Things I Love, Among Things I hate

Okay so Saturday I ran 11 miles. It was great, but I had such a busy weekend that I was unable to write about it. I plan on writing a post this week on Saturday when I run 12 miles, which will be my new personal record.

Since it is more time appropriate, I want to talk about today which incorporated speed work. I literally hate speed work. Hills are my preference of the two... yes, that's how much I hate it (see post on Farleks.) Today we did Yassos on a track. Yassos for me meant running 2 laps around the track at an 10 minute pace and then 1 lap around at a recovery pace of 11'30". We did this 5 times, then we had to run the mile back home. All in all it was 6 miles. 6 miles feels so much easier when it is just a steady run at a set pace. I hate the speed work. Did I already mention that? I feel like I can't catch my breath when I do it. Not to mention, I got new shoes and after today I am taking them back. They made my toes go numb and I had leg soreness from the start. I'm still in search for the perfect shoe, but I've found some other things that are perfect that I feel like I should share with you so it doesn't sound like this post is one long complaint....

First up... Sweaty Bands

These came in the mail this week. They literally DO NOT SLIP in your hair. The top picture is me after my run today and I didn't have to adjust that thing one time. I have tried so many products, and these are the absolute best I have found.

Next up, oatmeal

The oatmeal packets have a ton of added sugar. These are the Quaker 1 minute oats. I add cinnamon and then chop up an apple to help add some flavor. My trainer suggested I eat this to get some carbs in the morning. Just eating scrambled eggs was only protein, and you need carbs in the morning to burn off throughout the day.

Next, my husband recently purchased me a YETI tumbler. I should preface this one by saying I'm literally obsessed with drinking water throughout the work day.

This is a splurge as far as a cup goes, but it really does keep my drink cold all day long. I'm really going to appreciate this sucker at the beach and I appreciated it today when it housed cold water after my very sweaty run.

Last, I've received some sweet gifts from people who have been thinking of me. It always feels good to know that somebody went out of their way to make you smile.

The pig pants were from a coworker and the ceramic pig was painted by one of my students (with help from one of my coworkers.)  A special thank you to Megan, Kelly, and Tricia for helping me smile and encouraging me.

Because I Can

So my plan of taking everything day by day has been actually working! Brilliant!

Monday I went on a run at A.J. Jolly Park with T.J. We didn't stay together but it will still nice to be exercising together. I appreciate his initiative to become more active with me. I ended up doing 4 miles and even went for some small hills instead of keeping it flat. I did it at a fast pace for me as well. Tuesday I did a fit class that incorporates dancing and some light weight lifting. After working with my trainer last Thursday, this was still hard as these muscles were sore.

Then came Wednesday...6 miles of hills from Newport to Mt. Adams. I was worried when I saw the route, I won't lie. From where I stood in Newport I started realizing that I was going to have to travel all the way to the art museum, which did not seem like a small feat. It wasn't. I never gave up though. I remembered how much I liked to encourage others so I was constantly saying things like "Come on guys, we got this," and "Don't give up, we're almost there." I like helping encourage other people, but I do this for myself too. It is a reminder that we are almost there. At the top of every hill, I felt so accomplished. (I wish I would have counted how many there were.) In my mind, every time I felt like it was getting hard I just kept saying telling myself, "because I can..." Sometimes I said it out loud to myself. This is something my trainer taught me on my first week. Your body will amaze you if you just remember that it's possible.

That's me with two thumbs up because I said f you to all of those hills. What a great feeling it was running back towards Newport. I am forever in awe of the places my feet have taken me...

