Tag: discipline

#TinkRuns2024, celebrations, challenges, fitness and nutrition

I Run 2024 – February

2chicksandapen

Month 2 is complete and I’m still reaching for new milestones. I can’t even explain how excited I am about how far I’ve come in such a short time. First in-person race completed. The Hot Chocolate 5k on 2/4/24. This seems like a lifetime ago to me and why I am so glad to have this blog to reflect on. Rain and wind in the forecast but warmer than it’s been lately. I guess it wouldn’t be exciting without battling the elements. Just one week after my virtual 5k. I originally signed up for the cool swag bag and to run with friends well before I set a running goal for 2024, but it definitely puts miles in the log book and gives me another 5k time to catalog. Great start to the month and I’m content running a 5k currently as a race day event while I still focus on my 1 mile time and just improve my running overall. Longer distance races can come in time, when I feel I’m ready and my body is prepared. 20 gym pals teamed up for this run which made it so much fun! Too many pictures to post here but so many memories. Lots of celebrating at the end and maybe some great hot chocolate.

My 5k time was 37:37 on 2/4/24. I almost forgot how slow the start of a race is with all the people and the weaving you have to do to get around the swarm of people at the start area. Definitely wasn’t a straight line to mile 1. Bloody lady after a face plant before mile one was sad. An ambulance, fire truck and police car dodging runners at a cross street. Me being one of them was new for a race day. Just a day in the city on race day I suppose. So much fun with a group of friends and a repeat from 2020 for a handful of the same people. Chocolate at the end to celebrate. Can’t complain about that. Definitely cold before and after but hot during the actual race. Cute purple skirt for a little flair, a little glitter on the face to sparkle, and a great play list to go go go. Great Sunday run-day was had by all. Ready for the next one.

Maybe I’ll work my way up to 10k or 4 miler on race day, but for month two we are sticking with the 5k and hoping to build up to that half marathon I signed up for in November 2024 with a few friends. This month I will also be faced with a new challenge. Training for the DEKA Fit competition in Knoxville, TN in early March. This is a unique competition with 10 fitness segments with running built into it. A 5k will be completed in conjunction with the 10 fitness segments. Luckily I will have a partner to divvy out the work with but this will be another test of my running and overall conditioning. More to follow on this next month. Lots of interval training this month with a few longer runs built in.

My 1 mile pace was 9:57 on 2/6/24 on the air runner. Hard to believe but no outside elements I suppose.

I ran in just one state. 

I ran 19 days in a row. This seems so crazy to me because never would I ever have expected to be this consistent when I started.

I ran over 40 miles this month. A goal I scribbled on my calendar that seems like a stretch was now a reality. I did it!

I’m at a year-to-date total of 76 miles.

I did my first longer run (4.5 miles) in a vest with water. That was new and took some getting used to. The sloshing of water was definitely a new distraction.

I ran intervals with friends a few times a week and really enjoyed settling into a rhythm. I feel like my breathing and pacing is improving. Run at an easy pace. Run for longer, slower. Simple concept. Harder to apply when you live the fastest girl in town lifestyle. Walk without dropping my heart rate too much in between intervals. I felt like I could endure for a while. I didn’t test my theory for maxing out, but maybe I will in the coming months. This seems like a good approach for me when tackling large mile runs and most likely my game plan for my big races. Continuing to work on my strength in cross training as well. Added a few sprints at the end some days too. I can definitely feel a change in my endurance now that I’ve been running more. Shoulders are thinning out a bit from the running, but I’ll never have the runner physique. 

I also focused my training on 500-meter segments to better prepare for my competition next month as well as improve my run times by focusing on interval training in a 500-meter distance chunk. Then fatiguing myself with weight bearing exercises and continuing with the run/work scenario. Slightly different form of intervals that were noted above with a run/walk scheme. Just a little training shift this month I suppose. Still progress no matter which way you look at it. Every step is forward no matter which way you look at it. Unless I’m doing backwards lunges which I loathe.

