Re-claimed LOVE & and a few new "This is My Jam"

This week has been a week that reminds me that I LOVE running............the challenge, claiming something of MINE for the day, the therapy, the running high, the calories burned after a kick a** sprint workout, reminding myself that I am still an athlete, the example it sets for my kids, the relationships I build, the lessons I learn, the sore muscles, and yes even the misery of it.............

As I am wrapping my mind around the fact that my training has not gone as planned due to being sick and other challenges -
I am thankful that I CAN do it - even if I am not where I wanted to be as I get ready for Boston.  I am truly thankful to have the opportunity to step foot on that course.  To own Boston Marathon.  Whether I get to step up to the start line and breath in the same air of some of running's elites & knowing my body, my pace isn't where I initially set out for it to be - I am thankful.

As my husband told me tonight at dinner when I was sharing my disappointment in knowing I know where I COULD be & where I am at - with only weeks to go.  His passion is golf and he dreams of one day golfing on the original course - where it all began in St. Andrews, Scotland - the birthplace of golf.  He said he wants to go there to EXPERIENCE the course and take it all in.  That it would be such a shame to go somewhere like St. Andrews or Boston Marathon and waste time on the "what if's" or "should haves" and miss out on the experience of being a part of something so meaningful.  And I agreed and said - "But wouldn't it be awesome to say you shot a 83 on one of the word's best courses!"........just sayin.

I have to say again how much I LOVE running buddies.  For my 16 last Saturday I ran with one of my dear friends Meredith.  It was a COLD run - but I had great company.  Thank you Meredith for logging miles with me!!

Just this Saturday, for my 21 -  I met up with a gal (Katy)who works with one of my friends - she is running Boston as well. One of her friends ran with us and some of her Portland Fit group joined us for our first loop.  There is just something about that instant bond that runners have  - another reason I LOVE running.  We took on a route with some pretty good hills and finished our 21 in 3:03 - not too bad for these sad lungs of mine.  I am discovering that I am not as much of a lone runner as I thought I was.


Before I start this weeks - "This is My Jam"
I just have to say that I seem to have a ridiculous talent (if you even call it that) of turning pretty much any song into somehow being "a running song".

I thought I would share a song that I have loved lately for warming up (also just one of my favorite songs right now).  Give it a minute and gets a pretty good rhythm going.

Only the Young by Brandon flowers

I love that it says -
"Nothing is easy - nothing is sacred - WHY?? "
"Only the young can break away"..........Please - us 35 year old mama's can break away too!!

Now another song that gets me fired up lately........
Such a great beat for tempo runs & any song that you can sing out "Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah" while you are running just has to be good!


The Naked and Famous by Young Blood

It isn't called Super Ice for nothing & Introducing THIS IS MY JAM!!!

So - it can't be so bad if I am training hard enough to need this....

My late night friend tonight

I am certainly someone who delights in a certain amount of pain - knowing that I pushed my body hard enough to hurt a little.  So for my hard work this last week -  I rewarded myself with a SUPER ICE ice bath.  What could be better???  I was sure that it being SUPER ICE - would make it that much more effective!

Quick update on the last week of training:

-   The anti-biotics are certainly helping me reclaim my lungs.  They are certainly not 100%, but getting there.

-  I tackled a 20 mile training run with my angel of a friend Megan!!!  She joined me for 15 miles and there is no way that I would have gotten through it without her.  She took me on a new route through the hills by OHSU - KILLER hill workout.  My lungs didn't love it by mile 10 or so - but I am thinking a good hill workout may pay off in Boston. Have hea d there are a few hills - haha!

I have to say that this run reminded me of what a blessing running buddies are!  At one point on the way back - we conquered a MAJOR hill,  and Megan being the incredible encourager that she is (and having run Boston before) said "That hill is harder than Heartbreak hill and you just did it!"
THANK YOU MEGAN!!

-  3 mile "loosen my legs" run.

-  Lungs and legs weren't quite ready for my sprint workout today.  Got most of it in - but "almost" is never enough for my head to not spin around the  - "maybe you aren't going to be ready" thoughts.

So - ice bath to take care of the sore muscles and and for the head games.....
Remind myself to focus on the successes of this week and on to the next training run!!

