My running world

My running world has been rocked! I'm STILL hobbling! Seriously!? Yes, seriously. This pain seems to migrate. It's landed in my hip.

So I was doing Crossfit to make me stronger... because my glutes and hips are weak. Well while I think that most certainly works and I truly enjoy the badass factor and having my butt kicked on a regular basis it was taking a lot out of me and I NEED to be running... and running comfortably!

I've tried all the typical stretches for runners and while they help they aren't fixing the problem.

My solution... I need to be a yoga runner! HUH?

Let's back up YEARS and YEARS ago ... about 1999 or 2000. My very FIRST running injury. I had conquered the marathon and was getting ready to start training for my second. Obviously since I'd already done it once it was time to do it faster. Naturally one would prepare for this said faster marathon by going from a steady 9:30 min / mile to jumping in with the fast dogs at about 8:30 min/miles on DAY ONE! Yes surely that is the best course of action... or not. I ended up with compartment syndrome and sidelined. BOO!

I don't do the sit around thing real well so when a friend of mine said she wanted to take this month long intensive yoga course that met 5x/week I said 'SIGN ME UP!' 530 in the a.m. EVERY day of the week. EEK! It was hard for this late nighter to get up that early, but I paid big bucks for this thing... I WAS GOING TO BE THERE! Be there I was.... and I'll be damned if I wasn't able to run after it was all said and done. I am so inflexible, but saw such great improvements.... started running again and didn't do yoga again until I, um, got injured again. Why am I so damn smart!?

Anyway... back to present day and the year of injuries. Why not go back to what I know works? I mean I did do 2x/week for 2 weeks recently and felt much better... and promptly replaced what seemed to be working with crossfit! What the hell is the matter with me!?

So here we go. I ordered some DVDs (bc I am too cheap to go to a yoga studio), I quit (er, put off) Crossfit for now and am DEDICATED to getting this shit worked out. I am tired of limping around like an 80 year old.

Life has been pretty crazy lately so I could also use the mental part of the yoga. :) I'll let you know how it's going.... and if it helps the ol' hips.
I ordered:

Shiva Rea - Power Flow Yoga (yea I can TOTALLY do what she's doing there)

Rodney Yee - Power Yoga Flexibility

Along with my trusty yoga I'll be doing all my hip exercises .... check out the MYRTLE routine video in THIS post. You'll also find me doing the other squats and lunges.

I'll also be doing some MAJORLY challenging (I jest) exercises such as these:








What are  your go to 'get back in the game' exercises? Do you do THESE types of things through out your running program to PREVENT injury? (Clearly I did not... I DO NOW!)

It's worth the few minutes it takes you to do these exercises. Do them BEFORE your run as part of a warm up... even if it means you have to cut your run a few minutes short to do them. Your body will thank you!! I promise.

I've was tagged by Miles, Muscle and Mommyhood

My brand new Teamie Jen tagged me! :) Check her out at Miles, Muscle and Mommyhood!!! Thanks Jen!

I'm a rule follower so here goes: I give you 21 random bits about me and then I tag 10 other bloggers that I want to learn more about!! (that should be easy with so many new team mates!)

1. The longest I've ever lived in any one place is 4 years... and that wasn't until I was married.

2. I was vegan for a year then raw vegan for a year after that. During that time I was never able to give up coffee or chocolate (no no's on the raw vegan diet).

3. I have a ridiculous jar collection. If I buy something that comes in a jar I have to FORCE myself to put it in the recycling when it's empty. My temptation is to keep it... to use for leftovers... to NOT put it in the garbage/recycling.

4. I once read The Story of Stuff (which is a very good read) only to be paralyzed at the grocery store. "I know I need the organic broccoli, but it's wrapped in plastic and the conventional broccoli is not!" I went home w/ no broccoli.. or meat because it came in a styrofoam tray and was wrapped in plastic. Had to send the hubs out to get the things I couldn't buy.

5. I make my own milk out of hazelnuts. I don't do the dairy thing (Ok that is a bold faced lie.. I put cream in my coffee when I am out and don't have my home made milk.)

