Ripped in 30- Day Eight

Wednesday was a pretty hectic day.

One of my coworkers was let go on Tuesday and since I was the only one in the office who knows his job I took it upon myself to handle his submissions that he already had assigned to him. When everyone got in on Wednesday we made a game plan for the new business that would have been his and it is going to be pretty evenly split between three of us, but that still means that I have 100+ accounts to go through and then the new stuff that comes in daily.

I know I volunteered for it, so I really shouldn't say anything negative. Basically my schedule from this point until the beginning of the new year will be 6am-5pm Monday-Friday and weekend work. Thankfully I plan on saving the weekend work to be stuff I can do from home so that I can still be with my family.

That being said, I decided that I would be willing to skip my workout Wednesday night since I wouldn't be home until close to 8pm since we do trivia with the family at a nearby restaurant. Then I needed to make cupcakes for work for Halloween. And help Isabel carve her pumpkin. All in all, I just ran out of time and new that I could be flexible and  reschedule my workout for Saturday.







I almost did the same thing tonight since it was Halloween and all and since I had dressed up for work. I ended up making it work though and got my workout in around 7:30pm at my parents house. 


I went to work in my costume and we had a potluck from 1:30pm-3pm then we were able to leave early. I went to my parents, changed, went for a 1 mile run then put my costume back on. We took Isabel to my sisters for pictures with my niece and then took her back to my parents to trick or treat. We got back to my parents around 7:30pm so I decided that I would do my workout there since I had my DVD and weights with me.

I'm actually pretty proud of myself for not skipping it two days in a row. Although I could have (and would have) made up the workouts over the weekend, I know that it will be nice to know that I do not have to workout on both of my days off (with the exception of running of course).

I have really been enjoying week 2 and I know that I am getting a good workout in because I am dripping with sweat when I am done. I love it!

I have started to think about what I want to do after Ripped in 30 and I am thinking of doing 30 Day Shred again, but only Monday-Friday, not for 30 days again. Maybe after that I will just do strength training three days a week. I'm not quite sure yet, only because I don't know what the results from Ripped in 30 are going to be. As of today I really don't feel any difference, but then again it hasn't even been two complete weeks yet. That, plus I am just getting back into tracking my calories on My Fitness Pal.

Who knows what's going on. All I do know is that I am making healthy changes and I'm sure my body will catch up eventually.

Running Crafts

I used to have every single racing bib and medal hanging in our living room in our apartment. I was proud of my accomplishments and wanted to show off.

But we never had any visitors and it felt kind of silly having them hanging where they were. I decided one day out of the blue to take down all of my running memorabilia that was in the living room, leaving room on one shelf for my running books and my racing bib, medal, a picture, my knee high sock with "Los Angeles" down the side, my shoe lace and congratulation cards from my first marathon.

I kind of thought that it was silly to be bragging about these races. I thought that it was a bit much to show off all of my bibs and all of my medals and to have pictures up from races.

But a few weeks went by and I realized that I was missing something. I missed seeing those numbers, those medals, those memories from my accomplishments.

I can talk anyone up. If they're having a bad day or are thinking little of themselves for doing something that they don't think is amazing I can put on my cheerleader outfit and wave my pom poms around in order to make them feel better and to boost them up.

But ask me to be a cheerleader for myself and I am unable to think of anything positive to say. I can think of a few reasons why this is, and I'm learning how to get out of this way of thinking but not making much progress.

Back to my point..

I felt like my races were not anything to brag about because there are so many people out there who have done so much more than I have. But there is no reason why I shouldn't be proud of what I have done, in fact I should be showing them off because there are so many people out there who haven't done as much as I have.

I decided to put some of my bibs and medals up on a bulletin board.

But it's not really doing it for me. So I decided to make my own. I'm still in the process of making it, but I'm really excited about it. I think it's going to be just the right size to not be the center of attention, but I can put it out where people can see it without feeling like it's over taking the room.

I have already decided that I'm going to be making a set for a couple people for Christmas, but with different sayings. I'm excited about that too. And my mom has suggested I make a bunch of them and sell them at a nearby craft show. I'm not sure they're that good and I would probably spend more time to make them better, but is it really that far fetched of an idea? I had fun doing it, it wasn't too expensive and it would be awesome to make some extra money... We'll see what happens.

The hooks I plan on using for my sign.

Stencils.

Bling It On.

Find Your Happy Pace

This will be the sign that I hang my medals on.

This sign will be the sign that I hang my racing bibs on (once I get a clip).

Ripped in 30- Day Seven

Tonight's workout seemed easier somehow. Not easier physically, but mentally. I guess I was better prepared for it than I was last night.

