Reflecting on 2010.....

I am in my 'new' home. It was an adventure getting here, but I have arrived.

Now, I am surrounded by boxes as I am unpacking, sorting, organizing, throwing away, and all the fun stuff that comes with a move.

I am sitting looking at the snow out my back window......

I have now begun a new adventure. And tonight, 2010 comes to a close.....

Enter 2011......

I am looking forward to continuing forward progress with my training. I am going to look back at my training to reflect on what I learned and gained through this process. I am going to use 2010 as a platform for the next step forward, the next stage in my life.....

I am looking forward to accomplishing many things this coming year.

I am working on a checklist of goals.

And in the spirit of things...... My word for 2011 is traverser, from the french, meaning to cross-over, like crossing a street. This word signifies the new beginnings in stepping forward, traveling onward... continuing the journey, stepping forward. As I step into 2011..... bringing with me what I have learned in 2010.

Snowy Day.......

And so...... the truck is packed, I am ready to go.......

and, here comes the snow!

So, I am stuck for another day, maybe two..... and I need to get on.

I need to step into the new and away from the old......

And yet, I am here...... watching the snow.... trusting that the delay is just a delay.

merry christmas......

Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.........

Well, i am glad i was able to take a walk in the quiet of the morning...... and enjoy the crisp clean morning air, and the stillness that comes.

It was most certainly not still in the house. And the day has much that i need to accomplish before i can say it is finished......

My life is being put in a box today, for tomorrow, i put my boxes on a truck and monday head to my new home....

And the adventure continues.

Flow......

I managed to experience something I haven't experienced since my pre-retirement race.....

well, way back when, when I was still running 400s....

FLOW.....

some call it being in the zone, some call it something else.... you know that point in time,

where the world seems to be moving in slow motion and you are only aware of the movements and actions you are taking..... colors are so bright and the sounds around you are so distinct, yet far away.... and everything seems to be in harmony, so you can move at the speed and tempo necessary to achieve your goals for the day.

And today, was just a training run.... 6 miles at base pace.... and well, my base pace keeps getting faster... and my former base pace feels slow.....

But today, as I was approaching the first 5k (in my 10k training run)..... i just felt like nothing was holding me back, down or suppressing the ability to move.... i could see each movement of my body synchronized as one collective movement for the greater good....

As I flew through the run....

As I maintained a speedy and strong tempo comfortably for the following 3 miles.

The cold didn't bother me.... in fact, i felt hot....

The wind assisted me.... even though, i was running into it.....

And my legs felt like springs....

I could feel the recoil and the flight.... in slow-motion, and yet, I was moving at a speedy pace.

And when it was complete.....

I asked myself, where have you been and why can't i do that on every run.....

I had managed to conquer the mental game today.

Another 20 for the books....

Kilometers, that is......

I ran..... and I ran hard. It seems I do that better when turmoil is mixed in my life.

And so, I ran......

The run was good. I conquered Warrenville Road.... 1/2 mile at a 15% grade. And I took it on.... and conquered.

And it felt good.

...... and i messed up.

..... and i hurt someone i care about. i sit here and cry.

and i cannot do a thing, but say a prayer....

and trust that he knows, i truly care.

and continue to focus on my training and running.....

and in turn, hope he will return to me.

it was a mistake. it was not vindictive or malicious.

it was done in good faith.....

and i chose poorly.

alas, tomorrow..... is another day.

Mile Repeats.......

These are challenging, but I love them.......

3 x 1 mile repeats, at 10k tempo. It is a race pace but not a deathly one.

This morning, I found the strength to push and run my fastest mile-repeats ever!

And then when I arrived at home, a quick jump on the scale showed I was down 3#!

Awesome!!!

I am learning to stay focused during the run, on the run..... It is sometimes easy to become distracted and challenging to maintain the focus, especially when it is cold, the run is extra long, or challenging. And in this focus, my runs are becoming faster. And I am becoming stronger.

And when I look at myself in the mirror..... I am seeing all the results of my hard work.

Taking it to the Track

On this chilly morning, my goal was to run 7 x 400m at 3k pace with a 3 minute recovery.

And so, I ran to the high school track. It was a balmy 19 degrees this morning and I still felt warm. The distance to the track is close to 2km, so I was warm when I arrived.

I stepped onto the track. The memories of the track I ran on for four years came back.... and now, no one was here to coach, to orchestrate, to observe. It was just me and my watch.