6. I struggle w/ staying positive and seeing the silver lining.

7. After a years long struggle with infertility we did IVF. It changed the course of our lives in more ways than we could have imagined.

8. Every two years I get an itch to change pretty much EVERYTHING... yet it all remains the same. I blame it on my army brat years and moving every two years.

9. I donated my wedding dress to Goodwill. Apparently I'm not that sentimental.

10. I'm an only child... and it has ill prepared me for the SHEER volume of my kids.

11. I spend WAY TOO MUCH time in my own head! Help! It's scary in here!

12. I don't have favorites... no favorite movie, color, song... I change my mind a lot.

13. I was a maid at a hotel for ONE day. YES ONE! Summer job... I hate to clean so I'm not sure what I was doing there in the first place.

14. I consider myself a Seattle-lite even though I spent only 7 of my, um, 36 years there.

15. I'm not a morning person... and am no longer a night owl either. So I'm not sure what that leaves me with. I'm on fire at 9am... after that all bets are off.

16. Part of me wants to be a vegetarian, part of me wants to be an omnivore... right now the omnivore is winning.. guess it's her turn.

17. Tom and I got married in Hawaii... and have never been back. Boo!

18. My head is always spinning and headed in a million different directions. It's amazing that I get anything done. Must practice SINGLE tasking!

19. I like to sleep... and function best on 9 hours a night. Bummer for me. I wish I could function on more like 7 hours.

20. I really want a small(er) house. 1600 square feet max!

21. It seriously bums me out that I have to drive EVERYWHERE!

And I tag.... the get to know the Rev3 AG team edition!
1. Anne: Anne'sIrondream
2. Tonya: The Journey
3. Alisa: Ambitious Aspirations
4. Daniel: dziubski
5. Chloe: Running with a bottle of wine
6. Josh: There is no Spoon
7. Erin: Erin Holmes Swims
8. MJ: How far is that ironman
9. Andy: Tri Andy
10. Jeff: Jeff Vanis' Blog

Sugar and my (and probably YOUR) Brain!

So it's not secret that I try to maintain a pretty healthy diet. Mind you this includes indulgences.. my personal weaknesses are chocolate and wine! Normally I keep things in check pretty well (ONE piece - large piece - of chocolate a day is 'in check' right?), but things happen (I would blame it on my 'lady time', but I really hate to do that) and I overindulge.

I am coming off one such (um, three day) overindulgence. For me this mean copious amounts of chocolate. I start off each day really well... and end up each day pretty bad. I try not to beat myself up about it to bad! GASP! I am human, but I do hate it when I get like this.

I don't hate it so much because it means I'm ruined or that I'll gain weight or be off track forever. I hate it because it seriously makes me psychotic! I'm not kidding.

ala Wikipedia:

"Psychosis (from the Greek ψυχή "psyche", for mind/soul, and -ωσις "-osis", for abnormal condition) means abnormal condition of the mind, and is a generic psychiatric term for a mental state often described as involving a "loss of contact with reality". People suffering from psychosis are described as psychotic."

I am in no way trying to make light of at true Psychiatric diagnosis of psychosis, but seriously... sugar is a HUGE contributor to my crazies - aka "loss of contact with reality". For example small decisions overwhelm me, the noise of my children just being children makes me go off the deep end, the daily tasks that I have to complete over whelm me, my knees ache, I don't want to do the things I normally love to do.... and I just want MORE CHOCOLATE!!!

No I don't have a problem. REALLY, I can quit anytime I want. In all seriousness I'm not concerned with my occasional overindulgence in sugar... though I wonder why I do it because it really does make me feel like utter crap!

BUT! I do worry about the greater public. Those that I KNOW eat sugar (a lot) every day.... sodas, packaged foods, candy, donuts, blah blah blah blah blah... it goes on and on and on. I feel sad and concerned that a large portion of our population has no idea what it feels like to NOT be on a sugar high. I'm so happy to know the difference. To know how much better it feels to NOT eat a shit ton of sugar all the time ... sugar and it's favorite friend simple carbohydrates (ie.. most packaged foods).

