Is it really that time already?

It's that time of year again.

Where runDisney runners descend upon Orlando for the pinnacle race weekend of the year.

Marathon Weekend.

5 days of runDisney frenzy of expos, meetups and the 5k, 10k, half and full marathon races.  It's a crazy busy weekend, but one that runDisney enthusiasts look forward to every year.  The races historically sell out well before the race weekend arrives and people gather from far and wide to see the familiar faces of their running family.  To experience this race weekend is a real treat and truly showcases the runDisney ohana that has grown through the years.

See a change?

Two posts in one week?  Am I imagining things?  Nope, you're not.  It's me and like I said last post I have been wanting to blog lately, so I am riding this wave for as long as I can.

If you've been following my blog for a while you will notice a change.  If not, then I'll let you in on what I'm talking about.  I have "refreshed" my page with a new layout and...a new title.

So when I was talking about a refocus on my goals and making changes, I didn't just mean in what I am doing, but also what I'm going to write about and focus on.  I have decided that the title of my blog will always be "The Beginners Runner" because, well, that's my identity.  We are always beginning at something and I feel like I am a beginner runner again after such a long hiatus.  However the title of my blog will change with the goals I have planned.  Just like now, take a look at the title, don't worry, I'll give you a chance to look.  I'll wait here...

Take a look?  Good.  Well, that's what I'm planning for now.

Refocus

Well hello there, long time no see.  I know, I know.  I should write more, and I don't call back when you leave me messages.  I'm so bad about communication sometimes, I hate talking on the phone, I rarely text or email, and don't even get me started about Snapchat.  (Really, I feel so dumb trying to maneuver through that app. SO not a millennial.)

It's Christmas Eve and I feel inspired to write.  To post here.  And since that rarely happens, I thought I would ride that wave for as long as I could.

I've been gone a while.  A lost soul of sorts.  I've been dealing with a chronic physical issue for over a year that still has no diagnosis, only more questions with no answers.  Due to this physical issue I have done far less working out than I'd like and even less running.  Though I have been able to make some strides this year with working out and losing weight I still have a long ways to go.  

In April I started Tone It Up and it was a breath of fresh air for me.  I was able to workout at home, make nutritious meals that my whole family could eat and in a matter of 3 months I lost over 20 pounds.  Something I haven't been able to duplicate since then as my physical ailments came back with a venegence and it makes my ability to workout very difficult, if not impossible.

I ran a few races this year and had a great time, but I didn't make any breakthroughs or achieve any better results because of my lack of training overall.  Something I am hoping to change this year.

Which leads me to the title of this post, refocus, which means to me that I will be making some changes this year and putting my life and hobbies/goals back into focus.  I have been lost along my way for a couple of years now, for many reasons (or excuses), which ever you choose to use. Regardless, I haven't been "here" and it's something I have noticed and am making the concerted effort to change.  I want ME back.  I want to be present and feed what my soul is hungry for, and that is connection.  To myself, to what is around me, to my family, to my friends.  I need to ground myself and fight for what I want and need for and of myself.  This year is about change.  This year is about giving a shit and not giving up on myself.  I have felt myself spiral in and out of control all this year and most of last year and I'm done. Done, done, DONE with feeling like this.  It stops and stops now.

I am ready to flash my confidence again.  I'm ready to take back what is mine.  I am looking forward and up this coming year and I seriously cannot wait to attack this coming month.  I have a lot I am doing, including a refocusing of this blog with more posts about my coming journey.  What is that journey you ask?  Ahhh...I'm not giving it up that easily.  You've gotta wait and come back to see what I am up to and what changes I'm making.  

Until then, enjoy your holidays and please have a safe New Year everyone.  Let's make it to the new year together, so please drive safe and sober, or take an Uber.  I can't wait to see you all soon!  Merry Christmas!!

Spring

Spring has officially sprung in Seattle!  The weather has been absolutely gorgeous all week and after the many months we’ve had of dark, gloomy, wet weather, this is a much welcomed break!!  My little family has been taking walks after dinner together to soak up the sunshine and have some active time together before we put the kiddo to bed.  It has been a nice change and one that I would like to continue with as the weather becomes consistently nicer.