I must say that I do enjoy the exercises in week 2 a lot better than in week 1. I feel as though they are giving me a great workout and both nights I have both looked and felt like I got my ass handed to me by Jillian herself. It's a tough workout and even though I am mostly following the modified version of some of the workouts, I am pushing myself to get closer to the advanced version.

I just cannot risk injury right now and when I was doing 30 Day Shred I did find that towards the end of the 30 days I was feeling it in my knees. They're not great to begin with, so intense strength training on top of streaking means that I need to be smart about certain things. My number one focus in regards to exercise is running. Yes, I want to tone my body (hence the strength training 5 days a week), however I have to realize that my knees need to be taken care of. I cannot feel guilty about that.

Since Halloween is this week, and I do plan on dressing up, my workout for Thursday will most likely be moved to Saturday. I am also going to be making Halloween cupcakes for our potluck tomorrow at work, so I brought my DVD to work with me and plan on doing it on my lunch so that I will have time to bake tonight.

We'll see how that works out because if I am able to get in both my run and my workout DVD while at work (sorry co-workers) then I will most likely do that from now on so that I can get it out of the way and not feel guilty for making so much noise to our downstairs neighbors.

2014 Running Goals

Since 2013 is almost over and I have my running goal decided for 2015 (Dopey Challenge in January and Dumbo Double Dare in September), I needed something for 2014, other than just training...

So when my sister asked if I was planning on signing up to run the LA Marathon again next year I decided to do it. Along with 11 other races throughout the year.

I decided that my goal for 2014 will be to run one race a month, a distance of 13.1 miles or more.

I have never done this many races in a year and I am really excited to attempt it. Having races lined up keeps me motivated and focused and I am started to get excited again.

This is a great time for me to make this goal for many reasons. I have paid off the rest of my debt and Patrick is finishing up with his. Once we are both out of debt we will focus more on saving for a house, but that is still a ways off. Secondly, the races are still far enough away that I am paying the least expensive price. Races tend to raise their prices the closer you get to race day, so as long as I am paying attention to sign up dates, I won't be paying an arm and a leg.

I'm really excited to run in a longer distance race again. The spectators, the race day experience and of course the bling are so worth it, in my opinion. Plus I have to go out with a bang!

I don't plan to stop running or stop racing entirely, but after Dopey, it would be financially wise for me to cut back to 1-3 races per year. It only makes sense to run all the races now and make it through Dopey while I can afford it. You know, before we buy a house and we're putting all of our money towards that.

I decided a while ago that I needed some running goals. Something I could work towards, train for, reach. I always work harder physically when I have a goal in mind.

So I decided to run 12 half marathon (or longer distance) races in the 2014 calendar year. I chose this goal so that I would constantly be training for something year round and as an attempt to not lose the running bug. So far the decision has proven to be positive as I am so excited to start training and so excited to see what limits I can push myself to.

I immediately began signing up for races for 2014, or at least for the months that were available. I planned out the races I knew I wanted to participate in, even if the registration was not open yet and as a way to plan out my year. I have been periodically checking active.com and other sources for updated racing dates and times for next year so that I will know when to register and what will be needed for those races (registration costs, traveling, support, training, etc.)

While searching for my next open month (May 2014), I came across an interesting race. Mountains 2 Beach. They have both the half marathon distance and full marathon distance available. It took me a little while to decide on what to do.

On one hand I knew that I may not want to run a marathon two months after finishing LA. On the other, I probably would.

That was the worst feeling ever. To run a marathon and to continue to walk for over a mile before finally being able to sit.

My dad jokes that running 26 miles is easy that it's the 0.2 miles that will get you. I have always and will always disagree and say that it's the walk back to your car.

I wanted to cry. I wanted to yell. I wanted to sit on the curb and protest walking. I wanted someone to pick me up and carry me. I wanted to never, ever run a marathon again. And that is exactly what I told Patrick when I finally made it to them. "I am done. I don't ever want to do this again."

I think there's something called Runners Amnesia. It's best defined here.

"Runner’s Amnesia:  a condition in which a runner’s memory is lost. In specified cases, the horrible mental and physical agony experienced from racing began to fade, and the endorphins from running seemed to morph those memories into fond, happy experiences in which the runner had very little to no recollection of the pain and negative experiences that occurred. In the most severe cases, this also resulted in the runner signing up for more, sometimes even harder events."

I relate it to child birth. Granted, I never physically had to give birth, but I did go through 9 hours of labor without any pain medication and with the nurse ever so kindly continuously upping my dose of pitocin as often as she could. It hurt, there's no question about it, but as soon as I could hear the cry of my daughter in the operating room nothing else existed. The pain was gone, the fear was gone, there was nothing to think about but that little girl. And I have been wanting another child for a while now.. Amnesia.

