I was reading the latest Triathlon Canada magazine yesterday.
It's a magazine that mysteriously started arriving at our door without either of us having actually subscribed to it which is a little odd. The magazine is in Doug's name so my best guess is that, if someone makes it on the podium at a triathlon event in Canada they get a free one-year subscription.
If the magazine were in my name I might think that, if you compete in several triathlons and finally make it out of the bottom 5 in your age group they congratulate you buy giving you a subscription. But it's not in my name so that hypothesis is out the window.
Whatever the reason, it's a fun little present to get in the mail every two months.
The latest issue had an article about things that triathletes should work on to improve their overall race day performance.
In running, the goal was to increase speed and so the thing to do was interval training.
In swimming, the goal was to get better at kicking so they had some kicking drills to do at the pool.
In cycling, the goal was bike handling. Not bike speed or hill climbing or whatnot but bike handling. Specifically, braking efficiently and at the right time as well as turning tight corners.
Almost every triathlon or duathlon event I've been in has been an out and back course. That means that, at some point, I get to a pylon in the middle of the road and I am expected to slow down, and negotiate a rather tight turn before heading back the way I came.
Every time this happens, I spend the first half of the ride dreading that turn. I slow right down, unclip both pedals and almost always end up with one foot on the ground to stabilize me and prevent a spill.
Why?
Because I have really bad balance. And because I'm not particularly good at handing my bike. Point me in the right direction and I'm good to go but please don't ask me to make a quick turn, to go over loose gravel or even reach for my water bottle without a long stretch of flat road ahead of me.
So the article suggests that people like me head to a quiet parking lot and practice turning in tighter and tighter circles. The ultimate goal is to be able to turn between the lines of a parking space without falling off your bike or unclipping your pedals.
Guess what I'll be doing once the weather warms up?
Showing posts with label balance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label balance. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 26, 2014
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Baby Steps
It is April 24th.
Since April 1st I have spent $385 on prescriptions. Since January 1st I have spent $845.
Three hundred and eighty-five dollars. That is what I paid after benefits which pay 80% of all prescriptions (other than pump supplies).
Yes, I receive quarterly cheques for pump supplies (thank you thank you thank you). But that is a still a pretty big chunk of cash to wave goodbye to in three short weeks. Especially when I'm in serious pay down debt mode. Even more especially when my next quarterly cheque is still two months away which means that total gets added to my credit card and sits there until the cheque arrives.
Bah!
Why is it that I have tons of patience for baby steps in most areas of my life and yet very little patience for baby steps in my financial ones?
On Monday morning at the pool we sacrificed a hard workout to focus on technique. My goal was to learn to keep my head down and my eyes focused on the bottom of the pool (I lift my head too much when I swim). It took me a while to get the hang of where my head needed to be but I figured it out - only to completely lose my other skills that I thought I had mastered. Like bending my elbow properly and not crossing my arms in front of me. I immediately went back to my old swim technique...but my head looked good.
When I ignored my head-lowering issues and tried to just swim I could no longer remember what was the correct way for me to swim. I turned into an ungainly swimmer whose head was too high, whose elbows didn't bend and who crossed her arms in front of her. The only solution was to leave the pool hoping that I would get back in on Wednesday morning and remember how to swim.
Baby steps.
I can't run and won't be running for another month. When I do get back to it I will have gone from being able to run 20k sans problème to wondering if I can run 20 minutes. It will take weeks to build back up again and the injury could reappear during that time and sideline me again.
Baby steps.
Diabetes is crazy. I understand how something affects my blood sugar and master it. Something else goes wrong and I focus on fixing that only to lose control of the things that were working well. I focus on bringing those back and then I get sick which throws the whole thing off. Or I get my period. Or it's a stressful few days. I slowly wrestle my numbers back in order and then the season changes. Or I get injured and can't run. Or I recover from an injury and can run again.
Baby steps.
I paid $300 toward my credit card in April. I only put one purchase on my credit card in the month of April - a $385 charge for diabetes supplies.
Baby steps.
Just breathe.
You'll get there.
Since April 1st I have spent $385 on prescriptions. Since January 1st I have spent $845.
Three hundred and eighty-five dollars. That is what I paid after benefits which pay 80% of all prescriptions (other than pump supplies).
Yes, I receive quarterly cheques for pump supplies (thank you thank you thank you). But that is a still a pretty big chunk of cash to wave goodbye to in three short weeks. Especially when I'm in serious pay down debt mode. Even more especially when my next quarterly cheque is still two months away which means that total gets added to my credit card and sits there until the cheque arrives.
Bah!
Why is it that I have tons of patience for baby steps in most areas of my life and yet very little patience for baby steps in my financial ones?
