Michelle

Balancing the Urge to Run

February 4, 2015 by Michelle 13 Comments

The road back from an injury can be a long winding one, full of ups and downs and twists and turns. I find as you travel along this road your greatest companions are determination, belief and patience.

You must have the determination to do the work needed to heal and get stronger.

You must believe you that the work you put into your recovery will pay off.

Ah but patience….there’s the tough one. As the injury starts to heals….as you start to feel “better” the urge to run or to push your runs grows stronger. It’s easy to want to leave patience behind and get back into the game. But go too fast or too hard and you’ll find that road to recovery extending a lot further out in front of you than you want.

I remind myself of this every time I step on to the treadmill. My knee is definitely healing and I’m definitely feeling anxious as I eye the calendar….but I need to balance the urge to run and train with patience.

The ultimate goal this year is to Thrive not just survive….A slow and steady return will payoff in the end!

Filed Under: injuries, patience, to push or not to push

Runfessions – January edition

January 30, 2015 by Michelle 12 Comments

It’s that time again…last Friday of the month so I’m joining Marcia again for another edition of Runfessions – a chance to cleanse your sweaty soul!

Runfession #1 — Cherry Blossom training was suppose to begin this week… but didn’t. I’m still in the run/walk, knee-watch phase…and right now 10 miles seems so far!

Runfession #2 — Thanks to Juno and more snow on the way today, I probably won’t be seeing too many outdoor runs in the near future. With no place to put the snow, the roads are very narrow and on some of my favorite routes, sidewalks are non-existent. The thought of treadmill-only running does not bode well for my training plans.

Runfession #3 — I have to admit I’m much happier on my strength training days vs. my run days – maybe because I feel like I’m seeing more progress.

Runfession #4 — Or maybe this should be labeled food-fession…Let’s just say I stepped on the scale recently and there are 6 pounds or so that need not be there. Time to lay off the comfort food! ‘Nuff said there.

Runfession #5 — Due to my work schedule I didn’t sign-up for the current 12-week session of my favorite Pilates barre class and I miss it terribly! I may have to break down and try the Pilates classes at my new gym just so I don’t go through complete withdrawal.

There…I feel better now! What’s your runfession?

Filed Under: general musings, Runfessions

My 2015 Race Calendar

January 29, 2015 by Michelle 16 Comments

After reflecting back on lessons learned from a not so great race, it seems like the perfect time to look ahead to this year’s race calendar. Ah the race calendar…so many races to consider. If only there were infinite time and funds!

So here’s what I’m thinking (hoping) so far:

March 29th: Cambridge City Run 5-miler

April 12th: Cherry Blossom 10 Miler

April 18th: BAA 5K

May 24th: Boston Run to Remember 5 miler

June 7th: Newport 10 miler

June 23rd: BAA 10K ** This one is a big question mark because I’ll be working a big event for my job the day before and sometimes late June in Boston is just too hot!

The second half of the year will be all about the half marathon and some #RocknBlog fun!

I’ve narrowed down the #RnR options to Virginia Beach, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Savannah and San Antonio. The dates for Philly and Brooklyn have not been finalized yet…believe it or not the Pope is playing a role in holding up the Philly date! So for now I ~~stalk~~ watch the website and Facebook for an announcement. There may be another race or two of shorter distances in the fall, but I want to get these figured out first.

So I’ve got a pretty good mix of favorite repeats and some new destinations

Filed Under: #RocknBlog, BAA, Boston's Run to Remember, Cherry Blossom, Newport 10 Miler, race calendar

Lessons from My Worst Race

January 27, 2015 by Michelle 11 Comments

Erika, Patty and April posed an interesting question for today’s Tuesday on the Run topic: What was your worst race? Worst kind be defined a lot of different ways – missed goals? horrible weather? injury? DNF?

For me the race came to mind immediately – the Wicked Half Marathon. You can read about the full debacle here. This was an ugly race for me because I was sick. In hindsight, I knew I didn’t feel well when I left that morning for the drive up to Salem, but I ignored the early warning signs and went anyway. I knew something was off as I waited for the race to begin…again I didn’t heed the warning. You see where this is going, right? Long story short, the wheels came off the wagon a mere 5 miles into the race. I made my first ever in-the-middle-of-a-race porta potty stop, briefly considered the nearby med tent but instead chose to keep going. I went from a run, to a shuffle, to a walk. And yes I did finish, but I was so sick afterwards that I had to wait around almost an hour post-race before I could drive myself home. (Turned out I was at the front-end of a virus that stuck around for several days!)