This is my birth month. 52 wise/wise ass years behind me. I was aiming to hit 52 miles by my birthday this year as a mini-milestone. I was already pleasantly surprised I went over 30 miles last month which meant I was over half way to 52. I ended up with 67.75 miles by my birthday. I actually hit 52 miles on 2/12/24 and I was over the moon excited. I was definitely pumped and felt so much accomplishment just to get here, let alone achieve the goal early. So much encouragement along the way. My fit friends texting or getting together to run. My pal who gives me motivation notes to view for each mile I complete. The list goes on. I am truly one lucky girl just having the ability to run. I know some pals who would love to run but can’t for one reason or another. For that reason, I’m motivated to move because I can.

Self-discipline is something worth writing about. Not everyone has it engrained in their soul. I can’t do this subject justice exclusively in this post, but many work at it. Some need more of a checklist to stay on track. I’m definitely self-motivated. I work and rework my plan and offer myself rewards for efforts. I celebrate milestones and I try hard not to compare myself to others. My journey is unique to me. Keeping the focus on what I can control keeps me disciplined. I can always help others. I can show others how I stay on track. What I can’t do is the work for others. That’s the difference. A self-disciplined person can work hard solo. To improve themselves. No strings attached. No comparison needed. They can make the finish line without something or someone pushing them over the line.

Another footnote for this month is I’m officially signed up for my first full marathon in Savannah, GA in November 2024. 6 friends participating along side me and a few more thinking about it. Different paces but a common goal of completing the marathon. Not too far away and the same month I have a half marathon so hopefully my body can withstand both. I guess my half marathon is now my training run for the marathon. Here we are month two into my running project and I’m signed up for my first marathon. What’s next? Here’s to making memories and achieving milestones. One step at a time.

And for those who want to know why, it’s because I can and I have the will to tackle the challenge. I’ve never set my mind to running thus running 2024 was a good goal for me to take on. Time will tell how I fared. How my overall fitness was impacted. I have hope that I can endure the grueling 26.2 miles and earn my medal. Maybe I’ll make it two marathons to hit 52 miles for my year of 52. 

Since I’ve now signed up for a few races my medal rack seems a little crowded. Retail therapy to the rescue. I now have a 2024 race bib display and medal rack mounted and waiting for each and every bib and medal I earn this year. It’s gonna be a great year of running. It’s gonna be fun to flip back throught the medals and bibs at year end to reflect on my accomplishments. I can feel the success in my soul/sole already. I’m doodling on the back of each bib with my race time and splits to see how I improve in time. A fun data point to look back on in the years ahead.

The end of February also marks the start of the CrossFit Open. An annual event that I partake in. Year 8 for me. Some years are better than others but I put my best foot forward each time. 3 weeks of testing my strength in the CrossFit world while balancing running and training for the DEKA Fit competition. Never a dull moment over here. Moving. Training. Writing. That’s my agenda for the immediate future. And for curious minds, I work full time. This means I train at 6am, nights, lunch breaks, weekends and whenever my schedule allows. The balance is also part of the challenge this year.

Balancing strength training, work, family, paddle sports and running isn’t for the weak at heart. That’s for sure. Almost forgot to mention I’m eating clean to make sure my body is fueled to endure the demands I’m putting on my body. On top of that I’m making sure to take time to get a massage and pedicure at regular intervals to keep everything in sync. I’m also not forgetting to spend time stretching. A very important step to continuing to build those miles. Busy life.

Stay tuned for what’s lurking at the end of the first quarter.

challenges, fitness and nutrition

Part 3, the Finals

2chicksandapen

This is the end of the Masters of the Master Competition Series. The finals. The championship. Destination: Texas, USA. The stage is set. The invites were sent out. What an honor to get invited.

The travel was planned. The bags were packed. The plan was in motion. Would I remember everything? Would my bags get lost? Would I be ready? So many variables.

Rise early. Time to grind. It’s competition day. A long day. Many new faces. A new area. A new gym. New rules. Mask on. Mask off. One must be prepared to adapt to whatever comes your way. Oh the nerves that cause trips to the restroom until the first heat starts.