It only took about 5 days to decide that I wanted to keep running and that I most likely would run the LA Marathon again in 2014. And now here I am doing the full marathon for Mountains 2 Beach in May of 2014.

Hopefully the amnesia will kick in as quickly as it did last year.

And hopefully I don't get burnt out. I know that it's a lot and I know that I am going to be exercising and running and training like a crazy person, but you have to be pretty crazy to run a marathon and half crazy for the 13.1 distance. I found my passion and I'm going to crazy it up for as long as I can!

Like I told my best friend the other day while we were out walking... I don't want to get to a point in my life where I can't run anymore and think "You know what I wish I would have done..." Instead I am going to run while I can and enter races while I can and enjoy the experiences.

Not everyone understands the need to pay to run. I don't pay to run, I pay for an experience and I have yet to regret these decisions. Each race is different and completely worth it and as long as I'm not putting it on my credit card and am paying my bills on time then I don't see the need to justify it. And I can tell you that I intend to continue to race until at least September of 2015, but it may be past then. Who knows at this point.

And then something else happened that changed my racing plans. I had been waiting and waiting for the registration to open for the Mammoth Mountain Half. I finally received notice of when the race will be, which helped because now I can plan my trip.

But then I started thinking about The Challenge. I found out about The Challenge for the first time last year at the LA Marathon expo. It was the first year and I was very interested in it. Unfortunately, the race in San Diego was the same month as the LA Marathon. I decided to just focused on signing up for the Mammoth half in 2014.

I didn't even think about it. I just decided that I would be running the LA Marathon again in March and then running the Mammoth half for my June race. No question. I went with what I knew.

But then I started thinking about it a little more.

And I talked to Lorien and Patrick about it.

And I thought some more.

It didn't take long to decide that I will be taking The Challenge in 2014. I decided on this because it is new and it is exciting and there is an extra medal that I will receive for completing it when I cross the finish line in June in Mammoth.

I made this decision and immediately purchased the package for both races. And then I had a slight panic filled, anxiety driven few minutes where I called Patrick to calm me down. I needed him to tell me that I made the right decision.

He did what he does best and listened to me while I had my irrational breakdown and came to my own conclusions on how I felt about it. The conclusion? I can’t wait to do both half marathons! Yes, it's slightly disappointing to not run two marathons next year, but I don't just get bling bling for these two races, I'll be getting some bling bling bling!

As of now this is my racing schedule for 2014. Once registration opens for the end of the year I will be signing up for those months. I may add in some 5Ks and 10Ks if they are nearby and not too expensive.

1/5/14- Camarillo Half
2/23/14- Seaside Half
3/9/14- San Diego Half
4/6/14- Hollywood Half
5/25/14- Mountains 2 Beach Marathon
6/22/14- Mammoth Mountain Half

7/13/14- Shoreline Half Marathon
8/10/14- Arroyo Creek Half

Ripped in 30- Day Six

I tried to prepare myself by watching week two on my lunch break again. I thought if I mentally knew what was coming it might make it a little bit easier to physical do it.

I was wrong.

I don't know what I was thinking. As I watched it I kept thinking about how crazy this is whole idea is and that there's no way I can do it. 

As I did it I realized that I like this week better than the first week. I also realized that I am out of shape and very frustrated with myself for allowing this to happen. I can't go back but I can hopefully learn from the past and not make the same mistake again. 

I had three goals for tonight's workout:

1) finish it ✔

2) give it my all ✔

3) not cry ❌

Not proud about it, but it's true. I know that I'm not mad at Jillian. I'm mad at myself and I'm mad that I have very little endurance when it comes to strength training. Give me a long distance run every day and I'll gladly do it with a smile on my face, but I know that my body will not change with cardio alone. 

I also know that it will not change with cardio and strength alone. I need to make more changes to my eating habits. 

Or I need to be patient and see if the changes I have made pay off after the four weeks are over. Maybe that's the problem. Maybe I'm expecting too much too soon. Maybe I have it in my head that the weight/inches should come off as quickly as it got on. 

I know that that is not how it works though and while my body is making the adjustments it needs to make I need to also be working on my mind so that when I reach the end of the DVD workout I will be happy with the results no matter what they are.

Streaking

While checking Facebook one morning in May I came across this:



I went to the website facts and realized that this was something that I thought I could do. I attempted to run a mile straight each day. I adjusted it to me and my needs and abilities by incorporating intervals, however I was able to run a mile straight most days. 

Unfortunately my desire to complete this challenge faded pretty quickly when we went on vacation. Running a mile each day while we were gone was doable, but I chose not to for a variety of reasons. My streak ended on day 31 and in all honesty, I was proud of that.