So it’s been a couple of months since my last post, a pretty pissed off, telling post for me.  I try not to get too emotional on the blog, I like to keep things light and to the point, but sometimes I just don’t really care and want to say what’s on my mind.  Which brings me to today’s post…

PT progress and other things

Holy cow it's been a while since I've updated here. I know I was getting back into talking about my training and how that was all developing, but then I hit a wall...a big one. Let me explain.


So I've been going to PT since July, I've been seeing the same therapist and we have been working through my hip and plantar fasciitis issues. I saw immediate and lasting results with my hips when I started going to PT and I would experience short bouts of temporary pain relief in my heels, but the pain/irritation would not completely go away. It was dismaying but I was also still in training for my Dumbo weekend at the time, so I couldn't expect that pain would completely go away until after the race weekend when I could rest my legs and feet from running regularly.

Training Struggle

I wanted to take a moment to thank you all for the support and words of encouragement I received regarding last weeks post. It was a tough decision to make and the more I think about it and the more stories and comments I received and read about all of you making that same tough decision (to listen to your body), I realize that it was the best decision I could have made. So again, thank you for all the stories and encouragement, it really means a lot to me.

That being said, my view has changed drastically since last week. I am no longer setting my sights on a big goal that, at times, seemed insurmountable. But rather now I am working on facing a familiar adversary, the half marathon. The distance that I love to hate and hate to love, so much pleasure (finishing) and so much pain (during). (That sounded dirty, btw. He he...) Anyway.

After last weeks post I felt the need to pull everything in and "hide" what I'm going through, put on the happy face and post about seemingly benign things. Then the more I thought about it this weekend the more I realized that line of thinking is completely opposite of why I created this blog to begin with. I came here to write about my trials and tribulations, successes and jubilations (and my apparent need to rhyme at times, HA! Did it again.) To keep the process secret and not be honest about what I'm going through by only talking about good things would be silly of me to do. I have prided myself on being honest here and talking about things I'm experiencing, no matter how stupid or embarrassing it might be.

Disneyland Half Countdown: 7 days!

Wow...how time flies. I swear it feels like it was just two months out from the race just yesterday. Where does the time go? I feel like the weeks have been a blur of worry, anticipation, excitement, concern, focus and lots of hard work. It may not be reflected in the mileage that I've accumulated over the past couple of months, but the proof is in my ability to simply get up and down from a seated position. Not all progress can be easily measured.

I was worried about my training and the ability to get my body healthy by race weekend. Now we are one week out and I still have some concern about my body being able to handle the rigors of this race weekend, but nowhere near the concerns I had even a month ago. I can't even begin to express how happy I am that I decided to go into physical therapy for my hip issues. I am so incredibly thankful for my therapist and the work that we have been doing over the past month. Her attention to my problem areas and exercises I have been doing have literally changed my life. It really is amazing.

The strength and stability I am gaining is giving me confidence to attack the coming race weekend with peace of mind. As I have said before, I am not going into these races expecting to run the whole time or get even get a decent time, let alone a PR! I am going to simply enjoy the experience and run in one of my favorite places on Earth. Oh...and to take home these beauties!! (except for the kids race one, though I love the lanyard!!)

End of Week 15 Dumbo Double Dare Training

Holy cow...did I just type week 15? That means I'm currently in week 16 and week 18 ends with the race weekend!!! AH!!! That means I will be in Disneyland in TWO WEEKS!!!! GAH!!!!

Oh man...I need to start packing. Yes, I am one of those people that starts packing way before they leave on the trip. Well...at least I get my list ready and do laundry and get it all organized, so not really packed into the suitcase, but more like have it prepared to throw into the suitcase the night before I leave. Because that's how I roll. I've been fine tuning and tweaking my pack list for the past 4 months (yes, 4 months, I get excited about trips and start to plan!) and I'm still to this day making small adjustments. Take this item off, add a different item on, increase the number of this item, decrease the number of another item. See what I mean, it's hard work being organized. 

Though this post isn't about my packing skillz, this is about training, so why don't we get to it! The scheduled training runs for Week 15 are as follows:

End of Week 13 Dumbo Double Dare Training

Wait...week 13? What happened to week 12...moreover...what happened in week 13? Ha! Well...about that. The training as listed and even as I have adjusted didn't happen, at all. ::defeated sigh::

As you all know, or may not know, I've been having physical problems since having the baby. My hips have been bothering me a lot more and my left heel started to hurt after (and even during!) my runs. These two ailments have put me out of training commission for far too many weeks, my hip issues have even kept me from running a race all together (Snoqualmie Valley Half & 10k). 

