Let the Music Lead You Home

I am and iPod runner.  I need to have my music when I run.  It draws my attention away from the physical exertion and I run harder and further.  That said, what's the best music to run to?  I've found that it doesn't really matter what you listen to as long as you feel something from it.  The stuff I listen to makes me feel either energized, inspired, or just bad a**.  All emotions have a place in my run.  I've shared my playlist before, but I've added some more tunes since then.  If you listen to the first 6 or 7 songs playing on the blog via my playlist tagged on the bottom of the page, you'll hear my newest acquistions. 

"Test Drive" by John Powell:  Recognize this one?  If you've seen "How to Train Your Dragon" you just might.  I like to finish my runs with this song.  It's an epic tune and if you don't feel epic while running to it, then there's something wrong with your psyche.  Wait until the very end to sprint.  It's very obvious the part I'm speaking of. 

"Breakin' Dishes" by Rhianna:  You won't hear this song on the blog as I couldn't find it.  I heard it at a Zumba class and immediately thought to add it to my playlist.  Good strong beat and it's just fun to listen to.

"Blow" by Ke$ha:  Not something I listen to unless I'm at Zumba or am running.  I like the beat and the high intensity of it.

"Stronger"  by Kelly Clarkson:  This is not my first Kelly Clarkson song to make the cut and when I heard this one, I immediately wanted to add it.  It talks about what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so it's quite obvious to see why it might lend some inspiration to me as I make my ascent up Lincoln hill.

"Mr. Know-it-all" by Kelly Clarkson:  This one is good for the way it helps my pace and the lyrics are cool as well.

"Too Close" by Alex Clare:  I heard this one on a commercial once and loved it.  It's got this cool deep techno beat to it that I think is awesome.

"In the Sea" by Ingrid Michaelson:  This one is not fast or high energy at all, but it's got these heavy handed beats that work well when you're trying to focus on a steady pace.  Couldn't find this one as well to add to my blog's playlist, but it's easily found on iTunes.  It's from her latest album.

"Allow Me to Introduce Myself...Mr. Right" by White Tie Affair:  I don't remember how I found this one, but it's got a quick beat and it's rather run to listen to.  I use this to help me quicken my pace.

"The Middle"  by Jimmy Eat World:  This one has been in my collection since time in memorial, but I've never added it to the playlist, until now that is.

And those are my new additions.  I'd love to hear what everyone else listens to and why.  Share in the comments section!

Happy Running!!!

The Plan

The obvious plan is to run and to keep running.  Just like last year and the year before that.  But I did something different last year and I really liked what it did to my fitness level.  Each week I'd have at least one short run, one fast run, and one long run.  I felt like my body never had a chance to plateau because I was constantly changing it up.  On days I didn't run, I'd do yard work or go biking.  I think it was one of my most successful summers and I was able to shave 10 minutes off my 5k time.  This year, I think I'll keep doing that, but because of the kind of race I'll be doing in June, my long run will ALWAYS include lots of hills.  That is what I did on Saturday.  I ended up doing a 6.5 mile run and almost all of it was on hills.  I didn't know how far I was going, I just kept going and kept exploring the hills.  I was wicked tired by the time I got home.  6.5 miles on flat ground is REALLY different from 6.5 on hills.  My legs felt rather beat by the end, but it felt good as well.  Previous to Saturday's run, I had a good short run of about 3 miles and then I did another 3.2 miles but at a faster pace.


Another part of the plan is not to think too much.  This has always been a part of my plan.  If I wake up in the morning and start the mental debate of whether to run or not, I usually don't go.  So I decided a long time ago that when it comes to running, I don't think, I just do.  Never fails. 

And the last part of my plan: I now run with pepper spray.  This is mostly because of the mountain lion we had around here last year, but it's a good idea in general to have some protection when you go out and run.  Especially if you run in places where you might be vulnerable.

So that's the plan. I like having a plan. It means that I know what I'm meant to do each day to stay ahead of my body. 

Here's to a summer full of being outdoor either running or doing something else fun and exciting. 

Come back soon to check out my race schedule for the summer. 

Happy Running!

Reaching the This-Is-When-My-Body-Starts-To-Fall-Apart Age

Yup I turned 30.  About two days ago in fact.  Most of my twenties, I was told that 30 is right about when your body declares mutiny and things start going haywire.  I've heard that your metabolism drastically changes.  That your skin looses it's elasticity at an accelerated rate.  That you're at higher risk for pretty much any known and unknown aliment.  30, apparently, is like this giant bomb that goes off in your body and you have to hope you'll survive the proverbial nuclear winter that results.

30 may be this magical number in the eternites that marks the beginning of the end, but 30 has never met me before.  My body may start to act completely different then just two days ago, but I'll be danged (yes, I'm a molly mormon) if I'm going to let it get me down.  I think more and more these days, what with everyone being more aware of how to be healthy, that no one age gets to really define when all heck breaks loose.  Some say that 40 is the new 30 or that 50 is the new 30.  Meaning that the horrible effects of turning 30 aren't showing up until later.  I say, why should they show up at all?!

