Happy In The Woods

Yesterday I lived the life of a cat. I laid in bed until it became uncomfortable, moved to the couch, sat until I was uncomfortable, repeat. I napped. I put my feet up and relaxed. It was great, but it also served a purpose.

I really wanted to hike today. Because of training, I haven't been able to do much hiking, and I missed it. I was pretty wrecked after the half, and I was worried I would be too sore/sick for hiking. I tried to rest as completely as possible. I drank tons of water. I ate well. I stretched. I went to bed early. I did everything I could to be ready to hike this morning.

Surprisingly, I woke up feeling pretty good. A little tight in the hamstrings and calves, but not too bad. I was so excited. I like running, but it is a challenge. A love/hate relationship. I have to work to enjoy it. Races are fun, but it is not a calming atmosphere. It's exciting, and the people watching is great. It's a fun thing to do once in a while, but it challenges me in every way. I am not comfortable. I never relax.

Hiking, while challenging, is my comfort zone. I am happy in the woods. I like taking my time and taking in the views. It's still hard work, but it's much more relaxed. It's a pretty amazing feeling to be the only people on a mountain. Nothing but nature on every side. I love it.

Ahhh...that's better. :)

The Worst/Best Race So Far

Yesterday was the Burlington City Marathon.

And, possibly the worst/best/most adventurous race I've had.

The day was a comedy of errors. It started at 6:15 with missing sneakers and ended with a broken window.

It was an incredible day.

It was super hot and humid when the race started. I was having trouble breathing, and my shins/feet were cramping. I kind of expected this and hoped it would get better after a couple of miles. To prepare for the heat I upped my salt intake. Not a good idea. My hands swelled. I've had my hands swell before it was never as bad as yesterday. My fingers looked like sausages. My hands and wrists were puffy.

I completely fell apart on the belt line. In my opinion, it is the worst part of the course. It was only pavement and sunshine and the oppressive heat. I attempted to jog, but it made my hamstrings cramp. It also intensified the heat. I did not feel good. We were at the back of the pack, and some of the aid stations were out of ice or water. It was brutal. I am so grateful to Alisa for staying with me even though it meant walking most of the race. I think I would have quit if she had not been there. I considered it several times. It was the hardest race I have ever done. Thanks for staying with me and motivating me, Alisa!

Other people were struggling with the heat. One runner wanted to drop out, and Alisa talked her into continuing. We finished the race together. It took a long time, and the timer was already packed up. They let our teammates leave before we got there, and everything (food/water/etc.) was picked up. It was pretty demoralizing, but I was so happy to be able to stop moving.

The medals were already packed up, but we were told we could pick them up at the finish line. The waterfront was two miles away, and the idea of walking another two miles made me want to cry. Luckily, one of the volunteers knew the lady we were walking with, and we all got a ride back to the waterfront.

While Alisa was finding medals, and I was sitting in the shade, Michelle and Emma were having their own adventure. The race directors canceled the race because of the heat. They were pulling racers off the course and trying to get them onto buses. Some runners chose to continue the race. Michelle and Emma kept going and had a good, fast run. Except when they reached a blocked section of the route. With only two miles left, they demanded to be allowed to keep going. They continued and no one got arrested. ;)

The whole day was kind of crazy. None of us had a race time, but we all earned our medals. I got my butt kicked, and it was a big wake up call to really get back to taking care of myself. I'm kind of amazed that I finished that race. I'm even more amazed that I ended up really enjoying it. It's all about the people you race with. Everyone was finding the humor in our crazy situations, and it made everything fun.

We met up at the waterfront and got some food. The sky was starting to get dark, so we started the walk back to the car. Everything is uphill from the waterfront. It's brutal after a race. We climbed two hills, got to the car, and changed our shoes/shirts. The plan was to celebrate with margaritas, so we started up hill to Church Street. As we were crossing a street there was a loud crash, and a guy started screaming obscenities at someone across the street. I'm still not sure who he was screaming at. There were several people sitting in the park across the street, but he went sprinting off through the park without confronting anyone. Someone told us that he had thrown a rock through the window of the bank. When we walked by there was a huge hole in the glass.

We did, eventually, get our margaritas and got to sit and relax for a while. It was a strange day. It was one of the worst and one of the most fun. I'm glad I did it. It's the first time I haven't wanted to take a break from running after an event was over. I didn't feel good during it, but I got through it. I feel like I survived something.

Today I am sore. I'm exhausted, and I'm sunburnt. I've done nothing but rest all day. I feel like I've earned it.