These past few months have been frustrating and humbling beyond belief. From chiro visits, to sitting out many training runs, to getting a new mattress set, to trying new stretches and strengthening exercises. All to no avail...I was still plagued by horribly stiff, aching and painful hips and an increasing presence of heel pain that is now appearing in both feet.

Good to your "self" - Week Three: Embrace

Well, we are three weeks into this body series Be Good to Your "Self" project, where we are talking about what we love or appreciate about ourselves. The first week was Engage, where we talked about our best facial feature, the second week was Enjoy, where we talked about our best body feature. This week is along the theme of acceptance and appreciation, but it's about the thing we are pushing against, our flaws.

I know, how can talking about flaws be positive? Well, it's all about perspective. We can talk about positive things in negative ways and make the whole conversation negative, it's all about structure and wording. I have flaws, just like everyone else. I see them every time I look in the mirror. I know exactly where they are and my eyes go to that point every time I go in front of the mirror. It's like my sub-conscious is keeping tabs on them to make sure I'm reminded. "Is it still there? Oh yep, right where it was before." Yes, they are still there but you know what happens? I leave my place in front of the mirror and get on with my life.

Yes, life still goes on even though I have flaws and everyone can see them! I'll wait and let you process that for a second, go ahead, I'm patient.

Training mantra: Back in the saddle again

So this week has been an eventful one for me in the area of running. On Monday I posted about my first run back since baby and all the feelings I was experiencing during that first run. Then yesterday I had my second run of the week (gasp! I know, right!?! Two runs in one week!) and had very different feelings about that run as well. Then on top of all of that, yesterday was early registration day for the WDW Marathon weekend and for the first time I will be participating in this epic weekend of running and camaraderie! So much to talk about, let's get started!

Monday was my first run back and I was feeling so many emotions about being out running that I was just letting myself soak everything in.

Momentum Monday: Under (com)pression

It's Monday and 9 days until Christmas. I can't believe I just typed that, 9 days away from Christmas! Single digits people, SINGLE DIGITS!! Where has the time gone? I blame Thanksgiving being a week later this year for the sudden arrival of Christmas. We have had our tree up for over a week now, but it's still not decorated. It's got lights on it, but no decorations. Sad sight indeed. I need to remedy that today.

Along with the pressures and expectations of the quickly coming holiday, there are the changes that my body is going through for the last few weeks of my pregnancy. I am officially 34 weeks today, meaning there is only 6 more weeks until the baby is anticipated to arrive and that is just crazy talk, I tell ya! Along with the consistent movement of the pumpkin and new types of discomfort, I am now starting to experience swelling.

Oh yay.

As if I don't already feel uncomfortable in my own skin, my body has now decided to start retaining water with the main collection area being my legs, ankles and feet. Typical right? Most women that I have talked to have complained of  swollen ankles and feet through the latter part of their pregnancy. Mine becomes especially prominent due to the fact that I stand at work, so my feet and ankles definitely take a beating. So how do I combat this issue?

Compression socks!

Not just any compressions socks, but Pro Compression. I have been using these socks for over a year now for my running and recovery and they are the only compression socks that I will wear. I've tried Zensah and CEP and neither of those brands provide the same type of support and comfort as I've received from Pro Compression. Starting yesterday I've started to wear my compression socks on a more regular basis to help bring down the swelling in my legs, ankles and feet and increase the circulation that is needed for those parts.

So my Momentum Monday today is to do a lead up to Christmas with 10 Days of Compression!

Momentum Monday: A Cause

Happy Monday! Not only is it Cyber Monday (who of you are shopping online today?) but it is also the first Monday of December. Yes, I didn't stutter. We are in December now, one more month left in this year, can you BELIEVE that?!?! Where has this year gone?!? I swear it has just flown by and it will be 2014 before you know it.

I know it has been a while since I've posted a Momentum Monday, I have felt the absence of it and wanted to apologize. I am not training for anything right now, but that doesn't mean others aren't. I'm jealous of all my east coast friends whose race schedules are just now starting to peak, whereas the races over on the west coast are starting to dwindle, well at least in the PNW.