8:28, 11:06am, 1:04pm, and 3:33pm. Those were my heat times. Cold weather. Outdoor waiting area due to COVID. Adverse conditions one may say. Challenge accepted. So many ups and downs for this competition but it was still an amazing experience. The woman above was a fierce competitor and took the #1 spot in our division. She inspires me to work harder. 

  •  I met some amazing competitors from cities I have never been to. I learned their fascinating stories of CrossFit. Because everyone has a story.
  • I was forced to use a port-a-potty multiple times in a day. So nasty. This was also a personal record for me.
  • I watched my favorite age group of 65-70 year old women killing it in the competition. I saw them move their bodies as I did mine. Slower but with such convictions. Now I have goals for myself at that age.
  • I traveled with friends who are like family who supported each other. My favorite word being “incoming” after spending hours in the car together on and off. We even celebrated with fancy cupcakes. We sang comp car karaoke and so much more. Memories were made for sure!
  • My virtual cheers. FaceTime calls. Coaches texts. Gym friends even sent notes of motivation. Social media shout outs. My CrossFit Community is amazing. 
  • I competed solo causing me only to rely on me. I have to put in the work over and over again.
  • My daughter came along and what a great experience for her to see athletes from 35-70 competing for a spot on the podium. She watched intently. She learned movement strategies. She cheered with conviction. This was an unexpected benefit to the comp but one I thoroughly enjoyed observing.

At the end of the day I made the podium. So many emotions and self triumphs. A rebound of sorts. Pushing through movements I don’t like or are not my favorite. Hitting new limits under extreme fatigue. Celebrating after.

Many may question why compete. Many may wonder why travel. Many may think of so many reasons why not to take the risk to compete. Winning is never guaranteed. It’s the journey. The ups and downs. The friendships. The hard work. The spirit of competition. It all fuels the fire in my belly.

Next competition is a few weeks away. Time to rest a day and get back to training hard. Next comp is 4 team members representing different generations. Teen, 20 something, 30 something, and the good old caboose rolling in at 49. 

The comp should be a 2 male / 2 female combo but we are going in disadvantaged with 3 female / 1 male. It’s an experiment of sorts. 3 of my family members will be competing in this one. That makes it extra special for me. My fitness regimen spilling over to my kids is just heartwarming to say the least.

Until next time.

fitness and nutrition

5-10-15-20

2chicksandapen

Counting by fives is easy. You can count quickly with this method. Could counting by fives ever have a negative effect? Can you reverse a negative effect?

Let’s look at a 5-pound fluctuation on the scale. It is not a big deal to many. A scale can fluctuate and 5 pounds is a good cushion for many splurges or environmental issues. I’m in agreement. Up or down five is considered acceptable.

Now let’s just say you were fluctuating on the high side on the scale. You know that but you add 5 more pounds. Technically that’s 10 pounds in total but since you are counting by fives the justification is it’s just five pounds.  Not a big deal, right? 

It happens again. Now that totals 15 pounds but really it was just five pounds, right? What I’m getting at is counting by fives could diminish the big picture number if you look at things a certain way. Like by just 5 here and there. It’s easy to do if you are not paying attention or are choosing to look the other way for whatever reason. That’s why many long term weight loss programs require tracking. Without that measurement stick it’s easy to get off track.

I’m not a big scale person. I mean I don’t like to look at it daily as it becomes a consuming and daunting task. However for those who watch their weight to an extent it’s a needed measurement tool. One of many tools.

For me, I have been off my macro counting for a good bit (over a year).  Wanting to see how I fared eyeballing things. I did well. I could handle it. What I learned when I meticulously watched my macros was instilled in me. A routine. A habit. I was strong and consistent.

However, when I’m not tracking it’s easy to add in an ice cream, a candy, a drink, and other small items that add up in time. The 5, 5, 5 scenario…

Before you know it, five becomes ten, ten become fifteen and so on. For me counting by fives can have a negative connotation. During Corona I counted by five. I counted more than once by five. It added up.