Lessons learned?

Listen to your body! — Yes there are times to push your limits, but it’s most important to heed the warning signals your body is giving you. There will always be another race.

My kids are a great source of motivation — They eagerly ran, walked and cheered me through the course. As always, they were a great source of inspiration!

Runners are wonderfully supportive — I met some great runners along the course who stopped to check on me and encourage me. And I bonded with many other “walking wounded” all determined to finish the route.

Mental toughness will carry you a long way — While physically my body had given up on this race early on, I still found a way to will myself on. It’s an experience I’m sure I’ll reflect on, the next time a race gets tough.

What was your worst race? What did you learn from it?

Filed Under: lessons learned, race, Wicked Half Marathon

Friday Five – Lovin’/Not Lovin’

January 23, 2015 by Michelle 16 Comments

Happy Friday everyone!!

Linking up once again with Mar, Courtney & Cynthia — the theme this week is “Things about me.” Since I just shared a day in my life a couple of days ago, I thought I’d take a little liberty with this theme and share a few things I’m lovin’/not lovin’ right now.

Lovin’

This quick post-gym pic doesn’t do it justice

Athleta Strength Hoodie — One of my favorite Christmas gifts is this hoodie from Athleta. It is my go-to cover-up to go to and from the gym. So warm without the bulk!

TRX Workouts — Trainer Stacy added some TRX to the mix last week and I couldn’t be happier.

Anatomy for Runners —

(Affiliate link alert!) I ordered this book ages ago after learning about it from Amanda, but have only recently pulled it off the shelf to read. One more tool in my injury-prevention box!

Not Lovin’

Plague/virus/cold invasion — My husband and oldest son went down earlier this week (actually J’s been sick since last Friday). And this morning I woke up not feeling so hot myself…to which my youngest looked at me over breakfast this morning and declare “So I’m the only one left!” (So much for sympathy, right?)

Late Practices & Early Games — Recently the aforementioned sympathetic son’s hockey schedule has shifted into an ugly pattern of late evening practices (not coming off the ice until 8:30PM) and crack of dawn weekend games. This Sunday he’ll be on the ice at 6:20AM…6:20 on a Sunday people…in a cold rink…ugh!

What are you lovin’ or not lovin’ right now?

Filed Under: Athleta, Friday Five

A Day in the Life

January 21, 2015 by Michelle 7 Comments

I always enjoy sneaking a peak into how others manage their day…maybe because it helps me to feel less crazy 😉 So when Katie suggested doing a Day in the Life link-up I couldn’t resist playing along.

I must admit that since the holidays, I have been s-l-o-w to settle into a consistent morning routine. I have been easing my way back to my early morning workouts so my day alarm goes off around 5:30AM. I ~~stumbled around in dark~~ tiptoe around my house getting ready and head to the gym.

My view as I pull into the gym parking lot

With the workout done, I hurry home to make sure I get back in time so my husband and my oldest son can head out the door to school/work. A quick check of the day’s schedule, including making sure my son has everything he needs for the day (all books, saxophone and basketball uniform…check, check and check) and they’re off. Now it’s time to get my youngest ready for school – I pack lunch, snack and double-check his backpack. He has breakfast and I my first cup of coffee while we chat about the day ahead – this morning we practice spelling words for his test.

After chatting at the bus stop with my neighbors, there’s time for some meditation, a shower, and a quick clean-up of the kitchen before settling in in front of my computer.

There’s a little time for checking email, blogs and Facebook before I start working. I’m so lucky to work from my home as it offers me great flexibility in managing my schedule. I can also swing getting laundry and other odds and ends done in between conference calls and replying to emails. Today’s a day of grant-writing and I am grateful for a quiet house so I can focus.

By early afternoon, I’m itching for a break and take my “office mate” our for some fresh air. Soon it’s time for some combination of bus, carpool and a flurry of books, papers and catching up on all the details of the kids’ days…or what I’m able to drag out of them besides “It was good.” (Does anyone else have that problem?)

