Running Code 3

Marathon Training – Week 10 – Changes Abound …

11 September, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

It’s week 10, halfway there I’m guessing. I have yet to find the marathon training schedule that I chucked during week 5. Oi. Hee hee hee. I’m slowly finding my mojo and my footing, and am once again getting excited about training. Life is good, and I know it’s because I seriously changed up my workouts!

017 — Tori, my Twitter BFF, and I at the Disney Expo.

Sunday: This was seriously the FUNNEST run that I have had in a long time. Besides the Giants Half last weekend, this Disneyland Half Marathon was a BLAST! Wow! My friend Judy, once again had a bib that she was not going to use, so I quickly asked my Twitter BFF, Victoria @easelytorie, if she wanted to run with me. I got a resounding, “Yes, of course!” But she was worried about finances, etc. I explained to her that I was given the bib and that if she wanted it, it was hers. Last year, she was in a similar predicament where she had to give her bib away, so she was very grateful for the opportunity to run this year. She had been injured, so she was worried that she would slow me down. I told her not to worry, that we would just run together and have fun. We met for the first time in real life at the Disney Health and Fitness Expo. It was as if we had known each other for a long time! We also met Ali @alitherunner there, as well as our friends Kristy @kristylpants, and Lauren @liloruns! Good times.

The run on Sunday was on a day with ideal conditions. We met early in the morning at my hotel and walked the short walk to the start. One complaint that I had was that once you got in your corrals, there were no porta potties to be seen! So although I had to go, I couldn’t unless I walked back out to where they were herding runners. It was okay, just irritating that waiting in line would add to my time. Oh well, just subtract 10 minutes from my time. We hit the first set of porta potties just after mile one – perfect. Hardly any lines … except people were peeing so s l o w l y … What the heck, people? Drop and go! Drop and go! How hard is that? Heehee!

The run was pretty uneventful, meaning, no running issues for me. We took water at every water station, and we ran side by side for the entire race. It was amazing. I thought that I was slowing her down, and she thought she was slowing me down. It was perfect pace though. I had a little twinge in my right foot, but it was tolerable and in the end did not cause me any undue issues. The weather was awesome – slightly overcast, 60s. Crowd support was awesome! The volunteers were great – always smiling and encouraging. Cheerleaders, Boy Scouts, everywhere … they were so happy, and all I could do was thank everyone for being there for us! Running thru Angels Stadium was a nice experience. I high fived all the kiddos, and we saw our friend Kristy as we went in. Wow! I loved it. It was an awesome run with someone who I interacted with only via web and text … She was a great partner! =)

Post race we were greeted with “cooling” towels, water and, the most important, BLING!!! We did the post race picture thing, then headed back to my hotel. This race was very well organized, from parking, the expo, the volunteers, to the corral herding, to the post race festivities. Everyone knew what they were supposed to do. I had my reservations in the beginning, but I seriously had a BLAST and can’t wait to run it again next year!!!

045 — Poor feetsies just couldn't catch a break!

I thought I’d catch a little break after the run, however, I had my kiddos with me and they deserved a little fun, too, right? So while they headed off to breakfast, I hit the showers and got ready. As it was a little pricey to hit Disneyland for a family of six for just one day, we decided that Knotts Berry Farm was the place to be … and we were right! The kiddos had sooooo much fun there! We had heard from the locals earlier that Knotts was definitely much better than Disney. The Wallen Kiddos are not much into crowds or rides, so this place was perfect! 10 hours and maybef 6-8 miles of walking later, I’m sure that you’d think that my legs would be screaming. In all honestly, they were not. I felt great, the only time I ached was when I quit walking for a minute … then my right foot would have a tiny bit of trouble getting started again. Nothing a quick ice bath couldn’t help with after we got back to the hotel.

Monday: Monday, Monday … What can I say? We did a little bit of walking when we hit up Citadel on the way home, but other than that, it was more of a rest day as we headed home. My kiddos were tired but happy … Life is good … =)

Tuesday: Back to the grind. Back to training in full force. No time for slacking. 1 mile warm up. 3x: 30 kettlebell swings w/ 26lb kettlebell, 30 box jumps, 400m run. Tabata rows x 4 min. Tabata barbell push press alt with burpees x 8 min. Then 3x: 12 push ups, and 12 clean and presses! Holy cow!!! I seriously thought I was gonna die, but didn’t.

Wednesday: Today’s workout left me gasping for breath. Literally. 1 mile w/u run. 3 x 10 straight legged dead lifts with 75#s, then 30 box jumps. Then 1200 m run, 50 kettlebell swings with 26# kb, 800 m run, 50 kb squats, 400 m run, 200 m run with the kb! Oh. My. God! All I could do was just lay there for a second to recover.

Thursday: I made every effort to get to the gym after work. I brought my clothes, changed into them, but as I was driving I began nodding off. I decided that it was probably not the best idea so I proceeded to head home and immediately crashed as soon as I hit the bed. Now, if you think I took a rest day, think again. I got up early before work, and set a goal to run at least 2 miles. I ran 3 and felt like a million bucks. Okay. Okay … I felt like $1.50, but still … I got the work done.

Friday: Today I was going to do it. I once again got dressed, and headed on over to the gym. I made it this time. However … I started questioning myself immediately after I got there. That was quickly nixed in the bud when my trainer said, “You’re here after working all night? And you’re smiling? You’re badass.” Then I saw the workout of the day … Whoa. Yeah, I was wishin’ that I just went to bed … Warmed up with 1 mile run … Then … For time:
25 Walking lunge steps
20 Pull-ups
50 Box jumps, 20 inch box
30 Wall ball shots, 10 pound ball
30 Kettlebell swings, 26 pound kb
50 Sit-ups
20 Hang squat cleans, 15 pound dumbbells
30 Push Presses, 15 pound dumbbells
30 Push-ups
1/2 mile run

I did this workout after working a full 12 hour night shift. I came in with a smile on my face, and left with an even bigger smile on my goofy face. I gave it 100%. I thought the weights of the DB and KB were a little too heavy, but my trainer said that, “Hey, you are a little bit strong. You are a stud!” So how could you not push harder. I left it all on the floor and am so proud of myself. Love my trainer!

Saturday: Okay … I really debated getting out of bed for this one. I should’ve just stayed in bed and slept. Nooooo … I got my butt outta bed and I went. Maybe not the bestest idea that I ever had, but too late now.

Warm up: 50 high knees, 50 butt kickers, 50 squats, 10 pull ups, 20 burpees, run 800 m.

Workout:
150 wallball squats with 14# ball.
30 burpees, 30 DB thrusts. X 3
30 DB deadlifts, 30 jump lunges x3
Run 800 m

This workout put me in check. See, I have always believed that I was a good athlete and that I’m in fairly good shape. This workout challenged me and I wondered if I could *really* do it. Today I’m sooooo sore that I’m starting to doubt my ability. It probably was not the best idea either as tomorrow I’m running the Buffalo Stampede 10 mile run. Oh boy.

So … that’s my week in a nutshell. It’s pretty crazy what I’m doing, changing up my workouts and all, but it’s all good. I can feel the changes and I’m having fun working out and getting put into place. It may look like I’m not doing much running, but believe me … it’s there interspersed in all of my workouts. I’m running on dead legs let me tell you, but it’s good to know that they still move after all that I have put them thru. My quads, glutes, and hammies are SCREAMING at me! Screaming, I tell you! Whoa! But it’s a good hurt. It’s a good kind of pain.

