"Trailing It" Pays Off!

I love running trails around here. On my long runs, that's where I'll be. Today was amazing. I wanted to see how it was paying off.

First off, I've been running and doing yoga more than anything else. Why? Sinus issues have kept me out of the pool. On the long runs, I hit a trail with a false flat. I do it yoga style which would drive any "techy" crazy-namely, Jim. I go by how I feel. I take my watch and go further than the previous time. (Usually gone a couple hours.) Yep, would drive a coach nuts, too... oh well. I've got a couple of sources. I am not flying completely by the seat of my pants :)

Last long run, I did it again, forgot food. Stomach cramps 3/4 of the way back. But, YEA, a port-a-potty in the woods. Colorado for ya! I was able to negative split afterwards. Laugh if you must.

Today was a faster run up a steep and hilly trail which I've not visited in a long time. It was a short run but, important to my training. I knocked it out of the park time-wise. Fastest I've ever run it. Felt great. And I did it medium paced. Yeah baby! A good test for me.

Benefits of trail: easy on the body, peaceful, sights are awesome, love wild-life, the best!

Watch out for: no legged creatures (your feet), don't get caught deep in while the sun goes down, take food, take necessary meds, make sure someone knows where you are, have water, necessary warm clothing, etc...

I do live in the States. Today is a day that I thank those who protect my freedom and do as they are told-men and women who have to be athletes to protect me and my family. Thank you.

Christy

Training Is A BLAST!

I added yoga and it has given me some power within a short amount of time. My body is getting positive effects digestively, decreasing knee and low back pain, while increasing ability in long aerobic workouts. I did a hilly, lengthy, baseline brick at a little higher altitude. I felt great during and after. I really wanted and could have pushed it faster but, fought the desire.

I biked up to Red Rocks Amphitheater, a great ride if you haven't done it yet. (Google it for Roadies.) Then ran back and forth down and up the theater. Had no distress except my body didn't want to eat an apple post run. I got it down w/out puking it up.

I was smiling the whole run. It was so much fun. Pushed and recovered on several of the aisles. Stopped and took a pic for a couple a guys for their stage dreams. Ever since I read this book, I will never run in place nor be impatient at a stop light again. I look forward to my workouts. I am not kidding you. If I don't, there is something that must be changed. I look at what it must be. A guy sprints stairs w/ his dog as I run back and forth and I joke with him, "Go, Go, Beat me," as we almost cross paths. He starts smiling and hauls butt.

Occasionally, you'll see someone training w/ a "mentor." I did. Some are really nice. I believe all I mentally picture and say to myself effects my training. A mentor and his "student" were doing stairs in front of me. As they passed, the mentor w/ the backpack told his "student", "You're going to do 7 push-ups sorta as a penance for beating me." These were grown men. As I ran back down the aisle, the guy was doing the push-ups.

Ryan Hall ran w/ African kids who could easily maintain a 7-minute-mile pace while laughing and chatting w/ him. Ryan believed a big reason for this was that sports in Africa was for fun. Whereas, in the States we use running etc as punishment. There it was, right in front of me... A grown man allowing another man to use "punishing" words to do FUN! In my opinion, it said more about the student and his lack of esteem than it did the "mentor." Otherwise, he would have fired him on the spot.

The physical body is precious and training it is fun and beautiful gift, never punishment! If you are learning to run your 1st mile... a precious gift and beautiful process. Don't expect it to be burn-free. Giving it all ya got is part of it.

Have fun out there!

Christy

Random Acts of

Kindness?

I was driving down the road after yoga and noticed $10 under the windshield wiper. Perplexed I pulled onto a street. I thought that someone accidentally hit my car w/ their door. No! Why would anyone just put $10 on my car? I always cry when people give me things for no reason. I cried over 10 bucks! Surely, they had the wrong car.

I have been absolutely distraught over what I've thought tri has taken from my yoga body. However, having a husband who sees roses instead of thorns, I began to think about all that triathlon has given our family. We race together. Jim is now training for his very first 5K thru a Nike program. And every time he goes to the orthodontist, they talk about it. The ortho did the same thing and knows exactly what it is like to run a 1st mile, then a 2nd, etc. That's what they talk about when Jim has a mouth full of instruments.

Emma, our youngest, has completed 2 triathlons, one of which was officially timed, the real deal. Abby will run every now and then. Abby, our oldest, can swim circles around me and will help me out if Jim "makes" her :) She's tired of the swimming even though she is so talented at the sport. However, we love that she is into Volleyball.

So, I have decided to get my yoga body back by adding into my triathlon regime and doing a cleanse. I love to ride. My knee has been bugging me and so have my sinuses. I need to get my bike re-fit. It is way past due. I ran over 14 miles on Saturday and it really was easy until stomach trouble post-run. I didn't eat along the way. I went for a long bike ride w/ an easy yoga class on Sunday. By the way, I took the girls to yoga on Sunday. They love it. They can do the easy ones.