Sugar has been proven to cause imbalances in your brain. Now your brain does take up most of the glucose in your body, but it's really meant to run on those good sugars.. you know fruits, veggies, complex carbs.... not STRAIGHT UP SUGAR (aka garbage). And when your brain is OD'd on sugar things go south ... quick! In addition to your brain going wacky your body becomes inflamed and your immune system is then in overdrive trying to deal w/ said inflammation... and is then compromised because DAMN it's tired!

This is a pretty good article about sugar and it's affects on your mental state and your body.

I could go on and on, but you already know diabetes is killing our nation... so I don't need to lecture you!!!

How much sugar do you eat in a day? Do you drink soda? Check labels of the packaged foods you eat? Have a friend or family member that could use some support in giving up the crack, er, sugar?

Or do you think this is BS and say "PASS ME THE BROWNIES ALA MODE!"

If you are in the brownies ala mode category and think this is bunk I challenge you... give up added sugar (ya know soda, dessert, processed foods) for 30 days... THIRTY.. come on you can do that. Then go absolutely hog wild for a three days and eat all the damn sugar you can cram in your pie hole!!! Then tell me how you feel at the end of those three days! It's worth the experiment!

Planning 2012? Take advantage of early bird pricing!

What are your 2012 race plans!?

If Rev3 isn't on your schedule - it should be! Now is the time to get in... and get a discount! 

Merry Christmas to YOU! 

Both Rev3 Anderson and Portland are OPEN FOR BUSINESS! W/ special early bird pricing!

It ends MONDAY 11/21!!! 

So get on it! Details BELOW!

Click to register!

Click to register!

IF you need convincing you can check out some race reports from both races. (mind you the Portland course will have some changes: COURSE MAPS.)

Michael Hutto: Portland Half Rev Race Report

Ryan Oilar: Portland Half Rev Race Report

Derek Garcia: Portland Half Rev Race Report (check out the sweet hardware)

Patricia Brownell: Portland Half Rev Race Report

TriMadness: Anderson Half Rev Race Report

Jill Poon: Anderson Half Rev Race Report

Ben Berry: Anderson Oly Rev Race Report

Kacie Darden: Anderson Oly Rev Race Report

Ulman Cancer Fund - Team Fight

Frankly I'm embarrassed! Ulman Cancer Fund is the charity partner for Rev3 Triathlon... and I've never even talked about it. There's no Ulman Cancer Fund logo or Team Fight logo on my website. That is 100% UNCOOL! (well, there is now!)

I talked a big game this year about how I was going to fundraise for UCF because that's how I got started in this sport, but I just never 'got around to it'. I'm ashamed.

That is going to change in 2012! I do love the endurance thing, but it really hits home more and becomes about something more than myself when I have a bigger reason.

Did you know that cancer is the leading killer among 20-39 year olds?

As many of you know I have a long history of fundraising for another cancer organization - Team in Training/Leukemia and Lymphoma Society - and while I still believe in what they are doing I also believe in sharing the wealth! UFC targets a largely under served population of cancer victims.. and we are talking any and all cancers.

Young adults diagnosed with cancer today have a worse prognosis than those diagnosed 25 years ago? 

Examples of some of the programs they run include:
Support and networking groups
College Scholarships
Survivor networks
A speaker Bureau for cancer awareness
Patient Advocate/Navigator programs
Education and prevention programs

The UFC strives to empower young cancer victims and survivors. To teach them how to navigate the system and support them through their diagnosis and treatment!

Please go to this FB link and VOTE for UCF to get a piece of a $3million pie being given to chosen (aka voted for) charity organizations!!
http://apps.facebook.com/chasecommunitygiving/charities/522057636-ucf?src=vote_share

Check out this amazing video!


Please check out Ulman Cancer Fund and expect to be hearing a lot more about them from me in 2012... and if you are 'on my list' be expecting your 'letter'... it's been a while so get that check book out!

If you are looking to gain a charity spot to a Rev3 event check out TEAM FIGHT and get the details on how to get there!

Run, Run, Run and then how about we run some more...