The good news is I didn’t let fives multiply to the point of no return. I shook myself and said let’s get back on track and count macros to reverse by fives. I will use the scale as a tool. I’ll use my measuring tape to monitor inches and I will use myfitnesspal to track my intake daily until I’ve reversed the effects of just 5 pounds. I know how to do it. I just need to buckle down. Take the task on. Own it. 

We all have our own challenges of maintaining the physical / mental balance that’s right for each of us at each stage of life. Pandemic included! For me, I know my happy place on a scale, in inches and in macros. I just need to be diligent in staying the course even when a pandemic hits. Basically eliminate excuses and although a treat is okay here and there. I need to choose what’s worth the indulgence vs. slipping into a 5, 5, 5 scenario.

Another tale of how to saddle up and put in work. Success is something you work for and sometimes you have to work for it multiple times. Trust the process. Learn each time. Counting by fives in reverse. That’s how I got here. That’s how I will get back to my starting point. No big deal. Just need to practice some patience while being consistent.

For some reason I think counting backwards by five is much more difficult than adding by five. What an irony. With all that being said it’s not hard to get started. Just takes a little self motivation.

perspective

Stripping the Fun Stuff Away

2chicksandapen

The return to “normal” has begun.  Gyms, restaurants, hair salons, sports leagues, bowling alleys, summer camps and a host of other businesses have gotten the green light to open their doors. Yay! (right?)

Of course, nothing is really normal and the “new normal” has already lost it’s luster (if it ever had any). Opening business doors often comes along with an eye-popping list of new restrictions.

Both the chicks have recently given their views on restaurant dining.

Like restaurants, for many businesses, industries, and institutions, it’s still a strange time. We are all figuring it out on the fly, customers included.  I’ve noticed that in some cases, we are stuck trying to do the hard parts but the fun parts are what we miss now.  Here are a few examples:

Gyms are starting to reopen.  But, I never really stopped working out.  I’m still exercising in my basement or on the pavement most mornings due to financial and work constraints. Some lifting, some cardio, some basic bodyweight movement, Heroes on Mondays. I get my exercise in one way or another.

Is it the same?  Yes and no.  Yes, I get my movement in.  But some of the most enjoyable parts of the gym experience are gone.  I don’t see friends and like-minded people.  I don’t get coaching.  I don’t get to use all the great equipment. I don’t get the occasional coffee and breakfast after with friends. Sure, I don’t miss certain things about the gym, but some of the parts that made it fun and special (and the hard parts less hard) can’t be replicated in my home.

My work is a similar situation.  I am a librarian that teaches in an elementary school.  We left school for a long weekend in mid-March, not knowing that students and most teachers wouldn’t return this year.  Instead, we’ve been teaching and learning online for almost 9 weeks.

Are we getting the job done?  Yes and no.  Yes, there are lessons and many teachers working extremely hard to connect with students and families.  Yes, there is learning happening.  But, some of the parts that make school fun and meaningful are stripped away.  Field day. End-of-year culminations of work and celebrations.  Social time at lunch and recess on the playground. Working shoulder-to-shoulder to finish a puzzle or create something together. For me, it’s just walking through the library with a student and helping them find a great book.

Or reading a funny or suspenseful picture book to a live Kindergarten audience, laughing and responding together in that moment. Nothing replaces those. And those are some of the things that make school worth going to for many kids (not to mention food, etc.)  Instead, online school often seems like a lot more of the work and a lot less of the fun stuff that makes school special. (And yes, this is about the teachers, too.  I miss the energy of my students! Computer screens, while helpful, don’t cut it for connection!)

On the flip side, there are also students and families who aren’t built for distance learning.  Some have limited or no access to technology. Some need the structure and surroundings and encouragement of others working.  Some need the social benefits.  Some need the food and care that come along with being at school.  Some parents are working from home while also trying to manage multiple children learning online.  It is all extremely stressful.  School isn’t working for many, and it is definitely not the same even for those getting by.

