What do I hate NOT doing...

I came across this article today and it got me to thinking... which is always trouble ;-)

Steps to Pursing your idea career

Everyone loves to think about what we would spend our time doing if we hit the lotto and quit our jobs. We spend the majority of our day at work, is it too much to ask that it be something we truly enjoy?! I'm not saying I unhappy in my job, sure there are days I have the "grass is greener" syndrome. But am I doing something I'm passionate about?!

Respiratory Distress ;-)



       If you live Western Mass one of the best known and most loved traditions is the Holyoke St. Patty's day road race and parade. For years I've attended the race and every year, drink in hand, I'd think "I'll run next year." So this year, I did and I was excited about it. Oddly, enough before the start of the race, watching the crowds drinking beer and eating amazingly delicious looking greasy food I thought "maybe it is more fun being a spectator."




 

        I had a lot of nervous energy getting ready to leave the house before this race, but I didn't attribute any of it to the run itself. I should have, and I should have taken some time to focus, I am still NOT a seasoned runner by any means and this route is a pretty hilly six mile haul.



Kiss us... We Train for Life





        As usual there were a large number of TFLers running this race together, which is always a fun time, great motivation and support. My friend Jon, who recently moved to Boston returned home to run with me and we decided before hand we'd actually run together. Now, I know he's faster than me, always has been but I underestimated just how much. It became pretty clear, even in the first mile. we were not an equal match. Running with people at a faster pace is supposed to improve your pace... not on Saturday! In general, I've attributed most of my running struggles to head games. This was probably the case Saturday, regardless, this run handed me a load of crap and I didn't deal with any of it well. Besides feeling like a dog chasing a car, trying to pace with Jon, I couldn't concentrate on anything! Not my breathing, my pace, nothing! And I wasn't having fun, although, the guy pushing the running stroller full of beer did make me giggle. I wanted to stop... like every 60 feet, I wanted to stop. At one point, having slowed down so I could catch up, I complained to Jon. "I have a stitch and I just can't breathe!" He's not a man of many words, he's also a nurse, so if your going to collapse he's a pretty good guy to have around. In this case his response was simply "Let's Go." So I did. He told me later in the day had I presented in the ER breathing the way I was breathing during the race they would have assumed I was having a respiratory emergency.... delightful.

Somebody tattoo this on my brain!

         It always comes down to a matter of your mind believing what your body is already capable of doing. This has been an on going battle for me, probably will continue to be. In reality its the same battle we fight against tackling the pile of paperwork on our desks or putting the laundry away. You can do it, you should do it, you'll feel so good when it's done! For me when it comes to running and training when I'm done, even though I feel great, I think I can always do better. Maybe I need to do I better job in celebrating the simple act of finishing something I've started. Truth is I hope I'm always looking to get better, if there isn't something greater to strive for then what's the point?!

So Damn Lucky...

"Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get." —Ray Kroc

               This is one of my new favorite quotes, and yes, relatively speaking I think I sweat a lot so maybe that part of what has brought me such luck lately. But I'm a smart enough cookie to know it is more than that. Today is another pretty special day for me, one year ago today I attempted my first class at Train for Life. I was more than reluctant at the time and it took well over six weeks for my friend and co-worker Kim to convince me to meet her there. I truly had no expectation that I was about to embark on something that would change my life for the better so drastically in such a short period of time.



Kim, Drew & Lauren



            So, sweat might have helped the process of weight loss but today I'm feeling more than grateful to Kim, Drew, Jon, Jordan, Vanessa, Elias, Paula, George, Nancy, Kim T., Kristin, Michael, Alex, Aurora, Bobby, Marisol, Noelle, Stephanie, and Meg (I could go on and on and on here, if I missed you know I love you!) It's the people around you that inspire you and make you feel like you are capable of anything and we totally are! As Elias would say "this is the shit we do for fun!!!" Bottom line no matter what your goal, surround yourself with people who believe in you and anything is possible. I couldn't ask for crazier more wonderful people in my life!