Did you really think I was going to get through the winter months without lacing up the running shoes. I was naive enough to think it would happen... so if you believed me I don't blame you!

It's time for mama to put some mileage in. I've been talking to my friend Tara (who is an amazing kick ass ultra runner... who I don't even pretend to come close to in the athletically inclined department. She also kicks my ass in crossfit every time I go!!) and we are mixing things up a bit from the way I normally do them.. be it marathon training or tri training. This time I'm going to do 3 days on (easier pace), 2 days off, 1 day on (tempo / TT pace), 1 day off. I'll start at 3-5 miles per run and ramp up from there. The reasons behind the change will all come to fruition soon enough!!! Still working out some negotiations details.

I'll still be doing crossfit 3x a week and will teach spin 2x a week. (note ZERO swimming.. it will come.)

I've come to the conclusion that spinning HARD 2 - 3 times a week has basically TRASHED my legs (okay.. I've talked about this before so this is not new information) and I MUST stop doing that! It's time. I had a week off because of the snow storm and gosh my hamstrings felt a lot better... back on and my hamstrings are not right. Time for me to take it back a notch. No reason to destroy myself while teaching. Must write in sharpie on my arm... BIGGER GOALS. Not looking to be a kick ass spinner!!!

Today was the first day I held back... if it hurt I either eased up the tension or the effort... not my style, but I still got a workout!

It's interesting making all these little adjustments to things I'm doing and listening more to my body.

Where could you stand to LISTEN a little bit better!? We all have our thing that the body is trying to tell us and we are trying not to hear!

2012.. it's a comin' in a big way!

I've got a bunch of projects in mind for 2012.... who's getting excited for the 2012 debut!? I think I must have accidentally had caffeine this a.m. bc I have been JACKED all day. It's either that or the anticipation of all of the cool things on the horizon has me super FIRED UP!

Right now I'm working on looking at all I hope to be involved in and accomplish in 2012 and prioritizing and scheduling my time. I feel like through the process of all of this I'm FINALLY starting to find myself or grow into myself and I'm not going to lie... it feels glorious. Who went through their 20s feeling like they were having a midlife crisis and feeling ill equipped to deal with it? THIS GIRL! I called it my quarter life crisis.... then I had kids... couldn't really have a cognitive thought... follow through = FORGET ABOUT IT!

And now suddenly - surely has something to do with the full day kindergarten thing - I can have a cognitive thought... and now I work on the follow through. By way of a plan and simplification of the things I need to and want to get done.

(Mom, hold onto your hat.. I'm about to implement things you've been harping on me telling me about for YEARS!)

From Zen Habits:
"Design a simple system intentionally, making a routine that works for you, and alter it if it doesn’t make sense. Write out the system, so it is formal, and try to stick to it as much as possible — religiously, if possible."

Schedule all those little things! Make a plan... and it will get done. Just running around and 'filling in' is inefficient and sucks up a lot of my time. (It's not like this is a new thought... I've been doing this with training plans for years now. Time to apply to other aspects of my life.)

Designate day for each task: I'm working through this. Here's what I have so far
- laundry
- meal planning (1week out) - day before grocery day (sunday)
- grocery/errands (monday)
- clean (friday)
- review finances (thursday - 2x/mo)
- spinning/training (tuesday & thursday)
- workout/train (I've been scheduling this for years... it's 5-6 days a week for me at various times/locations.. all written in my calendar and updated weekly.)

Schedule time to complete your NEED to do tasks: (think of your projects and things you need to do to complete them.)
- workout (9:30a m/w/f, 12pm t/th)
- write (6am-7am m-f)
- photograph
- blog
- email (ie. top of the hour, 3x/day for 30 mins)
- create spin and training plans

How do you make sure it all gets done? Do you prefer a paper calendar, icalendar, pda calendar?

Oh... as to what all these projects and super fun things I'm looking at for 2012.. and the elusive race schedule. Well, it's coming together.... but I won't be unveiling it until closer to the new year... come on people there is still 1.5 months left in this year!!!!! :D Maybe on my birthday I'll do that post... but only if you PROMISE to check in here on my Birthday Christmas!!!

