Carryover

Categories: Birthday Cake, Books, Inspiration, Kids, Training

I am in the throes of party preparation once again, the final of my family’s “triad of summer birthday celebrations” Thing 2 is turning 4 shortly and I’ve spent the better part of this week searching for the perfect lemon cake recipe, stuffing the pinata, and amassing large quantites of food/drink/favors/games necessary for the big bash. I’m catching a breather here between slicing up a boatload of fruit, searching for confetti that I know is here somewhere and frosting said lemon birthday cake so I thought I’d get on and throw out a topic that’s been on my mind lately:

Since you’ve become a runner, do you notice any of the qualities necessary to be one successfully carryover to other aspects of you life?
Since this is my blog I’ll start:
After reading The Athlete’s Way: Sweat and the Biology of Bliss a few years ago, the line “slip through the keyhole” sticks with me still. To me it means that point in running when it stops sucking and you realx into that groove. For me that usually happens by mile 3, maybe earlier if I’m lucky. I carry that principle over to the rest of my life by remembering that everything doesn’t start out easy. But if I persist, it WILL get easier. And I will get thru it. A great mental toughness lesson.

Running helps me stick to a plan. Set a goal and work to achieve it.
It was the marathon that scared the daylights out of me. I was super impressed by anyone who had done one. Even a half marathon for that matter had me in awe. I tossed the idea of attempting one around in my head for a long time, rationalizing that I didn’t “have the time” to train for one the right way. It was a pivotal moment in my life when I finally faced the dragon and committed to doing one (Chicago 2007). Taking on what was for me a “bigger than life” challenge and breaking it down into manageable parts and ultimately succeeding gave me so much confidence. And that has definitely carried over into many other aspects of my life. What is it they say? Impossible is nothing.

I have more but empty goodie bags are beckoning. How about you? Discuss.

Step it Up

Categories: Training

Operation Build Endurance (or OBE) status report.
I am happy to report that Blanche, my trusty road bike came off her hanging spot in the garage last Saturday and I took her for an early morning spin around the neighborhood. I was overly anxious about having my feet clipped into the pedals (it may have been the last time I rode last summer when I failed to disengage my feet in time and went splat in my driveway) but all turned out fine and hopefully I’ll get in the habit of using Blanche for more crosstraining this season.

And since the kids are in daycamp this week, I have a few rare and delicious morsels of time to myself so I got to the gym for a step class of all things. I haven’t done a step class in eons. I know I’m dating myself here but seriously I think Ronald Raegan may have still been in office. Back then women (not me of course) were wearing the uber shiny Lycra spandex thong leotards (now there’s a look) and Tami Lee Webb and her Buns of steel were all the rage.
I felt weird being in a step class after all this time. I set up my outpost well to the back and prayed I wouldn’t screw up too terribly much and hoped the instructor would 1. not see me and 2. if she saw me fumbling would not try to help.
Most of it came back but I did fumble a fair amount. What the heck is a rock step anyway?? Overall it was a pleasant and retro changeup from my usual diet of 90% running and 10% free weights. I’m toying with trying the “Interval Blast” class today.

On the running front: Speedwork Tuesday as usual yesterday, 5x1000m. Major ouch but happy to have them done. And my upper calves are sore from that step workout!