Today's lunch yoga class was hard. And I picked it that way. I came home and accidentally sat on the bed and fell fast asleep! We did core work that I've never seen. And my body was a-shakin'. That's a good thing. My wrists are doing very well. I still do a lot of dolphin poses during chaterunga which is good for swimming. Yoga is awesome for back muscles.

So, I am looking for the acts of kindness and seeing the roses instead of the thorns.

Fitness is a great way to live no matter where we are on the ride. Sometime the greatest challenge is LISTENING when it says STOP that.

Happy Training to ALL and to ALL a good night. (Getting you ready for the season with your loved ones, whoever they may be.)

Christy

Love That Snow!

Everybody has their own style of fun in the snow. Our house is all decorated for lil gobblins... these 2 being a pair.

Denver got hit with a good sized fall snow storm. And we enjoyed as much as we could. Emma sang, "Sun Shiny Day" while sledding. I actually helped get the garbage truck unstuck. Our dog food did the major work. Yep, last resort, dog food under the chained-wheels. Works like a charm.

While I was running in the storm I was singing to my music. It felt like snow-shoeing but, I was sporting running shoes, long underwear and ski shocks. Wow, those ski socks really keep your feet dry, for a while :) I hear a lot of athletes talk about the looks they get while running thru storms. I pretend it is absolutely natural and I have a blast tasting the snow and feeling it hit my back. It really is normal! I am an athlete. Somewhere, somebody is doing the exact same thing, and they are loving every minute of it.

I wait til I walk up my street to hear the comments. And then I invite them for tomorrow's run :)

My legs were a bit snow bittin' for for a couple hours after a bath. But, it went away. Oh what fun it is to run in a storm, isn't it?

Happy Halloween!

Christy

p.s. 2 Inexpensive Races to check out in your neighborhood (Sign up at local running store) Turkey Trot-Thanksgiving morning. Secondly, There should be some sort of Jingle Bell Race benefitting Arthritis. Both $30 or under! Sign up now. Kids, all aboard. Races for you in these 2.

Here's Inspiration...

Jim and I watched this young guy as he raced Kona last year and shuffled thru the marathon part of the Ironman tri. Unforgettable. NBC followed him thru most of his Ironman which he completed. To be honest, those going for the podium are fun to watch. It is people like this who I think about when I get out there and train. In some sort of way, we see dreams as tangible thru their achievements. They can do it! They've faced real pain, death, life and the choice: never give up.

You can read a little about Brian Boyle on the USAT's official site.

His book can also be found under $20 new and under $10 used on Amazon

http://www.amazon.com/Iron-Heart-True-Story-Came/dp/1602397716

Back to studying for me. Hey, it's fun learning something positively new. Are you?

Have fun out there,

Christy

Fitness and Financial Pressure

It would be foolish to deny that most of us are watching our pennies. I am concerned with the economy. I am also concerned about our health. I recently saw a pic of a child's game. My eye was quickly drawn to the organizers. Obesity accompanies economic stress. (McDonalds is much cheaper and quicker than apples, oranges, grapes, kale, and chicken.) The kids were running and playing the game but, it was obvious that the adults arranging the event probably could not run 100 yards. That is what I care about. The kids playing the game love their mom and dad!

We are working a lot. We work at home. We are looking for new jobs at home. Doing things we thought we'd never have to do. It's pushing us. Making us assess necessity. What do we really want? How can we make things work? What do our kids really need? How are we wasting money? What can we learn on our own? Some cities boast of riches. Most are not in that category!

If we waste our body, our mind will suffer. Case in point: I had little money in college. ($40 every 2 weeks, if that.) All the money I made, paid for school. I graduated. The one thing I did, religiously, was to run everyday at 4 p.m. (no class then.) Once I figured my major, (a purpose), my grades went up and up. My running never stopped. I was teased about it because I did it every day rain, sleet, tornado watch, etc. No one "just ran" where I lived on a regular basis. In the middle of class my history professor pointed out my name asking if that was me running in a rare southern ice-storm one day. Yep! He was the basketball coach. I ran in shoes that were 1 to 2 years old. But, I didn't let lack of money stop me. It made me sharp, happy and healthy.

I've run into many people who've had to stop racing. Okay! Some of the races are crazy expensive. However, there are races that are $15-$30. If you already have equipment, some of your races are cheaper. You don't have to sign up for memberships especially if you don't need to spend $100 on their races this year.

Books: I spend tons of time in a book store. I'll take a bookstore gift certificate any day. That and internet is how I get my info for training. I always check the published date! Because I am married to an author I know to check out the author and publishing date. Read the book. See if the info is current. For instance, I don't train with old fashion weight training system. I make sure I core train while moving the trunk of my body in different directions at the same time as they do in yoga. I am willing to look at new ideas.

