Category Archives: training

Feb 20 2013
2 Comments
exercise, training, trips

the happenin’ haps

Well, this weekend I’m supposed to do a half marathon in New Orleans. I’m going to try my darndest (darnest?) best, but really, I just want to finish. I’ve mostly made my peace with the fact that I’m probably never going to be fast, but I keep signing up for races as a means to keep moving. On Monday, when it was 60-ish degrees in Dallas and beautifully sunny, Jason and I went for a walk on Katy Trail. We didn’t go very quickly, and we didn’t even go that far, but it was wonderful to be outside and mobile.

February has been a weird month. A week after hearing some really sad news, we received really exciting news, and now I’m not sure how to characterize this month. It’s been a rollercoaster (cliché, yes, but the past two weeks have been the best characterization of the phrase that I’ve ever seen), and we’ll see how it goes from here. I’m not convinced that the ride has ended yet, but I can only sit back and see how it goes.

In other (less vague) news, I’m so excited for all the trips we’re taking this year. We’re headed to New Orleans this weekend, Florida in April, maybe Dublin in May, and San Diego in June. We also might go to Australia towards the end of the year, but that’ll greatly depend on our vacation availability and travel funds. Personally, I’m a big fan of taking lots of little trips instead of one big one, but we’ll see what we can fit in — I think it would be awesome to spend some time on the beaches, and maybe go hiking…

Anywho.

We started watching House of Cards on Netflix. Umm, yes please. More, ASAP. Hop to, Netflix, we all know you already have the next season made.

I also read two books! And the month isn’t even over yet! They were both about how to conduct oneself in business, and were good reads. I don’t know if I would recommend either, but that’s mostly because I usually feel as though everyone else my age already has their stuff figured out and know how to conduct themselves (generally). Maybe someday I’ll feel like I have everything figured out… that’s gotta happen at some point, right?

Aug 13 2012
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exercise, training, where i'm headed

one step. then another. and another.

Yesterday, Jason and I finished up our last run for our second week of marathon training. And it got us so excited we decided to sign up for another marathon in San Diego next June. After that, we’ll probably take it easy for a while. (We’ll see.) The plan is to go to San Diego, run the race, then head to Napa for a while. (Wahoo!!) Hopefully I’ll be working from home at that point, and will be able to get away with staying longer than a week.

Honestly, I’ve run more in the past two weeks than I did between March and July. And while I’m feeling great, I miss yoga. I have a two Groupons for yoga studios that I can use, but once I get home and park my butt, I’m down for the night. Eventually, the plan is to get up and run in the mornings, but I’m pretty sure I’ve had that goal for most of my adult(ish) life, so we’ll see how it goes.

I’ve always been in awe of people who can will themselves out of bed in the morning to do something other than rush to work or school. The few times I made it up 30+ minutes before actually having to be up, I enjoyed it. Yet, on any given (normal) day, I’m more inclined to snuggle closer to Jason and hit the snooze 2- 17 times.

So. A year ago I wasn’t working out at all, and now I’m training for a marathon… so it’s reasonable to think that I might just be able to change my sleeping habits. Just maybe. It’s gotta start somewhere, right?

At this pace, I wonder what I’ll be able to do in a couple of years. Maybe I’ll train for the Olympics. [Or the World Lumberjack Championships.] Or run a company. Or write a book. It’s amazing how the simple act of acting on one goal has made me feel so much more able and motivated to work on my other goals.

Aug 05 2012
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exercise, goals, job, post-grad, training, where i'm headed

29 weeks to go…

Every person dreams of this day, right? The day you realize that you’re actually doing something you’ve planned and dreamed about for years. The day you realize you’ve come so much further than you realized, and that all of a sudden, you’re committed and ready and you’re actually doing this.

The best part of this is that I get to do it with my favorite person in the world. 

In 29 weeks, I will be the proud finisher of a marathon. [Hopefully.]