Then, there are the fun things that are just not happening anymore at all.  Most notably for me are travel plans for myself and my family, and races I was training for.  Pleasure travel by anything other than car seems risky (and if you take a road trip, where do you stay overnight?)

I was sad that the triathlon I was training for got canceled.  They can’t guarantee safety and I am sure liability is also a big part of that decision.  Would I have wanted to participate in some sort of sanitized race?  I had mixed feelings about the virtual 10K I ran recently. Although it wasn’t terrible since I was able to do it with friends, I missed the trip to Nashville, the mass of runners, all the spectators and the thrill of race day. It just wasn’t the same. I may still do a virtual version of the triathlon at some point since I am already training.  But, some things just can’t be replaced.  You can’t take away some of the most fun and challenging parts and expect a similar experience. Again, some of the most fun stuff of life is stripped away.  And it is hard not to be bogged down in the frustration and sadness of it all.

You can’t recreate the Mona Lisa with a Magic Marker. It just isn’t the same.  And will it ever be the same?  What do I expect? I don’t know. I know many people are trying their best.  I know many people disagree about how all of this is being carried out.  Frankly, between dealing with that personal and political drama and the abundance of the day-to-day changes, I am exhausted at times. The fun stuff buoys me along and there is so much less of that.  Nonetheless, I want to try to find the celebration in the irritation.  Today, I realized I would have never bought my road bike if I hadn’t set the triathlon as a goal.  My bike has been a huge part of my sanity through the stay-at-home orders. So there is a bit of sunshine.

It’s hard not to wonder when things will get back to some kind of regularity.  What will things look like on the other end? When can we plan a race, some pleasure travel?  When will I be able to read to kids again?  When is the finish line of this mess?  I can budget my energy if I have a finish line in sight.  But now we are in the long middle miles when it’s hard to stay energized and forward moving.

I think it’s ok to pout as long as you don’t wallow in it.  Acknowledge the loss then move on.  It might be easier if we knew the story had a happy ending.  I can deal with suspense as long as it gets resolved.  I have to believe that day will come.  Maybe not quite happily ever after, and maybe this is a heck of a long chapter, but it will be resolved.

 

 

 

 

 

celebrations, fitness and nutrition

Festivus Games Was No Joke

2chicksandapen

Well, this comp was a little different about 5 minutes after I signed up! Then, when I got to the competition site the crazy level stepped up a bit….the competition was 90% outside. Holy smokes.

Looking back, I somehow stacked 1/2 marathon training, a 45 day bicep/tricep challenge, a physical residence move, a big trip to see family and life on top of comp training and my regular CrossFit and adult life.

What was I thinking? I probably wasn’t thinking until I hit the WODs hard the 2 weeks prior to the event. At that point my body was already sluggish from a physical move and my arms were burning on the daily from the other bicep/tricep challenge and then heck most days my legs were like we don’t need any additional miles today!

Of course there was outfit planning. Tanks and booty shorts. This may be the most fun part of competing because my crazy partner agreed to change outfits four times. Really she had no choice but it’s part of the experience and what sets us apart from others. We beat to our own drum or anthem in many ways. Class act I tell ya!

One week to go and I rip my hand bad. How did that impact the event? Came down with a cold as well a week before so breathing wasn’t 100%. Complaints or excuses? Time to press on and put in work. This is a self note that I am sharing.

The last seven days were focused on eating well, sleeping well and staying healthy. I wasn’t perfect but I made an attempt. Rest being most important since my body is aging.

Last practice session on our weakness was a good showing. Compared to day one it was tremendous growth. Now to wait and see how the big day goes.

Comp day. It starts with the dreadful alarm at 5am, food prep, and carpool ride at 6am. Oh and let me tell you about the ride:

One passenger snoring in the back who wouldn’t share the back seat. Yup, that’s my partner!

One driver kind enough to volunteer to drive knowing the drive home will suck bad. Thank you, CW.