I can't wait to get back out running again, I really miss the time and mileage that I had to myself and with friends. My legs yearn for that sore feeling again. I've had dreams about running. Sadly waking to find that it was just a dream. It has given me more time to think about what I want to do and what I am wanting to accomplish with my running when I am able to again. More on that in another post.

In the absence of training, my focus has been working on myself, being a better person in general and refocusing on what is important in life and what is "fluff". It's both easy and tough to decipher which is which, because society tends to make us want to believe that the "fluff" stuff is important in life. So when I saw this quote, I thought it was nice to help bring us down to earth a bit during one of the most hectic times of year. Today's Momentum Monday is:

Bumpdate: 30 weeks

This week marks 30 weeks into the pregnancy, only 10 more weeks to go.

Wait...did I just type that out? Only 10 more weeks until the lil pumpkin is out of me and introduced to the world! Oh boy...panic is starting to set in now. Am I ready? Is anyone ever really ready though? Probably not, but it's coming whether I'm ready or not!

Bumpdate: 29 Weeks

So this morning while I was getting ready for work, I came up with the idea of giving an update on my pregnancy once a week on Wednesday, hump day. Yeah, not so original, I know but I thought it was kinda funny, humor me here. I'm not training for any running races, but I am training for another event in my life, parenthood. Now THAT'S what I call a marathon! :)

So Wednesdays for the next 2 1/2 months will be Bumpdates, where I will share information about how my pregnancy is going and open for discussion topics or issues I'm encountering.

I wanted to thank everyone for reading and commenting about my GD story, it was heartwarming and I'm thankful for all the support! It is something I deal/struggle with everyday and is no doubt shaping how my pregnancy goes!

Even though I have GD, it doesn't prevent me from having a treat now and again. It is not a bad thing to have the treats you want, you just have to have things in moderation. Today...I needed coffee in the worst way.

Okay, let me address this now as I know I get lots of questions about this. Yes, I have coffee during my pregnancy. It is advised that you not go over 200mg of caffeine a day during pregnancy. I used to drink large drip coffees which would have upwards of 300mg of caffeine, if I drank the whole thing. Now that I'm pregnant, I have decaf americanos, which have two shots of decaf espresso at a whopping 8mg of caffeine each for a total of 16mg of caffeine per cup. WAY under the limit that is advised and I get to enjoy a decent cup of coffee and get a bit of a caffeine fix. It's not much, but because I haven't had much caffeine over the past 7 months, a little goes a long way!

Gestational Diabetes: My Story

I think I've probably written this post a thousand times in my head before I even had the ability to sit down and type it out. I didn't want it to be something that is self-serving or trying to evoke any type of sympathy from those who read it, but that is unavoidable when you blog publicly about your life. I feel very vulnerable talking about this situation in my life, but it is one that I feel I need to let go of and "exercise the demons", so to say.

My story begins a lot sooner than most when people talk about being diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, or GD for short. I was at my normal check up with the Midwifery clinic when we went over my blood draw results from my intake appointment a month earlier. Everything looked good and normal, however my blood glucose level was on the borderline of the pre-diabetes threshold. The Midwife knew that both my mother and father were Type-2 diabetic, so she ordered the two hour glucose test for me, just to make sure that everything was going alright. If I passed they wouldn't test me again until my 3rd trimester.

Alright...sweet, awesome. Yeah, I was not looking forward to this.

Momentum Monday: Back at it

Hello and welcome to Monday! Here we are again at the beginning of another week. The weekend went too quickly, as it usually does, especially when you had a packed schedule like I did! Two birthday parties, football games to watch, family to hang out with, grocery shopping to do, get my haircut and...finally get out for a run!

Yes...you read that right, I'm back in the saddle again. And boy was it not pretty.

I got together with my friend Danielle on Saturday morning, the rain had finally stopped and it was chilly. We were out for 3 or 4 miles, depending on how we felt. The first mile was BRUTAL. My body was saying "WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?!?!?! I DON'T WANT TO!!!"

It was the hardest mile I have run in a long time. My body mechanics were all off, my breathing was atrocious and I just wanted to stop. By the time we got to 1.5 miles, our turn around point for 3 miles, things were getting better and we both agreed to keep going to mile 2 for the turnaround, we were going for 4 today.