Oh … here’s something to ponder … The new “thing” at work is to talk health/fitness/exercise to our patients as part of their vital signs. No problem for me because I practice what I preach. The only issue I have is when patients scoff me, telling me that I’m skinny, etc. They never believe how hard I have to work to stay in the shape that I’m in, and they don’t get the difference between being “skinny” and being “fit.” A lot of people don’t get that. Also, ALL of my patients one night – EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM – was a woman between the ages of 45 – 65 who was as round as they were tall. Some didn’t fit on the gurneys properly. All had a BMI of 40 – 60+. What has happened to our society?!? I just don’t even know … I just do the best that I can to help & encourage, but it makes me sad, and, honestly, it creeps me out … And honestly, I’m not sure why I have to waste my breath for someone who’s not going to do more than lift a fork to their mouths?! But I’ll do it with the hopes that I may inspire even just one person to get out and get movin’ …

Week 11 comin’ up. It’s gonna be a good week … I can feel it! Have a great one, everybody … Train hard, train smart, and you know … have FUN while you’re at it! =)

Marathon Training – Week 9 – Breakin’ Me Down To Build Me Back Up

2 September, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

It’s no secret that last week’s training for me was somewhat of a joke. However, I need to remember that even rest days are training days … I just took more than one day. I took 5 days. FIVE very much needed days to rest and regenerate. I’ve still got 12 weeks to go in this marathon training cycle … 12!

It’s just about September (where has the time gone???) and I have 2 Half Marathons scheduled this month! First one comin’ up this Sunday … The Disneyland Half Marathon in sunny Southern California!!! I have to tell you that I have a few reservations about this race, just because it was booked on a whim and not really well thought out on my part. But I’m going to have fun and have a great time with my family!

Sunday: Planned to get up early and run with the Fleet Feet Group, however, decided it was more important to rest my aching foot and figure out my shoe/insert issues. Besides … I really wanted to sleep in, okay? Don’t judge!

079 — Balance and coordination. Serene peace. I love S.U.P.

Over the last few weeks, I have been researching S.U.P. or Stand-Up Paddleboarding. As an island girl from the beautiful islands of Hawaii, I was an avid beach goer. Wasn’t really a surfer, more like using it as a flotation device, but I got on and never really got that great at it when it came to riding swells. When I heard about S.U.P., I knew that it was for me. My co-worker, Elaine, and I happened to be talking about working out one night at work, and she mentioned that she was going to try it. What? Serendipity, right? We decided that we would go together, and it was by chance that the instructor could include us in her class today!! Really? That’s awesome! So off we went to Lodi Lake, where we met the instructor, Tasha, and another student, Melody. I was hesitant at first, because I’m such a hydrophobe, and this was soooo out of my element, but not to worry … After a mini panic attack when Elaine said that if I fell off that I would not touch the bottom … I caught on quickly and found peace within the water!

Two and a half hours later, I was somewhat proficient at maneuvering the board around Lodi Lake and the Mokolumne River, and found myself inquiring about purchasing my own board, or renting it out for a weekend. It was a beautiful day, and I got such a GREAT workout in (probably a good 3-4 miles of paddling) … I could feel it in my core and my upper body, but especially in my obliques! I seriously loved this workout, and I am so glad that I overcame my fear, stepped out of my little box, and went. It was easier than I thought, and I’m looking forward to more workouts with S.U.P.!

Monday: OMG! I rocked my workout this morning! I love my trainer … he didn’t let me slack at all. Warm up with jump rope x 5 mins and rowing x 5 mins. 6 x 5 reps with increasing weight loaded front squats, then 20 minutes of Row 250 meters, 20 Kettle Bell Swing Squats, and 10 pull ups – I was able to do 5 rounds of this madness. Then run … Only once did I want to throw up. I had such a great workout! So much fun!

Tuesday: Today was a killer workout day. Killer, but a great one none the less. I’m loving what I’m doing, and I have to say that I “feel” all my workouts. Today’s workout was a mile warm up. Turkish Get Ups – 25 on each side with a 9lb kettle bell. Next up was 5 rounds of 25 GHD sit-ups or 35 regular sit-ups, 20 R side push presses with a 12 lb dumbbell, 15 burpees, then 20 L side push presses again with a 12 lb dumbbell. Holy Mother of God!!! By round 4 I was dying, but I pushed through and finished all 5 rounds, then finished up with a one mile run! Wow! Let me just say that finishing up that workout left me feeling quite proud of myself! =) I love how I was doing push presses and my trainer says, “Row., when you jump, I don’t want you jumping off the ground.” So I countered, “Why are you trying to keep me grounded?!” And he tells me, “Don’t you worry, you’re gonna fly soon enough!” He’s awesome! Breakin’ me down to build me up. Yep.

Wednesday: I’m feelin’ every bit of my muscles today. All of ’em. I’ve got D.O.M.S. at its finest and I love it. I love that feeling that I’ve “really” worked out. I almost didn’t go. I could’ve used the excuse that my body ACHED! I made my way back to AMAA, my second home, and I love my trainers and my peeps there! They are a great bunch of people. I’ve made some really good friendships there, and I can’t complain. Today’s workout was running while Ed added resistance and pulled me with a resistance band that was around me and I used a med ball to first push out, then we switched, Ed ran while I pulled the resistance band behind him and he used the med ball, we ran and switched for awhile all the while with a med ball to work arms and core. We then slipped on resistance cuffs and proceeded to workout with them – punch with dumbbells, squat knee lift x 2 for 3 min, punch, squat knee lift x 4 for 3 min, punch, squat knee lift x 6 for 3 min, all the way to 8. Then drop down for pulse ups – HOLY CRAP!!! I thought they would never end 1:30 on each side!!! Then it was round house kicks with the resistance band 100 on each side. Yeah … my glutes were SCREAMING!!! We finished off with more combos of kicks and punches that made me happy, also more core … =) I tell you … I never leave AMAA without a smile on my face. Everything that I have, I leave it on the floor. I never slack and I’m ALWAYS in the front row, hence the nickname “Front Row.” I’m thankful for my friends, Karyn, Z, Camille, and Ed who were my motivators today. They rock! They always say that it’s me that motivates them, but they help me just as much if not more. I was very thankful for the movement today as I was seriously TIGHT, especially my right bicep for some odd reason.

Thursday: Thursday was almost a rest day. It could kind of be considered a rest day. I wanted to go workout in the morning, I had every intention. I didn’t go though. I slept instead. In the evening, I hit the spin bike – 11 miles is 35 minutes. Seated climb, and speed drills … quick, but effective. Then I hit my core exercises. Easy schmeasy. It was a great day. Went to lunch with my friend, Linda V., who brought out some thought provoking conversation. I love her. =) Since my right forearm was pretty shot, I put the H-wave on it as I fell asleep … It worked like magic. I woke up with NO pain! SCORE!!!

Friday: Holy mother! My workout today rocked. It taxed me somewhat, but didn’t take me to my beloved puke point. Let’s start with my 5 min jump rope, then 1 mile run warm-up. Then … dead lifts. Easy, it’s all good, until he changes it up just a little … He tells me to add weight to my 45lb bar. Okay. 20# on each side. The routine: 5 push ups with increasing dead lifts from 1 – 10. No sweat. Ahhhhh … then 50 wall ball squats, then run 1 mile. Okay. I get thru the push ups and deadlifts no problem. The wall ball squats were a little challenging because my trainer kept wanting me to throw that ball up higher … no, Higher … com’mon, Row., HIGHER!!! Okay, okay. I finish the routine in 10 minutes, then head out for my mile run. My legs were pretty worked over by the time I hit that run, but I gutted it out and finished strong. Not done yet … nope … get on the row machine, Row. 2000 meters … my goal? 10 mins. Go! Missed the goal by a few secs, but I’ll get it next time. At my height I was at a huge disadvantage on the row machine, and my trainer joked to, “Use your superior height and go!” It was a fun workout, like I said, it taxed me, but it didn’t take me to puke point. I can already feel a HUGE difference in the week that I have change up my workouts.

