has been interesting since I have been posting my Resolutions on my blog, my success rate has increased.  Is it the fact that I put them out there and therefore, I get more support?  Or is it, I feel more accountable?  Or is it I see them more often?

I have no idea...
I'm just going to accept it.

2014 resolutions are still getting firmed up and plans set, so just know they are coming.

Happy New Year....
Melissa

Random Musings on a Half....

I went...
I ran...
Slowly, but I ran....
and here are some random things about my adventure.

1.  I can not run and drink from a cup at the same time.  Runners, is there a class I can take?
2.  No matter how many times you offer me Gu at an aid station, I will never ever take it.
       Seriously, it is gross.....
3.  I can run and eat an half of a banana or gummy bears.  I felt so coordinated after my drinking misadventures.
4.  Apply your anti chafing product with gusto.  I was whiter than normal, but made it thru ok.
5.  Steep hills during mile 6 are just mean.
6.  Kids dressed as superheroes that are willing to run up with you make mean hills slightly better.
7.  Volunteers along the course really keep you motivated with cheering.
8.  5:25 is early to get up and get ready for a 6:30 start time.
9.  Runners, as a whole, are an amazing wonderful encouraging group of people!
10.  I ran the first 1 1/2 with a runner from Texas in a race in Morgan, Utah.
11.  Misters are the greatest thing ever on a race course.
12.  Otter pops at mile 11 rock!  I even got my favorite flavor--grape.
13.  13.1 miles is a long way, but it is doable.
14.  I ran slower than I had planned 3 weeks ago, but you know what.....it doesn't really matter.
15.  I will be running another Half Marathon in October.
16.  I will run on Tuesday, because that is one of my running days.....
17.  Yes, I am tired, but not in pain.  Added bonus....no loss of toenails.
Melissa

The Build-up

I have been training since the end of March for my first Half Marathon.  That statement alone should give you a clue to my sanity and reasoning as of late and give you an inkling of what I am about to describe.

It started off great.  I had a training plan, with 4 extra weeks, to get ready.  I ran; I swam; I did yoga; and I rested.  It was not easy, but it was doable.

About 3 weeks ago, I hit a groove.  I had finally conquered the mental block for 10 miles and I was cruising.  I began setting goals for myself beyond just finishing, which when I started this adventure was my only goal.  I began worrying about pacing at certain speeds and about my finish time.  I began comparing myself to a weird ultimate runner who only existed in my head.

My dreams starting to have a running bent to them.  The Half Marathon was taking not only time and thought during my waking hours, but in the nighttime too.

I was stressing out.

Then on Saturday, I got sick.
A bug that has left me exhausted, tired, and drained.  My appetite has been off.  I have missed my last 2 training runs.

On Monday, I considered canceling my hotel room and missing the race.

Today is Thursday and I will be running on Saturday.
Without a watch....... I will run at what my body tells me is ok, not what I think I should do.
Without a goal.......except to cross the finish line.

With joy......I love to run.
With gratitude.....A year ago, I barely ran a 5k.  On Saturday, I will run 13.1 miles.

Why do I do this to myself?  And it is all on me.  Everyone in my life has been so supportive and encouraging about just attempting a Half Marathon.  I was the one who started putting time limits on it.

A thought keeps popping in my head that sums it all up.....

Let it go
and it will be what it is meant to be......

Melissa

2013 Resolutions...

It's time...
for my 2013 Resolutions to be revealed.

Are you breathless with anticipation?
or just really tired from all of the posts from the last few days?

Drumroll.....

#1.  Meditate every day

       Why?  You may ask...good question.  In November 2012, I participated in a 21 Meditation Challenge sponsored by Deepak Chopra and LOVED it.  I had been toying the idea of meditating every day for a year when the challenge presented itself and it cemented the idea.  I've downloaded guided meditations from iTunes, purchased the Challenge from Chopra and 2 others, and am planning on doing Buddhist Zazen meditation, well.  I'm three days into to it and have learned a couple of things....
                1.  Don't meditate right before bed.  I am very relaxed right after, but then the energy build happens and it takes FOREVER to fall asleep
               2.  This is going to be really cool.


#2.  Swim a mile, then decrease the time by the end of the year.

       Oops, this is a re-resolution from 2012.  :(  I got in the pool 3 times last year.  My inner fish is gasping for air and is severely dehydrated.  The goal for this year--GET BACK IN THE POOL, build up to a mile again (it shouldn't take me too  long) and then decrease the time.  I have a plan this year and will update my time, here on the blog, and then my goal time.

#3.  Communicate more.....

       With my friends and family; with my journaling; and with my blogging....  I noticed in 2012, when I got busy, stressed or overwhelmed, I turned inward and stopped calling and writing.  I even stopped journaling, which helps with my stress and funkiness.  I blogged inconsistently and then overwhelmed myself at the end of the year....

#4.  Be fearless!!!