Some nights there’s hockey practice for my youngest or a late meeting for my husband, so of late family dinners have been hard to come by during the week – not something I’m thrilled with! My goal is to have dinner together at least 3 times a week, which we were able to do for the most part last fall. Before bed my youngest will come and cuddle on the couch and we’ll read together.

Depending on the homework load, it may be close to 9:30 before my middle schooler is asleep and things quiet down. If I have the energy I may return to my computer for a little blogging and catch up on FB, etc., but of late, I’m toast and just happy to sack out on the couch and watch a little TV with my husband before calling it a night.

And that’s pretty much a typical day in my world.

How ’bout you – are your days pretty routine or always changing?

Filed Under: Typical day

Friday Five – What’s in my gym bag

January 16, 2015 by Michelle 12 Comments

Happy Friday!

This has been a loooong week and I’m so happy to see Friday come!

I’m linking up once again with Courtney, Mar and Cynthia for the Friday Five. Today’s topic “What’s in your gym bag?” couldn’t be more appropriate since I’ve been living at the gym lately working on getting stronger – in fact I had a great session with Trainer Stacey this morning that I’m sure I’ll be feeling the rest of the day 😉

Koss FitClips — I’ve made no secret of my love for music when I’m working out and since I’m not always a fan of the music playing in the gym, my Koss FitClip earbuds are a must have. I got to review these a year ago and they’ve been a fave ever since!

Strength training plan – I find I’m doing much better being consistent with my strength work now that I’m gym bag2 following a training plan just as I would do for running. Seems so obvious right?!

Towel — My old gym didn’t offer a towel service, and even though my new gym does I find I never leave home without a towel in my bag.

Water bottle — Gotta stay hydrated right? And yes, there’s usually Nuun Energy in that Nuun water bottle – again it was a another product I got to review and have just kept right on using.

Multiple Shoes — One of the things I love about my gym bag is that it is roomy enough for multiple pairs of shoes. So if I hit the treadmill or elliptical I throw on my Wave Riders, but if I’m doing strength work I’d rather have the extra stability of my Asics Gel Pursue. The Gel Pursue definitely proved to be more shoe than I wanted for running, but I’m finding they offer the great stability I want for strength work – win! I also keep a pair of Nike Studio Wraps in the bag for when I head to my Pilates Barre classes. Yes I know…I have shoe issues 🙂

And speaking of my gym bag…I would be remiss if I did not mention just how much I love my Apera tote (you can check out my review here). It’s got a ton of pockets and holds everything I could possibly need with room to spare!

So what are you hauling around in your gym bag?

Filed Under: #WaveRider18, Apera Yoga Tote, ASICS GEL-Pursue, Friday Five, Koss Fit Series, Nuun, Strength training

#NoExcuses Challenge

January 15, 2015 by Michelle 10 Comments

To help get the year off to the right start, I joined my fellow Sweat Pink Ambassadors for the #NoExcuses Challenge. The challenge is simple – to commit to moving every day in the month of January and share what you do via social media. There are weekly emails with prompts to help keep you motivated and the potential to win some great prizes!