For lunch, I met my friend, Becky, and we went over some goals and came up with a plan for our fitness goals, etc. It’s gonna be awesome as we have the same goals and aspirations and we have the same mentality when it comes to working out. Becky and I met at AMAA, and we both teach kickboxing and do Krav Maga. We have the same hardcore mentality and we just have so much fun together. She is an awesome human being. Becky is good for my psyche, my soul, my fitness. We plan to rock this mutha out! We have so many ideas and it’s going to be a great ride.

Saturday: I’m posting this early. I’m planning to make Saturday my rest day as we’re driving to Southern California for the Disney Half Marathon early in the morning. I plan only to walk the expo, nothing strenuous. =) It’s going to be a fun weekend as I’m going to run with my Twittter BFF, Victoria. I hope to see and meet many of my friends there. I’m slightly disappointed that I’m not running with Mac because she opted not to go and sold her bib to Ali. One of the reasons that I signed up for Disney was to run with her. Oh well … It’s all good. I looked for Eeyore colors to wear, however found none … I’m taking it as a sign to not be so blah, and instead I’m going with purple and I’m gonna have FUN! My family plans to hit Knotts Berry Farm while I’m out running and hanging out with my friends. I’m excited to meet people that I have been interacting with via the net. =)

As a closing to this post, I just wanted to share a few pics from the Giants Half Marathon from last Saturday. I had such a good time at this run and my photos show it. This is what running should look like …

That’s my week 9 recap! It’s been a fun week for me getting out of my comfort zone and changing up my workouts. As I head into Week 10, I’m guessing that I *really* should find my training plan and get serious about my running. Yep. Okay. Okay. Week 10 brings much promise. I plan to keep changing it up and working hard. Life is good. Train hard, train smart, and have FUN!!! =)

Marathon Training – Week 8 – Downshifting

28 August, 201131 August, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

OMG! This week started off soooooo wrong! So wrong! How can this be? I had a good week last week, why? Why?

I know that not all weeks are the same. I know that some are good, some are bad, and some are downright U-G-L-Y!!! I get that, but I want all good weeks from here on out!!! (Said in best pouty, whiny voice ever!) Here’s the thing … I understand … I get that sometimes in order to progress you have to take a step-back, you have to downshift … and I know that’s what’s happening. I know that’s what my body has had to do in order for me to move forward. So … here I sit … stuck in second gear, or almost in reverse kinda. I’m just idling … yeah, that’s what it is … Idling.

My body doesn’t quite recover quite as quickly from working 12 hour night shifts anymore. It’s sporadic … but most nights have been rough on me lately. I know what it is … I’m just not getting good, quality sleep on some days and I’m running on an empty tank. That makes a big difference. I know that as long as I get a good nap in on that first day, I’ll be good to go for the upcoming night and nights. But if I don’t sleep good, I’m toast!

All this week, all I have wanted to do is sleep!

Sunday: I meant to do something in the morning after working all night. Instead … I drove home and I crawled into bed with every intention of waking up early and doing something. I did. I got up and I planted myself on my spin bike and rode for 10 miles. 30 minutes. Perfect. I worked a little on my core, but other than that, that was it.

Monday: I gots no data for you. I can tell you that I was beat down exhausted after getting my behind kicked at work. 12 hours running around without a break … yeah … I was tired. A little stretching, and massage, but that’s all.

Tuesday: Again … NOTHING. I know. What’s happening here, Row.? What the hell?! It’s so unlike me to have nothing. But like I said, I was exhausted. What can I say? I have no excuses. I did go get my hair done, then got my eyebrows threaded, then I did go to lunch with one of my good friends, Linda! Life is good. In case you’re wondering, I am feeling a little bit weirded out that I haven’t done anything strenuously physical, but I know that I physically can’t do it. I’m so run down and feeling so out of it.

Wednesday: Okay … It gets a little better here. I went to Cross Fit! OMG! I loved it. Too much fun for me. I told Gabe, my trainer, that I was a little out of my element and that I was slightly intimidated. He laughed at me. He said, “I can tell just by looking at you that you look like a phenomenal athlete, and I don’t even know anything about you.” Let’s just say that I wanted to puke at least three times, but in typical Row. fashion, I gutted it out and finished the hour long workout. Rowing, jump rope, dead lifts, then 12 minutes of 5 burpees, 5 flat hand push-ups, and incremental clean and press/jerks … Whooo whee! Run one mile, then back to core – 50 x weighted Russian Twists, and 20 x weighted sit-ups … I did this 4 times! Awesome! I so needed this. I talked to Gabe for a little bit, told him what my goals were, and he told me that in the month that I’m there, he would break me down to build me up! I am so thankful that my friend Ly gave me her groupon, and that my friend, Gina, convinced me that I could do it. I love my friends! I can tell that it’s going to be a gnarly 30 days, and I’m sooooo looking forward to it!

Thursday: Talk about D.O.M.S. My body is TIGHT! Holy crap! Yeah, I’m a slacker. All I did today was a lot of stretching and got a massage. Whoa. I’m sore. Yeah, I told you, the nights have been kicking my butt big time! I’m not gonna fret anymore about not getting a workout in. It is what it is.

On another note, my friend Judy was going to run the SF Giants Half with me on Saturday, but at the very last minute – literally the very last minute, had to bow out of this half. What the heck?!? It was a mad dash to find a replacement, but not to worry, my friend and running buddy, Cory, was able to find coverage for her shift and stepped up and agreed to run the Giants Half with me. =) Yea!!! (**I’m really sorry, Judy, that you had to bow out. You’re a great running buddy and you know that I love running with you!)

Friday: Nothing. Rest day ’cause tomorrow is a half marathon!

Saturday: I have NO expectations for today. I really just want to run and have fun. I’m thankful that my friend, Cory, was able to get the time off and was able to run with me. We started our day pretty early – 0500. We ran to Manteca to pick up Cory’s bib, then headed for SF. We got there on time, except parking was horrendous! Lots of traffic! But eventually we made it into Lot A and headed straight for the porta potties!

The start was somewhat chaotic as well with 15,000 people running the half marathon, 10K, or 5k. I lost Cory for a second as we headed into the corral – there was a little bit of a panic. Not to worry, I found her. I did not find Shiloh or Mel though. =[ It was decided that Chris would run the 10k since he had not been training.

030 — Me, Inagural Endorphin Dudette, and Tony, Endorphin Dude at Mile 1.

Race day was perfect. The weather at the start was about 55, cool, overcast. Nice. The race started on time, no delays. Lots of happy people surrounded us as we ran down Embarcadero. I found Endorphin Dude just as we hit mile 1. I just about gave him a heart attack as I hugged him from behind. Posed for a quick pic, then a hug and I was off!

The miles went by pretty quickly and were uneventful. Cory and I just enjoyed the scenery and focused on the mileage. Our training called for 11 miles today, and we were happy to not be running in Stockton. At around Mile 6, we saw Brian Wilson, and hit Crissy Field at about Mile 6.5. There was an abundance of aid stations and porta potties throughout this half. Lots of great volunteers that provided much needed encouragement. Miles 6.5 to 8 were run on sand which provided a little challenge for Cory. We had fun, pushing each other every step of the way. I am thankful for my ability to run backwards to encourage Cory every so often.

Mile 11 got hard for Cory, but she was never that far behind me. I ran ahead and started to encourage the other runners. I love doing that. I know that they were thankful, too, because a few of them found me at the end to thank me. I really enjoy doing that for others. Running into AT&T Park was amazing. I loved it. I like the Giants, although I don’t follow baseball much except for that of my boys. This half was really nice and very organized. Loved the course!

The after race Expo was a different story. Talk about CHAOS! Lots of walking and mazes. But we eventually got our post race goodies – Race Shirt, Medal, and bobble head. So much fun! I loved that half, and I plan to run it again next year!

I know that this week lacked a lot of mileage and quality workouts. The one workout and run that I did were awesome! But in all honesty, I have been burning that candle at both ends and have just worn myself out this week and needed to rest. I’ve got lots planned for the upcoming weeks though. Not to worry … I’m gettin’ back on that bandwagon pretty quick here.

