Dear Me in 2012

Dear Me,

I think you are perfect the way you are (flaws and all). I don't really believe in new year resolutions. I believe in setting realistic, measurable goals. Every day is a new day and you can make positive changes in your life at any moment. You don't have to wait for a new year.




However, I am writing you (me) this letter to remind you of a few important idea's you will need to remember in 2012 as you navigate through your (our) heath and fitness goals. These are not earth shattering revelations, but since I know you so well, I know you will sometimes need a swift kick in the ass a reminder. I hope this blog will serve as your motivation board for 2012.

1. 99% of the time running for an hour at 5am feels better than sleeping in an extra hour. You have never completed a morning run and then thought, "Man, I truly wish I would have slept in." Never.

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2. "I dont feel like it" is never an acceptable excuse. There are many times you don't feel like going to work or paying your bills, but you do what you have to do. Don't treat exercise like it is a choice. You know you always feel better afterwards. Always.

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3. Speaking of excuses:
This doesn't just apply to exercise. Pursue your dreams. There is no time like the present.

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4. Strength training is extremely important. I know you fancy yourself a runner and sort of dread those weight training workouts, but keep going to boot camp. Even though it can be butt-kicking hard, you LOVE boot camp! Bottom line, strength training keeps you strong so you can run better, faster and without injury. You don't get a body like hers by just running marathons.

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5. Its 80% Diet. Eat healthy whole natural foods most of the time. You know you are happier and feel better when you eat healthy anyway.

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6. Diet Coke? What is that? Never heard of it. (Forget you ever had a severe mild Diet Coke addiction).

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7. Never taking running for granted. It is a privilege. Don't squander the gift of a healthy body. You even wrote a blog about it once. Take your own advice.

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8. Continue to sign up and run in races in 2012! One race a month is your goal! 12 races in 2012. Races keep you on track and you know you will get at least one good long run in a month!

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9. Speaking of goals for 2012: Run at least one mile every day in 2012. Most days you will run more than one mile, but the goal is to run at least one mile every single day. You may choose to just walk or jog one mile if it is your rest day, or you may use it to work on your speed and challenge yourself to run one mile faster. It doesn't matter. Just do the mile.

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10. Keep doing your push-ups. You are not T-Rex. Your arms are an appropriate length for proper pushups.

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11. Just kidding about this one (you are not fat), but I know it makes you laugh. Keep laughing and having fun in 2012.

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Dec 17th - Half Marathon - Winter Race Series

I wasn't training for my long runs like I should, so I was worried about this race. I still knew I would rather run it a little unprepared than not run it at all. If the truth be told I had more pressing concerns about this race. I hadn't "gone" in 24 hours and was worried that the time would come, out there on the course. What? Too much information? There is nothing wrong with a little bowel movement talk between friends and runners. The worry of it kept me up most of the night before. It is my only remaining race anxiety. However, thankfully, My fears were unfounded. A successful run for me is characterized by the fact that I didn't poop my pants before finishing 13.1 miles. Little details like pace, time, and finishing rank are tied for a distant second on my success-meter.

I had only run 10.5 miles the week-end before and hadn't ran a full 13.1 since my last half marathon in October. I felt completely unprepared. I started off slow, just focusing on staying within a 10 minute mile. However, as usual, something happens to my brain on the course and I get competitive. I just can't slow down. After the 6th mile I realized I had energy to spare and started to push it. I worked to stay within a 9 minute mile range for the last 7 miles and my trusty Garmin kept me on track.

In the end, despite my lack of training, I was glad that I pushed my pace slightly less than comfortable to make a decent time. I finished in 2 hours 13 minutes, which was 2 minutes slower than my last half marathon. Not too bad considering my training and diet has been waning. You can't expect to PR every race.

Next month: 15 mile race on January 14th. Bring it.

