C25K, off-day 1

I took my first day between C25K runs as a yoga day.

 
{stock photo, via Google.}

I've practiced yoga off and on for about twelve years. Over the years, I've frequented an amazing hot yoga studio, and I've done my sun salutations overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

{I did sunrise yoga in this gazebo. Wearing real yoga clothes rather than this Lilly cover-up, though.}

However, today wasn't one of those experiences. It was plain old gym yoga. The kind that isn't about meditating, or pushing yourself. It was about stretching. Of course, that was exactly what I needed this morning, a motivator to keep me in the gym. As I warmed up, I remembered that, even though I actually like those power/urban yoga classes offered at conventional gyms, I had a very bad experience with a hateful instructor at my old gym. As I sat on my mat, awaiting the start of the class, I reminded myself that this class would not be led by that horrible lady. And that she can't determine my success or failure.

As the class began, I realized that I had determined my own failure. It had been quite a while since I last practiced. And some of those postures hurt.  A lot. But I also remembered how much I enjoyed the practice. I was already sore from class as I drove home in the sleet (can we discuss the way November seems to have just flipped a switch into nasty weather??), I was planning my next class.

Thankfulness Challenge, Day 2

Today, I am thankful for my dog.

When we first brought Max home, we noticed a little rash on his belly. I didn't really pay it much attention, as puppies generally have weird little ailments that they often outgrow.

As Maxie grew, we realized that he was suffering from something far more severe. He began to exhibit alopecia and chronic ear infections. After seeing several different veterinarians, we first isolated a beef allergy, and finally a wide-spectrum animal protein allergy.

It has taken a lot of vigilance and hard work and expense to keep him healthy. I am just so thankful that he wound up with a family that had the knowledge and capacity to help him. It breaks my heart to think what could have happened to him otherwise.

If only he weren't such a Snuggie thief.

C25K, Day 1

So, I started the Couch to 5K training program today. My innately OCD tendencies indicated that it would have been better to start on a Monday (because, you know, it’s Monday), but my schedule wouldn’t allow. So, I embarked today. I’m fairly happy with the setup.

The actual program is five minutes of warm-up walking, followed by nine intervals of 60 seconds of running alternated with eight 90-second intervals of walking, and finally five minutes of cool-down walking for a total of 31 minutes. In reality, this turned out to be a lot less activity than I generally put in at the gym, as I try to do at least a couple of miles on the elliptical and one or two more on the treadmill. This training is often ruled by what time I get to the gym (i.e., what awesome reruns – Gilmore Girls, 90210, or General Hospital I can find on the machine’s monitors). 

The biggest advantage I can find to the C25K program so far is the ability to train via iPhone app. The iPhone app does a wonderful job of talking you through the phases. The app allows you to upload a music playlist, and gives you both audio and visual cues to indicate the switch. Strangely enough, I’ve had my iPhone for a year, and have never used it as an iPod.

The music I uploaded from iTunes integrated very smoothly, and the app works well with seamlessly transitioning from audio cues back to iPod songs. My first playlist had a few bugs, as you’ll see:

1. Take a Chance on Me – ABBA (Great for the five-minute warmup.)
2. The One that You Love – Air Supply (this was a poor choice; not as a value judgment toward Air Supply, but because I over-estimated the warm-up time      and wound up with drippy
3. Don’t  Dream It’s Over – Crowded House (A good startup song, as it increases the      beat as it goes. Plus, I never tire of the phrase “trying to catch a deluge in a paper cup.")
4. Mr. Jones – Counting Crows (Picked up the tempo nicely)
5. Glamorous – Fergie (A good song for interval training, as it is divided into many      parts.)
6. What   Would You Say—Dave Matthews Band (Again, the varied tempo makes this an      excellent tune for interval training. I'll refrain from any Reille Hunter jokes.)
   
7. SexyBack      – Justin Timberlake (Somehow, this didn’t transfer from iTunes to my      iPhone. Apparently I have spread this one over so many of my iPods and      devices that I’ve used up the 5 device license. The playlist ran a little      short because of this oversight.)
8. Mamma  Mia – ABBA (Um, I love ABBA. You probably already knew it.)

N.B.:  I love to listen to really horrible music whilst running. Ridiculous dance tunes and pop disasters often make their way into playlists. Ricky Martin? Yes, please. I hear you judging me, but I simply don’t care.

Next up? The same training schedule on Thursday.

Thankfulness Challenge, Day 1

{Image courtesy Harper's Bazaar}

A lot of my friends -fellow bloggers, Facebookers, and "in real life"-- are taking a Thankfulness challenge in the month of November. It seems the perfect time, as November is when we commemorate the 1621 harvest feast in which our settlers gave thanks for live and bounty in the New World. Every day, for the remainder of November, I will take a moment to give thanks for something in my life.