Week 9 brings much promise and a chance to start over again! I have two halves coming up in September, starting with the Disneyland Half next Sunday! Changing my mindset and mixing up my workouts is going to be awesome! So thankful to be blessed with good friends, a body that works like a machine, and for the ability to do what I do and have what I have (work, travel and run local races, workout, be a mom, be a wife, etc.). So even if this week was a bit of a minor disappointment in that I had to downshift and slow down to an almost complete stop, I know that it’s not permanent and that it’s not the end of the world. My life is still awesome, and I am still one very blessed woman!

Have a great week everyone. Train smart, train hard, and have fun while you’re at it! =)

Marathon Training – Week 7 – The Middle

22 August, 201122 August, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

So here I am … Hard to believe that I’m already into Week 7 of my marathon training. I’m slowly finding my footing again, as I’m starting to hit the pavement and get back into the groove of training. My theme song of the week has been Jimmy Eat World’s The Middle. (Listen to it here). I love this part of the lyrics:

“Hey, you know they’re all the same You know you’re doing better on your own, so don’t buy in. Live right now, yeah, just be yourself. It doesn’t matter if it’s good enough for someone else.”

It was on my playlist for the Keep Moving Forward 10k. It’s perfect for the weeks of blah that I’ve been having, something to remind myself to be true to me and to do what I need to do, not what others think I should do.

037 — Not even half of the Tempo Shorts that I own ...

It’s been a good week. Through one of my Twitter buddies I got a heads up and great discount from Running Wharehouse! Score! I got a new pair of Saucony Kinvara 2s in black and I paired them up with some awesome laces that I’ve had, and I got some crazy Saucony Hattori’s …. Soooo comfy, both of them! So … two pairs of shoes for so much LESS than what I would’ve paid for one, and FREE shipping! I also got a 25% off coupon from Sport Authority so I headed on over there got another pair of Nike Tempo shorts and another one of the racerback running tops that I love from Nike! You can’t ever have too many shoes or tempo shorts or racerback tops, right?

Sunday: Cory and I planned to start the week off with a *bang!* We were going to meet at 0700 and run about 9. That was the plan, but life got in the way. Actually, our lack of sleep got in the way, and we both ended up texting each other at 0600 to tell each other we were tired. No biggie, we agreed to run in the evening. We met at 1915, the weather was gorgeous, perfect. We started off not really knowing where we were going or where we were running to. We were just going to run. Okay … We’ll just run, and run we did until it started to get dark … FAST … and Cory says, “Why didn’t we wear our headlamps?” Seriously, why didn’t we?!? We started getting a little faster as it got darker. Fun! We got towards Cory’s house and we both agreed that 4 was good. Not quite our goal, but we were out there and we had a good time. The weather was perfect at that hour, but it was just too dark! Had we thought to wear our headlights, wear reflective gear, or had actual street lamps that were on, it would’ve been a different story. It was a good run, regardless. Any run that we can get in is a good run!

Monday: You would have found me at AMAA/CVAA. OMG! I’m sure Nina was trying to kill me! Whoa! But you know me … I love that kind of “torture!” My cardio workout was INTENSE! Holy cow! Running, sprawling drills, push ups, squats, pulsing squats, running with the med ball, jacks with jabs, planks, and med ball core! Wow! As if I didn’t think that was enough of a workout, I went home and ran 3 miles and added my own Row. “flair” to it … Run one mile, 10 burpees, 10 push ups, 10 mountain climbers … run another mile, do the circuit again, then run that last mile and do the circuit one last time. 3 miles, 3 circuits of insanity! Yep …

Tuesday: I had a lot of excuses to not meet Cory. I could think of sooooo many, but NONE were good. Not one. So I did what I always do … I got out of bed, I got dressed, ate some breakfast, and headed on out the door to meet my beautiful friend. Then my friend, Madeline, posted this on my FaceBook page …

Oh Maddy … Thank you so much for this. I really needed that little boost! I really had NO excuses so I did go out and got’er DONE! Cory and I had a great time, although it was a bit HOT towards the end. Our goal was to run 5 at least. So we got to mile 3, and we started saying, “Let’s run to ‘that’ stop light.” or “Let’s run to ‘that’ light post.” Our goal was to make it to Target, we made it to Target, 3.6 miles … then we walked for less than half a mile and started up again. Like I said, it started to get hot, so we ran to find shade, then we ran a little faster because we were done. It was such a good run. Total mileage including our little walk break was 6.6 miles! Our “long” run for the week was out of the way. Yea!! That run kicked my behind! Oh boy. I can tell that my lack of sleep had caught up to me, and it literally knocked me out for the rest of the day until my kiddos got home and I had to get ready for work! But I’m encouraged that my mojo makes an appearance here and there, letting me know that I’m okay!

Wednesday: I did it again … I headed off to AMAA for another ass kicking workout! OMG! It was a workout with “cuffed” legs, lots of squats, lateral movement, backwards running, sprints, push ups with a partner, squats with knee raises, jacks, “skaters” with those dang cuffs still on, planks, and geez … Whatever else we could fit in. I got home and I made it a short run. 2.5 miles total. Slow, but it’s all about the mileage. Nothing fancy today, just a slow, relaxing run.

Thursday: I almost made today a rest day. I wanted to do nothing so bad … I stayed up too late on Wednesday, then I got up early in the morning to meet my friend Rosa for breakfast. I love Rosie. She lost her son 7 weeks ago and it breaks my heart that she is suffering. I just wanted to see her, spend a little time with her. She told me that she made it to Fleet Feet earlier in the week and that her husband got her some new shoes. Her goal is to run the Stockton Half Marathon, and my friends Cory and Melinda have decided to run beside her as it will be her first half. We also comitted to Muddy Buddy! Yep! We are Team Nucking Futs!!! It’s gonna be fun! Rosie and I have trained together in the past, and this will be our third Muddy Buddy together. I also had a class at work. It kinda sucked the life outta me so I took a nap until my kiddos came home then Chris and I took them to the Chiropractor. Yep! My kids love the Chiropractor and they asked to go! I’m still not sure if I’m gonna go workout at that point, my family was just hangin’ around, but I posted a tweet that said I was gonna go … so … I kinda committed myself to show ’cause I can’t look like an ass. Wow! Within 15 minutes of working out I wanted to puke. My trainer, Mikey, had me running with a heavy med ball – push it out in front, then take it up over head and hold it there. Jump squats with that ball, knee raises with that stupid ball, push ups, jack knives with the ball, planks, burpees, running, running, running … drop and sprawl with three push ups, get up and run some more … Yeah. I wanted to puke … but I didn’t. I left it all on the floor, and ended up with a massive endorphin rush! And just so everyone knows, that medicine ball IS my friend. Yeah … I’m glad that I went!

Friday: Finally … A rest day. I wasn’t going to, I was going to go work it out, but instead I had a breakfast date with my old friend and workout buddy, Debbie. I love Debbie. She and I met at AMAA, we both taught Cardio Kickboxing, and we worked out together – doing things like Krav Maga, running, P90X, etc. This morning she wanted to pick my brain about hosting a 5 and/or 10K run to help raise funds for Helping Hands of Stockton. She said that she asked me because 1) she knows that I love to run, and 2) she believes that I know how these events worked. We ended up talking for a long time, and brainstormed a bunch. I surprised myself with all the ideas that I came up with. I seriously have an entire notepad full! In the next couple months we’ll be researching and talking to a lot of people to see exactly what it would take to make this a reality. I’m excited. We also made plans to meet to workout and train in the upcoming weeks. I think I talked her into running the Stockton Half Marathon also. Oh, how I love my friends! Funny how I get “roped” into these things, but I serious enjoy it, as health and fitness are my passions, and I LOVE that my friends think of me when something fitness related comes about. So … even though it was a rest day, it was a very productive, happy day for me. It also starts my three day work weekend … eek …

Saturday: It’s been a long night … I’ve been up all night working and I have every reason to not do anything at all today except sleep and get ready for another night shift. I’m not sure what’s on my schedule, but I believe that I’ve hit all my mileage for this week. I know better than to go home after work. I know better than to do that because I know what happens … I go to sleep. The one rule that I follow usually is that if I need to get the work done, I don’t go home after working all night. I bring my clothes to work with me, in fact, I travel with workout gear ALL the time. I keep it in my Rolling Gym (aka The Mini) at all times – workout gear, shoes, med ball, jump rope, weights, resistance bands, etc. It’s all in my lil’ Rolling Gym. But I was tired, and I went home … and I went to sleep … just. like. that.

