The good, the bad, and the ugly...

That is the roller coaster I went thru this week.  The good was on Saturday when I felt pretty darn good running.  The bad was when my knee cap started to feel like it was going to pop off the front of my leg.  The ugly...well that was my hair after running in the rain yesterday.  It was sticking straight up in the air and then going off on all kinds of tangents.  Today I just wore a hat from the get go so it wouldn't be so bad while out in public.

I am starting to get worried that I will never be in good enough shape to run the half on May 2nd.  My knee just doesn't seem to want to get with the program, and I don't have that long to get ready.  Somehow I have to keep from getting so anxious that I don't get anything done...but that is easier said of course.  I will do my best to keep my diet on track and work out to the best of my physical ability.  Can't ask more from my 50 year old self than that.

Looking forward to my 50th birthday party.  Bring on the Senior discounts!

It's not where you start...it's how you finish...

I have to keep telling myself that.  I need to be ready to run a half marathon on May 2nd, and today I couldn't even run half of one mile.  Right  now I have 98 days, 14 minutes, 21 seconds until the big day, and I have to stop stressing so much.  I had a dream where I got all the way there and chickened out at the starting line.  I can feel good about the fact that I am exercising every day, but 5 days of 1.5 mile walks won't get me in shape.  But...daylight is lasting longer and I will be able to run in the evenings pretty soon.  That will really jump start my workouts.

Positive self talk is very important...I need to remember that a little bit more.

The strangest thing happened this week...

I have had nerve pain in my right arm and hand for 6 years, along with a pinched nerve in my neck.  My hand was often very weak and shaky - at times I would drop things because I just couldn't hold onto them.  Well, one morning this week I woke up and did the usual stretch my hands wide open and then clenched...and there was no pain...there was no swelling!  Oh the blessed relief from pain.  The pain and swelling started to return a few hours later, but I was still happy.  I tried to figure out if I had done anything different the night before and I had.  While sitting on my bed I had stretched my right hand over behind my head and grabbed the head board.  I kept it there for quite a while because it actually felt kind of good.  Somehow this must have re-aligned something so the nerve was no longer being pinched.  So...I tried it again the next night, and my hand and arm have been pretty good ever since - not 100% - but I can definitely live with it.  The pinch in my neck is back to hurting right now because I am sitting all hunched over and stressed at work, but that will improve at 5:00 PM when I leave for the weekend. 

It's Friday, the sun is shining, and I can get some runs in over the weekend.  What could be better than this?

How to add agility to your road workout...

Take two whippets and harness them to you via a waist belt on 6' leashes then commence your workout.  One of said whippets should be a mature adult and the other a youngish puppy.  Once you begin to jog the puppy will race side to side and then stop suddenly to sniff or pick up a pine cone.  You must then leap over the two leashes that are now intertwined (be sure not to fall over the adult dog) all the while watching for the puppy to return to her side to side movements.  You then need to stop, un-wind the leashes, and make sure everything is cleared for take-off.  Re-commence your workout.  Repeat 25-30 times and you will really begin to feel the benefits of adding a dimension of cross training into your hum drum everyday roadwork.  The best part of this - other than the adrenaline rush for you - is that both whippets will be completely ready to sleep for the rest of the day and you can get many other things done.  It can work with other breeds as long as one is young and very happy to be outdoors...

I not only fell off the wagon, but...

I lay prostrate in the mud and played dead for the last 3 months.  I have found it extemely difficult to get going again - oh I spent plenty of time talking to myself about it and beating myself up over it - but just couldn't get back out there.  This morning it took me about 20 minutes of arguing between my good self and my bad self before I made the correct decision to get up and go walk/jog/run.  Then I dawdled around for another half hour and finally figured if I didn't do it today I might never achieve my goals, and that is a pretty good motivator.  As soon as I started to put on my running clothes HotRod went crazy knowing he was going to go RUN!  I couldn't disappoint him so out we went.  I wasn 't quite as out of shape as I thought, but nowhere near where I was at the end of September.  I have my work cut out for me if I am going to get through that half marathon at the beginning of May.

Of course right after I ran we left to have lunch with friends at Chinooks - a nice restaurant down at Fisherman's Terminal in Seattle.  I was good though.  Instead of ordering chicken fettucini I had the chicken caesar salad and a cup of chowder.  Oh...and the pilot bread they serve right when you sit down.  It is to die for!  Sunday mornings are good too because they bring you fresh scones with orange butter.  YUM! 