Today it’s time for a little Mad Lib fun! Thanks to Amy for tagging me 🙂

Hey 2015, it’s me Michelle (nickname, spirit animal, real name, blog name)
This year I would like to learn more about nutrition, truly commit to strength training, and stay off the injured reserve.
It would also be super duper awesome if I also did snag a PR or two this year. It’s not a resolution, though, just a reminder to myself to try and have the best year yet because I want to Thrive!
The thing I am looking forward to most this year is having fun!
I’ll use the one thing that truly gets me out of bed in the morning which is that voice in my head saying “make it happen” to help me get up, get moving (verb) and get after my #NoExcuses 2015.
Speaking of excuses (ahem), my very favorite excuse is not enough time and I have used it to get out of doing rolling and proper recovery on more than one (number) occasion.
I vow to move my body and be more healthy this year even if it means I have to give up my night-owl ways.
Even if my alarm clock gets eaten by the dog in the middle of the night, I’ll still be woken up by my snoring husband (seriously you should hear him!)
I will stop blaming the kids [ex: kids, dog, husband] for eating the rest of the chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joe’s when everyone knows it was really me.
My crazy family schedule [job, hair, car, husband, kids] is not the reason I make excuses. I will show my crazy family schedule [same as before] who’s boss this year and get my run [type of sweaty activity] on.
I know that any workout [type of workout] is better than working long hours at my desk [noun].
I will reward myself by booking some spa time.
No Excuses 2015 has just begun and already I am imagining myself a winner. I can’t wait to rock a hoodie (article of clothing) from Augusta Active. I can’t wait till my sweaty friends are jealous of how fresh, clean and not stinky (adj) I am between workouts with help from ShowerPill body wipes. I can see myself rocking sumo deadlifts [yoga pose / workout move] in new Tie One On Legging [article of clothing from Actio926] from Actio926 and looking fit and fly while doing it. And of course, I’ll be taking my workouts to the next level and improving my core [noun] with my new ActivMotion Bar to help me train for my next half marathon [distance] race with Sasquatch Racing.
Oh, and let’s not forget how amazing my favorite tank [article of clothing] will smell in my / during my Pilates Barre class [favorite type of workout] after washing with some WIN Detergent. And lastly, I’ll keep rocking my 2015 with clean eats and nutrition from Beaming with Health!
Tag, Tweet, shout-out, call, text, fax or email 3 friends to take this survey and share how they will have a #NoExcuses 2015. Remind your friends to simply fill in the underlined parts!
Use the #NoExcuses hashtag and post to win prizes from Augusta Active, ShowerPill, ActivMotion Bar, WIN Detergent, Actio926, Beaming with Health, and Sasquatch Racing.

I’m tagging Coco, Sue, and anyone else who wants to play 🙂

Filed Under: #noexcuses, just having fun, Sweat Pink

The Power of a Single Word

January 12, 2015 by Michelle 9 Comments

Can a single word make a difference?

Can it set the tone?….provide focus? ….serve as a reminder?

I believe it can…or at least I’m prepared to find out.

Around this time last year, I started reading a good deal about the practice of selecting one word for the year…while I didn’t end up choosing a word, there was something about the idea that resonated with me. As 2014 came to an end and I started thinking about what I wanted the new year to look like, lots of goals for different areas of my life came to mind – I recently shared my my running/fitness goals here.

And, as I sat with all of these different goals, I kept returning to desire to have one idea/theme to tie them all together. I started thinking about the one word practice again – a couple of words popped up fairly quickly but one seemed to sit best with me…

My word for 2015 is Thrive – to flourish, to progress, to evolve… I think this word will be a great inspiration for all I hope to do and be this year in so many aspects of my life.

Have you ever selected one word for the year? Do you have a word for 2015?

Filed Under: goals, one word

2015 Running Goals

January 6, 2015 by Michelle 35 Comments

I’ve been sitting with this post for a bit…perhaps a little gun-shy to put it down in print after coming up short last year … or just needed a little more time to marinate. But as I said in my Year of Running post, having had a challenging 2014 won’t stop me from setting big goals for this year. So I’m linking up with Erika, Patty and April for Tuesdays on the Run and putting them out there!

My 2015 Running/Fitness goals:

Run a 2:15 – 2:20 half marathon — This was a 2014 goal, but then I didn’t end of racing any halfs.
Set a new 10-mile PR — target time TBD.
1,000 Miles — I’m participating in Run This Year with a target of 1,000 miles.
Continue my strength program — I started a great program with the trainer last month and for the first time in a long time I’m enjoying being in the gym. I need to schedule this, just like I do my runs so I stick with it.
Actively manage recovery – I need to accept that fact that I cannot just run and then rush off to the next thing. I need to give time to rolling, Epsom salt baths, etc.
Have fun! — I lost some of the joy in my running last year so I’m all about recapturing the fun! I’m looking forward to some blogger meet-ups, joining Black Girls Run for some group runs, volunteering at a race (or two), racing with my son and husband, and some destination races thanks to being on the Rock’nBlog team!
Be kinder to myself — when training/racing doesn’t go as planned, I need to remember that the greater goal is to have a long-term relationship with running.