Working a 12 hour night shift can kick your butt. I’ve been doing it for over 21 years, and over that last couple years it’s been wearing on me. It’s a combination of my amped up workouts, me getting older, and the work that I do getting to me. I’m on my feet for the majority of my 12 hours. If I’m lucky there’s lag time, but most times I’m so busy running around! My body is usually always right though, I know that I needed that sleep. And if you’re wondering, I don’t fantasize about taking a day shift position. Ever. I am one true nocturnal being. Always have been, always will be.

That’s week 7 for me. Keepin’ it real and doing my own thang! My friend, Ly, gave me a groupon for a month’s free of unlimited workouts at a local Cross Fit, so I’m adding that into the mix here soon. I’m so thankful for my friends that think of me and give me head up on great deals, and share their coupons, etc. I’m also thankful for my Coach SpeedySasquatch who still, to this day, checks up on me and sends me running drills when I ask for them, and gives me much needed pep talks/encouragement. He’s the BEST!

I’ve got a full week already scheduled for Week 8 which includes running the stadium with my friends Becky and Bazooka Joe, and the SF Giants Half on Saturday! Yippee! I can’t wait to see my friends Judy, and Mel, and my friend, Shiloh … she’s bringing me cookies from her bakery! Life is good … running makes it better.

Consider supporting me as I run for those who cannot … I’m raising funds for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society in honor of my beloved Father as Team Running For Dad … Check out my fundraising page here . It’ll be my 4th year raising funds for them! NWM is a great race, but the Leukemia Lymphoma Society and Making Cures Happen is a great cause.

Have a great week, everyone. Remember … Train hard, but train smart, and have FUN!

Marathon Training – Week 6 – Finding My Way Back To The Pavement …

14 August, 201115 August, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

It’s been over a week and I’m still finding my way back to the pavement which was once the second home for my feet. I once lived for the rhythmic tapping of my shoes hitting the pavement, which was music to my soul. I still have no desire to just pound it as much as I once had, and I can’t force it …

That said, I’m sure you’re all wondering how exactly I’m going to pull this marathon off … Don’t worry. It’s still early in the game. I’ve got this. I’m still in full on training mode. My mentality has not changed. I’m still going at it as best as I possibly can … giving my mind and my feet a much needed and deserved rest.

005 — This was after my first post meltdown a run last week, but it's all good.

Sunday found me on a spin bike. I wanted to get some mileage in before work, so I hit it for 30 minutes. Seated climb, standing climb, then 10 x 1 min intervals. 30 minutes … 9.5 miles. Perfect. I left my spin bike drenched, with that ache in my legs that let me know that I got a good workout in for the short amount of time that I had.

Monday: Tired. Thought about making it a rest day, but only for a second. I got dressed and headed off to American Martial Arts Academy. Great choice! I love Jeanne! She knows that I’m capable of more and NEVER lets me slack. Nope … no, no, no! Medicine ball and dumbells … alone they’re a great workout by themselves, but it’s kinda rough when you pair them with cardio! Lots of arms and shoulders, push ups on that dang med ball, planks with rows, then lower body … just let me say that my behind was screaming and sighing at the same time! Gotta love weighted cardio exercises!

Tuesday: Rest day. My do absolutely nothing at all day. Remember rest days are as important as training days. Don’t worry, I did run around the ER where I worked which equaled about a couple miles. No joke. There was no sitting, I was in constant motion helping everyone.

Wednesday: Self-Care day. Hit the Chiropractor. My most FAVORITE Chiropractor in the world … Dr. Brian Crawford. He’s awesome. I’m kind of sadistic and prefer the “torture” of a manual adjustment versus gun manipulation. I LOVE the sound of my spine clicking into alignment, and I love the feel of it all coming into place – from my neck down. I’m serious! Dr. Crawford aligns my thoracic spine by “throwing” me against the door. I had to laugh because I noticed that there was now new padding hung against the doors where there once was none. You always know that it’s me being thrown against the door because of my loud exhalation “scream” (it’s not really a scream, more like all the air escaping from me) as soon as it’s done. I love it! Makes me happy. Dr. Crawford not only aligns my spine, but also my hips, ankles, and feet. He opens up my sinuses by manipulating it with the gun. I get a massage in which I remind his assistants to push with all their weight – and they do, hitting all the key parts including my feet. I also sit for H-Wave therapy for my feet and ankles, then lay on the traction table and chill for about 20 minutes. I believe wholeheartedly that I am and remain healthy because of Chiropractics. There is documented evidence that individuals who receive regular chiropractic care have 200% greater immune competence than those that do not. You would not believe how much your spine plays in your health and well being. For that reason, I will continue to be a loyal patient. My Chiropractor ROCKS!

Thursday: I had a good day today. I put in a great 30 minute spin workout on my bike. Intervals/Sprints, and a seated

032 — Motto for the week/weak ... Keep. Moving. FORWARD ...

and standing climb. 11 miles. Yeah! Immediately afterwards, I got my medicine ball out and opted for a quick resistance workout because I was short on time. Squat/swing 2×30; Halos 2×25; Triceps 2×25; Biceps 2×25; Step Ups 2×30. Had to get something in, and I did …

Friday: Didn’t do much today … just a core workout which was good enough for me.

Saturday: My first organized run since my Mini Meltdown. I was okay going into it because I knew that there was NO expectations. I had registered for the Riverbank Keep Moving Forward 10k. Two reasons why I registered: 1) It’s walking distance from my Mother-In-Law’s house. Literally just right across the street. And 2) I like little races and knew that it would be a good training run for me. It was a great venue that supports Vision Impaired (read: Blind) Individuals. I am thankful for my vision and my ability to see. I had such a great time at this event! I even won a Hawaiian Shirt! How cool is that?! The ease of packet pickup and race day registration was well organized. There was breakfast and coffee at the start, which was also post race fuel. It was a really nice spread, too! Starbucks coffee, bananas, watermelon, cookies, chips, etc. There was also LOTS of water, and electrolyte drinks. The course was well marked with support crew everywhere directing all of the runners – despite my husband laughing and telling me that I would get lost. Joke’s on him. Water stops were at mile 1.5, 3, and right before mile 5. Bathrooms? Yep! No course porta-potties but it’s only a 10K so it wasn’t expected. But the Galaxy Theater in Riverbank opened up their bathroom for us to use pre/post race!

The run for me was pretty uneventful. It was a nice run through the streets of Riverbank. I didn’t PR, which was not the goal, but I didn’t PW either. I’m pretty sure I was in the top 5 of my age group. I just ran, and as I ran I encouraged all of the other runners, and high fived all of the support crew. It was fun, and that, to me, is what running is about. Having fun, and helping/encouraging others.

I’m still here. I’m still working out and running. This week may look light compared to others, but it is what it is. I’m happier training my way. I like that I don’t hear the voices that once invaded my head. I’ve gotten “me” back … the me that is strong willed, strong minded. I’m sorry that I let so many people influence me for that short period of time … it won’t happen again. I’ve got a great week planned next week … Week 7 – Look out!