I may have been more energetic 10 or 15 years ago and had a metabolism that let me eat fast food everyday and actually lose weight, but nowadays, I'm more motivated to stay in shape and be healthy then I ever was back in high school or even college.  With age, does come a tidbit of wisdom and, hopefully, some maturity.  Those two things, I think, make me a better athlete and that, my friends, is what I'm counting on to help me sail through as many ages at the universe wants to throw at me.

My grandfather is in his mid-eighties.  The guy is an animal.  Only recently has his doctor pleaded with him to stop running his five miles a day so that he doesn't run his joints into the ground.  I'm not sure whether grandpa is obeying him or not.  If he has stopped running, he'll keep cycling and he'll keep eating that oh-so-crazy healthy diet he's concocted.  I'll think if the world ended and all that was left were berries and nuts, he wouldn't notice a change in the status-quo at all.  That's who I want to be.  I don't want to give up on my body simply because I'm getting older.  I can't control the fact that with every passing minute, I'm gaining in age, but I can control how I treat those years. 

I'd like to think that my best years are still to come.  I also like to think that if I can keep my committment to maintain my runner status, that I'll get to enjoy all the good stuff that's coming.  My husband works with a gal whose pushing 60.  Wanna know what she's up to right now?  She's training for the Boston Marathon.  That's the good stuff that's coming.

30 is young.  40 is young.  Heck, when should "young" ever stop?    I feel better right now then I did ten years ago. So how do you measure what "young" is?  My plan is just to keep running.  Let the years pile up, that's okay.    I think I'll probably start to feel old someday, maybe when my doctor tells me to stop running.  But maybe as long as I can move and be active, that day will never come. 

Here's to 30 and every age I'll meet in the years to come!

Shhh....do you hear that?

It's your running shoes calling you! 

I know how hard the winter may have been on some of us.  It usually involves running on treadmills (gross), supplementing with other forms of exercise, running outside in the cold and wind, or doing nothing at all.  Winter is hard for a lot of runners.  There are those few that seem to not even notice the change of seasons and run no matter what, but for the rest of us, Winter sucks.

But Spring is on her way!!!  The days are getting warmer.  The sun comes up at a decent hour.  The streets aren't covered in ice.  It's time to get out and run!

I got myself a treadmill during the winter and I've used it, but not as much as I should have.  I really hate treadmill running.  Doing just 3 miles on them nearly bores me to insanity.  That and I find it almost impossible to find my pace on those contraptions.  But, it's been good to have the option of running inside.  I did Zumba too and abs exercises, but nothing really takes the place of running outside. 

If you've been like me during the winter, running hasn't really been at the forefront of your mind.  School schedules, work schedules and holidays just mess stuff up.  And if you're like me, you may have been feeling unbelievably guilty about it all.  During the summer, I was running 4-5 days a week.  During the winter, maybe 2 days a week and some weeks not at all.  It made me mad to be honest. 
But all of that is behind us now, right?  Well, sort of.

The thing about winter is that we don't run like we do in the summer.  Whatever activity level we had in winter becomes our new normal.  When the warm weather shows up, it may prove rather difficult to get back into the higher level of activity and let that become our new norm. 

So I'm going to suggest, as I've done in the past, to sign up for a race!  There's no motivation like being responsible to a racing event.  You put the money down.  People are expecting to see you run.  It's gets you up.  My brother recently invited me to be on his team for the To Bone and Back Relay race.  So my first race is set!  It's June 23rd.  I have until then to get back to being able to run 5 miles in a decent time and do it all on rolling hills.  Am I motivated?  You bet I am!  Not only do I have to be responsible to the race but to my teammates as well.  People are counting on me to do my part and run a good leg. 

Now I can still run 5 miles, but I bet I'd be really slow.  And hills?  Forget about it!  So I've got me some training to do.  But running with a goal in mind is SO much better than running without one. 
I've also asked my mom to run a 5k with me toward the end of summer.  So I'm now responsible to her as well.  I'm excited!

So answer your running shoes.  Get up and go!  The running season is here and it wants you to partake once again in the thrill of running and competing.

Now that the school year is coming to a close and my own work schedule gets to slow down some, I can, once again, be that awesome blogger you all love so much.  You do love me, right?


Happy running!!!

Holy Bad Blogger, Batman!