Today I went to go meet with my trainer. I was so proud when she asked me how my "daily do's" were going. This is a routine she gave me to do every day. I have done them religiously and used the app she recommended for logging food. Today after weight lifting, she let me do boxing. OMG I loved it, even though I was dripping with sweat. It's a lot harder than you may think! Today I worked out amongst crossfitters who were trying to lift huge weights and I didn't even feel uncomfortable. I felt like I was there to get a job done and I was going to do that job no matter what. Negative self talk would usually tell me that these people are watching and judging me or making fun of me behind my back. Today I felt confident as I was throwing punches at my trainer. (Megan) I even made some small talk with them about Harry Potter. Megan has such a positive attitude. I really like the things she has already started instilling me with.

I came home and tried on my very first 2 piece bathing suit that shows a very small portion of my stomach. I'm not exactly comfortable with it yet, but I'm closer than where I was last year, so I think I'll keep it instead of returning it.

So with a "because I can" attitude you can "because you can" your way through anything. I was tested this week, but I did not give in.

11 miles Saturday and I. will. murder. it.

I think my confidence is coming back......

Stuck In a Rut....Maybe

So yesterday was supposed to be an easy 7 mile run for the group, but I found myself struggling. I had a terrible side stitch which I would say was with me for about the first 3-4 miles of our run. I believe it was from dehydration. I did drink 2 beers the night before and I also had some bathroom issues in the morning. I believe the combination caused me to be dehydrated and having some of the most painful side pains of my life. Every time we came to a stop light, I had my hand jabbed into my side and I was bent over. This helped to clear up the pain for about 2 minutes at a time. Eventually the pain subsided-thank goodness!

Anyways, this then became a mental game of yelling at myself for drinking the beer, then it went into telling myself I'm not running enough and should be logging more miles. Of course, this spiral continued for the whole 7 miles of me complaining to myself in my head about all the different things I was doing wrong.

WOMP WOMP....

I talked about this a few weeks ago, but the negative self talk has really been causing a rut that I'm trying to climb out of. I started out this journey so confident, coming off a large weight loss and knowing that I was going to accomplish my goals. Now it's turned into comparing myself against other people and what they are doing and telling myself I'm not doing enough. I feel like I go back and forth from day to day or week to week on feeling good about what I'm doing and being disappointed in myself for not doing more. On the outside, people would never guess that I struggle this much with confidence. I'm not sure where the disconnect comes from because there's this Lauren that can literally talk and make conversation with anybody, get up in front of a room full of people and present, sing terribly at karaoke in a crowded bar, and white girl dance like nobody is watching. Then there's another Lauren that is constantly doubting her abilities. I think it may be because tapping into the world of health and fitness is pretty new territory and I'm still trying to gain a level of comfort.

Thursday, I started with a personal trainer. It was an extremely difficult hour of weight lifting, but I like that she doesn't take excuses and pushes me to my limits. She had me make a goal card for myself, then she had me make another card that she called the "WHY" card. I was writing down reasons I wanted to do all of this. At the very end, I wrote "BECAUSE I CAN" per her request. This is the attitude that I really want to try and concentrate on for the remaining weeks of my training.

So this week I'm going to really make a conscious decision to change my attitude to an attitude of BECAUSE I CAN. Every time a negative thought pops into my head, I'm going to replace it with this phrase. I'm going to work hard this week. I have an 11 mile run coming up that will be my new PR and I personally want to kill it. This week, I won't focus on the Pig ahead or the rough runs behind me. I'm going to focus on just this week and this Saturday and tackle each day to the best of my ablilites, both physically and mentally. Wish me luck!

Saturday brought rain. If your shoes get wet, take the inside part out and stuff the inside of the shoes with newspapers (which I never have) or paper towels. Never dry your shoes in the dryer.

The Hardest Thing I've Ever Done

Yes at 26 years old, today wins as my biggest accomplishment. Taking on a 15k is something I never thought my body would physically be able to do. Today my body surpassed my expectations. Yesterday, a parent and volunteer at my school told me to run a mile for him. I decided to think of a different person for each mile and have that help to keep me going. These were people that I knew did not have the ability to run. I won't tell you all of the people I thought of, but know that you may have helped get me through. One mile was in memory of my cousin, whom I lost to childhood cancer, Zach Heringer. One mile was for Mitch Kramer, my cousin who passed away recently in September. The last mile was dedicated to "Fat Lauren." I say this in a joking manner, but it's true. "Fat Lauren" couldn't run a mile. Yes, the last mile was just for me and for how far I've come.