Your Kids Don’t Parent YOU …

14 August, 201115 August, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

Some days I wonder how some people make it to parenthood, let alone adulthood. Seriously … I work with the public, and am in constant contact with some very interesting people. Most days all I can do, short from asking them if they are serious, is just keep my mouth shut and shake my head. Oh, if you could only hear the conversations that I have with myself in my head … Yeah … If I could say what I really want to say and exactly what I feel …

Take for example the woman who came in because she stepped on something and she just knew that there was a tiny piece of a wood splinter in her foot. The Doc on examines it, and orders the appropriate x-ray, and finds nothing. However she is insistent that there’s a splinter in her foot and she wants it out. The Doc explains to her that it’s not visible, and that there is no reason to cut open her toe to find a splinter that may not even be there. She is devastated because her toe hurts, she wants us to find that splinter. Ultimately, she is discharged home. She’s upset because she doesn’t understand that cutting open her toe would be FAR worse than just letting the “invisible” splinter work itself out. She tells us that she would be heading to another ER for a second opinion.

Then there’s the mother who brought her son in to the ER because he told her that he was playing and his heart stopped. Really? He was playing, then he came to you and just told you that his heart stopped? Well, yeah, and I want him checked out. I ask the child if, when this happened, he fell or if he passed out. He tells me, no, that he was just playing and it stopped. Here’s the kid bouncing off the wall in my triage room, as happy and as healthy as can be. Okay? Could she not see that her son was perfectly healthy? Did she really want us to find something wrong?

What about the 7 year old girl, whose mother brought her in because she threw such a huge temper tantrum that “she started shaking and just didn’t look right.” She, too, was acting appropriately in triage, albeit she had what I call the “sup sups,” you know the diaphragm spasms that you get when you have yourself a good cry? Nothing wrong with your kiddo, Ma’am, except that she knows how to play you and get what she wants.

Then there’s the 15 year old girl who shows up with an infected tongue. Hmmm … let me see … yep, it’s green. Through her lisp, she tells me that she just got her tongue pierced. I tell her to take the piercing out, and she argues with me that she can’t because of the fact that the hole will close. Um … I look to her mother for a little support, and I find none. She tells me that she doesn’t listen to her ever. She tells me that she told her not to get the piercing, that she was against it. I shake my head, then turn to my patient, and tell her once again to take out the piercing. I explain to her that her tongue is infected, and that it could get worse. I tell her that she doesn’t have a choice unless she wants to lose part of her tongue. I ask her to try and swallow without using her tongue. She tells me that she can’t. Case and point, now hand over the piercing.

I love this one … Young boy comes in with a head injury sustained from falling off his bicycle. I ask if he was wearing a helmet, and his mother says that he was not. I ask why and she tells me, “I can’t make him wear a helmet.” Excuse me, ma’am, but you are his mother, are you not? YOU ARE HIS MOTHER! You don’t need to explain anymore. If he wants to ride his bike, he wears a helmet, no ifs, ands, or buts!

If I sound judgemental, I don’t mean to be. I won’t tell anyone how to parent their child, but it does grate me when parents tell me that their kids don’t listen to them. What? YOU are the parent. They don’t get a choice. We are responsible for them at least until the age of 18, and this means that we prevent them from causing undue harm to themselves as best as we can. This doesn’t mean that they get coddled, or that we overprotect them. It means that they don’t parent you. They don’t get much of a say when you decide something, they don’t get to tell you what they are going to do. I don’t understand why some parents are afraid to discipline their children. It’s not that hard. Children need boundaries that they cannot cross. They need rules. They need that discipline.

Too many times I see parents who are overwhelmed and have the look of defeat on their faces. I say that they gave up, they let their kids “win” because they don’t want to hurt their feelings, or that they want to be their kid’s best friend. You are not supposed to be their friend, you are their mother/father, suck it up, and be the parent that they need you to be.

I smile when my nine year old daughter, can spot a rowdy, obnoxious kid and tell me exactly what he needs – a good spankin’! She can tell if a baby is tired and needs a nap, or if it’s hungry and needs something to eat. I listen to the conversations that my boys have about kids who are annoying, and how they understand that their parents are in need of being parents.

Mind you, I am not a “perfect” parent, but I am the parent. My kids don’t get away with much. What they do get away with are minor incidents that don’t require any or much punishment, but rather a stern talking to. I am thankful to have a husband who is a great dad, and who is on the same page as I am when it comes to parenting. That’s important. My kids have wild requests for tattoos and earrings, etc. The earring I can handle. The tattoo, they know not to ask until they’re 18. For the most part, my kids are just as spoiled as the next, and they understand that they have it pretty good. They’re great kids – smart, funny, polite, individuals, and I would not trade them for anything. I am thankful, and I know that I am very blessed. I have to thank my parents, who didn’t let me get away with anything, or raise me to be an idiotic adult. Thank you, Jesus!

Now … Repeat to yourselves as you peruse the following pictures … “I will not complain about my children. I will Not complain about my children. I will NOT complain about my children.”

securedownload (4) — Pouty lip? I don't feel sorry for ya!

securedownload (8) — I don't even have any words ... There are NO words ...

***Note: I downloaded these pics from the internet. I don’t know who these individuals are personally, but I DO understand that they are someone’s children. I am just amazed, and looking at them, it makes me even more thankful and grateful for the children that I have been blessed with. God bless the parents of these children. I only hope that they are loved unconditionally …

Marathon Training – Week 5 – Chillin’ Like A Villain

6 August, 20117 August, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

It’s week 5, and for me it means that I’m starting over with week 1 of my training plan. It’s kind of hard to explain, but the training plan that I’m using is 18 weeks long, and since I started early (July 1) I was 4 weeks ahead. So … once week 4 was over, I was to start over.

At first I thought that I was being hypocritical by writing this post after I had just posted a blog where I basically said that I was done running for awhile. I didn’t and still don’t want to run “seriously” at this time. But I’m still working out because as I said, I’m not the kind of athlete to just walk away completely. I’m still doing things. I still plan on working hard, just not running hard as I have hung up my running shoes. I think that I got over zealous and put too much pressure on myself with the marathon training and basically petered out.

My last blog post caught the attention of a lot of people. Maybe it was the title, “Hangin’ Up My Shoes.” I don’t know.

A lot of people were worried about me, and wanted to know what happened and why. What can I say? Things happen. Running is such a huge part of my life, but like I said, it’s WHAT I do, not WHO I am. Marathon training is NO joke. It takes up a lot of time and energy. Waking up early to run left me practically listless throughout the rest of the day, leaving me without the needed energy to do much else. I missed my boys baseball games, I didn’t read or play much with my daughter, I still had to work full-time, I couldn’t pick up many shifts at my other job, my husband had to ask for various days off to take me to the races. Mind you, he says that he doesn’t mind, but in a way, I know that he did/does. Then at races, it wasn’t just about running anymore … It was “racing.” I am not a “racer.” I am a runner. Where once running made me happy, it was and is now overwhelming and became more like another job and felt like chore, and I started to resent it. Stepping back was a good choice for me. Once I did, I could feel myself take a huge breath and the weight was somewhat relieved from my shoulders.

I was literally running the San Francisco Marathon last Sunday thinking, “WTF am I doing?” I was running amongst all these individuals who were happy and smiling and excited to be there, and here I was … Debbie Downer, so unhappy, and thinking all these negative thoughts. I imploded. No joke … the bomb went off in the middle of San Francisco. I’m surprised that it didn’t take SF out! It was so loud inside my head, I’m surprised that my head didn’t explode like a pumpkin being dropped from a high rise building! I felt lost. I felt as if I was drowning as all of these thoughts flooded my head. And I wanted to cry. But being who I am, I held it together and finished what I started because Row. does NOT cry!