It's been OVER a month since I last posted.  Almost every single thought I've had in the last 2 months has been about my ward's Christmas party that I was put in charge of.  Add tutoring an ever growing list of students to that, and you might not be too surprised at how often I've posted on this blog as of late.  With the Christmas party over and done, I'm back to this blog.  I don't really know what to write.  As far as running goes, I can count on one hand how many times I've been running in the last two months.  I have been exercising though.  I knew that running would be hard to do because of wicked time constraints, so I broke out my old Crunchless Abs videos, which I LOVE.  I've also been to a few Zumba classes, I sprint, literally, between errands to try and burn a few more when I can.  I'm on the hunt for a cheap treadmill too.  Although I hate treadmill running, I need to just realize that when it's not summer, this is what I have to do.  It's not about the winter, it's about how absolutely crazy my life becomes as soon as the first leaf falls.  I do have a spare 30 minutes every once in a while and that's just enough time to get a decent workout on a treadmill.  The hunt continues. 
I did go to a winter running seminar.  It was great and got me really pumped to go winter running.  However, I really don't have the time to run outside, so my pumped attitude rapidly declined.  But then I remembered something from the seminar that I could do.  They talked about winter being a time to maintain and to tone.  So that is what I'm doing.  I am maintaining the muscles I grew over the summer by doing things like my Crunchless Abs videos, which by the way do way more than just abs.  One workout with those videos and muscles you never knew you had are aching.  I'm maintaining my stamina and my cardio fitness by doing Zumba.  So as soon as I get my treadmill, I'm going to work on my pacing and my speed.  So it's all good. And somehow, I've even dropped a few inches and gone down a pant size. 
Winter is winter and being pressed for time is being pressed for time.  I can't change my circumstances, but I can work around them.  That is part of my running story.

Have You Seen What's on my Desk?

Once again I'm late for Monday Motivation.  This post isn't really meant to be motivational, but if you want it take it that way, then great! 

So my days and weeks are getting much more full.  I have a calendar on my fridge to help keep us all in line and it seems as though the majority of the days are full to the brim.  It's either one of my two jobs, or Arik has a meeting, or Rachel has a thing with school or another Ward Christmas Party planning meeting (got put in charge of that a few weeks ago).  It's always something.  This week is the worst.  I have something every single day of the week and most days, more than just one something.  So where do I fit in running this week?  That's the thing.  I don't.  I can't go early mornings anymore because the lack of sleep was really getting to me and I have no opportunites for naps during the day.  I have 4 kids with me at all times during the day, so no go there either.  And even if I could get someone to watch the kids, I need to use any spare moment during the days to work on lesson plans for the kids I tutor.  I normally can't go after Arik gets home because I usually have to head straight out the door to a tutoring session or straight back to my computer to work for 4 hours on my other job.  I can't go after work because by that time it's pitch dark and I don't go running in the dark without a partner.  So what do I do?  Well, I'm too stubborn to quit, so I've had to get creative.

While I haven't been running a lot, I have been active.  I can squeeze in Zumba on Thursdays right after I finish tutoring and Mondays too if I don't have to work.  I can also squeeze in either Zumba or running on Saturdays right before I have to do work on my other job.  I can also usually squeeze in a run on Wednesdays after Arik gets home (not this week though).   At home when I'm cleaning, I move much faster to get my heartrate up and I try and do things to work the muscles.  When I get a spare moment (very rare) I break out my resistant bands and do some strength training.  I also watch what I eat more carefully.  I'm not always good, but I try to make sure the portions aren't crazy, that I eat frequently to keep up my metabolism, and that what I eat is actually healthy.  Lastly, I'm on the lookout on Craigslist for a treadmill for $100 or less.  I hate treadmills, but I'd rather run on a treadmill than do nothing. 

Looking ahead, I know that my days will simmer down a bit and I'll have more opportunities to go running.  But let's face it, the rest of the year is nothing like summer.  Summer is this wonderland of available time and nice weather and few committments.  But for the rest of the seasons, I just have to suck it up and get done what I can. 

In the stage of life that I'm in right now, everything is working against my ability to keep my body in shape.  But young children and multiple jobs won't always be my life.  One day my kids won't need me to be with them all the time and I can say, "I'm going running.  Rachel, you're in charge."  Or I can come home from my one and only job and get in a quick run before dinner. Summers are still the best time I have to really be a consistent runner and so I have that to look forward to as well. But right now, this is my life and I'm going to do the best I can and try not to get too mad about how hard it is to fit in running.   

My mom always told me to do the best that I can and if I'm doing my best then that's enough.  She was normally referring to school.  Nowadays, I apply that to my life in general.   I'm doing the best that I can and so that just has to be enough. 

So I guess if anyone else is experiencing this kind of thing, I'm trying to say, just do your best and that's enough. 

Keep at it and happy running!

Monday Motivation......on a Tuesday

Okay, sorry this is a day late.  But I think it's well worth it.  I've been struggling with motivation lately.  Well, first I struggled with finding time to run (the school year is crazy for me) but then when a window would open up, I struggled with motivation to go and the increasingly cold weather wasn't really helping.  But I walked out the door to go get my oldest from school and the wind was biting.  It was cold cold.  And I got mad.  I got mad at the stupid weather and my time constraints and I got mad that these things were making my decisions for me.  So I went looking for some motivation and found two things.  One was I looked at my most recent post from the Zombie Chase.  At the end of the post I mentioned that I have shaved 10 minutes off of my 5K time.  I realized that I wanted to shave off ten more and that wasn't going to happen if I stopped running.  So seeing my progress over the summer and seeing a new goal gave me new motivation.  Then, I found a video from youtube that I found quite inspiring.  So that is the motivation I will share with you guys.  Hopefully each of you will see your own progress as motivation too.

Enjoy!!