All in all I did pretty well today.  Now it has to become a daily habit. I need to remember just how good it feels to be "really" in fit shape.

Starting to get back on track...

I was able to get a walk in every lunch time at work this week.  I didn't go that far - or that fast - but I did it.  Today I took the dogs and took the first jog/walk of 2010.  Once again not that far or that fast, but I felt good after wards.  Once I stopped hacking and coughing that is. :0)  Best of all the dogs were tired when we were done!  HotRod really needed it since race season for him is not that far off.

Hope you are all getting out there and doing something to get energized as well.  Your body and mind will love you for it.

Slow Recovery...

Still trying to recover from whatever illness I had over the holidays.  Still congested and coughing, but up on my feet and going to work.  Was amazingly tired the first couple days back, but am feeling better now - of course it is Friday and the weekend is only a few hours away. 

I have not yet starting running or even serious walking, but I am taking the dogs for walks at lunch time as weather permits.  I think we walked around a mile every day this week.  This should be multiplied by 3 since I want to go one way, HotRod wants to go another, and Anneke either goes a different way or refuses to move at all.  It's a good workout for legs AND arms I must say.  It's not much, but it is a start and I am feeling better every day. 

I also set my computer so it tells me to Drink More Water! every hour.  So far it is working.  Hydration is one of my real downfalls, so I will really have to work at it to keep it going.  HotRod saved me from eating something I shouldn't on Wednesday night.  I took a handfull of pink & white animal cookies and put them on the counter.  I walked away to do something else first after making sure they were far enough back on the counter.  I didn't have anything to worry about because Anneke is too short and HotRod has never stolen food before...well that's all over now.  He ate all but 1.  I was a little disappointed, but knew he did me a big favor. :0) 

I must start my workouts in earnest soon, since the Vancouver half marathon is May 2nd!  Stay tuned to see how I respond to having that little carrot out there in the near future!!

Hopes and Dreams for 2010...

I have thought about this for a while, and what I decided to wish for myself in 2010 is happiness with what I have in my life.  I have much that is wonderful, and yet I am often yearning for something more...more money, more energy, more "things".  But when I get more things it just leads to me wanting more. I just need to change my mindset and CHOOSE happiness.  Yeah..I know it is awfully easy to say, but if it was easy I would have already done it for myself years ago.  I stress and obscess over the most trivial of things, so when real stress comes along I have no way to cope.  Well I guess I do cope with food and beverage.  Not the best way to be happy with myself I gotta tell you.

I have laughed with good girl friends over the last couple of days trying to decide whether or not I would want a relationship if a good man came along. Good question and I thought a lot about it.  It would take a pretty strong character to break into my very "set in her ways" world.  At my 30 year High School Reunion I completely freaked out one of the guys I graduated with in 1978 (if you are reading this ~ Hi Pat!) who couldn't fathom the fact that I have never been married and have no children.  A fact that seems not un-natural to me, but was so outside his frame of reference as to be completely odd.  But the fact is I have a good life - just different than what they taught us was the norm when we were little girls.  And thankfully that norm has changed quite a bit in the last 30 years.  I was able come up with 4 things that would be good reasons to have a guy around...

• I would love to have someone to help drive on long trips
• I would love to have someone who can do the heavy lifting (especially at the end of those long trips!)
• It would be great to have someone to fix the toilet or other things when they break
• It would be great to have someone to exercise the dogs when I am tired or sick

Hmmmm...I guess I will have to keep trying to think of good reasons...If anyone has any additional thoughts on this question they are welcome to post them here on my blog.  :0)

I wasn't going to say anything about 2009 since the less said the better, but there are a couple of things.  I am so grateful for my Dad's recovery from his heart attack and quadruple bypass at the end of September.  He continues to grow stronger every day and I finally was able to visit with him today after missing Christmas.  I would like to say a final good-bye to my Gracie girl - I miss her very much.  A number of friends also lost their whippets in the last year - Shadow, Jarmir, Spot, Monkey, and Dylan.  You are all loved and missed.

I would like to wish a Happy New Year to one and all.  I hope your 2010 is full of love and passion.  I intend to continue with my running and healthy eating and most especially positive thinking.  This time next year I plan to be healthy, fit, and having the time of my life.  I turn 50 in about 6 weeks and it is going to be fantastic!