Breaking 4 Hours

I am not a fast runner. It irks me so much because I consider myself a decent athlete and I should be able to run faster. But, to be honest, I am not skinny enough to be fast. Don't get me wrong...I am in good shape...but I am not a bean pole and it really pays to be super lean when you run a marathon.

For the first time in my life I broke the 4 hour barrier in a marathon! I ran the Portland Marathon with my best friend from college (see picture above...Kyla and me) and we both managed to hit 3:57. This is great considering it's 14 minutes faster than our previous best time! But I had the goal in mind of qualifying for the Boston Marathon, which is a 3:50. I know, I know...believe me, I relish the fact that I have the luxury to complain! I thank God that I had the opportunity to run at all...trust me when I say that surviving cancer is always in the back of my mind. And I thank God that I am still outrunning it!

This was the first time that I trained the proper way for a marathon. I put in the distance and included speed training and tempo runs. The only thing I fell short on was hill training. And perhaps that will take me to the Boston cut-off the next time I run 26.2. But life intervenes and caring for two kids and a busy household, plus a business, kind of got in the way sometimes!

I dedicated the Portland marathon to a good friend who is fighting colon cancer at the moment. I thought of her every step of the way. My job of running hard and hurting temporarily was easy compared to hers...which is fighting the good fight. I know this all too well as I also underwent chemo nearly 8 years ago now. I know she will prevail...and perhaps she will join me in a future marathon! Running a marathon is easy compared to fighting cancer and I want to be running until I am old and gray.

Why Tri at all?

I have always avoided triathlons. When everyone was out doing the Danskin Triathlon here in Seattle I was looking the other way. This is crazy for someone who seems to be the natural triathlete...afterall I was an All-American swimmer in college and since then I have run three marathons.

The part that scares me is the bike ride.

It all stems back to a small bike trip I took with my sister way back when. I was only 12 years old and she wanted to ride around the island of Martha's Vineyard. She was 18 and one of those crazy bike people.

Janna worked in a bike shop in our neighborhood with all those interesting souls who loved to talk about bike parts and gears and get their hands really dirty with grease. Occasionally I would visit Janna in the store when my mom needed to drop something off. I hated the smell of that store. And it was dirty! But Janna loved it there and she found kindred spirits to fuel her bike passion.

So, Janna wanted to ride around Martha's Vineyard and for some reason my mother thought it would be a great idea for me to go too. Oh, how awful! By now you can tell that I am a bit of a princess. Plus, I was only 12. I did not like the idea of being away from my family for a few days and to my greatest horror Janna had plans to spend the night in youth hostels along the way.

So off we went. All I remember is that I had some sort of clunker for a bike. It was not a sleek road bike...it looked to be about two decades old and we had borrowed it out of the garage where my family was renting a vacation home.

I wanted to cry for most of the trip. And if you ask my sister I think I did cry for most of the trip. My brothers came to visit us at the youth hostel where we were staying and all I wanted to do was go home where I could find a clean bathroom and a warm bed. I was scared by the communal kitchen and the strangers strumming guitars.

I have no idea how far we went but it felt like hundreds of miles. And ever since then I have shunned bicycle riding. I have indulged in the spinning craze because it's indoors and I do not have to spend the night in a strange place. But outdoor bike riding has not been for me.

So...where does that put this princess? I have miles to go before next June. At the moment I have a passable training bike but I do not have a racing bike. I have a lot of research to do before I purchase some wheels. And I need to conquer the demon from within and learn to love the bike!

Half-Marathon: Done! On to the next goal...

I am terrible about posting on this blog...I guess I put too much pressure on myself to come up with interesting things to write about...as if my daily activities would be too boring to the general population. Well, that has all changed. I can now start writing about my new goal: The June 2010 Coeur D'Alene Idaho Ironman!

I am ready to be an Ironman. My daughter, Ellie, did point out the other day that they should call it the Ironwoman. Right? Right! But if that were the case then most Moms would already qualify for this title...because really we are already Ironwomen! 

I certainly have my fears about shooting for this goal. But I believe deep in my heart that I can do it if it's important to me. My husband, Curtis, has pointed out that I need to be really disciplined about not taking on too many activities during the next year if I actually want to complete the Ironman. I guess he is right when you consider that I will be needing to ride my bike for 6 hours every Saturday morning! And then some. Yikes.

Here is another insight. I am a newbie to tris. Technically I have done at least one tri when I was in college. But I have not even done a sprint tri as an adult. Oh, don't get all excited about my lack of experience. I have time to gain the experience. I have one year. And that's just how I roll. I decided one day that I was going to run a marathon and I just did it. So my lack of experience only slightly concerns me.