But I've been thinking about starting another streak and since I was already running Monday-Friday last week with my long run on the weekend, I decided to just add a short run on Saturday to make it a full week. Now that I have the first week down I plan on continuing on to see how long I can make this streak last.

I'm going to start small and just attempt to make it past my current longest streak before I start getting bigger ideas in my mind. Although I am already thinking big. Who knows how long I can make this last!

I'm sure all of this running will help with the savings for the Dopey Challenge as well. The more miles I run and/or walk the more money I am able to put towards that goal. However, the main factor for me is to just listen to my mind and to my body. I am not going to push myself  if I have any fears of an injury. My main concern is training, the streak comes second.

But for now: Caution.. Streaking in Progress!

Workout Recap & Workout Schedule 10/28 - 11/3

Monday: 2 mile easy interval run, workout DVD?

 

I decided that in order to get rid of some of the stress at work I would need to stop taking so much responsibility. Not of my own job duties, but of other people. I was recently promoted from an underwriting technician (glorified data entry position) to an underwriting assistant (glorified underwriter bitch). I went from doing my job as a technician plus some of the assistant work to doing my job as an assistant plus some of the technician work. 

 

I feel taken advantage of and unappreciated. I have taken on a lot of work and as I sit here thinking about it I realize that the person I took it from is barely doing anything. I have been coming in early, taking shorter lunch breaks, working on weekends and not taking my breaks. All the while he is coming in late, taking his scheduled lunch break, not working any overtime and taking multiple breaks.

 

I then realized that this is my doing and in order for things to change I have to change them. So I have decided that, for now, I cannot help until my work is caught up on. As a tech last year during this time my coworker and I received zero help from anyone. It was stressful and really busy but we did what we needed to do to get our job done. It is now sink or swim time for him and I can't keep saving him.

 

We decided to start back with our 1.34 mile walk in the morning and instead of walking our 2 mile route we are going to run intervals. What's even better is that we will be doing daily hill training. I love hills!!

 

Without much coercing Patrick convinced me in my mental rambling of whether or not to attempt a full four weeks of Ripped in 30 to just do it (or in his terms when I ask him if I should do something or not- "Nike Swoosh").  

 

I may be taking on too much, but I crave it.

 

Tuesday: 2 mile easy interval run, workout DVD?

 

Unfortunately I did not having a running partner today as my coworker/best friend is having some pain in her foot. Hopefully it is just her getting used to her running shoes and insoles again and nothing too serious.

 

I stuck with the 30:1 intervals we used yesterday and it felt good. I think easing into it is a good decision because my legs are also pretty sore from doing the workout DVD.

 

I can't begin to explain the excitement I feel when it's time to go out for a run. It's my me time and I think that this is the smartest choice I've made and I don't know why I never thought to do this before. I guess maybe I have thought to do it but I just chose not to because I didn't want to be all sweaty at work. At this point I prefer my sanity than to be at my best physically for people who couldn't care less. Plus, our company prides themselves in wellness and I am a member of the wellness committee. I guess that could be my reasoning.

 

I got home in time to do my workout DVD before taking Isabel to her swim lesson.

 

Wednesday: 2 mile easy interval run, workout DVD?

 

I upped my intervals to 45:1 today to give myself a bit of a challenge. I was running 1:45 intervals for awhile and was enjoying it. I went down to 30:1 intervals for our last long run (8.12 miles) and I really liked that because it forced me to watch my pace.

 

I know that I'm supposed to run 1-2 minutes slower on my long distance run but for some reason I push too hard. Now that we're going to be getting up into the double digits I'm really going to need to pay attention to my pace no matter what intervals I plan on running.

 

At this point I think I'm going to try running 45:1 for this week's long distance run (10 miles). I can always adjust to how I feel on the run whether I want to run more or less, but I don't want to go out and push too hard.

 

I also got in the workout DVD. I have hope that I will see a difference at the end of the four weeks.

 

Thursday: 2 mile easy interval run, workout DVD?

 

I felt really good on yesterday's run that I started thinking about what I could do to make it more challenging. Since I am running a course that is half uphill I don't think I'm quite ready to increase my running interval so I decided to add some distance. Instead of going the 2.04 miles I've been running I added an extra mile.

 

It feels great going for a run in the afternoon when I still have energy and it keeps me feeling great after because of those wonderful endorphins. I just feel happier when I'm able to run daily.

 

I needed to do my workout DVD at my parents tonight as I needed to mark the rest of my garage sale items and Isabel had swim. It worked out well for me, but it was a little weird working out with an audience.

