Work . . . Relax

Last night, I walked through my door at ~8 PM, rested for a moment on my bed, and fell (deeply and soundly) asleep. Right away. No thinking about checking email, reading a book, calling anyone . . . Once I was off of my feet, I was asleep--slam dunk.

Of course, I woke up at ~12:30 AM and realized that I left my phone in my car . . . I didn't plan to walk in the door and fall asleep! So, in the middle of the night, I was wandering out to my car to retrieve my phone (which is also my alarm clock). Yes, I was at work on time (seriously? did you think I would be late?)!

Eating right isn't always easy to do (especially when there isn't time to eat), but it is doable. Taking care of myself in other ways is doable as well, but getting enough rest can be a challenge for me. A huge challenge--so I guess I needed the sleep!

Tonight, like every other Wednesday, was a scheduled team workout night. However, I was invited by some friends (whom I don't see often enough) to join them for dinner. I opted to cancel my workout plans so I could see my friends (priorities, people!). As it turned out, the workout was canceled due to the heat--100+ degrees (and it's almost October!). Yay--I made the right decision!

Life is more than scheduled workouts, project plans, and meeting deadlines . . . Sometimes I beat myself up to meet a deadline only to find that it's been moved because others can't meet it (usually for good reason . . . like the workout that was canceled due to the heat--the heat is a health risk).

Like everyone else, I want to shine. But I'm human. I can't be everywhere at once. I don't know everything. I am not superhuman. If you want excellence, I can give you that. If you want perfect, you'll have to look elsewhere.

Snapshot of a Saturday

5:00 AM. That's when my alarm will go off tomorrow. I'll roll out of bed, do some push-ups and sit-ups, then get ready to head out the door. Yay! I get to sleep in--my alarm usually goes off at 4:30 AM!

At 6:30 AM we are having a team photo taken before our Saturday workout. We will all be in our white Team-in-Training shirts . . . smiling . . . happy to be up . . . happy to be alive . . . happy to be giving.

After the photo, we will begin our workout. The schedule says 7-8 miles--last Saturday it was ten. I ran 3-4 of the ten miles and power-walked the rest (no strolling allowed!). I can't run ten miles without walking yet, but I'm working on it!

This Saturday, we have a car wash following the workout, so we need to finish with enough time to get to the car wash location. I'll be washing cars tomorrow (including my own because it sorely needs it!)!  The weather is supposed to be in the 90s--I'm sure we will be spraying each other with the hoses while we are washing the cars! I can't wait--after a stressful work week, a hard workout with such a positive group of people is just what I need!

After the car wash, I'll head home and work on BSC stuff for a few hours before going to Mass. This is a busy time for me at work, and I have project deadlines to meet. I'll get a break on Sunday though--meeting up with a Portland friend in San Francisco at the Dragon Boat Festival!

I love training with the team, but it isn't easy. My feet hurt and are blistered and calloused--even a French pedicure won't help! On Sunday after the ten mile run/walk, my entire body was sore, and my left leg was bleeding where the seam from my running shorts had rubbed--I ran through that. Clothes don't rub noticeably during a two mile run--running long distances requires attention to clothing details!

There's no team workout next Saturday. Instead, I'll be volunteering in preparation for the Urban Cow Half-Marathon, and on Sunday, I'll be running in it. Don't bother checking my time--I'm not very fast, yet!

Soon October 17 will be here, and I'll be running in the Nike Marathon in San Francisco--I can't wait! This has been one of the most rewarding experiences for me--I'm already looking forward to the next one!

Join me in raising funds to fight cancer: Running for a Cure

Don't forget--I'll run with purple hair if I reach my goal of $2400 by October 1st! Together, we are making a difference!

Progress defined by Traci

When I made the decision last April to participate in the Nike Marathon, I had multiple goals. First and foremost, I wanted to raise money to help fight cancer. My first event to raise money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society was in Spring of 2008 when I participated in the Big Climb in Seattle. I didn't raise a lot, but it felt good to help out (and the view from the Columbia Tower in Seattle is wonderful!). It was at this event that I learned about Team in Training.

Another goal that I had was to learn to run better and to love running. According to my APFT score, I'm not a faster runner (well, maybe a little faster), but I think my running has improved, and I've learned a lot (not just about running!).

Sometimes, I think I'm superwoman--that I can do anything. I will add things to my schedule as if there are 36 hours in a day. Training for a marathon has helped me to realize that I'm definitely not superwoman. I'm not being negative with this statement, I'm just realizing that it's important to take care of myself, and by that I mean getting enough rest, eating right, etc.

I work . . . a lot. A few weeks ago, I was asking one of my coaches how to get the most out of my training and asking about diet, etc. He told me that I need more rest, or I'm risking injury. I ignored him, and while I didn't get injured, I did get sick. I'm not fun to be around when I'm not feeling well . . .

So I'm learning to listen. And I'm learning to understand how different workouts feel depending on how much rest I've had, how I've been eating, and if I have been ill. One week, I ran in 110 degree weather--not fun at all. The following week, I took my APFT at Ft. Lewis where it was 54 degrees and raining. The rain felt great, but the cold air hurt my lungs. The next week, I was running hill repeats in the shade, and I loved it! This week, I walked while recovering from the flu and felt like I was dying. But you know what is great? I am healthy--I can do all of this, and I can push myself. And I keep myself focused on the goal--helping others. That's what this is about. While I'm running hill repeats, someone else is undergoing chemotherapy . . .

So I'm going to get some rest, keep my priorities straight, and keep on running.

You can help too--together we can make a difference:  Running for a Cure

If I meet my goal of $2400 before October 1, I'll color my hair purple for the marathon!

Home!

I just spent a week at home, and it was wonderful! It was a working trip, so I spent a lot of time on the computer. But I saw my kids, my parents, and some of my friends . . . it was great! I also got to dig in the dirt a little at home. We had a shrub die, so I replaced it with lavender. I also replaced the rosemary that died (how does rosemary die???). I wanted to plant some tulip bulbs (I love tulips), but maybe I'll get back before it's too late . . . (or maybe I'll have help???). We need to plant two more rose bushes, but that will have to wait until next spring. I pruned and watered . . . I loved it! I may hate cooking, but I love digging in the dirt!

It was a busy week--besides working and digging in the dirt, I also took a PT test (in the rain) up at Ft. Lewis (of course I passed--why would you even ask?). And I had multiple meetings--all good!

Life is so good--I can't wait to see what happens tomorrow!