Little Red Running Hood

MILES 76 Athlete… I must read that word at least 10 times a day.  On Facebook, work out magazines, race websites… The world is full of athletes… yet they make up a very small population.  I admit, they fascinate me…. their habits….lifestyles…..their fitness and overall life regime… I admire them.  I would have loved to have been an athlete….I am not under valuing "amateur distance runner that tries really really hard".  But there is a difference.  The difference is what puts me at one part of the race…. and them…. miles ahead of me…. And what is that difference…. they are…..starts with A ends with E…. yep…… they are Athletes.  That magical, powerful, mysterious word that embodies strength, perseverance, discipline, talent, and desire….. they are very few….. but I am sure you know one…. and if you are anything like me…. you envy them…. I have a few people on face book that I am always looking at…. One, is this girl in her 20s that runs 6 minute mi...

MILES 70 THE WEEKEND Tweaky knee…. I have sought out the advice of 3 people.  None of them my DR of course.  Dr’s as a general rule don't like knee and hip pain from runners.  They see it as a sign that we are weakening our joints and should cut back on running.  True story…. all of it.  I understand that running will take it's toll on my body.  I also understand that not running will take it's toll on my mind…. and that a sedentary life will also damage my body…..so it is kind of a toss up…..kind of a game….how many miles can I run until my body gives up  and I have to take up the sport of crawling or body dragging…. it's an equation I am sure…. I have x miles to go before it's over….. I hope my x is a really really REALLY high almost infinite number….    All 3 of my advisors tell me to back off…. My ultra running friend… kind of my running guru…. reminded me of other options… the bike…..the elliptical…. oh yes….why hadn't I thought...

MILES 54 MONDAY  I am eating soup… there are no clean spoons… so I grab the giant silver serving spoon and eat.  I can run 10 miles and be super excited to do so…. but wash a spoon…. ain't nobody got no time for THAT! I do know that ain't isn't a word….fyi…. 6 relaxed amazing sunshiny easy wonderful can I do it again please miles! An 8:52 pace of really fun feel good perfection with minimal effort.  I love this! I go through this wide range of emotions when running.  It really IS therapy…. I feel happy, thoughtful, scared, tired, determined, angry, thoughtful again, exhausted, calm, peaceful…… I have confidence and then I have more doubt than I ever thought possible. There are times when I honestly believe I can not do it.  Times when I want to shut off my pace/mile tracker and stop racing and give up.  Last year I remember thinking WHY did I say under 2…. WHY did  set such a definitive under 2 goal. I will never make it.  There was crying...

MILES 39 FRIDAY. When my youngest daughter is running with me…. I tell her…. look straight ahead…. don't ever look back, not for a second…. because that  one second could be all it takes for your opponent to catch up or pass you.  Look straight ahead… don't think about what is behind you… only focus on conquering what is in front of you…. what is behind you  doesn't matter….. even if they are right on your heels.  You see, it never mattered how close they were to passing you…only that they never did….. Everything on my body hurts and I am so tired.  My calves are sore, my hamstrings are screaming, my abs are like OMG don't laugh or bend or move…. even my tiny triceps are like don't expect us to help you lift a finger today.  AHHH Friday!  Yep.  I have given my body a good beat down this week! On another note I AM SO HUNGRY.  I rarely have the opportunity to even sit down…. so when I do my body wants to eat…. everything.  I want su...

MILES 31 Crazy no sleep day AGAIN.  Up at 3:30am…. drove my friend to the airport…. work…breakfast…take kids to morning practice….back home to pick up other kids for school….. workout….work again…..meeting…..pick up kids….take kids to practice….homework….dinner….pick up kids from practice….work again…. today I really thought I would die of exhaustion.  On the up side….some one bought my starbucks!  The car in front of me…. I was SO happy and thankful …. today I needed that! Today was the day!  The running coach.   AWESOME .  I am so excited.  All of a sudden there is accountability for my running….. this coach is serious… he has trained athletes for olympic trials…. he works with paid athletes…. real deal athletes…. I am just a Mom with a hobby…. I don't know if I belong here……and then I am kind of scared….for the first time I am thinking about how hard 1:49 is going to be…. SEE I know how hard 1:53 was…. and GULP….. I am 100% not sure I can do tha...