There were many decisions that needed to be made. The first one was telling my running buddies and my marathon training partners that I would not be proceeding as planned with the training plan for now. I will still run CIM in December, however, I needed a break from the training as I reevaluated how I was going to do this because I really had no clue! Holy cow, how the heck am I going to pull off running a marathon without “formal” training? I think that it is better to take some much needed time off rather than force it because as I was feeling in SF, I know that it would only get worse!

So … here’s a recap of my Week 5 training …

Sunday: 13.1 miles through the streets and Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. This is the only time I truly lost it.

019 — Osmin Style! Except I swallowed a lot of water! LOL!

Monday: I relinquished all expectations and control. I decided that I would no longer do what did not serve me or make me happy. So, in the midst of my Mini Meltdown, I took myself to a local tattoo shop and had a tattoo placed on my wrist to remind me. “Comprometerse.” I love this word, and now it is a permanent part of me. As soon as I got it, I felt an IMMEDIATE inner peace and a calming sensation come over me. My workout for today started as a fluke. I was just going to hop in the pool with my fun-loving kiddos. It ended up morphing into something else … 30 minute “swim” (okay, it was more kick boarding) but I hit 1000 yards! 30 minute spin = 9.5 miles. 3.25 mile walk/”jog” intervals (39 mins). My own Mini Tri. It was fun. No stress.

Tuesday: Rest day.

Wednesday: Rest day. Did a lot of self-care today. I got my eyebrows threaded, and I got an hour massage which was awesome!

Thursday: Triple workout!!! You read correctly – TRIPLE! Workout number 1 – Lower body resistance. Holy mother! Lower body was awesome! Lunges, Squats, Inner/Outer Leg Lifts, Hamstring Curls, Leg Extentions, and Ab Work! Nice! Immediately after came workout number 2, my FAVORITE cardio workout … Awesome workout! Running, Jump Kicks, Burpees, Mountain Climbers, Two Point Burpees, Jacks, and Ab Work! Love it! My trainer, Mikey, ROCKS! He knows how to push me and takes me to puke point. I wasn’t going to stay for yoga, but my friend, Karyn, had asked me, so a third workout it was. I’m glad I stayed. My third workout of the day! Very nice – our instructor made it hard, yet peaceful and relaxing in

the end. It was a nice class, just me, my girl Karyn, and the instructor, Alexis. Loved it. The best part of my day was when I walked through the dojo doors and my friends were all saying that they were just talking about me and asking about me. The people that I work out with at American Martial Arts Academy/Central Valley Krav Maga have dubbed me “Front Row.” I try to encourage everyone that I workout with – EVERYONE. If I know your name, you will hear me call you out in class! I love my peeps! LOVE! I am so thankful that I am able to workout with a great bunch of people!

Friday: I really thought about sleeping in, but decided against it at the last minute. As usual, I do what I always do … I get dressed and I head on over to they gym. If I change my mind when I get there, then I don’t go in, but usually by the time I get to the dojo, which is my second home, I’m

010 — Ready for the cycle part of my Mini Tri ...

ready to goooooo and get a good workout in whether I’m tired or not. I don’t workout half assed – ever. If I’m there, I give it 110%. Go big or go home! Anyhow, this morning’s workout was done the resistance bands and the ankle straps (sounds like S&M lol)! Push ups, knee raises, lunges, arms, shoulders, abs, running sprints! Damn, I LOVE this workout! So good for my soul! And to think I *almost* slept in …

Saturday: I worked a full 12 hour night shift. Thought about just going home and crawling into bed, but instead decided to get my workout gear on and do a little bit of something first. So a very slow interval run it was. 5-10 min walking warm-up, then I hit the intervals – slow running/even walking at times, then I picked it up, then walked a cool down. Did this for an hour total and hit just about 5.5 miles. Not bad. Got an arm workout in also which is always nice to get some resistance in along with my cardio. On this run I wore my HR monitor and just watched my HR, made sure it didn’t get close to max. It was HOT, but I wanted to get something in and I did.

Those that know me, know that I am not the kind of athlete to just slack. I’ll always do something because it’s just what I do – even when I’m not training for anything. I had a very low stress week and I’m happy that I decided to just lay low and not put any kind of pressure onto myself. I am happy with my decision to stay off Twitter and FaceBook. I did lurk a bit, but did no posting. I did post on my new favorite Google+. It was nice to not hear any “voices” and feel no pressure. All in all, it’s been a great week for me. It seems as if when I just let go and relinquish any and all control that I try to harness, that things just fall into place by themselves. As I said, an immediate inner peace and calm washed over me as soon as I posted that I was hanging up my shoes, and after I got my new tattoo. I’m happy. Thanks for a great week, Week 5. Week 6 comin’ up … You ready for me?

Hangin’ Up My Shoes

1 August, 20112 August, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.2 Comments

001 — My Saucony Kinvaras. Just hangin' ... Waiting for me ...

It’s been a rough week for me … AGAIN. I know. I’ve had a lot of rough weeks lately. And I get it … I know that we all have good days and bad days, and good weeks and bad weeks, but for me it seems as if the “good” days are fewer and FAR between. It’s actually been happening to me for awhile, but I’ve been trying hard to stave it off and convince myself otherwise. Over the last few weeks I have been trying to trick myself that this IS what I want to do, that I love this … and I DO, but it’s gotten a little difficult. Therefore, I have made the decision to hang up my running shoes for an indefinite period of time.

It may sound as if I am whining, but the fact is is that I am NOT happy running. I haven’t been for a LONG time. I do it because it seems like the right thing to do, because my friends do it … That’s NOT good enough anymore. It has become more of a chore than that of something fun to do. The decision to hang up my shoes was an easy one because I’m not going to force myself to do something that is not fun. I need to do this for me. I need to do this MY way …

Running is “WHAT” I do. Running is NOT “WHO” I am.

I had several realizations while running the San Francisco Marathon – First Half. I realized that I was seriously unhappy with all this running that I have been doing. I realized that this is NOT what I desire to be doing all the time. I realized that I was not enjoying myself at all, and that it has been harder and harder to find the joy in running itself. I feel as if I am regressing rather than progressing. I also realized the sacrifices that my husband and family have made in order for me to pursue running all of these races. It has consumed my life. Mile after mile after mile I asked myself, “Why? Why are you torturing yourself as you do?” And it’s just not worth it when I have to ask myself that. I have never wanted to “DNF” a race more than I did as I ran through the streets and over the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco.

When you do something it should be fun, not something that feels like a chore. If you have to force yourself to do something you really need to reevaluate your reasons. Right now, I’m overwhelmed, burnt out, overloaded, and I’ve just hit max capacity. I know that if I don’t hang up my shoes, I’ll use the laces to hang myself, and that’s just not going to happen because death by hanging is NOT a pretty site. Trust me on this one, I’ve seen a few hangings in my day.

People have told me that I’m too hard on myself. No, that’s not true, if anything I am not hard enough on myself. They have told me that the course for the San Francisco marathon was hard. The course was hard, but it was do able. They said maybe I was coming down with something. Maybe, but in all honestly I have run feeling much worse. They told me that I need to take a week off. Well, no, I need MORE than just a week off. I need to take off as much time as I need to to find myself. I need to regroup and refocus, and I believe that it may take more than a week because I just can’t seem to get it together. I get that there are people out there who would love to be in the position that I am in. I understand that there are others who would love to walk, let alone run. I’m not taking anything for granted. I am thankful that I am able to run. I am thankful and very grateful that I have been blessed with the ability, and the means to do what I do.

I’m not afraid. I’m just tired. Tired of training. Tired of not getting enough rest. Tired of trying to schedule runs into my already busy schedule. I am burnt out. I lack the much needed motivation and have lost whatever mojo that I once had. So I’m just gonna go with the flow for awhile and do what I want and need to do. In all honesty, I know what I need to do. It was as if a light bulb went on as I was writing. But I’m keeping it to myself. For once I’m not injured and forced to be sidelined. I’m sidelining myself. Don’t believe that I’m going to slack off either, because I am so NOT that kind of athlete.

