Pretty Pretty Please....

...don't you ever, ever feel like your less then perfect.

Today, it sunk in.  Through the sweat, and burning muscles, I realized that I was special and worthy. How amazing is that feeling? I can do this. Forget the I can't(s). I can damn it!

I'm ready. I'm stoked, and ready to burn! I'm excited to see what this new year brings me and what I bring it. My 30's are rolling around and getting nearer and I am going to make them great! I'm ready to be the best person I can be, including physically. Most importantly physically.

Even if I have to dig my way out of blood and fire. I'm going to loose this weight! If thats what it takes, I'm going to do it.

It's amazing how just a few work outs and one amazing run with great friends, and a focus work out in the gym can change your whole outlook. To those of you who want to know why I like running. Thats why. Running can change everything.

Amazing day today. Feels great to be back in the game. Thanks for joining me. Thanks for supporting me. Thanks for seeing the changes in me and telling me that you see them.

Starting the New Year

So starting the new year has been a bit of a challenge for me. I ended up getting a cold at Christmas and was recovering the end of the year. I found that my ability to pick up where I left off was more difficult mentally then physically. My muscles remembered where I was at in training, but my mind just didn't want to do it. The rain came and I made excuses to not go outside in the cold wet weather. And then there were other things stopping me such as visiting friends, grocery shopping, and errands to run.

During all this chaos, I knew I needed to set a resolution. A goal of some kind for the new year that will assist me in my weight loss goal. I didn't want it to be something difficult, or even something I could fail at. I wanted a fail proof goal. Also something I would want to do. So I decided my New Year's Resolution would be to EAT BREAKFAST!. Easy right?. Easy for most people anyways. I tend to skip it and hold off until lunch. By the time I hit lunch I am starved and my blood sugar levels have dropped. I think this is a great goal. Something even as simple as a banana or bowl of cereal. Easy, simple, fail proof.

I've been thinking about what's been holding me back. I feel like I am talking the talk, but not walking the walk. I feel like I am not backing up my words with actions. I think that it's time I started speaking with my actions. Instead of saying I'll do something, I'll prove and say it by doing it! I feel like I've been letting myself down as well as some people around me by not working on my training at home. It is slowing my process to enhance my pace and endurance. It's not fair to myself, or to others I am training with as they are getting faster and I am still remaining in the back.

On a happier note, I feel stronger then before I got sick. Weird I know. I am hardly ever so sore I can't walk. I can move the next day no matter what kind of work out I have, hard or easy. I can't tell you how happy I am. I remember the beginning when I could barely walk for 3 days. Now it only feels good the day after or right after my work out. I feel vibrant and alive. It really does amaze me how it affects my moods and emotions after a good hard work out. So with this note, I know I need to step it up a bit and elongate my routes. Like I've said before. I need to push harder, go longer, and try faster.

So what I've learned the past week or so... is that just saying you are a runner doesn't make you a runner. You have to run in order to be a runner. So I need to get out there and just run!

I hope your New Year will be great one. I wish you the best in 2011! Now start running!

Competitive like a horse

Weird right? I know what you're thinking, "Horses aren't competitive". But I think they are. You know how when they are racing with another horse, and they get equal to them, look them in the eye and push harder to win, to get ahead of the other horse. Let me tell you I've been on a horse that wanted to be first, and you can NOT stop them. They are going for the gold.

          (Seabuscuit VS War Admiral)
Here is some info on Seabuscuit. He was a horse that was smaller then the rest, and he was also not a favorite. He was not expected to win, but he did. He went on and won many races. When it came to War Admiral, he was the fastest horse around. Again, Seabuscuit was thought to loose. However, Seabuscuit had it in his heart to win. He had a huge heart and even though War Admiral was the usual winner, Seabuscuit won. It just goes to show that it's not all about the act of doing something, but it's the heart that counts.

Last night I reminded myself of that. How the horse pushes it into another gear when they are equal with another horse or even behind another horse. The running group I am in met at a local high school track. We were doing conversational laps where you were supposed to talk as we walked, and then push laps, where you were supposed to push as hard as you can go with out falling over. On my first lap I did 3:25, on my second lap Alyshia trotted up next to me and we met pace. It wasn't so hard for the first few mins, but as I came around the last bend my lungs started to bulk. I was scraping for all the oxygen I could get. An amazing thing happened, the pain in my legs was gone for those last minuets. I don't know if it was lack of oxygen or that I was trying so hard that I couldn't pay attention to anything else around me then what I was doing, but I beat Alyshia. I know she can run faster, but she ran at a pace she thought was my level, and I pushed passed it. I nearly cried when I finished. I didn't think I could do it. I didn't think I could make it past that last bend, let alone kick it into 4th gear and finish before her. I shaved off 10 seconds off my first timed lap and did 3:15. It took everything I had.

Although my calves were in knots nearly the entire time, I was able to push past the pain and run. When I got home I gave them a much needed pressure massage and they feel ok today. I will need to work on them some more. I can tell that cramps in my calves will be the first hurdle I have to cross. The second hurdle will be my lungs. I've always had trouble with exercised induced asthma.

Here's to you Seabuscuit.   (Seabuscuit VS War Admiral)