Bloated In A Good Way

My last goal for the month of May is a half marathon on Sunday, and it's going to be super hot and humid. Not a good combo - especially for 13.1 miles. The race organizers are taking extra precautions, and I am trying to do the same. On my last run (Tuesday) I lost a lot of salt while I was sweating and felt a little off all day. I also had my first ever quad cramp. Normally, I have issues with foot or calf cramps. This was incredibly painful. I stopped and stretched, and it ended up being a pretty good run regardless. I'm glad I've had a couple of runs in the heat and humidity. It definitely takes some adjustment.

I don't want any cramps on Sunday, so I've upped my salt and water intake. I feel kind of gross and bloated, but for once that's actually a good thing. I've also decided to bring my water pack with me. I'm throwing a pack of UCan in it. I don't love the taste, but at least I will have liquid nutrition whenever I need it.

Overall, I'm looking forward to it. I've trained pretty well for this race. It's a fun day with my running ladies and my family. I'm going into it only wanting to enjoy the whole day. No negativity. I'm going to focus on going slow to start. I'm a slow runner anyway, but I tend to go out too fast at the start of races. Everything falls apart later on because of it. Consistent pace. Consistent nutrition. Positive thinking. That's the plan.

After Sunday, I need to set some new goals. I've got a few bouncing around in my head, but that's a subject for another post. I'm focused on Sunday for now.

Green!!!!!!

I had a difficult run today. It was super windy, and my legs were heavy and tired. I barely made it through two miles.

But, I have the best reason for my bad run.

Last night I had testing for tae kwon do. I'll apologize now if this is a long, rambling post, but last night was incredible. I'm still trying to process it.

Testing was brutal. It started with a terminator (7 jumping jacks, push-ups, sit-ups, then 6, 5, 4, etc.), and it didn't let up for over an hour. I don't know if I've ever worked that hard, but I loved it. The black belts put us through a crazy workout including conditioning, kicking, blocking, and sparring. There was very little time to catch a breath. I was sweating 5 minutes in and drenched by the time we finished.

Then we did our patterns. It went well. I'm lucky to have two awesome people in my group, and we work well together. It definitely felt better than it did at the tournament.

We got to my favorite part next - board breaking. I love it. We got to choose our breaks, and I went with the spin hook kick that I did at the tournament. I love this break. I got it first try. One of my favorite moments during testing was watching a red belt attempt her break. It was really difficult, and she tried over and over for a solid ten minutes. She fell on her face, got up and tried again. It was incredible and very inspiring.

At the end, we lined up. Normally, we have to answer some TKD trivia questions. I was mostly confident but nervous about what I would be asked. I even learned to count to 10 in Korean - just in case. This ended up being one of my favorite parts of testing. He didn't ask us trivia questions. He asked us about various things depending on the person. Some were about strengths that the person possesses. Some were about weaknesses (which can be turned into strengths). I was asked what success in TKD means. It was difficult to answer. I think I said something about never giving up and not getting frustrated when things didn't go well. And, that there is no end to learning.

I can definitely see this as a strength and a weakness. I will always be trying to improve, but I think I need to also give myself a little credit for how far I've come. Because Michelle and I are TKD partners in crime, he talked about both of us, our hard work, and how we're sometimes too hard on ourselves. Nailed it, Master Snyder.

Finally, I got my green belt. I'm so excited. Green is officially intermediate. No longer a beginner. I know this means I'll have to step it up and work harder, but I am really looking forward to it. This is the most proud I've been of myself in a long time. I'm also super excited because now I can start weapons in the fall!

My family came to watch, and it was so nice to have their support. The kids kept talking about how good I did. The Artist told me over and over how proud he was of me. Melted my heart. Today, it's the kids' turn. They're both testing, and I am so excited to watch them. They've worked really hard this year, and they've really started to love it.

I feel so incredibly lucky to be involved in TKD. My classmates are awesome. The black belts are helpful, patient, and super supportive. Master Snyder knows when to push and when to back off. I was terrified to start the family class two years ago, but it was one of the best decisions I've made. Life changing.

So, I had a bad run today, but I don't care. I'm a green belt!!!!

Last Tournament Of The Season

Yesterday was the last tournament of the season. I didn't go into it feeling prepared. I didn't get to practice very much. The last couple weeks have been busy and stressful, and I just didn't fit it in. It's not a great excuse, but it is what it is. I was feeling really tired and not focused, but I decided to just do it and see what happens.

I almost didn't go. The Bean was not feeling great on Friday, but she said she felt better on Saturday and wanted to go. She seemed better, so we went. She got her first gold in weapons and got to try for a grand championship. She didn't get it, but she got a lot of great support from the judges and the older boy she competed with. They were very encouraging, and she felt proud for getting that far.