Was 2011 AwEsOmE!?

I set 2011 up to be a BIG year! Let's review all the AWESOMENESS I had set out to accomplish:

1. Um, 140.6 at Rev3 Cedar Point.
2. TRAKKERS
3. Recertifying for Spinning with Madd Dogg
4. Actually using said Spinning cert
5. Hiring a tri coach
6. Qualifying for Boston
7. Entering the NYC lottery
8. Some other mystery thing that I can't even remember the details of - I never revealed it. I don't think.

So let's just review each of these a little.

1. Nope. No full for me. And I'm good with that. I put it out there, but the time wasn't right. I completed the half at Cedar Point instead and am SUPER happy with my time and effort! WIN!- ish
2. Yes yes yes.. I finished my first (hope it was just my first) year with TEAM TRAKKERS and it was BEYOND awesome. Blew my mind and exceeded my expectations a million times over. WIN!
3. Recertified ... and it was EASY! WIN! 
4. Got a job. Taught spin 3x a week through the entire season. Enjoyed it.. though I KILLED myself and shot a lot of my running to hell killing myself on the spin bike, but I LOVED it so it's all good! WIN!
5. Hired a rockin' tri coach that worked with me as my schedule changed and helped me work around the crazy spinning... and helped me process the choice to drop the full.... this year. WIN!
6. FAIL! It was a fail before I hit the start line because I had an injury. I didn't even try... just ran it. Huge bummer, but it is what it is. I said FAIL, but don't think of it that way really... I RAN the race.. which I wasn't sure I was going to be able to do and I had an AMAZING weekend in Austin (love love love that town) with my bestie from Madison, WI. WIN!
7. Entered the NYC lottery. Didn't get in.. probably a good thing w/ my injuries and the fact that the marathon was just two days ago and I was really thankful to NOT be running a marathon. Not a win.. not a fail.
8. Fail.. on my memories part anyway. No idea what that was!

So while I did spend a bit of time dwelling on the fact that I didn't - REALLY - accomplish my BIG goals (140.6 and BQ) and have said more than once - in a mocking tone - "2011 was really more the year of MEDIOCRE than it was the year of AWESOME." as it comes to a close 2011 was TOTALLY AWESOME! It was just awesome in surprising - and unplanned - ways.

I could go on and on and on and on about my experience with Rev3 this year and that alone makes this year one for the record books! I am beyond proud of myself, my team and the Rev3 crew for everything that has gone into the racing season! This opportunity has been nothing short of amazing! I thank EVERYONE that had a part in my getting accepted. Thank you to all the 2010 team members that put in a word for me! I am touched and honored! I'm so thankful to Carole for telling me that Rev3 was looking for a local volunteer coordinator for the Quassy race and for LJ for hiring me. The Rev3 family for accepting me for open arms. MOST EPIC weekend I have had in a long time. And I got to do it again at SC. SERIOUSLY. Who has the most fantastic life ever... THIS girl!

I am working just enough to satiate my need to 'do something' ... and to provide me w/ fun money to buy things for my chosen addiction!!!

In just the last couple of months I have met some amazing people right in my own backyard... that means SO much to me!!! Tara of Mommy's a Runner is one such lady that I have only scratched the surface on.... she's gonna make me run trails I know it... and I love it! Crossfit is going well.. after a rough start... my mind is clearing and I see 2012 taking shape before my eyes.

My kids and husband are amazing and supportive of all of this craziness. My parents are always there to help. I ONLY lost power for a total of 2 weeks this year.. I mean come on .... lots of people live their whole lives w/o power and running potable water. Right? Okay ... I jest. That part was less than awesome... it was even less than mediocre.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that while 2011 wasn't AWESOME in the way I had defined it sure was even awesomer than it would have been had I ONLY accomplished the goals I set out to do. 2011 have much more depth than that.