I do not have a proper bike or any proper gear for that matter. I am waiting to purchase a tri bike when I have some money! And I will get a wet suit. And anything else that I need to complete a tri. I am sure I need to start saving my pennies, now!

As I mentioned in my headline my running group finished a half marathon! I was so proud of the 16 women who crossed the finish line. Many of them had never run more than 3 miles. Their effort gave me the hair-brained idea that I could finish an Ironman...so it's all their fault! 

Time to get moving. I have many miles to go before next June!

Wanna run a half marathon?

I am so amazed at the human spirit.

I announced last week at my outdoor fitness class that I will be organizing a running group to train for the Rock and Roll Seattle Half Marathon in June. I wasn't really sure if I'd have any takers. But as of today we are nearly 10 ladies strong! Every single one of these women has never run farther than 5 miles...and here they are making the statement that they are ready to run for two hours straight! 12 whole miles!

I am looking forward to blogging about our experience over the next six months. I am particularly interested in sharing how all of us struggle with the ups and downs of reaching for a lofty goal and in the process meet many small health and wellness goals along the way (weight loss, stress management, improved heart rate...). The benefit of training for a larger goal is that we can work week-to-week to set smaller and more attainable goals...this is really the only way that we can get our heads around the fact that we will be pounding the pavement for many miles!

Our official training program begins Feb. 23. We will be using Jeff Galloway's training program, which involves both running and walking. A run/walk training program is best for injury prevention and for allowing all of us to have a life...and since we are all mothers we will need to be realistic about our training!

So please join me in this journey -- here's to the June half marathon and to the many adventures that we will face along the way!

Baby Steps

I met with a great friend the other day for coffee. She is tall and lean and not someone whom any of us would consider out of shape. She, on the other hand, claims that she is hopelessly out of shape -- at least out of cardiovascular shape. She would love to get her heart rate up on a weekly basis but she has no idea where to start...should she join a gym, she asks? Join a class somewhere? Take up running?

My feeling about getting started on an exercise program is to take "baby steps". I know this goes against the grain when you watch shows like the "Biggest Loser" and believe that in order to get into any kind of shape you need to exercise all day, seven days a week. It is my belief that starting any exercise routine should consist of reasonable goals and a sure fire way to derail yourself quickly is to try to do too much all at once.

Prior to my own health scare 7 years ago I had a heck of a time exercising consistently. It just hurt so much in the beginning that I never got to a place where it ever felt good. So the only thing I was consistent about was giving up...and then trying again...and then giving up. Every time I set out to incorporate exercise into my life I tried too hard. "I will run 4 days a week for 45 minutes!", "I will go to the gym every day this week and take a class!", "I will lift weights three times a week and run for two!". I'd set off with the best intentions and then collapse in a fit of frustration. It was all too hard! Too much! Too painful!

It's taken some time for me to realize that you have to set small, realistic and attainable goals for yourself if you want to truly incorporate exercise into your life as part of your lifestyle. If you don't know where to start you need to at least take the first step...take the first baby step and make the bold statement that you are going to at least "try". But think carefully about your first few months. If you haven't exercised in years then your most important goal will be to stay injury free and to begin the process of making exercise a priority in your life.

So set some small goals for yourself. Consider exercising three times per week, doing something that you find fun: hiking, walking the dog, group exercise, tennis, swimming...something that you know you'll look forward to doing. Then think of trying to meet that goal for 4-6 weeks. After that, reassess. If you met your goal easily then it's time to add on. If you were unable to meet what you set out to do then consider scaling back. Before you know it you will have incorporated an exercise program into your life!

When Everything Clicks...

I had one of those exercise moments today...it's been a long time coming, let me tell ya. I had the moment today where I actually felt GOOD on my 5 mile run. As a personal trainer with a high level of fitness you'd think that I would feel that way all the time. Not so. My life is usually so hectic, full of soccer games and practices for the kids and school obligations and responsibilities in the home, that I rarely feel optimal when I exercise. I do it most of the time because when I am not working as a personal trainer I know that I need to get my 45 minutes in...so I forget to enjoy it...which is such a shame.

For me, exercising is an utter privilege and to be honest I should approach it with joy every time I put on a pair of running shoes. It was only seven years ago that I was diagnosed with an extremely aggressive type of ovarian cancer. At the age of 35. In the prime of my life. At that time it was unclear whether I would live to ever feel well again...let alone go on to be a personal trainer and a person committed to inspiring others to seek a healthy lifestyle. So I am humbled by my good fortune...while I had an aggressive type of cancer I was just plain lucky to have found the cancer early enough to have a shot at living well again.