 

Friday: 2 mile easy interval run

 

Today was just an easy two mile run on my lunch break at work.

 

I also got in my workout DVD and finished the first week strong.

 

I was glad I was able to get in today's workout because I decided to take Isabel to her school Halloween dance where she got to dress up in her Rapunzel costume and hang out with her friends for an hour and a half. It was very exciting for her to be able to go and I'm glad I changed my mind about letting her go.

 

Saturday: 10 mile long distance training run

 

Today ended up being filled with too many other things to get in my 10 mile run. The garage sale started early and then I took Isabel to a birthday party where she got to wear her costume again. She had so much fun.

 

I wanted to keep my running streak alive, so I ended up going out for a 2.29 mile run in the evening. I was going at my normal running speed, but for some reason I felt slow and sluggish. Not quite sure why other than it was in the evening and I've been running in the morning and early afternoon. Either way I got it done and was able to maintain a decent speed (for me at least).

 

Sunday: rest

 

I rescheduled my 10 mile run to today. I woke up early and decided to stick with my 45:1 intervals. I'm glad I did because I was able to maintain that up until mile 6 where I started adding a little extra running to my intervals. I finally decided to switch my intervals and run 1:45 for the last mile and a half.

 

Monday: 2 mile easy run, Ripped in 30 week 2

Tuesday: 2 mile easy run, Ripped in 30 week 2

Wednesday: 2 mile easy run, Ripped in 30 week 2

Thursday: 2 mile easy run, Ripped in 30 week 2

Friday: 2 mile easy run, Ripped in 30 week 2

Saturday: 4 mile long distance training run

Sunday: minimum 1 mile run

Long Distance Training Run Recap

I had to push back my long training run since we had a full schedule yesterday. I knew it would be easier because I had less to do, but waking up early on both weekend days just doesn't seem right..

The original course I made on mapmyrun on Friday ended up being 10.44 miles. I decided to mess around and see what other courses I could make, but the other route was just under 11 miles. Once I hit my comfort zone I had an internal debate as to whether I should run the planned distance or go for the 11 miles, but ended up deciding it would be better to end while still feeling good than risk injury by going an extra half mile. Doesn't seem like much, but things can happen.





 





 

The first two miles were the worse. My legs felt heavy like they always do for the first couple miles. Probably didn't help that the first four miles were on a constant incline. I knew that when I made the course though so I can't blame anyone but myself. Good thing I have been running hills this past week.

 

The run was pretty uneventful. I mean, in all honesty the most exciting thing that happened was I found a statue of a frog on the wash. I ran 45:1 intervals and it felt great.

 

I keep getting nervous with each new long distance. It's like starting over since I haven't gone this far since March. Yet each week my run ends up feeling great and what's better is I am enjoying it. I feel as though I have found the exercise that makes me happy and I am going to keep doing it until I can't physically do it anymore.

 













 







 

Total Distance: 10.40 miles

Total Time: 2:17:35

Avg Pace: 13:14 min/mile

Avg Speed: 4.5mph

Max Speed: 10.3mph

 

Mile 1- 14:13

Mile 2- 13:53

Mile 3- 13:53

Mile 4- 13:53

Mile 5- 13:13

Mile 6- 13:11

Mile 7- 12:33

Mile 8- 12:39

Mile 9- 12:19

Mile 10- 12:18

Mile 0.40- 5:25

Ripped in 30- Day Five

Last night was the last day of week one. I realize that I'm actually only working out for a total of 20 days, but I think those two weekend days off will be a nice break and a chance for my body to recover. 

I decided to watch week two so that I can prepare myself for what's to come. I wish I hadn't because I'm a little nervous and doubting whether or not I can do some of the workouts. I guess that's the whole point, to push me past my comfort zone.

I feel as though I was getting stronger towards the end of the week. It was definitely easier to get through but it was still a great workout. 

I made the mistake of checking my measurements. Of course I knew there wouldn't be any changes, but it was still disappointing because I have been feeling so much better. 

I know my eating could improve, and it has already. There are some choices I've made that probably weren't the best, but I know I'm already making such major improvements. 

I just have to stick with it and I'm sure by the end of it I will be enjoying the changes I see.

Paying for the Dopey Challenge

A couple years ago I started training for my first marathon. I was running anywhere from 10-30 miles a week, not to mention the additional miles I was walking.

At that time I was also doing Weight Watcher's and was finding myself drifting off plan. I needed something to bring me back on track to reach my goal weight and become a lifetime member. 

One day I was on the Weight Watcher's message boards and saw someone suggest that you pay yourself $1 for every pound lost or 25 cents for every activity point earned or every 100 calories burned. This way it was even more of an incentive to stay on plan or to go for a workout.

