Tag Archives: training

leaves know they need to let go

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Today I started a two-week yoga challenge that realistically will take three weeks because #life. In the first video, Fiji talks about how this time of year there are not a lot of leaves on the trees because the leaves know they have to let go of the past. It was while we were standing in tree pose, and I struggled (and tried to smile through it!) to stay away from swaying too much.

My lack of yoga last year was because of my half marathon training, and also because of my wrist injury in soccer. But in 2016, I want to focus on yoga again because I miss the strength of my body, I miss the peace it brings, and I miss the calm. Although I’m glad I ran a half marathon, I want to balance my cardio with strength training, and I can think of no better way to do that than yoga.

Hopefully this challenge will remind me of the reasons I love yoga – today’s class already calmed me after a day of cooking and a weekend of standing which left my hips tight. It was the perfect Sunday-evening destress heading into another week.

I want to be like the leaves. I want to let it go. I want to move forward and recognize the past and leave it under me, moving forward to the light of spring. Let’s hope this yoga challenge can help me in 2016 center myself and stay true and light in the busiest of times (as 2016 is already shaping up to be!)

Namaste, everyone.

how lucky we are to be alive right now

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Well guys, we did it. On Sunday, Ellen, Jeff, and I ran our half marathon! This was Ellen’s third half marathon, and Jeff’s first half (except he’s already run a marathon, so it counts but only kind of ;)) and it was my first one.

Half Marathon | Santa to the Sea

I have been training for this half marathon since the end of June, because I was worried I wasn’t going to be ready. I ran 160 miles to prep for this marathon (which is many less than I technically was supposed to run.) I slept countless extra hours to get over my various illness including bronchitis.

I didn’t make plans with friends here and there so I could run miles after work through our neighborhoods through hot and cold weather, through Santa Ana winds and even through rain (I know, shocking.) We even moved our holiday party to the weekend after Thanksgiving (thanks friends!) and to a Sunday night in order to plan for this half marathon.

The Thursday before the half, I went to my weekly soccer game and I pulled my right quad muscle kicking a ball. Never had I pulled a muscle like that simply kicking a ball (or honestly doing anything else) but I suspect it had something to do with the hard ball to my leg I took the previous week (seriously, there is still a soccer imprint on my leg.) So I spent Friday icing my leg once an hour, and spent time heating it Friday night. I went to bed early that night and hoped that the icing, the anti-inflammatory, the heating, and rest would do the trick…

Sunday came and my leg was OK. Miles 1-3 were tough, and I was sure with every step I wouldn’t be able to finish. But I warmed up around Mile 4, and by Mile 7 I was numb. When “Alexander Hamilton” came on right after Mile 4.5, I knew I was going to finish.

An hour after Jeff and at least thirty minutes after Ellen, I crossed that finish line still jogging, still smiling, and not in too much pain. A little over three hours of running and then suddenly (or maybe not so suddenly) it was over. Of course, now two days later I am sore all over, but I did it you guys!

Thanks to my friends and family who let me use the last six months to accomplish such a goal – I couldn’t have done it without the constant support of my team, from those who suggested music, who helped me heal, who understood when I cancelled plans or didn’t return their calls/emails/texts on time because I was out running. I’m so glad I have y’all in my life, and I’m so glad to say I’ve run a half marathon.

And now, rest…right?

empty the skies out/bringing me one step closer to you

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Hi chickens. I have been away, and for that I apologize. There have been a lot of things going on here that I am not quite ready to talk about yet, but they are all good and happy, albeit busy.

In the meantime, days of this summer have been hot and long, and in the throes of the dog days Jeff and I both started new jobs and laid low, seeking air conditioning and relaxation. Through it all I have tried to keep up the blog at GMS, our house, friendships, etc., and also keep up on my running schedule.

We are running a half marathon in December, and though that’s now in only three months, I can say I don’t feel overwhelmed like I did when I agreed to do it. Be warned: I feel overwhelmed, for sure, but less so. I have been running, putting one foot in front of the other, all summer, taking off only when I had to for travel (or a sprained wrist) and when it just didn’t feel quite right. I’ve been trying to listen to my body, and I think that’s serving me well.

I’m headed out tonight for my first official half-marathon training run, and I am feeling tired of running at night already. I don’t know what the solution is (OK I do it’s run before work but I just don’t know if I can get organized to do that in the next few weeks) but for now that means 10 pm runs and eating light dinners so I can go out and pound pavement.

I miss this space, and I want to be around more to let you guys know what’s going on, and probably will be ramping up my posts now that I crave an outlet for running talk (especially since I haven’t done a ton of yoga since I injured my wrist!) so in advance, sorry/notsorry about all the running talk.

In the meantime – can you guys send me jams? I am SEVERELY lacking in tunes I love, and I have been listening to podcasts when I run, which is fine for long runs, but sometimes I need some serious motivation. I also need to really connect with a song to find it motivational, so this is sometimes exhausting.

Favorite running songs? Titanium, by Sia/David Guetta; Gone, by Kelly Clarkson; Maybe They’re On To Us, by Needtobreathe; Want to Want Me by Jason Derulo – if you can find the theme in these, and come up with a playlist for me, I swear to the earth I will make you dinner for a month.

In the meantime, I’m off to bang out three miles. Sleep well, chicks.