Archives

A Good Break

Nov30

This morning I ran four miles. I haven’t really run much since the marathon. In fact, before yesterday, I had probably run four times total and that was well over a month ago since the Chicago Marathon.

I thought the miles might have been awful, but they were really good. I was actually even faster than what I normally was running pre-break. This got me to thinking that perhaps I should take a break more often.

I do take rest days, but not actually a break and “walk away” from doing things I enjoy. I had also been on a bit of a lifting break since before the marathon. I wish my strength gains hadn’t disappeared, but I fear they did once I got back to regularly lifting. Or I should say while I still can mostly lift what I had been lifting, I actually get sore now. Continue reading →

Starting Over

Nov29

yeah, fun is not burpees and burpees are not fun

Burpees. As you know, I hate them. The month of November I was supposed to be doing a burpee challenge to work up to doing 100 of them by the end of the month.

I wish I could say that I was extraordinarily successful at this challenge. But, that was not meant to be. Instead, you could say I failed miserably.  I made it to the halfway point and then life took a disappointing turn where the very last thing I wanted to do was a burpee. So, after making it to 50, I was done.  Continue reading →

It’s Back

Nov27

My gym for the past two years has offered a 30-day challenge. Go to the gym for 30 days straight between thanksgiving and Christmas and they will pay for a month of dues, give you $50 to use toward services and five guest passes to use at any location or bring your friends to work out with you.

This year will be the third year of the challenge and it is only 25 days. This because Thanksgiving happens so late this year. It begins on Friday and of course I’m up for this challenge. Continue reading →

Color

Nov25

Before this year, I was never one who was big on wearing a lot of color. Most of my workout attire consisted of black pants and dark shirts. Sometimes the shirt might end up being blue or grey, but nothing bright. Probably because I wasn’t trying to stand out in any way.

But this has all changed this year. It started last fall after I attended a fashion show for running attire. Then it really took off this year with me starting to wear bright colors when I work out. Continue reading →

Refocusing

Nov17

It’s November 2013 and according to my best laid plans from January of 2013, I should see the number I want on the scale now. Additionally, I should be buying new clothes because everything that I own is beyond way too big and makes me look awful.

Unfortunately, my plans went a bit astray and I do not see the number on the scale that I want. I could blame that all on the fact that I was marathon training, but it wouldn’t be true. The fact is, I just stopped focusing on the right thing to make the numbers move. This isn’t to say that I am not smaller and should be shopping. That is something I desperately need to do, but just cannot bring myself to do because it will end one of two ways. Continue reading →

Why

Nov10

20131110-114904.jpgThat is a question I get asked by some when it comes to my spending so much time at the gym. Why do you go? What is so interesting about it? Can’t you do that stuff at home? How do you have time to be there so much?

Truth of the matter is, I really like it. It is my “happy” place. Working out feels good. Whenever I am feeling like crap or crappy about my life (which is way too often), I just go to the gym and usually within a few minutes of being there, I feel better. Also there are classes that I really enjoy doing and by workout out, I get to challenge my body to do more than it has done before. Sometimes I even surprise myself with how much I have pushed myself physically. Continue reading →

Last Race of 2013!

Nov9

running shoesWhen I was talking to my trainer last week about when I was going to start training again and what was coming up next, the number of races that I had done for the year came up. At the beginning of the year, I knew it was a double-digit number. However, it turns out it is closer to 20 than it is 10. In fact on the calendar were 16 races and still time to add a few more.

So  much for being done with racing today as I did a 10K that started and ended at Navy Pier. It was the third year of this particular race and I have done it every year. The race wasn’t too bad. I was on track to take about four minutes off my best 10K time, but it just wasn’t meant to be today. I’m actually ok with that. Especially considering that if I am honest with myself, I have really slacked since the marathon. Continue reading →

My Month of Burpees

Nov5
yeah, fun is not burpees and burpees are not fun

yeah, fun is not burpees and burpees are not fun

I. Hate. Burpees. For those who know me well, that statement is not a shock. In fact, it is probably common place knowledge. Despite my hatred of them, I will do them when my trainer makes me do them or they show up in a group fitness class I will take.

Despite doing them (usually with a reluctant smile), I have not come to enjoy them. In fact, burpees are my least favorite exercise. Sure there are times when I end up doing an exercise I don’t like, but eventually I will start to enjoy it. One such exercise was pigeon pose in yoga. I hated pigeon because I couldn’t really do it thanks to having really tight hips. However, the more I did it, the more I started to like it and actually start to crave it, especially after a long run.  Continue reading →

Marathon Reflections

Oct17

at the swirlgear booth at the expo

As I was thinking about what I would say about the 2013 marathon, a couple of versions came to mind. The first one told all of the positive and none of my true feelings. That was a version contemplated to keep those who would want to say that my feelings aren’t legitimate away. With an all positive version, they’d have nothing to try to make me not feel.

Then there is the completely honest version where I express how I feel. The version that would lend many people to say I should feel a particular way because. A version where they would try to drown out how I feel and make it seem illegitimate.

Anyway, I’ve decided to go with the latter version because being honest is far better than trying to not be real in life. And I don’t care that people can’t handle how someone really feels about this. So here is my tale of running the 2013 edition of the Chicago Marathon. Continue reading →

Six Months

Sep29

Six months. Six long months of drudgery and slogging. Six months of terrible morning runs was what I did before I finally figures out how to have a fantastic morning run. Or I should say fantastic morning run first thing in the morning.

If I had my way, I would probably do all of my running at night. I just like it better then. I am awake and energized and evening runs are relaxing. However, this year I actually trained for races and because of doing long runs on the weekends of more than six miles, this was going to necessitate getting up to run early. For a time, I was able to get away with doing evening runs and still feeling fresh enough to run on the weekend early in the morning.

However, as marathon training progressed with longer runs on Fridays as well as the usual long run on Saturday mornings, morning runs were being necessitated on Fridays. And earlier in the week as well since I had to get to work and work super long hours. So it was up early to get the miles in. And it was not the most fun thing to do. Continue reading →