For me I decided to use this idea to pay myself $1 for every mile that I ran and/or walked with the intentions of going on a shopping spree with the money I had earned. I felt this plan to be manageable financially and it gave me the push I needed to literally go the extra mile.

I reached my goal weight and allowed myself to use the $1000 I had earned on myself with a shopping spree for new clothes to fit my new, smaller body. I had a blast treating myself and I felt like I had earned everything that I bought.

I tried this same tactic when I decided that I wanted to do the Goofy Challenge. It was a way to pay for the trip without feeling guilty and instead feeling like I earned it. But that quickly ended when I realized that there were a lot of other things I needed the money for at the time.

But I'm back to this same money saving tactic for the Dopey Challenge. I feel like it's such a positive way to save money. It puts focus on how I'm saving and spending the money. I'm not just spending money on a race, a flight and a hotel. I'm earning that trip and I'm earning the entry into the race. It makes me want to stick with my planned run and walks and it makes me want to go just a little bit further.

I know that I will not be near where I need to be to pay for the race, flight, hotel and extra money for food and miscellaneous items, but I know that if I try my hardest and can earn at least half of what I plan on spending for this trip then it will be worth it.

I highly recommend this way of saving for people who are in need of that little push to get themselves moving, or for those who feel guilty spending money on themselves like I do. It's such a great way to earn what you want by benefiting in other healthy ways.

Ripped in 30- Day Four

I had a change of scenery tonight for my workout. For a few reasons I had to go to my parents right after work. Isabel had swim until 6:50pm, meaning my workout wouldn't even start until after 7pm if I waited until I got home. We live on the second story in an apartment and I just don't feel right working out that late.

So, I asked my parents if I could use their TV and DVD player and they said yes. So, not only was it in a new place (and on the first floor!) but I also had an audience.

I am at the part in week one where I know what workouts are coming next and I think that helps. When it's a workout I don't particularly like I can prepare myself by telling myself it's only for 30 seconds and I can do almost anything for 30 seconds. When a workout I do enjoy is coming up I get excited for it and it makes the one I am doing go by faster.

I am also glad that I only have one more day left of week one. I am starting to feel comfortable with this particular workout and a lot less sore from it, so it will be nice to shake things up next week with a new routine.

Defining the Dopey Challenge

According to The Free Dictionary, dopey is defined as:

 

dop·ey also dop·y

adj. dop·i·er, dop·i·est

1. Dazed or lethargic, as if drugged.

2. Stupid; doltish

3. Silly; foolish

According to the most magical place on earth, dopey is defined as:

An ultimate endurance challenge.

A four day, 48.6 mile race.

Participants will run the 5K, 10K, Half Marathon and Marathon

and if you complete all four races within the pacing requirements

you will be awarded the Goofy Race and a Half Challenge medal

and the brand new Dopey Challenge finisher medal

for a total of six pieces of "bling."

 

According to me, dopey is defined as:

wanting nothing more than to complete the dopey challenge

planning on spending a lot of money on four races, hotel and flight

being over prepared for a race in 2015

having a slight obsession/extreme dedication to making this happen



image from Disney Wikia



This is the first year the Dopey Challenge has been introduced as part of the Walt Disney World Marathon weekend. Meaning this particular race sold out really fast. 

 

This is only one of a few reasons as to why I'm not running this race until 2015.
It's also only one of many reasons as to why I plan on running this race in 2015. It must be amazing if that many people want to put themselves through 48.6 miles in four days.

Ripped in 30- Day Three

I'm not going to lie. I thought about calling it quits already. Pretty sad since it's only day three. But that's how it usually works with me. 

I get this great idea to workout and do something like workout five days a week for four weeks or stream for a crazy number of days and then the sparkly new glow and excitement fades and I realize that maybe I can't do it.

I have an internal debate about whether or not I can do it, whether or not I want to do it. Most of the time I give up and end up not finishing the challenges I start. Not this time. 

I am not going to fail again. I can't fail again. Enough is enough. No more excuses. 

I was running low on energy after lunch today. I chose to listen to some YouTube videos while I worked (multi-tasking at it's finest). It put me in a sarcastic upbeat mood. I had a small headache before I left work. I took some Advil and by the time I got home the headache was gone.

I didn't allow myself to sit down. I changed into my workout clothes and got it done. I huffed and puffed my way through. And when I finished I was more than happy with myself for not giving up and for sticking with the plan.

I may have yelled at the tv, at Jillian and at my weak abs but I did it.

And now I'm ready for bed..

LA Marathon- Race Recap



This was the second year that we participated in the event. And at the end of the race I said it would be the last time I plan on running in a marathon. I said that I intend on completing half marathons from this point on because, as they say, I'm only half crazy.