The rest of it didn't go well. By the time they called her group she was sleepy and not focused. She did the best she could, but it was obvious that she wasn't all there. I was proud of her for trying and for having a good attitude about it. It's the first tournament that hasn't gone well for her, and I know how hard that can be. But, it's part of it. Everyone has a bad tournament from time to time. No one gets gold every time. We all have to deal with it, and she handled it gracefully.

It wasn't my best day, either. It started well. Michelle and I got gold for synchronized patterns. It went downhill from there. My nerves were bad, and I didn't eat very much throughout the day. By the time they called my group, I was tired and a little spacey from not eating enough. My head wasn't in it. My nerves took over, and my pattern was awful. It's frustrating because I know I can do a lot better. When I practice at home, I do well with the wave motion, but once I am in front of judges I forget everything.

Breaking was the highlight of the tournament for me. I was trying a spin hook kick, which I only got to practice twice at class. I had no time to try it that day, so I wasn't confident that I would get it. I really like spin hook kicks, so I wasn't very worried. I also decided that if I didn't get it first try I would do something easier and double up my boards. That wasn't necessary. I broke it first try. It wasn't perfect, and I felt a twinge in my ankle and knee as I did it, but it broke. I got silver, but I can't be upset by that. The woman who got gold was incredible and did her break with multiple boards and blindfolded. So awesome.

Sparring was not great. It's not my favorite thing, and while I do feel like I'm improving, I again let my nerves take over. My brain shuts down. It was nice to have Michelle there to yell things to me. We train together and know how we spar. It was helpful, and she definitely got me one of my few points. Because I always end up in third, I end up being the person who has to do two sessions back to back. It happens almost every time. We don't spar for very long, but it feels like eternity when you're up there. Our group has some good competitors, but I managed to get bronze. I'll take it. It was hard-earned. I got punched in the nose and punched in the chest really hard. I almost fell. One of my sparring partners did fall. Plus, it was incredibly hot in the gym. We all worked for it.

So, tournaments are done for the season. I'm determined to go back next year in a much better place. I'm going to keep this one in mind when I'm training. It will keep me focused. I really want to improve. I'm hard on myself, but I think it's okay. I'm not being negative. I just use my mistakes to know what I need to work on. It's a process. A slow, slow process, but I've seen some improvements. Not planning on giving up any time soon.

The best part of tournaments is the people. Michelle and I always have a good time together, and it's nice to have someone there who supports me and my kids and vice versa. Our families have fun together. I've also met a lot of great people in the TKD world. Our group of women is full of awesome, fun, supportive women. It's fun to compete with them and then hug it out at the end. The higher belts are great. They're supportive and positive and totally badass. I don't know how I'll ever get there, but I want to be that good. Tournaments are so friendly and fun, which is why I'll keep going back.

So, this morning I woke up early to go for a 13 mile run. My last long run. It didn't happen. The twinge I felt during my break developed into a pain that ran from my hip to my calf. It hurt a lot when I got up. I tried foam rolling and stretching, but it wasn't better. Before, I would have pushed through and done the run anyway. I would have run in pain and suffered until I got through the race. Maybe I'm not a badass anymore, but I just can't do that. Signing up for this race was just for fun and to get myself running and out of a terrible slump. It's worked, and I am finally exercising again. I'm not winning this race. I'm not going to PR. I'm fairly certain I will be at the back of the pack the whole time. And, I'm okay with that.

I'm hoping that I can get in a long run on Tuesday, but I'm not worried about it. I know I can do 13.1 miles. If I only do short runs until the race I'll be okay. This is also kind of a good thing. If I can stretch and do my PT exercises and make my leg feel better then I will be in a good place for tomorrow. I have promotions for my next belt in TKD, and it will be nice to not have exhausted legs.

Two more goals this month! Then I will set some new goals and mix up my training. I'm looking forward to it.

Take Care Of Yourself

There is so much more to being healthy than just exercise and eating well. Stress, sleep, and water consumption are all very, very important. I know this, but it doesn't mean that I always pay attention to what I need. 

This week was a show week. Show weeks are always stressful. This one was more so because I had to cancel one of the last rehearsals due to the Artist's eye mishap. I haven't slept more than a few hours a night all week. I haven't been drinking enough water. I've been eating pretty well and exercising regularly, but that's not enough.

I had an ambitious workout plan. Yesterday was a perfect day. I got up early for a 6 mile walk with my friend. My legs felt surprisingly tired after all the hills. This was the first warning sign.