And then me. The sleepy one mesmerized by the cool new truck I was in. Air flowing through the seats and a massaging seat. Yup, just what I needed and I gladly staked my claim for that seat on the way home!

Then the wait for heat one at 9:50am. The morning aches and stiffness were among the bunch as we waited, joked and stretched together. We all prepped differently yet we all did it together.

That’s a lot of idle time for nervous jitters that lead to multiple potty breaks. Fun times all around meeting neighbors in tent city and taking pics as we wait. A group of friends are competing so we will have a blast tailgating and cheering each other on. Of course we are still competing so it’s not all rainbows and lollipops for those in the same division.

Did I mention our team name this time around? 2 Tatted Bitches – ha! Offensive to some but perfect to us! Check out the cool shirts we got compliments of Chick 2’s designing skills. Oh, how the announcer fumbled purposely all day on that name. However, if we made the podium he said he would say the full name prominently. And he did just that!

WOD 1 – my favorite. The deadlift ladder. Easy peasy 205 pounds. We accumulated 75 bonus points with our extra efforts in less than a minute. Took 3rd in this WOD. Feeling good but the worst is yet to come. And the pic below shows one of the good faces. There were many more crazy faces to come.

WOD 2 a and b=death! Add extreme heat outdoors, direct sun and and and….WOD was outside, 90+ degrees and I don’t usually workout outside in direct sunlight. It gave me a new respect for other athletes who compete outside on a regular basis. Body weight movements AKA devil press (named appropriately), weighted box step overs, reverse lunges weighted and a partner row. Part A we scored 4th but Part B was 8th….my no reps for not locking my arms out cost us big time. I was not happy with my judge. Well, we could have given up but this is the time where we kicked it up a notch or attempted to.

WOD 3 – Outside again with a forecast raining wallballs and snatches. Get low, get low, get low…that’s all I would hear for what seemed like an hour. My legs were shot but somehow I was going to have to squat 45 times with a 14-pound wall ball going up down up down. I wanted to puke in the heat was a gross understatement. My practice rounds were timed and my partner was suppose to hold me accountable for a personal best despite the environmental conditions. She did but I wasted breath saying “stop yelling at me.” Big mistake but I made it through by the grace of God. Our time was not our best but we squeezed out 3rd solely with our heart and desire to make up for the WOD before.

WOD 4 – the synchro WOD that I had been dreading since sign up. Not really sure how to explain this other than heavy and weird object being tossed around like a ping pong ball over and over and over again. But it was not a ping pong ball. It was a heavy anchor that bumped and bruised your body and your ego with each movement. It was brutal. And I was focused on this part of the workout making me totally forget about the 100 buy in of knees-to-chest movements. Oh crap! Suck it up buttercup because we had to place high in this round to get on that podium. Thankfully my partner killed this movement and made up for my shortcoming and we were on fire with the synchro piece. Over 100 reps of pure grit and we pulled out 2nd in the event.

It was bittersweet. A podium finish of 3rd. Hard work pays off. Good partner chemistry paid off. Supportive gym mates were the icing on the cake. Not to mention our honorary tatted bitch who donned our shirt and branded herself with Katashi just for us. Was a great friend.

We’re walking away from this event with a medal but it’s not the medal that’s most memorable. It’s the journey. The journey of training that’s years in the making. The fellowship along the way. The learning process of developing skills. The coaching you receive along the way. The commitment required to grind another day when your mind tells you to quit. Mental toughness, tenacity, determination, are all words that come to mind.

I leave you with this message: anyone can commit to changing their environment, their attitude and their perspective. Many will talk about it but won’t follow through because the road along the way is full of big hills, speed bumps and life detours. It is not easy. Surround yourself with a tribe that will challenge you, push you, motivate you and ultimately make you see your own potential. It’s really all about you, just like this post is all about me.

I’m not one to gloat per se, but I am one to share my stories with the world to offer hope to others who have a hard time seeing it in themselves in the mirror.

Happy Sunday, y’all. I’m back to training for my 1/2 marathon in 3, 2, 1….