       I want to do stuff that has in the past that has scared me.  I'm not talking about my logical and completely reasonable fear of snakes.  I'm talking about singing lessons (January 8th)....I'm talking about being the first one to sign up for something.  Live without the inner dialogue that stops me from doing things I really want to do.  I know it's a little vague, but it's a mindset.  :)

#5.  Continue...

       with the progress of the last year.  Keep eating healthy and maintaining a balance.  Keep running and making progress.  Keep my emotional stuff in check.  I do not want to look back at the end of 2013 and then do previous goals again....  At the end of 2013,  I want to see progress and keep on moving forward.

Here we go 2013...
Melissa

Resolution Recap...

Remember in January when I posted my 2012 New Year's Resolutions?

If not, here is a little reminder.

Now that it is January 2013, it's time for an update.....

#1. Run a 5k.

Yes!!!  This was my most documented resolution here on the blog, with one, two entries about it.

#2.  Take singing lessons

This was the hardest for me, by FAR!!!!!  I wimped out, I got scared, and I delayed.  It started off well enough in January when I put out a plea on facebook and in real life for a voice coach.  I was full of enthusiasm and had little fear.  I did not find a vocal coach until about June when a friend and my research came together in the same name.  Did I call then?  Nope.  I lost her number.  I put it off until about September when I reread my resolution list and asked my friend again for the number again.  Still did not call.....
fear had set in.

December rolled around and I thought, 'Now is the time to call' and actually did, but got the voicemail of the vocal coach.  It turns out that December with all of the Christmas concerts and other activities  is not best time to schedule a lesson.  I have since talked to her and have scheduled a lesson in January.

So, does it still count?  Not sure.....

#3.  Take 10 minutes off my 1 mile swim time.

Nope.  I can count on one hand how many times I got into a swimming pool this year.  I think my mistake was doing two resolutions that had fitness goals attached.  Running dominated my mind and exercise time this past year.  I am going to re-resolve this one and actually make a plan to make it happen.

#4.  Get up earlier on weekends and my days off.

I did ok on this one.  I am not a big napper, so when I am tired and overstressed, I recover by sleeping in a bit.  I learned with this one to listen to my body and rest when I need it.

Not a bad result, I think.  There is a lot of talk about how resolutions do not work and set you up for failure, but I have always like them.  I do not always succeed, but when I don't I always try and see why....  Sometimes, it was just a lack of a plan, like #3, but others, it's a lack of overcoming a fear (#2) and you still end up making progress.

I'm still forming all of my 2013 resolutions, so I'll be posting them later this week.  It was really nice and encouraging to get  the comments on the blog and in real life.  They kept me motivated and honest in my resolutions, so THANK YOU!!

Melissa

Like the Musical Stylings of A Flock of Seagulls...

If you grew up in the 80's, 'I Ran' just popped into your head with that blog title, and this past weekend that's exactly what I did.

I signed up to run my first 5K at the Run Through the Lavender race that's held in Mona, Utah.  If you've ever driven I-15 in Juab county, you've probably seen the purple fields of lavender on the west side of the freeway, and that is what I ran through on Saturday.

the runner in the center is me!  running thru the lavender

On Monday, I got a little anxious.  On Tuesday, I was a little nauseated.  On Wednesday, my hamstring tightened up on me.  On Thursday, I melted (it was 104 F).  On Friday, I threatened to move to Canada, so I wouldn't have to run on Saturday.  On Saturday, I wondered why I had signed up to voluntarily run 3.1 miles, but I went to the start line anyway.

I have to talk a little about the weather.  If you live in Utah, the 4 days before my race where above 100 F temperatures.  UGH!!  On Friday, however, a rain storm went through most of Northern Utah and cooled the temps off.  YEAH!!!  Saturday morning, it was in the mid 60's and not rainy or windy.  Perfection for runners!

While waiting for the starting gun, I was talking to other runners about the course and the hill that makes up the first 1.4 mile of the race and how steep it was and strategies for the surge at the beginning.  It was a chip race, which meant your time did not start until you crossed the timer at the start line and ended when you went over the finish line, so you could wait for the surge of people at the beginning and still make your goal time.

I had enough adrenaline when that starting gun went off to run a marathon, but it quickly evaporated when I started and realized that dogging walkers and groups of 3 wide runners and ruts in the dirt road and the occasional mud puddle and thinking about my pace takes up a lot of energy.  Then the hill came.  197 feet elevation addition in 1.4 miles, have mercy.  It wasn't overly steep, but it went on FOREVER!!!!!!!!!!  After the race, while getting water and a snack, all of the runners were saying that their first mile was their slowest mile by far.  I was in that group.  I had to take a few 10 deep breaths breaks on that hill.

Once I turned the corner off of the uphill, my race plan started to gel.  I found a comfy running pace, my breathing evened out and I felt good.

On a side note, about this time, I'm guessing about 15 minutes in, the 1st place runner crossed the finish line in 16:21, averaging a 5:12 mile.

me, pushing to the finish line

 At about 2 1/2 miles, you could really see the finish line and the spectators could see you.  Talk about motivation to keep running!  My plan, about 3 weeks before the race, was to finish under 30 minutes, but then my running kind of fell apart, so I adjusted it to under 35 minutes, and guess what?  I made it.