Last year's race was a lot different than this year for many reasons. I feel like I was better prepared last year than this year. Training this year did not go as well as had hoped because I'm stubborn and cheap and refused to be fitted properly for shoes. The last long training run ended for me 3 miles short, in tears, declaring that I was not going to do the marathon. I eventually went to get fitted (about 12 days before the marathon) and did end up getting new shoes (thanks mom & dad).

Another thing that was different was the time we got to the starting line. Last year we signed up for the 4:30 am shuttle in Santa Monica that brings you up to Dodger Stadium. This means that I spent the night at Rachel's and woke up at 2:30 am in order to be awake and ready to drive to Santa Monica to catch the bus. Then we sat around the parking lot of Dodger Stadium for a few hours freezing. This year Rachel's husband, Shawn, drove us. They picked me up at 5am and he dropped us off right at Dodger Stadium. Since they'd be at the finish line we'd have a ride home. I am forever grateful to Shawn for being willing to do this. It made a HUGE difference not having to sit around waiting.

The weather was different this year as well. Last year it was really cold and at the end of the course the winds were so strong that it was just awkward and very uncomfortable. This year it was much warmer. There was only one part that I was uncomfortable and it was near Santa Monica. There was a lot of fog (which was wonderful because it blocked the sun) and it got a little chilly and slightly windy. Nothing like last year and I am so thankful that it was a beautiful day.

This year I made a goal for myself, so I feel like I was focused on the time and I think that pushed me a little more.

My main goal this year was my pace and I had a time goal of finishing in under 6 hours. To be completely honest, I didn't think I was going to make it and doubted myself from the moment I made it. But I still had to try! I actually made 3 goals for myself so that I could at least reach one of them: 1. Finish 2. PR and finish faster than last years time of 6:15 and 3. Finish under 6 hours.

I achieved all three, by finishing with a time of 5:53:04. I am so excited and I cannot begin to explain the emotions that went along with crossing that finish line and reaching my goal. But I'll try.

While standing in line for the porter potties I was telling Rachel that I didn't really feel excited or nervous about the marathon. It just was something that I was doing. No big deal. In fact, the feeling I was experiencing was what I anticipated feeling at the end. I didn't like that because I still had to put in the work to actually feel what I was feeling.

Rachel and I started out strong.. A little too strong. We had some very fast paced miles. At mile 10 Rachel said she needed an extra walk break and encouraged me to keep going with our intervals. I will tell you that I felt guilty leaving her, but I knew that I needed to focus on my goal this year and I kept going. I ended up only skipping a few running intervals during the entire marathon. A couple during each of the hills, one during a water station because I wanted the water and gatorade to go in my mouth instead of all over my hand or down the front of my shirt. I have yet to perfect the water drinking while running..

I hit a mental wall around 16. I couldn't get my breathing under control, I felt slightly dizzy and I could tell my heart rate was up. I ended up texting my mom and she responded with "NO NONE OF THAT KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK" and "U CAN DO THIS." It definitely helped and I kept on going. Then I got behind a woman who's shirt read "The voices in your head are all liars." That was all it took to take me the rest of the way. I kept telling those voices to shut up and focused on the interval I was in, not the next or the one after that. Just the one I was in. It did help that I put music on around mile 14. I've been training without music, so it gave a little extra something to keep my feet in beat with the music.

The longest I've run without finishing by walking is 22 miles, so I kept telling myself to make it to that point and we can re-evaluate at that point. But then 22 miles was so close to 23 and after 23 it's just over a 5K and I could do that. And then I told myself I could walk mile 25-26 so that I could run the last .2 miles, but I felt like if I stopped running then I wouldn't start again. So I just kept going.

I was keeping track of my time by checking my interval print out. I was consistently around 6 minutes ahead of schedule so I kept trying to do the math toward the end to see how slow I technically could go, just in case. But I didn't need to. And there are no words to explain the pride I felt for myself.

I text the family when I turned onto Ocean Avenue and could see them around the 26 mile mark. I immediately welled up and showed them my watch as I ran by saying "I'm going to do it!"

I crossed the finish line with a distance on my watch .28 over that of a marathon distance. I knew this was going to happen early on since my watch would ding before the mile marker, so I took a picture of my time at the marathon distance and my time when I crossed the finish line.