The route was Columbia Parkway. For those of you who will drive this in the future, pay attention to all the rolling hills. They even included a side hill called Torrence on this route. Seriously people, google earth this thing, it was ridiculous. T.J., or Mr. Lauren as he was called today, was waiting for me about halfway up Torrence. Everyone around me was walking because this thing is STEEP. I promised myself I wouldn't. T.J. ran with me up to the top and told me to keep going. I can't tell you how much this helped me.

After that, which was about mile 6, the route was so hard. My body was tired. Every hill that was in front of me was never the last hill. Lots of cussing was happening inside my head and sometimes not inside my head. I wanted to stop. My legs were sore, I was soaked in sweat, and my breaths were short, but I made a promise to myself that I would not stop running, no matter what. Finally through the fog, I could see the finish line (of course it was after ANOTHER FREAKING hill.) At this time one of my friends caught up with me and said, "Don't forget, this mile is for you."

I gave it all I had left. I pushed myself as hard as I could. I was breathing even heavier, but I would not give in. I crossed that finish line with so much pride in my heart.

That's how "Fat Lauren" kicked 9.3 miles in the ass. That's how "Fat Lauren" became the Lauren of the past.

I don't want to go into detail about thanks yet, because I know that will come after the Pig but to my husband, you are absolutely amazing. To Stacey, Jerry, Marc, and Tom, I hope you know that you are now all part of my story.

Without Limits,
Lauren

At home with the nervous nellies!

Liz and I before we started-the rain actually held out!

Liz and I after-so relieved!

They could have given me a freakin bigger medal. Look at all that sweat!

Can't Let Nerves Get Me Down

Tomorrow I will be running my very first 15K. For those of you who don't know, this is about 9.3 miles. I know in my heart that I can complete the race, but I do have fears about having to walk it. I really want to run the whole 9 miles without stopping. I am not very experienced with running this long of a distance. Everyone keeps telling me that the adrenaline will get me through it. I'm working really hard to keep things positive and believe in myself. I want to be excited about the race and the fun of it and not let my nerves get the best of me.

Today I went to the health and fitness expo that goes along with the Heart Mini. This was a runner's paradise. There was lots of free stuff being given away by sponsors. I got to taste new Clif Bars, Skinny Pop, and delicious organic dark chocolate. I got to learn about a lot of upcoming races, including a "Girl's Night Out 5 Miler" that benefits Cincinnati Children's Hospital this summer. There was so much race gear. I got 2 tech shirts for $5, a no slip headband for $5, and my Clif gel shots for $1. There was also a lot of new exercise equipment, including a really cool treadmill that made walking easier for people with injuries using NASA technology. I immediately thought of my dad. I wish I had money to afford one for him! It was awesome to see it in action. My husband went with me and then we went to the St. Patrick's Day parade afterwards. This made it a very fun morning and I did not think about being nervous at all.

Tomorrow I know that all I can do is my best. I have to work hard to turn off any negative thoughts that will be telling me to stop. The forecast for the race is thunderstorms right now. Come hell or high water (and hopefully none off the above), I will cross that finish line because I have heart.

Bockfest, A Few of My Favorite Things, and A Run I was Proud Of

This weekend was the Bockfest 5k in Cincinnati. A few of my friends wanted to do it and I was excited but torn about whether or not to run with my group. Luckily, they made the path to where we could cut off at 7 miles and be at the starting line to Bockfest.

A blooper picture of me with my running crew.

My friends quickly showed up at the race and we started together, but later split up. I stayed with my husband as this was his first 5k. He did a really good job and it was fun to coach him along the way.