And the first 400m began....... before I knew how much time had passed, I was beginning the seventh and last 400m for the day. This was easier than last week. I felt stronger. I felt better about the overall run.

I knew my competitive nature would show-up once I stepped onto the track.

My hair is frozen.....

I just love these cold mornings when the fleece keeps you warm, and you still sweat despite the chilly temperatures around you..... under the cap, the hair gets wet, and the hair that sticks out from the cap becomes frozen.....

I love running in the cold weather.

One has to run fast, or one freezes..... I find it easier to run in the cold..... Although, I need longer to warm up....

It is exciting to see the changes happening in my body each and every morning when I look in the mirror..... I am starting to see the abs peeking through, as I am shedding the extra body fat.

I just love running.

Running Fast Hurts (the next day)

Today, I am definitely feeling the muscles saying hello after my long run yesterday!

As I am working on tempos and pacing, I am finding that my speed is increasing. I am finding my old speeds returning. I am seeing my body return to its true racing weight!!! I am challenging myself to more!!!

The result...... recovery is sometimes speedy, and sometimes slow!!! I am definitely feeling it today! And I know that a run is not in order.... recovery is the best!!!!!

I can never predict which muscles will say hello the loudest after my long run.... Today, my hips are shouting a little louder than any other muscle groups.

Running a Race for a time trial....

Today....... run a half-mary time trial.... Today, enjoy the weather....... Today, challenge yourself to run the best you can........

And today, I ran a 6 minute PR!!!!! wow.....

Glad for hills..... showed me I can conquer these in a race.

Glad for sprint-intervals in training.... taught me how to pick up the tempo mid-race-- ran a 6.45 mile somewhere in there.

Glad for eating after the racing.

NJCU 100-day complete

My challenge with my students is complete!!! IN this, I formally challenged myself to 140 days, to set the foundation for my pursuit of excellence.

I took note of this yesterday, when the day officially ended.... and yes, I hopped on the scale.

This morning, I stepped on the scale again and wowowowow!!! I lost another 1.2#!!

Total weight loss since this whole journey began at the end of July is 23.5#!!

(Granted, I am still pursuing my true racing weight which is predicted at 160#. I say predicted as I might arrive there and find it needs to be lower or perhaps higher).

I have lost 2" off my waist and 4% body fat. Not absolutely thrilled with that.... need to work more on fat burning, and resistance training. Might even throw in some TABATA!!

But I am excited to see the progress and changes in my body!!

With the year wrapping up, I am by no means letting off the pressure to achieve my goals. I am looking forward to finishing this year strong and pursuing new and revised goals in 2011..... keeping in mind, I am also tracking my adventures through my birth year, which begins again in august!!!

NJCU -- 100 day challenge concludes

Today, is day 100 of my student's 100-day challenge..... (which added 40 days to my challenge).

This morning, post-run weight was once again below my nemesis weight. I am hoping to find a new nemesis and tackle it like it isn't there. (Total loss combined in both challenges is 22#!)

Running is sometimes easier, sometimes harder..... and I challenge myself for excellence each run.

Eating is still jacked. hmmmmm..... sometimes, i am on point; sometimes, not even on the playing field. It is not the quality of the food so much.... i am not reaching for junk... it is the consistency of eating.... i can still just as easily not eat as eat. And I do this frequently..... amazing my body hasn't rejected me yet.

I am still a work in progress.....

Mile Repeats....

This morning's training brought 2 x 1 mile repeats at 10k pace.... (pretty fast)...... with 1 mile warm-up and 1 mile warm-down.

Wow!!!

I forgot how hard running a single mile can be!

I forgot how my hair freezes in the cool air!

And the result..... I felt strong on the first run, the second not so much. I struggled.

Now, I have something to build from. I know where I need to be.

Training in the Cold.....

With the chill that has descended on the northeast, it is a challenge to get out of bed, let alone decide how to dress appropriately for training outside. I struggle with the ideal of running on a treadmill.... when it is possible for me to run outside.

And so, the socks get thicker, the running tights become cold gear, an extra layer or two is under the standard sweatshirt I run in. And add in gloves and a hat. I can deal with the cold. I can even deal with the snow.... My biggest challenge is wind and cold icy rain.