My time  33:21!

Not the fastest time in the world, but out of the 1000 runners, I came in 382 place, 18th in my age division!  For my first 5K!

The promised land of no more running

If you want to run the Run Through the Lavender 5K, or they also have a Half Marathon as well, go for it.  It was a well organized and thoughtfully planned out race, and as an added benefit they give you a ton of gifts for signing up.  A technical running shirt, essential lavender oil, lavender stress relief roll on, a medal for finishing and a lavender plant!  Just do some hill training to help with that first 1.4 mile.  I did some, but not near enough and they were not long enough.

A sweaty, happy 5K finisher!!!!

Here's the kicker, I've already planned my next 5K.  It's in October!!!!
I started this adventure as a New Year's Resolution in January and it has taken me places I had not expected, but I am so glad that I did!!!!!

All in all, it's just another Brick in the Wall

No, it's not Pink Floyd day here at the blog,
it's a reference to my running adventures.

Yes, my running!  :)  My New Year's resolutions are still in tact!  and it's June.....

I've signed up for a 5K race on July 14th!  It's the Run Thru the Lavender 5K and Half Marathon at the Young Family Farm in Mona, Utah.  I will be running thru fragrant beautiful fields on dirt roads for 3.2 miles.

I had looked for a while to find the best race to sign up for.  I did not want one that was too big, too hilly or too soon.  I wanted to take my time and train properly and then when I finally do run the race, I did not want to feel like a sardine fighting for a spot.  The Run Thru the Lavender fit everything!

Signing up for a race has focused my running.  I had stalled out in terms of pushing myself, because I knew I wouldn't sign up for a race with less than a month notice, so I had basically kept myself at week 4 of my training regiment and had taken days off (running only 1 day a week sometimes, oops).  The deadline of July 14th has gotten me moving forward again....

and into the wall.

I had never really understood the 'wall' that runners had talked about since the beginning of time, until Thursday.  It literally felt like I had slammed into an invisible wall during my run.  I was cruising along, breathing nicely, shoulders relaxed and feeling groovy when it hit.  I like a newbie, started to walk, instead of slowing down my pace.

BIG MISTAKE.

Guess what happened on my next run on Saturday?  Yep, another wall at the exact same distance.  This time I did not stop running, I kept at it.  I remembered a quote that I saw on Pintrest --

Unless you throw up or faint, you don't stop.

I told myself that fainting was a little extreme, so I altered it a bit to light headed and since I was not I  kept running.
I asked myself if I was nauseated-- I was not, so I kept running.

Guess what happened....
I broke down that wall, brick by brick, and made my distance increase!!!
The wall did not last forever and once I made it thru it, I felt like I was just starting my run, full of energy and ready to go!
Progress was made and as a result,  I'm up to 2.8 miles and I have 6 weeks until my race!

Running has been more about the psychology than the physiology for me.  Pushing myself; learning what is real or what is me just wanting to give up; and most importantly, quieting that voice in my head that has all of those negative thoughts.  The ultimate benefit, it's carrying over to the rest of my life.  :)  Physically, I feel amazing!  My knees, which has been operated on 3 times (2 on the right, once on the left), have never bothered me.  My muscles are toning up and fat is leaving the building.  The most unexpected benefit, on days that I run, I sleep AMAZING!!!

So, I'll end it with this,
the next time you run into a 'wall'
try running thru it.

Melissa

Bring it on....

Ok, 2012....
Let's see what you've got!

I say this because in the 2 weeks of 2012,  I've been challenged in my New Year's Resolutions. 

Normally, I do not share my resolutions with everyone, but this year I am putting them, or most of them, out there.  There is one that is on a emotional level and it's how I deal with certain events in my life, and it does not need to be put out there, because it effects others.

So, here are my 2012 New Year's Resolutions....

1.  Run a 5k.  (if my knees are ok)
2.  Take singing lessons
3.  Take 10 minutes off my 1 mile swim time
4.  Get up earlier on my days off and on the weekends

Why did I choose these resolutions?  To stay the course on my healthy path I've set in the past year and for #2 to do something that scares me to death. 

So, how does the universe take to my Resolutions?  EARLY EARLY morning wakeup calls (5 times already this year); invitations to running magazines; emails about 5ks; and in cleaning out my closet, I found my favorite pair of swim goggles.  Bring it on, universe.  I'm ready.

The challenges, however, have not been bad.  Support has come in unexpected and welcome ways.  Facebook has provided accountability in achieving my running goal and then turns around and gives me cheers and support.

I do have a question or a plea for help...  Does anyone know of a vocal coach for the singing impaired?  In the Salt Lake area?  I've been looking and most of the ones I've found are for aspiring stars.

I promise to keep you updated and aware of my progress and yes, pitfalls of my resolutions.

Melissa