Thank you to all who helped make it happen to include my great sponsors!!! Rev3/Team Trakkers, First Endurance (Kept the fire burning on all the long stuff!), TYR (that Cat5 Wetsuit made a HUGE difference in my OWS!), All3Sports (Your one stop tri shop! and the people there are awesomesauce!), Avia (Love my bolts!), SBR Sports Inc (OMG, Can't say enough about how much I love this product. I hate the chlorine.. hate it, but I didn't have to smell like a pool with this stuff!), Recovery Pump (kept the back to back workouts coming), Canari (my kit was alarmingly small at first, but surprisingly comfy to race in!)
The other highlight is that I feel like I have my mojo back!!! Let's do this thing 2012! What you got!?

2011 rolling into 2012 and self doubt

Meh.. it's the off season. While I'm excited to play around with other aspects of my fitness I'm feeling very meh. I LOVE this time of year. The close of summer and things slowing down a bit. The last couple of years I have taken this time to dumb down my schedule and train for a marathon... leaving me much time to reflect on last year and dream of next year. I decided no winter marathon this year. I won't be opening 2012 with a marathon because I feel like it hasn't set me up well for a good tri season the last two years. I've hit tri season already feeling a bit stale and burnt out... not to mention all my injuries. (Yes I will stop talking about these soon.)

I'm not sure if the not running a lot is related to my inability to concentrate or not, but every time I try to reflect back on 2011 (my proposed year of awesomeness - another post on my feelings about the awesomeness of it... or not... later.) I stall. I can't go there. So then I try to switch gears and start dreaming about 2012 and (aside from my one big Goal of being more involved with Rev3 - another post on this soon too) I can't really get my mind around the year laid out ahead of me.

Good thing I've got a few more months in 2011 to get in the right frame of mind.

As you know I've been doing more weight training and got started with Crossfit recently... and my start has been, um, rocky. The first week was AWESOME! Though I got lot's of 'why the hell are you doing this' from the world. The second week quickly slid downhill as I started the week with my awesome collision with a box.

This second week of crossfit was also the second week in a two week trip for Tom (so I was single momin' it), I taught two extra spin classes (one the night of the box jump fiasco), returned to CFD for the MONSTER workout on Wednesday, then another big (scary) workout on Thursday. The Thursday workout was really heavy deadlifts and overhead squats. I was basically SHOT physically and mentally after the Thursday workout. I was so surprised at how much the accident was affecting me mentally. All the while people continuing to ask me WHY?

Friday was my day off... Saturday Tom came home... Sunday we had a massive snow storm, tree limbs down and POWER OUT!

WOW! Slammed while I was down.

As the week wore on my morale was headed toward the crapper. Had to drive around a lot and felt like I was on a hampster wheel.

Started wondering WHY myself.

Showed up for Crossfit yesterday and I gotta say... I felt really timid and a bit scared. I seem to hurt myself every time I walk into that place. (me not them) What did I do yesterday? Cracked myself in the chin w/ the bar as I was doing a push press. I'm fine.. thank god no blood. I don't want to be the lady that always bleeds when I show up. Seriously!

And guess what... my leg is infected. PERFECT!

So the doubt... creeps in... little by little.

I continue to assess my goals and the reasons I started on this crossfit thing.. on this exercise thing... I have a lot of balls in the air right now. Nothing big.. but they are all pulling me in different directions and I'm feeling spread a bit too thin. Time to assess some things.

I WILL continue with Crossfit as I do see the benefits of it. (Even though some - and sometimes even I - think I'm crazy.) Everyone told me there is a month (at least) learning curve. We practiced the clean and jerk A LOT yesterday and I think that was VERY good for me. I'm starting to feel my body get used to the movements. And ya gotta love when you walk into the workout look at what is prescribed, think "there is NO way I'm going to be able to do that, but I'll give it my best" only to complete the workout.

Running NEEDS to start happening. I WILL find some time for it... though it will require some adjustments to my life and schedule. A good talk w the hubs last night helped me get back on track and I think if I can get a few runs a week into the schedule the mind will clear and things will come together!

When you have self doubt where do you turn? What drags you out of it and gives you the clarity you are looking for!?

Here's a little motivation to keep me hitting CFD!