One of the many motivators is music.  There is something about a good song when you need a little extra kick or a song that you have an emotional connection with that pushes through your heart and keeps your legs moving. My husband loves music (and is much more in tune with new music than me)  and often downloads new songs onto my running mix for me.  I thought it would be fun to share one or a few songs each week that are keeping me moving.  I am going to be super cheesy & call it -

THIS IS MY JAM - because this is something that my husband says when there is an awful song on & it always makes me laugh - well, not when we are getting a couples massage and he says "This is my Jam!!" (oh - yes he did that!!). - but otherwise it cracks me up.

So -  for this week:

THIS IS MY JAM!! - 

 My Body by Young by Giant

It is so perfect for running!!  Love the beat & the chorus keeps saying:

"My body tells me NO - but I won't quit - because I want more!!"

 How perfect is that.  Certainly a great song when you are needing to keep pushing.
This is a must have for your running list & it may become your new favorite jam.

Off to get some rest and tackle a few more inspired miles in the morning.......

7 weeks out and by the way - Do you have my Mojo???

Let's start by saying - sorry for the slacking.  Ok - I put it out there - I have been POST lazy.  I have great excuses......husband's crazy busy travel schedule, a lot of birthday parties & class parties to plan, my sad attempt at a jump on spring cleaning - but mostly I have been busy pouting & searching for my "go get it" attitude.  I haven't been sharing much because I have had a hard training on many levels this time around. And really - who wants to hear about all that?  I have had a few friends say that they think I should share anyway. And I guess if we really are sharing our running or life journey's - the junk comes along too. This running funk is new to me........& REALLY - NOW - while I am training for Boston.  Shouldn't I be more motivated than ever??!!!

Here have been my Roadblocks this time around:

1.  My husband has been gone for work in the last 2 1/2 months - more than he has been home.  Now this busy season isn't new to our family, but I have never trained for a marathon through it.  Very tough emotionally and logistically getting runs in when my built in running "sitter" is gone - has been interesting (seriously - think - no early morning runs before the kids are up).  It had made me realize how much I rely on him for many things during training.  

2.  Let's just say that Northwest weather is not motivating this time of year!!  Maybe that is true to be said most places - but again - I have never trained during the "weather blues"  season.

3.  My BFF Julie isn't training with me this time around.  Not that we did every run together last time around - but most of our long runs.  I know she is supporting me just as much as when we train together, but  I do miss the phone calls of the excitement of the same goal or the pure pain we shared of our last long run together.  There is really no one in my immediate circle - my running buddies,  that is training for the same run right now and it just feels different.

4.  My training plan.....for Portland I LOVED my plan (well - maybe my body didn't - nothing a good ice bath didn't fix) - but I was confident in it.  I followed an advanced training plan that Sarah Shea of Run Like a Mother had shared with Julie & I, that she was also following for Portland .  Just have to say that it was certainly motivating to have Sarah as a running buddy through e-mails - checking on how the training was going on our shared plan and goal of running strong in Portland - which she did!!  The plan was kick your rear end hard, but certainly equipped me with confidence to show up the Portland Marathon start line feeling ready.  This time around with Andrew's travel & that it is the school year this time around and I help out with both of my kids classrooms - I just couldn't manage that plan.  I have used a make your own version of 2 different plans this time around and not feeling as strongly about it.  

5.  Physically I have been feeling cruddy - I got really sick a month ago & have had tightness in the chest ever since & coughing up some YUCKY (as my kids would say) stuff.  Not really conducive with marathon training! I kept thinking it was one of those colds that just falls in love with you & won't leave. I finally went to the doctor this week - as my last long run in the 20 degree weather - felt like I had a running buddy along with me - sitting on my chest. Verdict - I have an infection in my chest.  I am hoping the antibiotics and steroid inhaler are planning on redistributing some of my mojo where the mucus has taken over and owes me a month worth of my training.  Ok - that may be dramatic - but I seriously haven't had a good run in a while - one of those that you finish & say "I've got this"!!!  and that leads to the next roadblock......

6.  Mentally - all of the above have contributed to a "messy training head"!!!  I think that is the best way to put it.

So - it has been tough this time around - not what I envisioned as my story for my Boston training.  But I will be facing that Boston Marathon start line in 7 weeks nonetheless. So I can either choose to let myself focus on the hardships of the last few months and how it will effect my race and let my "messy training head" take over.  OR - I can embrace the next 7 weeks - knowing that usually we learn more when things are HARD and that not all journeys or training aspirations turn out how we plan them.  That this is still MY running story - inspiring at the moment or not and I am going to own it forever.

Well - I am hoping the 2nd option - but I will keep you posted...........

And I actually will this time!