Saving money tips:

*Stay away from expensive programs. I need my money for my training equip and family. I am in save mode. I was highly fit in college on my own drinking lots of water, running every day, eating the best healthy food I could find in the cafeteria. (I lost 30 lbs in college.)

*There is no reason to use anything but light weight to dumbbells. Plus, research on the internet. Tons of new info out there. You can use the ball for weights. You do not need much to get great returns.

*Yoga can be done at home.

*Expense... chiropractic or massage. They are getting more cost effective due to economy.

*Train w/ kids. Can be done. Trails are free! Can find kid friendly trails.

*If I want a coach look for one w/ reasonable costs. I don't pick a doctor that makes me pay for a call. I'd never pick a coach who would either. I stay away from big programs, get little help from them.

*Learn how to fix your own equipment.

*Don't give up. If you miss a day, it's gone. Today is a new day. Every athlete does it. You are no different.

*Pick a race, inexpensive. Train for it. Pick races in all seasons. Keeps you motivated thru stress.

*Food... stay away from fast food. Go to cheaper grocery stores and pick organics when on sale and bye bulk. Eat fruit. Take it on a ride with you.

*Train with friends more knowledgeable than me. (Jim uses the Nike program and talks about training w/ his friends.)

*Keep your own journal AND journal your training 1 month ahead of time. Allow your body for rest when you are ill.

Don't give up. Staying fit helps with stress. If you feel that you are starting and have a long way to go, you are not alone. You are an athlete on a mission. What can you do today to make it as fit as possible to keep your mind sharp?

Happy Training!

Christy

Training W/ Kids

For some of us, it is off season. Some of ya are revved up and ready to go... Good luck to ya!!

It's been fall break, kids are home for the week. Time is always a biggie w/ kids and training. Matter of fact, both kids are still unusually asleep from yesterday. However, we added an at home late night movie. Alright, alright, alright... back to the subject. Even... "alright, alright, alright" turns into that song in my head ;) Remember? Kids, home for a week. But, they've made life fun. How have I trained with them?

Here we gooooooo......

The bike and pool, I've still stayed away from, getting my sinuses better. I can't believe I've kept off the bike. Could've used the trainer. The bike is my favorite. I've resisted the early winter mornings on the trainer. Dark outside, I use my imagination on that thing while I watch my form in the window. Nothing like being able to really ride outdoors.

This week, I've taken the kids to the pool and used the treadmill wiping it down w/ as much cleaner as they had. My kids are great swimmers. They get their workout and I get mine. I'm building back post sickness. I did great on the treadmill except some fatigue during and after.

Then we walked the trail the following day. Granted, my kids are 9 and 14. But, yesterday is THE day. Weekend day. You will see kids on the trails all the time. Parents training with them. All ages, parents and kids :)

Here's how we did it. Saturday's are my long running days. Jim had his workout planned from Nike for his 5K. I took the kids since he is getting used to running a trail. The kids were on bikes. We picked a time and trail that would be kid friendly. Early a.m. (4 to 5 a.m.) = bad time w/ kids. Hopefully your kids are sleeping then unless you have a new-born.

Emma, age 9, was to stay w/ me. Abby, age 14, was to bike up and back letting us know she was a-okay. She didn't do that. She got caught-up racing people setting her goal of making it to the top. She did it. Jim did his thing. Emma was good at pedaling in front of me as I ran behind her. It was my long run, she did well and kept my speed up. A guy actually laughed, because I was having to move it. He said, "So, that's your pacer, huh?" I had to take out my ear phone to hear him. He had his kids, too.

The kids had a blast seeing the BIG HORN SHEEP not the mountain goats that I've been blogging about all this time. Silly me. Abby loved it. It's great when you can get everyone in the family to love doing something simultaneously. I was dog-tired after. Emma socked it to me. And Jim loved it.

I see people running that trail w/ toddlers a lot. They dress them very well. And put lots of food. But, they have to stop and take care of them at times. You cannot and would not ever race w/ kids unless they are old enough to race for themselves. Fortunately, there are races FOR kids. Emma gets into those. Abby loves Volleyball and would rather watch the race. We never push our stuff on them... bad way to fly in sports. We pick our battles and would rather them enjoy a sport than dread it. Abby loves to bike especially if she can see wild-life.

Biking with them: just use high cadence day for yourself and go on a trail with them. You can go back and forth while staying in eye-site the whole time and practicing sharp turns. Yes, it makes you practice watching surroundings the whole time. Believe me, when you watch your kids while on the bike, you learn more than any other time.

Hey, even though it's off season doesn't mean you can't find a different kind of race. Try something different to spice it up. It's a lot of fun and keeps us going.

Have fun,

Christy