The Bean and I went for a 5+ mile bike ride in the afternoon. The weather was so perfect, I just had to be outside in the sun! 

We had a great ride and celebrated with tea and a smoothie at The Flying Disc. Did I mention that I consumed a lot of caffeine this week? Not a good choice, especially combined with not enough water.

I had a lot planned. Today was going to be a long run. Monday a long hike for my friend's birthday and TKD. My body had other ideas.

I woke up this morning with a cramp in my calf. Cramp isn't the right word. It was incredibly painful, and I couldn't get it to relax. I now have a painful spot in the middle of my calf and can't put a lot of weight on it. I didn't take care of myself, and now I'm paying for it.

I had to bail on my run. I'm probably going to spend most of today resting. I'm not sure I'll be able to do a huge hike tomorrow, but I'm hoping if I rest it will be possible.

It's frustrating. I like being active, and I've been working so hard to be more consistent and push myself. Health requires a multifaceted approach, and I have been neglecting 3 out of 5 this week. My brain wanted to push through, but my body knew when to stop me.

Moral of the story: Take care of yourself completely, or your body will make you.

It's A HIIT

The other day I wrote about complications. Yesterday I had a major complication. The Artist scratched his cornea, and we spent the day going to various doctors. He is okay, but it was a very long, emotional day. By the time we got home I was completely exhausted. No interest in working out at all. Rest day!

Today, I almost skipped my workout. I have a show this weekend, and I had to cancel rehearsal yesterday. There was a lot to get done today, and I didn't feel like I had time. But, I stopped and examined my schedule. I didn't want to miss another day if possible. I feel better when I work out, and I have several things to train for this month.

I wanted to work on TKD today, but it had to fit my schedule. I decided to do a HIIT workout and throw in my patterns as well. There are so many things I need to improve on for TKD, and I wanted to focus on some of these today. Namely, speed and jumping. I like endurance - running, hiking, etc. I need to work on my fast twitch muscle fibers.

Here's what I did:

HIIT #1 (1:00 work/ :30 rest)

• jump rope
• side kicks R
• side kicks L
• burpees
• Chun Gi (not timed, just went through it, focused on wave motion)

You know I'm serious when I throw in burpees. And, jump rope. In the same group. Yikes.

HIIT #2 (1:00/ :30)

• one leg jumps (w/ foot on a bench) R
• one leg jumps L
• front kick/back kick combo R
• front kick/back kick L
• Dan Gun (wave motion)

The one leg jumps were suggested by a black belt at the last tournament as a way to speed up chambering. They were no joke, but I actually really enjoyed them. The kick combo was something we were working on in class on Monday. I really enjoyed it, and hopefully I will be able to use this in the next tournament. The second time through I added a back fist, too. It was fun. I love back kicks.

HIIT #3 (1:00/ :30)

• jump rope
• turning kicks R
• turning kicks L
• squat jump / high knee jump (alternating)
• Do San (wave motion & everything else - got to get this one down)

Let's just say the second round of jumping rope was much harder than the first. My legs were exhausted and feeling very heavy. I have a tendency to make my last HIIT easier, but this was not the case today. I really wanted to push it. The squat jumps/high knee jumps were brutal, but I got through it. 

I love HIIT workouts. My legs were tired and heavy and spent by the end. They shook as I tried to walk around the grocery store. The sign of a good workout. I need to keep this up. One of my goals for the summer is to focus more on TKD and the things I mentioned above - speed, jumping, fast twitch movements. Not that I'm giving up distance running or hiking. I plan on doing a lot of both as well. It's going to be a good summer.

Complications

Sometimes things don't go as planned. When I was training for a marathon, I was strict with my training and made myself crazy. Flexibility is important. One (or more) missed workouts is not a big deal. Giving up is.

My first major complication was a three week long sickness. That has finally passed, and I am feeling like a human being again. I tried to keep up my mileage, but I missed quite a bit of running as well as TKD practice.

Sometimes my decisions create the complications. Example: On Sunday I was supposed to do a 12 mile run. I went hiking with my friends instead. I don't regret it. I love hiking and haven't been able to go lately. My legs felt like I had run 12 miles even though I only hiked 4.

This morning I was going to make up my long run, but there were car issues. Not enough time for a long run. Instead I took Moon Dog for a walk and practiced all of my TKD patterns. The last tournament of the season is coming up (still not 100% sure I'll do it), and we have testing coming up as well. I need as much practice as possible.

I'll try for my run again tomorrow. If I can't make it work until the weekend, I'm not going to beat myself up. It is what it is. I know I can do the distance, and I know the race is going to be a blast.