I have 12 more races scheduled and paid for until December. TWELVE! I could take the easy way out and sell my bibs, but I won’t. I’m NOT a quitter. I WILL finish what I started. Besides, I’m not one who’ll just throw money away like that. I’ll run those races, I just won’t advertise which races I am running or that I’m even running. I’m just going to show up and run. I just want to run alone without all the hype, and drama, and chaos that usually comes with every race. I’m going to run incognito. I’m going to do it MY way, and I WILL do it with a happy heart, or not at all.

There is a word that describes what I am feeling … Comprometerese. It’s Spanish and in one of its uses it means to commit to yourself, rather than to compromise yourself. I LOVE this word.

It’s just going to take some time. I need to disconnect for awhile. This is what I need to do for me. So as of today … I’m hanging up my running shoes and taking a much needed running hiatus …

Marathon Training – Week 4 … Getting It Together!

31 July, 20111 August, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.Leave a comment

It’s Week 4 of CIM training, and I planned to make up for last week in a BIG way let me tell you! It’s all fun and games until someone gets hurt, right? I know that will be me if I don’t get serious about my training. I don’t have much time to waste, and I have to make good use of the time that I do have. Some days I wish that I could afford a Coach to tell me exactly what to do. Other days, I know I’m okay without one. Every day, though, my friends hold me accountable. Thank God for my friends.

It wasn’t the week that I wanted, although I did try to get it together. I almost feel as if I am bipolar with my training, but more down/low days than good days. To recap my week 4 …

Sunday: It was a great run with my running buddy, Cory. We started off at 7 and ran our scheduled 6 miles. The morning was nice and cool – kinda cold for me, actually, and I ran with a hoodie on the entire time. I know, huh? It’s been in the hundreds temperature wise, and I’m running with a hoodie? What the heck? We had a really nice run along the levee, down to Target, short walk thru Spanos Park to regroup, then we picked it back up all the way back to Cory’s house. We were able to negative split our last half because we were running pretty fast. It was nice! Total mileage was about 7 miles.

Monday: Turned up the heat today. I went to my favorite place to workout … Central Valley Krav Maga, and I hit it up for a double – back to back- a$$ whopping! Dang! What was I thinking? I worked out with the resistance bands around my ankles for two classes – lots of leg work today. Intervals interspersed with squats, lunges, kicks, knee raises, mountain climbers, jacks, “fast feet,” push ups, then core. I felt it in my glutes and hammies the next day, but it was a very good hurt. I love working out there! =) All day I tried to talk myself out of it, and it *almost* worked, but in the end, I did what I always do … I got dressed to go workout, got in my car and drove there, and by the time I got there I was good to go. I left it all on the floor!

Tuesday: Hit InShape for Rodger’s infamous Spin Class! Love that class! I’m thankful to have “free” gym membership there thru work. 20 miles on the spin bike, then 3 mile interval run! Yeah, baby. Brick Tuesday!

Wednesday: Sucked it up and ran 4 miles … in the heat! Ugh.

Thursday: Rest day. After working all night it was a little difficult to get myself going.

Friday: Thought about going to cardio, then thought against it. You see, I’m running the San Francisco Half Marathon on Sunday and I need rest. I haven’t been feeling well, nor have I been getting enough rest. So the decision to skip out was an easy one.

Saturday: Hit San Francisco with my girls, Mac and Melissa. We’re all running the First Half of the San Francisco Marathon. It should be fun! We walked throughout SF for a total of 3 miles. Lots of hills and even a little resistance work.

Sunday starts a new week, so you’ll have to read about SF in another blog. But we’ll see. I have A LOT to say about that because I realized a lot of things during that run. Not just little things either … HUGE realizations.

My training was not as amped up as I would have liked it to be, but I next week not only starts a new training week, it’s a week that I’m starting over kind of. It’s hard to explain, just that in my training my program is 18 weeks long. Starting in July added another 4 weeks. That means next week marks the “official” marathon training. So much to do, so much to say. I’m not starting my marathon training next week. Right now, that’s all that you need to know.

So … so long week 4. It was a good effort … just not the week that I wanted. Time start over … again …

Marathon Training – Week 3 … Kinda …

24 July, 2011R. Wallen, R.N.1 Comment

Well, I knew it was going to happen. I knew that when I went on vacation that it would not go exactly as laid out on paper. What did Robert Burns say again? “The best laid plans of mice and men often go astray?” I had it all laid out, ready to go, but life had other plans. I heartily believe that it was the Universe calling me out, challenging me … Basically saying, “You know, Row., you have this great plan set out, let’s see if you’re gonna stick to it.” ‘Cause you know that’s usually what happens to me anyway, when I set out to do something. Yep … the Universe likes to challenge me … over and over … again and again … I set myself up …

I spent my week in BEAUTIFUL South Lake Tahoe with my family. My week consisted of two birthdays … Milestone birthdays at that. My son, Samuel, turned 21, and my hubby, Chris, turned 40. Yep. So … in typical Wallen fashion, we hit the impromptu vacation – just picking up and taking off whenever we can get a couple days off together. So … here’s the breakdown of my week …

Monday: I had a little soreness from my half marathon on Saturday night. Just a little not a lot. I hit up my favorite Chiropractor, Dr. Brian Crawford, and had him adjust me from head to toe, feet, ankles, and sinuses. I had my H-wave treatment done on my feet, and I laid on the traction table for awhile. Aaaaaahhhhh! I love manual adjustments of my head, neck, back … I love the feeling and sound of all my spinal cord clicking into place. I’m a little sadistic, I know, but that’s me. Afterwards, a 2 mile walk done once in Lake Tahoe to explore our surroundings.

058 — Ski Run Drive in S. Lake Tahoe. Loved this place!

Tuesday: 3 mile run done. Kind of an interval workout, interspersed with lots of hills. Was a nice run. Beautiful weather, great surroundings, nice place to train. Then another 2 mile walk.

Wednesday: More walking. This time about 3 miles. So much fun here in Tahoe. I love it here. In the evening it was time to do a little resistance training, so biceps, triceps, shoulders, and core … DONE. Today was also my son’s 21st birthday! Yippee! Can’t believe that he’s already so “old.” Wow!

Thursday: 4 miles – walking. I know, I know … I’m supposed to be running, but it’s time on my feet, right? At least I wasn’t sedentary. So proud of my daughter who walked 1.5 miles and only complained a few times. Did a core workout also.

Friday: Cardio. I love cardio! My cardio is high intensity and includes lots of resistance along with interval training. I got smart and prepared an ice cold towel to cool me off which was a good idea. Made it a little more bearable, and I got a good solid hour in! Intervals, squats, lots of leg work, and core.

Saturday: I did absolutely nothing … I had every intention to go to cardio or to yoga and I slept instead. Yep. I made it a recovery day … from my vacation. It was also my husband’s 40th birthday!!!

So there you have it. My week at a glance. All in all, even though it was a very “easy” week, it’s okay because I know that not all weeks will be this easy. I also didn’t make the *best* food choices, not all bad, but not all good either. Hey, I’m human, okay? And I like my share of cake and ice cream … it’s not my fault that two birthdays fell within 3 days of each other. And I don’t go on vacation all the time either so weeks like this will be few and far between!

Tomorrow starts another week. Hope everyone has a great one. School starts for my kiddos this week so life will once again start to have some sort of routine. My sleeping patterns are still somewhat crazy, but at least I’m sleeping.

Happy training everyone. Make good choices, and just get out there and do it. That’s the hardest part … getting out there. But what I have found is that if you just show up and start, it gets a little easier. Just give yourself 20 minutes … if after 20 minutes you want to stop, then at least you will have gotten a little something done, but chances are you will be ready to finish once you start.