In the cold weather, it takes longer to warm-up, even if I am performing a warm-up in the house before I head out for the run. I need to recognize and understand when my legs feel warm..... if I push too hard, too soon, I could potentially injure myself. My warm-up is more than an easy run, prior to the run, I am moving.... lunging and reaching, walking with a medicine ball, skipping, perhaps even jumping rope.... to prepare my body to go! (These activities I do regardless of the weather) and then I move into an easy run.....

I save my stretching for after my shower, when I have warmed up from being outside again.

And this morning, was no different.... I was motivated to stay in bed a little longer than usual, as I was listening to the wind whip around the house. I did some reading and then attacked the planned training for the day.... In dressing, I chose my lined tights (for warmth.... need more of these), a long-sleeve tech shirt and a thermal, my hoodie, and my fleece hat and gloves.

I look like a mish-mosh of assorted colors at times.... but I want to be seen and I want to be warm!!! (I almost felt too warm with the thermal, but once the wind started blowing around mile #3, I was glad that I chose to wear the thermal.....

It always gets interesting at the end of the run, as I head up to the gym...... and I am soaked. I try to peel off some layers, without getting too cold, or too adjusted to the heat in the facility..... b/c I know I am going back outside to run or walk home.

Today, I took off the thermal and kept the hoodie and tech shirt intact..... I trained inside with more lunges, med ball work, core work and remedial work with the mini-band.

When I started to chill, I headed back home, to shower and get warm.

I am truly thankful for coffee.

it's cold outside......

and i still ventured out into the wind and cold to run........

and it was sloppy. i felt distracted, tired, and didn't have focus....

but managed to finish my 10k run today.

i love the coconut water at the end of the journey.

Losing my shorts......

...... and now my tights..... has been a problem. the solution was to buy new shorts! now, i need to buy new tights......

I have been losing weight and dropping body fat.... and the result.... is i am losing my shorts or my tights when i am training. This morning, I actually could see the differences in the mirror as I looked at myself before I headed out on the run.

That is when it gets exciting! I still have a long way to go...... my nemesis weight said hello again this am.... and I expect to fluctuate in weight from day to day, from training and eating.... I am looking forward to crossing the next major milestone and having a new nemesis......

running the workout later in the week.....

Wednesday's hill sprints are finished!! ..... on saturday.

Wednesday, i woke to ugly rain..... monsoon type weather..... weather that would have compromised my safety to take on the challenge of the hill run..... so, I chose to post-pone the run.

For the record, I HATE TREADMILLS! So, I would rather put off a run, than run on a treadmill..... (in fact the more I see of traditional fitness facilities, the more I hate equipment-- ever notice it is wall-to-wall equipment, with no room to breathe?..... isn't training about movement, instead of standing in one spot?)

So, this am.... a brisk morning, I headed to the hill..... to run... 3 x 2 min intervals at 3k tempo with a 2 minute recovery.... and today, the intervals, while challenging were accomplished.

........ And I passed my nemesis weight......

Woo-Hoo.... Let's have a party!!!

I dropped below the weight that the scale and I have been fighting about.

And I have changed my eating..... I spent some time re-reading the paleo diet for athletes, racing weight, the spartan health regime and the warrior diet.... while all of these are sound philosophies.... i gravitate toward the spartan or warrior diet protocols.....

I love eating fruit! And have returned to enjoying my fruit -- grapefruit in the morning, and pineapple and or something else post-training and run..... For some reason, people are convinced fruit makes them fat, b/c of the natural sugars.... and yet, our closest 'relatives' in terms of digestive structure, the chimps and gorillas, eat predominantly fruit, and are lean and strong.... granted they also eat, green leaves with their protein....

These same people who have told me fruit is fattening have endorsed eating processed foods for recovery.... hmmmmmm.... (maybe it isn't the fruit after all).

Eating predominantly fruits and veggies, with protein thrown in the mix..... is a high-fiber diet.... and well, one who is trying to lose body fat shouldn't be eating grains anyway.....

(ooops, i guess i have opened a can of worms)......

Well, I will let you know what happens....

but i know this, two- days eating more fruit and i dropped below my nemesis weight on the scale!!!!

Wonder what tomorrow will bring?

Running in the Cold....

The weather turned colder during my run...... I felt it as I approached the 4 mile mark, the chill just came... I was running at a decent pace, and I felt cold.....

That made the 2 minute tempo runs a challenge.... and I struggled to finish two of these..... let alone the four.

I went to the gym and did my core work and my remedial work.....

and walked by the row of treadmills and thought, while it would be warm to run on those......

HOW BORING!!!!!

I will stick to running outside!