TFL Family Post Workout



Why does my body hate me?!

              It's official, I'm pretty sure my body has decide we're in a fight and tonight I was getting the silent treatment. It's been just under three weeks since running my first half marathon. I've tried to take it easy with the running lately, logged just a few miles each time I've gone out. But with a 10K coming up this weekend I should be trying harder to get my rear in gear. I also should have enjoyed everything about tonight, leaving work on time, plenty of daylight to spare and a more than comfortable 60ish degrees outside.
            So why did every step feel like a trial?! Earlier today a friend was recounting the three miles she struggled for last night. "I couldn't find a rhythm with my pace and the air was just weird... ya know?" We laughed... "the air was weird," running is such a head game it really doesn't take much to throw you off and sometimes you just can't get it back. So tonight, for me it could have been the fact that my pants wouldn't stay put, leaving me concerned I was flashing every car that passed or the new route I tried for the first time, my music was boring and a snack...totally should have had a snack... who knows? Seems if you're not feelin' it you're not feelin' in and tonight I was not. The good news is I did manage to eeek out four miles despite my head games.
            Here's to hoping this spring weather continues and my body and my brain decide to kiss & make up 'cause this girl is over due for a good run!

Anti-muffin top muffin ;-)

 

 Easiest breakfast ever!

 1/4 cup oats

 1 egg

 1 tsp brown sugar

 1 quarter cup blueberries

  splash of milk

  dash cinnamon

  (I sometimes add some sliced almonds to the mix as well)

 Mix it all up in a coffee mug microwave for 2 minutes. Delish!

Just the beginning

My very first blog post... feels more daunting than it probably should!  Over the past year I've been on a journey that has lead me to 100lb weight loss and a completely new way of life. In an update to my testimonial for my trainer I realized just how much I have learned and changed but I've done a terrible job in keeping a journal of my experiences. In an attempt to keep myself motivated and possibly to motivate others I decided to blog! Much like myself and my life, this is a work in progress so cheers to trying something new!

The inspiration for starting this blog are the testimonial statements I've written for my trainer and friend Andrew McConaha, owner of Train for Life (aka, my happy place). You'll see from my words below how much he and the friends I have made at TFL have influenced my life recently. You'll no doubt hear much more about them in the future...

Part 1

December 2010

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into place.” This phrase was on a fortune cookie I cracked open almost a year ago; I’ve carried it with me ever since (the fortune, not the cookie). In January of 2011, I was coming off of a year full of life changes, a move, a new job, among other things and feeling accomplished but not happy. I sat down with a couple of friends and had a very candid conversation about getting healthy. We vowed we would work out more, eat and drink less and we did!

By March, I thought I was well on my way to a “brand new me.” Somewhat confident in my new found athleticism a co-worker finally convinced me to try out a boot camp class she had become addicted to. Little did I know how much my life would change the first day I walked into the Train for Life gym. That first hour was more challenging than I could have imagined, but when it was over I felt accomplished, exhausted but accomplished. Within weeks of regular boot camp classes my body began to change, I could see and feel myself getting stronger! Nothing I could have done on my own at the gym compares to what a Train for Life workout can. This past summer Drew challenged all his clients to set a goal for themselves. Mine was to start running and complete a race with the TFL team. At the end of September I finished the 2011 Rugged Maniac 5K, something I never would have imagined doing just months earlier!

September 2011

 It has been just over six months since my first class and I’ve lost 70 pounds and counting, I’m running regularly, I have MUSCLES! During that time I’ve learned what it means to truly test myself in a place where it is safe to fail, reward my successes and forgive my failure, lean on my friends and TRUST my trainer. Spending time at TFL is how I give myself love and that cookie was right, everything else is falling into place. Train for Life is much more than a gym or exercise program it is family of people who are working to get better, together! I am truly blessed to be encouraged and inspired by each of them and most importantly to have trainer and friend who challenges me every day and pushes me to attempt the things that scare me the most. Without a doubt I consider myself a work in progress and I cannot wait to see what the next six months and beyond will bring! I am a stronger, happier person than I have ever been thanks to this program. 70lbs, new clothes, compliments… yeah, that’s pretty cool. Becoming the person I was always meant to be… that is the true result of Train for Life.