Today, I am so thankful for my daddy.

 {It was the '70s. Hairdos were inexplicable.}

Just before Labor Day, my dad was in a freak accident. The brakes went out on his riding lawn mower. He took a really nasty spill and broke his leg severely. I am so very thankful that he wasn't injured more severely, and that he seems to be healing so well. It's been a rough few months for him, but I am so glad that, comparatively speaking, it hasn't been as bad as it could be.

What are you thankful for?

Goals. And Acronyms.

Less than 18 months ago, I completed a half-marathon. I started out very out of shape, but spent the requisite 3 months training to complete the ridiculous distance. I experienced a couple of leg and foot injuries in the course of training, but I also met a charity fundraising goal and, even more importantly finished the race in a respectable time.

 

But, as I said, that was 18 months ago. I've completed a few 5Ks since then, but I haven't exactly set any land-speed records. My last race was in August, but I developed terrible leg cramps within the first few minutes. I quickly had to adjust my goal from "making a good time" to "finishing up and meeting TLOML at the appointed area:the hotel bar by the finish line."

My life has changed a lot in the past 18 months, to say the least. We've moved, and changed directions, and have adjusted our priorities in a thousand different ways. And somewhere along that course, I've stopped setting the kind of hardcore goals that I've always set for myself. That simply isn't me.

I've decided that the best way to offset my lazy-assed recidivism is to set some real goals. The kind of goals that require commitment and hard work. The kind that yield actual results. The best way to meet goals like that is to tell everyone. The better the chance of public humiliation  one's failure entails , the harder one works toward avoiding that failure, right?

So, here goes:

1) I am beginning the Couch to 5K program this week. This is a cool program which integrates running and walking, with the goal of jogging 3 miles in 30 minutes at the end of a nine-week training period. I've downloaded the iPhone app and will get started this week.

2) I'm writing a book. This month. I'm participating in NaNoWriMo, which is a program that promotes action-based writing. Rather than sitting around brainstorming and navel-gazing for years, NaNoWriMo participants are encouraged to actually churn out a fifty thousand word novel in the month of November.

I'll keep you posted.

More Hallowe'en Randomness...

Our cashier at Kroger today

Waiting for Trick-or-Treaters is exciting...

...but exhausting.

 

Only 3 Trick-or-Treaters? That means lots of leftover candy

Dinner -- BLTs with smoked center-cut bacon and heirloom tomatoes, served with sweet potato chips.

 

 

What a random day!

 

 

 

 

Hallowe'en Favorites

circa 1985

circa 1999 or 2000

circa 2000 or 2001

2008

2009

 

2009

Inspiration.

Hey y'all.

I've been kind of uninspired lately. To tell you the truth, it's been a weird year with few blog-worthy events. Or maybe the events have been there, but the words have escaped me.

I think that life has just been hard for most all of us lately. It's a scary time. Even if we are fortunate enough to have our health and our families and our jobs, it is really hard for us to avoid the feelings of anxiety and fear that seem so pervasive.  I try hard to keep things in perspective, and to remember how very many blessings I have in my life. Gratitude is everything, y'all. It's been called the memory of the heart, as well as the most exquisite form of courtesy. It's the key to keeping the negative forces in balance with the blessings in our lives.

The most inspiring story of blessing and gratitude I've ever heard is that of Stephanie and Christian Nielson, who were recently interviewed by Oprah. I have followed NieNie's blog for quite a while, and am simply amazed by the testament to the grace and faith that her entire family presents. {NieNie, a twenty-something mother of four, and her husband were nearly killed in a plane crash. She suffered extensive burn damage and has recovered against incredible odds.}If you haven't read NieNie's blog in the past, please take some time to do so; her life was altered in such an unfathomable way, yet she remains graceful and optimistic and charming. She is truly an inspiration.

Race for the Cure 2009

Wake up call at the Kroger...

So, I wore a Race for the Cure t-shirt to the grocery store today. I was busy overseeing the bag-boy's proper placement of my meats and vegetables when the cashier happily said, "you keep running that race. I'm a two-year breast cancer survivor." What a blessing to hear that this sweet lady was doing well and had such an amazing attitude! It really turned my day around!

I know times are tight, y'all, and that we all really have to prioritize our spending, even for charitable giving. But nasty diseases like cancer don't stop for recessions. Keep giving if you can.

http://komen.org
http://thinkbeforeyoupink.org

What did you do this weekend?

I did this.

And I read this.

And I ate here.