If you liked this blog post, you might also enjoy:
Trot Like a Turkey
Fire & Ice Race Series Half Marathon
Fire & Ice Race Series 15K
Fire & Ice Race Series 10K

My Year in Pictures 2011

My year in pictures 2011! We had a really great year. I'd like to share it with you in pictures. I have two blogs. I wasn't sure whether to share these pictures on my music blog (because I saw a lot of shows this year), or here on my running blog (because between August and December I ran 6 races). Either way, I hope you enjoy. Happy Holidays!

JANUARY 2011:
Shea and Chrissy got married on the first day of the year and Russ and I attended their lovely wedding. Despite the look on my face, we had a really good time. She was (is) gorgeous and the wedding was really cool and unique.



Then I went to Los Angeles to see my long time BFF Mikki and see Wanda Jackson.



Oh yeah, Jack White was there. This is a lovely picture of me, Mikki and Jack. Jack shook my hand for 2 seconds after the show and I wrote a really long blog about it, because I was really excited.



And you can't go to LA without visiting the beach, even if it is in January



FEBRUARY 2011:

The Steelers played in the Superbowl at Texas Stadium. I didn't actually go to the game, but it was really fun to see my hometown team around my current town. Fort Worth hosted the Steelers and it was fun to see yinz around town. We did visit the stadium the week-end before the big game.



MARCH 2011:

We went to Austin for SXSW so I could visit the Third Man Records Rolling Record Store. My hubby made a movie about it.



Then, the next day we were back in Dallas because we had tickets to see the Greenhornes and I met Jack Lawrence (mainly known for the Greenhornes, Raconteurs and Dead Weather) and Patrick Keeler (of the Greenhornes and Raconteurs). I may even have written a poem about it.

Doesn't LJ looked thrilled to meet ME?



APRIL 2011:

No picture for this one but Russ and I celebrated 13 years together this year. It is amazing to me how time flies.

Record Store Day broke my heart a bit, but then I bought a lot of records and felt a little better.



Then my BFF Cathy and I saw the Kills at Granada Theater. Ms. Alison up close and personal.



MAY 2011:
Our good friends and neighbors had a beautiful baby girl, Saylor.



Russ and I went to the skateboarding event: Boneless One - Overground Project, tribute to Jeff Phillips.

AUGUST 2011:

My BFF Jessica and I ran a 10K in the rain.



Russ and I celebrated our 6 year wedding anniversary and had a STAY-CATION in Dallas/Fort Worth. Oh yeah, I almost killed him on the rock climbing wall. I got in trouble for taking this picture. Something about keeping both hands and all your attention on the ropes. Sorry babe.



SEPTEMBER 2011:

BFF Cathy and I saw the Cold War Kids in concert and all I have to show for it is this lousy paper bracelet (and some good memories).



Celebrated my 37th Birthday with Good Friends, Hubby and his friend visiting from Ohio.





I ran a 15K with Jessica.



Went to Pittsburgh and got to see my family and hang out with my MOST AMAZING brother and sister. I love and miss these guys so much.



OCTOBER 2011:
One of my oldest and dearest friends, Jamie, got married in Pittsburgh. She was breathtakingly beautiful. Russ couldn't make it to Pittsburgh this time, so I took my sister as my date.



On Russ' birthday in October, we had sushi with SuperDave and went to see the Supersuckers in Fort Worth.



This is starting to sound repetitive (I know), Jessica and I ran a half marathon in October.



We remodeled our kitchen. Here is the before and after.



and the in-progress mess that we lived with for 6 weeks.



the result.


November 2011:

Russ and I had a wonderful, quiet Thanksgiving at home.

Jessica and I ran a 10 mile race and forgot to take our traditional finish line picture. I'm sure you can use your imagination to picture what it might have looked like.

I ran the Fort Worth Turkey Trot and didn't find any running turkeys to pose with me, because my regular running turkey was out of town.


DECEMBER 2011:

I just included this picture because I couldn't resist sharing the cutest picture of the year. Unky Russ and Aunt Lea babysat overnight and the kid survived the night, a miracle in itself.