Part 2

Short update on my journey with Train for Life since you last heard from me at the end of October 2011. Weeks after completing the Rugged Maniac 5K, during a moment of temporary insanity and at the encouragement of the TFL crew, I signed up to participate in the May 2012 Tough Mudder race at Mount Snow. Tough Mudder events are 10-12 mile obstacle courses designed by the British Special Forces; they proclaim themselves to be “the toughest event on the planet.” This stuff is no joke and I decided it could never be too early to start to train. I began to step up my running, registered for another 5K, and increased my mileage. But I still wasn’t feeling like that was enough. What better way to prepare my body for that kind of torture?  Train for a half marathon… naturally. Clearly, my streak of insanity had continued, or so I thought. It’s important I mention that I have been following the lead of my fellow TFLer’s into these races. I was inspired by those around me setting goals and aiming high and I believed I should do the same. I set my sites on two things, hit 100lbs lost by March 15 (my TFL anniversary) and a February trip to Florida to run…or walk, the 2012 Disney Princess ½ Marathon.

While it might sound like I made all these decisions lightheartedly and with an “I got this” mentality. I questioned myself and my ability every step of the way. At this point I had lost over 70lbs, had a couple small races under my belt and was stronger than I had ever been but it’s true we are always our own worst critics and I had some serious doubts about my plans. To be honest that doubt always lingered but the people who never doubted me were my friends at Train for Life. I have joked with Drew that if I announced that I planned to climb Mt. Everest next week his reply would be “yeah buddy!” So, on the days that I didn’t believe in myself I relied on the fact that others had faith in me. For those of us prepping for long races, half and full marathons, Drew put together a 15 week running program. I’m not exaggerating when I say I struggled through almost every training run. I would listen to my friends talk about their runs, their pace, their mileage, and their…runner’s high?! I started to loathe the nice lady on my Nike app who reminded me of my pace every half mile.  I questioned myself, why I did I decide to train for this over the winter? How much money would I lose if I back out now? Why did I do this? WHY did I DO this? My weight loss was a different struggle. I plateaued, like we all do, more than once. I did my fair share of beating myself up over 1lb, 2lbs, and all that wine I drank last weekend. And I certainly had a few “pull yourself together kid” conversations with my friends, there was no doubt, this part of my journey had some bumps.

Mile 11

These thoughts stayed with me for months, pretty much until race day, at which point my goal was finish… running, walking, crawling, just finish. There is a photo of me somewhere on this page at mile 11, I look happy but at that moment I’m pretty sure I could have stopped and walked the last two miles, no question. But my longtime friend and running partner that day kept running and so did I. It was in mile 11 that I let myself think back on the previous 11 months (coincidence? Hmmm). I thought about what a different person I was, not just physically but in all areas of my life. The goals I had achieved and the ones I had yet to conquer, the people who’ve told me I’ve inspired them and most importantly the incredible people who have inspired and supported me. When I was done I was amazed with myself, I spent the entire rest of that day saying “I can’t believe we ran a half marathon this morning!... No, seriously, I can’t believe it.” What I failed to recognize until that day was the challenge of training truly had prepared my body, it was my head that was creating the struggle.

I flew back from Florida just over a week ago considering myself a runner for the very first time. Yesterday, March 6, 2012, nine days before my 1 year anniversary at Train for Life I hit the 100lb mark. I am not the first of us to reach this milestone and I’m certain I won’t be the last. When I started out a year ago it was never my goal to lose 100lbs or to run a race of any kind I simply wanted to be healthier and happier. And I am. It’s funny now that I’m here, what should feel like the end of something instead feels like the beginning of something much bigger. I’m still not sure what, but I can’t wait for whatever comes next.