Much beer and coneys were consumed afterwards, but I was definitely ready to go home and sit down after having my legs carry me 10 miles. The couch has never felt so glorious!

Really why I wanted to write this post though is to tell you about some of my favorite running things....

First off, tech socks and Body Glide, both things that help me from getting terrible blisters/chafing. As you may have seen, my blisters were totally out of control on my right foot. I didn't post a picture, but I actually got a second blister, caused by wrappings to cover up my first blister. It's been so annoying. Luckily, I've invested in 2 pair of new socks. There are several different brands. I picked Under Armour only because they were on sale. These socks are not made of cotton. Cotton gets very wet if you are sweating creating a rubbing effect on your feet which is probably what caused my blisters in the first place. These are not made of cotton so they don't get soaked when my feet sweat and they have treated me very well. These socks are expensive, hence why I browsed the clearance section. If you invest in a pair the L & R tell you what foot they go on. Body Glide also helps prevent rubbing. I now put this where my blisters are (to keep extra rubbing from happening) and I put them around my sports bra. Again, this is a place where I've gotten chafe marks from sweating. They burned really bad when I got in the shower! 

Next up, Cliff energy shots in the vanilla flavor. I've tried a lot of different nutrition because my running group provides samples. Even though these things grossed me out at first, I finally tried this and was so glad I did. These are great for long runs to replenish your energy with some carbs and sugars. It helps to prevent fatigue and I have to admit it really has helped me when I take one in the middle of my run. Out of everything, these have been the easiest to digest for me. I have a funky stomach (as mentioned before) and these did not seem to upset it like some of the other products did. I will be using this as I take on the Heart Mini next Sunday!

I'll be sharing more of "my favorite things" as the journey continues. I've learned what works mostly by learning what doesn't work.

 Lastly, I want to share a picture of a run from Wednesday night that I was super proud of. My pacing was sped up by the dreaded fartleks, but I didn't surrender. In fact, this time I really didn't even feel pain. It was a great feeling to finish on Wednesday and be in such good shape after a 10'42" pace. So good, that I was able to enjoy being proud of myself without negative self talk. Thanks Beyonce! 

Girl Boss

As you may have noticed in my previous post, I have had a problem with negative thoughts popping into my head and I've quickly realized that I am 100% not alone in this. In fact statistics show that 100% of people have doubts. Okay, I made that up, but you get the point. This week I've been trying to change the dialogue. What a better way to do so then to listen to music with a positive message. The following videos are some of my favorite songs that make me feel like an empowered woman.

First up: Demi Lovato's "Confident"

Favorite lyrics: What's wrong with being confident?

Seems cheesey right? But seriously, we've told women that it's not okay to be confident in society. This is the first time that I feel like women are becoming stronger in our culture and I love it. Being confident doesn't make you cocky or a bitch. It makes you strong. 

Second Up: Beyonce's "Run The World"

Favorite lyrics: "I'm repping for the girls that's taking over the world. Help me raise a glass for the college grads." "How we smart enough to make these millions. Strong enough to bear the children, then get back to bidness." 

I freaking love Beyonce. She doesn't just sing these words, she lives them. She makes me feel confident whenever I see her perform. Beyonce is not about being stick thin or conforming to what others want, she's about embracing who she is and running with it. I think we could all learn a lot from her. 

Next on my playlist: Sia with "Alive" 

Favorite lyrics: "I knew what I wanted, I went out and got it. Did all the things that you said I wouldn't. I told you that I would never be forgotten."

Sia has the most amazing and unique voice. This song is about overcoming struggles and still coming out alive and breathing. It's beautiful. Sia is a person who also doesn't want to conform to the regular identity of women in Hollywood. Her videos are often seen as odd or weird and she never stars in them. 

Everyone deserves to feel like a girl boss. Listen to these songs to help you when you are experiencing negative self talk. Be a Demi, Beyonce, or Sia.... Or they would probably just want you to be yourself.