In case you missed it, last week when Jason and I got back from our half marathon in Chicago, we signed up for a full marathon in New Orleans in February. And we started training this week. 1 down, 29 to go… and then we start all over again. :)

It’s amazing what a difference a year makes. Last year at this time, we were packing the last of our belongings into a truck, and embarking on quite the adventure. We had no idea what was waiting for us, and it turned out to be the best year of my life. It was really hard, but looking back, I realize that moving so far outside of our comfort zone has helped us to realize how strong we really are, as individuals and as a couple.

One of the goals we had when we moved to Dallas was exercising more, and we’re actually doing it. A year ago I was rarely working out. I sometimes walked to and from work, and counted that as a workout, but actually exercise was rare. In 2012 alone I’ve worked out more than I did in the 6 years prior. I’ve completed two half marathons, I’m training for a third half AND a full marathon, and I actually have some direction in my (exercising) life.

Planning ahead for these races also made me re-think work, and how we actually accomplish things: We don’t just get to do things when they’re fun and new and exciting. Things get boring– that’s true in every single job out there. Regardless of how much you like what you’re doing, at times you will have to do the dull, mundane tasks. This doesn’t mean that you have to stay forever in crappy jobs, but it does mean that sometimes, you just have to suck it up.

I’ve always had trouble staying interested in things for longer than a couple of months. I recently realized that this is probably due to an ingrained sense of how long a semester is… the 16 week mark will likely always have me itching to move on to something new. But real life doesn’t work that way. I could certainly pick up and start something brand new every 3.5 months, but that is neither sustainable nor stress-free. So, for now, I’ll be patient (or at least fake it) while I figure out what I actually want.

In the meantime, I’ll just train for a marathon. :)

Jul 25 2012
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exercise, goals, training

veni, vidi, vici

Channeling a little Jay-Z for today’s post…

Bunch of nerds.

Jason and I made it back from Chicago late Monday night… and we promptly signed up for our first marathon.

!!!

Let’s start at the beginning, shall we?

Continental “severed” with a side of fruit… haha.

Friday night after work, we came home, grabbed a bite to eat, then headed to the airport. While there were some storms headed for DFW, we only ended up with a 20 minute delay, which still got us to Chicago before midnight. We hopped on the shuttle to our hotel and went to bed after watching an episode of “Virgin Diaries.” [A whole other post for another day... but WOW. Just WOW.] Two fun things about that hotel? They only offered liquor by the liter (what?! You can’t order just a cocktail? The liters of booze also came with a liter of mixer… I don’ t know about you, but a 50-50 ratio is a little strong…)  and had interesting breakfast offerings…

*

We slept in a little on Saturday, then headed downtown to check into another hotel and meet up with my mom and sister for lunch. After having a quick panic attack when I realized that we hadn’t yet picked up our race numbers, we rushed over to the most gorgeous convention center (ever) for the race expo. [McCormick Place is gorgeous. WIN for Chicago.]

Inside McCormick Place.

Outside view

Outside McCormick Place.

The race expo was great… there were dozens of samples, from Snicker-flavored protein bars to Jamba Juice energy drinks. (Delicious.) Once we wrapped up our tour de samples, we headed back downtown to meet back up with my mom and sister, and we scoured TJ Maxx for race-day hats. We both ended up with red hats… like a bunch of dress-alike nerds.

After some deep-dish from Lou Malnati’s (not our best decision), we hit the sack and woke up much too early. By 6 am, we were on our way to the start line, and already sweating from the terrible humidity. [I curse your humidity, Chicago.]

*

By 6:55 we were on our way, and we managed to keep up a decent pace for the first hour. After that, I was pretty pissed at myself for signing up for another half marathon… my back was hurting, my feet were blistering, and I was hungry. Luckily, soon after mile 9 my spirits improved drastically, and the rest of the race seemed to wrap up much more quickly than the final two miles in Dallas.

Being done was fantastic. I couldn’t sit down fast enough, and Jason consumed his weight in chocolate milk, bananas, and Snickers protein bars. Soon, it was time to trek back to our hotel… it seemed like the .9 miles back was longer than all of the previous 13.1. When we finally made it back, it was time for a shower and relaxation. I elevated my legs to ease some of the swelling, and watched bits and pieces of “The Adjustment Bureau” and “Knocked Up.” [That movie is hilarious... Kristen Wiig's character is one of my favorites ever.]