The only complaint I have about the marathon is the finish area. I understand why, but it's very frustrating to have gates lining the street for half a mile to a mile after the finish line, forcing the finishers to continue to walk to the end of the area before they can get onto the side walk, turn around and walk that distance back to find their families. I just finished a 26.2 mile run, you really want me to walk 1-3 more miles after? I saw Rachel finishing as I was walking back and high fived her as she ran by. As soon as I got back to where my family was standing I burst into tears. I hugged Patrick and thanked him for everything he's done while I train for these insane events. I thanked my parents too. Then I laid down on the grass while Rachel made her way to us, eventually putting on a sweatshirt because I always get really cold and shiver after a marathon.

I reached my goal and I did say at that point in time that I did not plan on running any more marathons. But, that only lasted about a week. Once the pain went away 3-4 days after I knew that I would eventually do another one.

 Here's my actual pace:
Mile 1: 13:20
Mile 2: 12:55
Mile 3: 13:06
Mile 4: 12:51
Mile 5: 14:00
Mile 6: 13:35
Mile 7: 12:52
Mile 8: 12:37
Mile 9: 12:39
Mile 10: 12:48
Mile 11: 12:19
Mile 12: 12:55
Mile 13: 13:12
Mile 14: 13:34
Mile 15: 13:30
Mile 16: 13:21
Mile 17: 13:44
Mile 18: 13:48
Mile 19: 13:53
Mile 20: 13:59
Mile 21: 14:05
Mile 22: 14:10
Mile 23: 13:43
Mile 24: 13:44
Mile 25: 13:33
Mile 26: 12:48
Mile 0.48: 5:48

Pre Race photo



Start line

Chinatown

Downtown

Entertainment

Seeing my family

"I'm gonna make it!"

Marathon distance finishing time

LA Marathon finishing time

My finish photo

Rachel's finish photo

Finishers medals



Isabel and me after I finished.



Ripped in 30- Day Two

Tonight's workout is difficult to describe. In some ways I found it more difficult than last night, but in other ways I found that it was easier.

The difficulty came from being sore. With getting back into walking daily as well as running daily I find that I am already sore. Add on top of that a workout DVD I find that I am working muscles I didn't know I had. It took me a little longer to warm up tonight and I was definitely feeling it.

At the same time I found myself pushing myself more. To make it longer before needing a break, to hold my plank longer, to get deeper into the lunges and squats. I found with 30 Day Shred that it doesn't take long to get familiar with the routine. Day 2 on Ripped in 30 and I'm already looking forward to certain exercises and I am learning when Jillian says certain things it means we're moving onto the next exercise soon. It makes the workout go by faster.

I am excited that I will only be doing the workout 5 days a week instead of every single day. That break will be nice and a way to recover. 

I've also decided that Monday - Wednesday I will be using my 3 pound weights to get used to the workout and to get muscles (or lack thereof) adjusted and then Thursday and Friday I will us the 5 pound weights. I think seeing how that works this week will give me a good idea for the next three weeks. 

Looking forward to reaching these goals and even though it's only been two days I can tell a difference in my mentality about eating better and working out. I look forward to my afternoon run and to coming home to workout. It's my me time and I know if I stick with it then the results will be just as amazing as last year.

26 Angel Run- Race Recap

26 Angel Run

26 Miles for 26 Angels

Come and participate in a "26 Angel" run,

bike or walk. 26 miles for all 26 of the people

that were shot and killed at Sandy Elementary

in CT. It will be on Saturday January 26th,

2013. Spread the word & please come join us.

Each mile marker will have an angel at the end of it with the name of an individual who died.

We are also accepting donations for the families.

You may Run/Bike/Walk however many miles you would like.

*(Please note: This is not a sanctioned event; therefore, there will

be no police, ambulance, water stations or t-shirts, etc… Participants will need to bring their own water and supplements.)

Time: 6:00am

I found out about the 26 Angel Run in the above message by email on January 9th. It didn't give me much time to prepare or to fund raise, but it was something that I knew I had to do.

I wasn't sure if I'd be able to make it the full 26 miles because I hadn't been training, but I had to try.

I ended up raising more than I had planned. My goal was $260 since I didn't have much time, but I ended up making well over $300 and am so grateful to my friends and family who donated to this cause. I also ended up making it the whole way with plenty of help from Patrick, my sister and her husband and my parents. It was something that meant something to me to do, to get a picture of every angel.

After posting the pictures to facebook I received a message from a friend about the angel at mile 21:
"I shared this photo with my cousin. She is very close to the parents of Emilie. Her daughter and Emilie went to school together mere months before the Parker's moved to Connecticut. Thanks for sharing, this photo has been passed along to Emilie's parents graciously."

I didn't do this run to be praised. I didn't do it other than for the fact that we wanted to be a light of hope, of good in people. This message meant something to me. Made me feel like what we did had a purpose other than donating money. It's not enough to make up for what they lost. Nothing will ever be good enough. But it's hopefully something.