I spent most of the early years after surviving cancer in a frenzy to make my body whole again. I almost beat my body up. I had a theory that if I could push myself hard then somehow I could magically prevent the cancer from returning. This was obviously skewed thinking but I always felt empowered heading into the oncologist after running a marathon or a half marathon the day before. I reasoned that running 26 miles would somehow prove my wellness. No person could run 26 miles and have cancer, correct? Well, unfortunately this was all just magical thinking and in the process of working my body into the ground I became less aware of the sheer gift of simply being able to move my body each day!

My attempt to steel my body against further disease finally hit a major road block last winter when my spirit revolted and sent me into a difficult depression. That is the thing about bodies...there is a balance we must seek. Yes, it is important to exercise every day but there is also something to be said about going too far. I pushed too hard and finally something had to give. My subsequent depression was a painful reminder that I needed to get back to the basics...to seek balance of body, mind and spirit.

So I took a break and slowly got back to what I love to do: which is spreading the good word about health and wellness in my community. This has meant working hard to not over do my own exercise on a day-to-day basis, seeking outlets to nourish my soul, and eating well as much as possible. It has also meant attempting to balance all the demands in my life. Some days I struggle but other days I feel like I am forging ahead and perhaps I will eventually get it right.

Today was one of those days where all the stars aligned. It was a perfect Seattle morning -- 48 degrees and pouring rain. You gotta love Seattle! I had obviously done a good job of eating the previous day, being careful to hydrate and consume the right amount of protein and carbs. Interestingly enough my previous plans had to be canceled because I had to have work done on my car. So I was free of obligations that really were not that truly important anyway. And I headed out on a five mile run with a clear head and a strong body. And that one hour run reminded me of what I initially felt after surviving cancer...just pure joy. Joy for life. Joy for air. Joy for rain. Joy for clouds. Joy for cold. Joy for sweat. Joy for deep breathing. Joy for the complexities of the human body. How unexpected this little gift was this morning! Once again I am humbled by my good fortune.

So, when you have those moments where all the stars align and you feel as fierce as a warrior when you are exercising, consider what led up to that positive moment. What did you eat the day before? Did you get a solid 8 hours of sleep? Were you rested? Free from a hectic schedule? What conditions led to that moment? These are the conditions that we should try to re-create on a daily basis so that each of us is able to find some joy in our exercise routine. Yes, joy...you should all feel joy in relation to your exercise routine because it is in that realization that you will continue to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

A "Fall Back" Exercise

When I am feeling in a rut with exercise I like to change things up. It's tough to do the same exercise routine day in and day out. It just gets boring! Cross training is really the way to go. You work different muscles each day and you keep your routine interesting. And when I really can't bear to think about spinning or boot camping I get in the pool -- the place where I learned very early on about the joy of exerting oneself!

I was one of five children. All of us were hard-wired with frenetic energy and out of desperation my mother enrolled us on the swim team at the local YWCA. We siblings needed to be exercised like horses each day and swimming was the one exercise that seemed to actually chill us out. Most of the swimmers on the team were kids who were just giving it a try, but my time with the Puddle Jumpers began a love affair with water that lasted well into adulthood. I took to the water like an otter. I was happy to spend hours and hours slogging through the pool, up and back, up and back. For me the water felt like a warm cocoon...it was a place where I could feel safe, supported by the waves around me and free from the stress of the dry world above.

About two months into fighting cancer I remember my oncologist looked at me and told me it was time to get back in the pool. This was a professional who intuitively knew what made me tick...never mind that I had just undergone two difficult surgeries and was in the process of receiving chemo every few weeks. He knew that in order to get well again that I needed to get back to what gave me joy. So I took his advice and started swimming - bald head and all - at the local pool in my neighborhood in Magnolia. And, indeed, those times in the pool that year were some of the safest moments I had while fighting cancer.

Every time I have had tough times in my life I find myself heading back to the pool. I actually just went yesterday...not because times are tough per say, but because I needed a change from my usual routine and I needed a good work out. And once again I felt free. I felt joy. I jumped in my lane and started swimming a work out that I had created in my head and then lo and behold some guy wanted to join in. After 10 minutes in the pool I had the entire lane - about 8 people - who joined me in my work out. And it was just like being back at the Puddle Jumpers...just like being a kid again. We worked out hard and every one had a smile on their face as they climbed out of the pool and clambered over to the big hot tub to let their aging muscles rest up (something we didn't need to worry about when we were younger!).

So when you find yourself in an exercise rut or you are in the process of attempting to establish an exercise routine I recommend finding a "fall back" exercise. Go to something that feels familiar, something that you might look forward to doing. You don't have to do it all the time...just go to it when you are having trouble motivating yourself or looking for something to mix up your routine. Look back into your past and think about activities that made you feel alive and happy and well. Enjoy!