We turned at 2 and both of us were back into our strides. I was feeling better. My form was coming back and my body was finally grooving with me. It's as if it finally remembered "oh yeah, I've done this before, this isn't so bad!" 

The last 1.5 miles went by quick, before we both knew it, we were only .5 miles from our cars. Then the abdominal cramping started. That stopped me cold. We walked a bit and ran the last .2 miles back to our cars. By that time the cramping had subsided, but I was still very conscious of it as this was my first run back with my bigger baby belly, so I didn't want to overdo it. Safety first!

When we got back to the cars and stretched, I looked at my Garmin for the time and was not really happy with it. An hour...for 4 miles. Ugh...I knew I felt like molasses, but I didn't realize that I was actually running like molasses. But I kept thinking to myself that it's my first run back in 3 weeks and I didn't do too bad considering I'm 25 weeks pregnant. I'm not out to break any records or try to best my own time, I'm out for exercise and the enjoyment of running, regardless of how fast or slow I'm going. So when I saw this quote, I wanted to use it for my Momentum today, because I really needed it.

I have to remind myself that getting out there and running, no matter how slow or fast I'm going, is better than sitting on the couch and not running at all. It is infinitely better for my health and well-being to be out there, pounding the pavement and getting some sort of mileage in. Even if it's for the fresh air alone, it is great for my body and soul.

It was great to get out there and I can't wait to get out there to run again. It felt so good and I want to run for as long as my body can phyically can handle it. After that, I'll walk. I just know that I don't want to take this long of a hiatus again from being physical, some of that time I couldn't help, but there was at least a week that I could have been out there. I'm excited to be back at it again and have even considered running a race for fun.  Nothing big, just a 5k. Am I crazy? Maybe...but damn am I loving these endorphines!

Now it's your turn: How is your running going? Have you had a return from a hiatus that felt good or bad?

"The Jam" Thursday

Wow. It's Thursday already? How did that happen? This week has been coo-coo-ca-choo crazy for me and all the days seem to be like a blur to me. Now I find myself at Thursday and realize that I have two birthday parties for small girls this weekend and I have NO idea what to get them. I'm thinking some cute clothes, but I have no clue what size they are. Is there a chart online that says if they are this age they would be this size in clothing? There probably is, I've gotta take a look.

Anyway. It's Thursday and I've been buried by work and appointments all week (see: house is a mess and all I want to do is sleep). Ugh. I'm also going running this weekend, FINALLY! It's been forever it seems since I've been running and I can't wait to get out there. I'm really curious how the preggo belly is going to handle running now, considering it has REALLY popped since the last time I went running. It's gonna be nice and easy and not too far, I'm just excited to get back out there and get some mileage under my belt.

So I've been feeling like my life is a bit out of control lately, like I don't have control over things that are happening to me and especially what is going on with my body. More on that later. I just feel like I am a spectator in my own life and not really running my life and that disconnect has really disturbed me. I need to take more control over things I can do and try to not sweat the stuff that is out of my control (growing a baby is hard and hard on your body, that's the secret they don't tell you in all those books!). So when I heard the lyrics of the "jam" today, I was thinking it would be a good one to post.

Running while pregnant

I have decided to continue to run during my pregnancy.

Wait…did she just say those words? Yes, yes I did.

I have made the conscious decision to continue running during my pregnancy for a few reasons. First being fitness, second being that I had a half marathon over Labor Day weekend that I was training for, and third, for peace of mind. I find I get one of two reactions from people when I tell them that I’m still running during my pregnancy:

“WOW! Good for you! That’s wonderful you’re still doing that!” and

“WHAT?!? Are you crazy? There is no way I would continue to run if I got pregnant! Is it even safe?”

Sometimes there are days where I feel a bit like each of those reactions. One day I’ll be rejoicing in my run and proud that I’m out there pounding the pavement, then there are days that I feel like I’m crazy for wanting to get out there and putting my body through those rigors.

End of Week 9 Double Dare Training

It's Wednesday already and kind of a Friday feel with the holiday tomorrow. The weather is nice, people are chatty and talking excitedly about their plans for this holiday weekend. Most of my office is out for the long weekend, I however, will be back in the office on Friday to take care of business. Oh well, who needs a 4 day weekend anyway, right?

Today is my update on my training for the Dumbo Double Dare next month.  Wait...did I just say next month? You mean it's almost here!?!? Oh crap.