I had my third annual BFF and Kiddos Christmas Party.



I made my second annual peppermint swirl cookies.



Jessica and I ran one last half marathon of the year. Ready for our 15 mile race in January and the Huntington Beach half marathon in Feb 2012.



I am adding a sad update to my year in pictures. We lost my sweet, lovable, big doofus Mattie the week of Christmas. :(



Mattie loved the water...and parties...and paper hats. OK, she HATED paper hats, but she sure did look cute in them.


Took our traditional Huggie picture in front of the Christmas tree with my BFF . She is an amazing person. If you had a BFF so loving and giving, you would be so lucky.



Up Next: Christmas and New Years! I can't believe how quickly the year flew by. Have a wonderful holiday season everyone!

Runners Right of Passage

I firmly believe in that quote posted across the top of my blog:

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I do believe there is an unwritten right of passage for distance runners. You can certainly call yourself a runner if you strap on your shoes and run down the street for the first time tomorrow. You are now a runner. However, you know you are crazy a hard-core runner when you have had at least some of the following experiences:

1. Your toe nails have turned black and/or fallen off.
2. You have rashes you dont talk about in unspeakable places (or maybe you talk about them, I dont know).
3. You have taken an ice-cold bath with added ice in the winter.
4. You have sh*t your pants and/or sh*t on a secluded trail (or at the very least, you scoped out a bush on a long run and seriously considered it)
5. You have put band aids on your nipples (not by themselves silly, you likely wore a sports bra and a shirt also).
6. You have ran when it was dark, cold, raining or snowing (or maybe all those things at once).
7. You (stupidly) continued to run after an injury.
8. You have perfected the art of the snot rocket / You can launch a loogie as well as an 8th grade boy or a MLB player.
9. You feet bled and soaked your socks and you keep going.
10. You have blisters than would put any high heel related blisters to shame.

No one ever said running was pretty.

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Runner's New Years Resolutions:

What? Too Soon? OK, Let's call it New December Resolutions and we can talk again next month.

Why should you start your new year’s resolution in December? Junk food, that’s why. December is probably the fattest month of the year. We have the very real potential for gaining 7-10 pounds if we eat with reckless abandon and slow (or stop) our workouts. It is tempting to let yourself off the hook in December with the thought of “starting over” January 1st. But why ‘start over’ 7-10 pounds heavier than you are today? Why not start now? Imagine getting a head start on new year’s resolutions! Imagine if you resist the influx of daily bake goods at work this month, the fattening desserts at dinner parties and the temptation of too much alcohol at holiday parties? I’m not suggesting that you don’t enjoy the holiday food, only that you do it sensibly, in moderation, with your health goals in mind. Then when January arrives, you are already 4 weeks ahead of the rest of the world.

I joined a runner’s boot camp to help get my butt in gear. Even a running dummy like me knows it is important for strength training in my running workout. Yes, it's December. I love winter boot camp because it is cold outside and there are only two types of people who choose to workout outdoors in the freezing cold: There are the crazy people (like me) and the really hard-core fitness-minded people (like everyone else in camp). It is a small focused group. It is very motivating to work out with such dedicated, positive, committed people. I do boot camp because I know how important strength training is to a runner and I never can seem to squeeze in those weight training workouts on my own. Runner’s Boot Camp offers a fun motivating environment, three times a week, that pushes me a little farther than I would ever push myself. Without further ado, My New December health related resolutions:

· Attend boot camp 3 times a week for consistent strength training.
· Run at least 15-20 miles per week to maintain + long runs to continue to train for the Huntington beach Half marathon in February.
· Make healthy food choices throughout the holidays, but allow a planned “cheat” portion controlled meal once a week if I have cravings.
· Sign up for several races in the first half of the year to stay motivated.
· Give up Diet Coke once and for all.
· Reevaluate my workouts and goals mid January to make further adjustments if necessary.

There you have it. If I can do it, so can you! What do you say?

Have I mentioned that I LOVE Pinterest:

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