Best. view. ever.+ drinks.

Later, we met up with Joe and Molly for an amazing dinner from Pizano’s (their baked mostaccioli was the best I’ve ever had) and several rounds of coffee at Starbucks. Once we were finally awake, we headed to Park Grille for some drinks. The view was amazing… the bean is one of my favorite things about Chicago, and having it right there made me really happy. Jason and I realized that we rarely made it to Chicago during the summer, and I’d be happy to head back there again over the warmer months.

*

Awesome wall of tea dispensers.

Monday was purely relaxed. We slept in, hit up Einstein Bagels for some breakfast, tried out Argo Tea (twice), watched The Dark Knight Rises, and headed to the airport. One of my favorite stops over the whole trip was Argo tea… they have an amazing selection of tea and signature drinks. (My favorite was the “Mojitea”– perfectly refreshing on a muggy day in Chicago.) And their wall of tea is impressive. (Don’t mind the two random dudes.)

Once we made it back home, I was pumped to sign up for another race. Jason and I were deciding between going to Portland and New Orleans, and ultimately decided to head to New Orleans because then we could do both the New Orleans and Dallas races. And since registering for the marathon only cost $5 more than half a marathon, we signed up for the full.

BAM. Luckily, the half we’re doing in San Antonio in November will fit in perfectly with our training for the full. I’m a little (okay, a lot) nervous to do a full marathon, but completing it will be so AWESOME, and I have no doubt that it’ll be worth it.

EJV at the 20k mark… next time we only need to go double the distance.

Any tips/advice/words of warning about doing a marathon? 

May 31 2012
2 Comments
blogging, goals, training

why I blog (part I)

One of the reasons that I like having a blog is the accountability.

Let me start over…

One of the reasons that I like cultivating, curating, maintaining a blog is the accountability. (One does not merely “have” a blog. One has to work on it, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly… sometimes once a month.)

Anyway. About that accountability.

I have found it incredibly helpful to write about the things that I was planning on doing (working out 3+ times a week, doing a half marathon, etc.) and knowing that other people knew about these goals. We all do more/better than we would otherwise when we’ve told others about our plans, right?

I’ve been slacking in the blogging department. A new job, plans to move, and the start of summer have kept me busy, but I’m ready to get back into things. Working out, blogging, eating my vegetables.

I’ve noticed that when I do one thing that’s good for me (exercising regularly), it’s easier to do other things that are good for me (eating well, drinking more water). And blogging has helped me do much more of all the best things. 

Blogging= therapy for poor people.

Today is the last day of May, and I’m excited to start June. At the end of the month, my darling husband will officially be old (just kidding, not really… just older), and I’m looking forward to helping him start his 28th year on a good note.

With that, I have the following goals for June:

  • Work out (at least) every other day. Even if it’s just swinging a kettlebell for half an hour while watching some trashy TV. :) I have a half marathon to train for!
  •  Eat out only three times this month (one of those times being in celebration of EJV’s birthday).
  • Move (!!) in a timely and low-stress manner… we have a lease overlap of 12 days, so it should be a little easier than the times we had no apartment between August 14th and 15th.
  • Drink less (and less often). Having friends to hang out with and have some drinks with is great, but waking up hungover isn’t cute or funny (anymore). Though it hasn’t happened in quite some time, my first thought Monday morning was “I’m too old for this.” True story. (I’ll probably be working overtime for the next couple of weekends anyway… another post for another day.) [Also, I understand the hilarity of planning to drink less during the month in which we're moving. Ahaha. Good job, me.] [I'm not a fan of moving. SURPRISE!]
  • Read at least two books. I’m slacking on my goal of reading 40 books this year, so I’m getting (re-) started.
  • Help EJV get through coursework for three courses in 40 short days (mostly by not enticing him to go out and do fun things).

What are your goals for the next month? How do you make sure you stay committed to your goals?

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