Miles 34 Smoothie 1 cup Coconut water 1/2 Lime  1/2 Cherries 1 Apple 1 table spoon chia 1/4 cup coconut 1 cup water 8 beautiful, glorious, wonderful, renewing hours of sleep.  AND breakfast!  It doesn't get much better than this! It is going to be a great day!  My knee feels good and tomorrow I meet with the running coach!  It is just a meeting…. a little chat…. but I am really excited….. I just had an amazing run !  ON THE TREADMILL.. say WHAT??? I have been looking forward to my run all day…. and finally I had the time to fit it in!  I hop on the treadmill and instead of 7.5… I put it on 7.0…. I want to enjoy this.  I fall into my pace…. no fresh air, no wind, nothing to look at.  But on the treadmill I notice my body's natural rythm with the run.  At this pace my body is so happy.  The 1,2,1,2 breath in 1,2,1,2 breath out… The succinct sway of my arms…. it is a perfect flawless motion.  It feels fantastic...

MILES 31 Tuesday… I wake up at 4am…. already I want to take a nap…tomorrow….wait today….wait what?! I work at 5:30am(which is really to early to be alive) get kids ready for school, work out, back to work, buy paint for the school and drop it off…..gymnastics….homeowork…....dinner…..argue with a friend about my lack of TIME…..more homework….bolg….shower….. bed soon….I HOPE ! What did you not see in my day….. that three letter word that I am trying so hard to focus on…… the one that asks…..are you in….R.U.N.  the one that says……obviously not today…… Today I remembered breakfast !  YAY ME!!!!  1/2 cup steel cut plain oats, 1 apple cup up, blueberries. coconut and coconut milk all baked together in the oven. Sometimes I do not know how I fit my day into my day.  And I am really noticing that I only got about 5 hours of sleep last night.  ….UGH. Even though I am REALLY tired I am going on about my day just fine.  Well, a few pots of coffee and some starbu...

MONDAY                       Miles 31 At 12:00, I came home from teaching yoga and realized I had not eaten yet.  DANG I forgot breakfast AGAIN. I eat a salad and a yogurt.  That is nothing.  UGH my muscles will suffer for this…. somehow.  I am sure of it.   Food is so important .  We often don't realize…… My knee feels a little tweaky.  My left knee.  I try to think back to my last day off of running.  I can't remember.  So I am debating on weather or not to take the day off…. from running.  Dislike :( I go to work out with my trainer and we lift heavy things.  Like :) My numbers are going up.  I am getting stronger.   My resolve to eat enough healthy food, sleep, take care of my body is paying off.  I feel solid… my clothes fit good.  But still I really want to run tonight.  Over training is a problem . And I know it.  It just isn't som...

Miles: 28 HOT YOGA!  I love hot yoga!  It is my sunday thing.  Some people go to church on sunday…. I go to hot yoga, to sweat out the sins of the week before.  I mean I pass a church on the way, so that counts….right?   In yoga…. I can almost feel my muscles healing themselves….. stretching, lengthening all around my bones…. swelling and softening, succumbing to the heat. And it feels fantastic and I am so into the moment…. wait…. is that chick doing an arm balance..? I can do that!  WHY am I not doing THAT…. and I balance… wait… he is doing a headstand well… I can do that too…. and I headstand and I breathe and I am focused and is that a HANDSTAND.  WELL I SEE your handstand and raise you a handstand push up…. I mean this is F ing yoga WHY are all of these people doing all of this really hard muscle stuff and…. I can do all of that because any thing you can do I can do bet….. um…. right….yoga…..non competitive, relaxing, all about breathing…. I ...