On Monday morning at the pool we sacrificed a hard workout to focus on technique. My goal was to learn to keep my head down and my eyes focused on the bottom of the pool (I lift my head too much when I swim). It took me a while to get the hang of where my head needed to be but I figured it out - only to completely lose my other skills that I thought I had mastered. Like bending my elbow properly and not crossing my arms in front of me. I immediately went back to my old swim technique...but my head looked good.
When I ignored my head-lowering issues and tried to just swim I could no longer remember what was the correct way for me to swim. I turned into an ungainly swimmer whose head was too high, whose elbows didn't bend and who crossed her arms in front of her. The only solution was to leave the pool hoping that I would get back in on Wednesday morning and remember how to swim.
Baby steps.
I can't run and won't be running for another month. When I do get back to it I will have gone from being able to run 20k sans problème to wondering if I can run 20 minutes. It will take weeks to build back up again and the injury could reappear during that time and sideline me again.
Baby steps.
Diabetes is crazy. I understand how something affects my blood sugar and master it. Something else goes wrong and I focus on fixing that only to lose control of the things that were working well. I focus on bringing those back and then I get sick which throws the whole thing off. Or I get my period. Or it's a stressful few days. I slowly wrestle my numbers back in order and then the season changes. Or I get injured and can't run. Or I recover from an injury and can run again.
Baby steps.
I paid $300 toward my credit card in April. I only put one purchase on my credit card in the month of April - a $385 charge for diabetes supplies.
Baby steps.
Just breathe.
You'll get there.
Friday, July 13, 2012
(Over)commitment
On Wednesday night I was sitting (well more like lounging) on the couch with my laptop.
I did three things in the space of about 15 minutes.
Rights, disabilities, diabetes, and photography.
Just a few of the things I love to talk about, write about and include in my everyday life.
Other things I did this week? Swam three times (with my new Masters coach!), hit the road on my bike to practice my rpms, watched the sun rise on my early morning runs, watched the sun set as Doug and I went for an impromptu flight over Niagara, hosted a baby shower, volunteered for Hospice Niagara, went to the theatre and had a massage.
My days and weeks are busy and packed with activities.
Activities that I choose. Activities that make me happy, that make me think and that keep me healthy.
At dinner the other night, Doug and I were talking about what it takes to get to the Olympics. Not that we really know because neither of us have been to the Olympics (despite my best attempt at swimming 200m in under 1 minute - I can't get my time under 3:48). But we can sort of guess how much time and commitment it might take to get to the level that it takes to even qualify for a spot.
And I got a little bothered.
If someone told me that they worked long days, seven days a week. That they gave up almost everything else in their life, that they left their family and friends and that they committed their life to work, I would have a few choice words to say to them. I am a firm believer in and advocate for finding a balance between work and life. Work to live, don't live to work.
And yet, elite athletes essentially do the same thing except instead of attending meetings, making business deals, and writing reports, they commit themselves to their sport...and we idolize them for it. They are heroes. They are so high up on the pedestal that they are unreachable. We watch in awe as they do things at speeds we can't attain or sustain for even a few seconds and with a strength that we will never have.
Please don't misunderstand - I am not criticizing the choices that our elite athletes make. I'm just commenting on how differently the two forms of incredible commitment and dedication are perceived. Tell me someone does nothing but work and I get annoyed. Tell me someone trains seven days a week and I think "wow, I wonder if I could do that".
I will NOT be part of the 2012 summer Olympics despite my very respectable super sprint triathlon time.
I have not yet received my invitation to join Canada's swim team despite the fact that I swim faster than ALL the seniors in the pool.
But that's probably for the best because, in the space of fifteen minutes I can advocate for diabetes, finalize wedding photography details and discuss rights research. I thrive on variety and can't imagine spending most of my time doing one thing.
So I'll watch the Olympics every second I can, I'll cheer on les Canadiens, the underdogs and the heroes. I'll dream of being able to (insert sport here) as fast or as well as they can, even for one day and then I'll go back to my very fun, very active, very fulfilling life.
I did three things in the space of about 15 minutes.
- I responded to an email about some possible research being done re rights and adults who have a developmental disability
- I sent a final shot list and confirmation details to the bride and groom whose wedding Doug and I are photographing this Saturday
- I made the final corrections to Thursday's blog entry for Running on Carbs
Rights, disabilities, diabetes, and photography.
Just a few of the things I love to talk about, write about and include in my everyday life.
Other things I did this week? Swam three times (with my new Masters coach!), hit the road on my bike to practice my rpms, watched the sun rise on my early morning runs, watched the sun set as Doug and I went for an impromptu flight over Niagara, hosted a baby shower, volunteered for Hospice Niagara, went to the theatre and had a massage.
My days and weeks are busy and packed with activities.
Activities that I choose. Activities that make me happy, that make me think and that keep me healthy.
At dinner the other night, Doug and I were talking about what it takes to get to the Olympics. Not that we really know because neither of us have been to the Olympics (despite my best attempt at swimming 200m in under 1 minute - I can't get my time under 3:48). But we can sort of guess how much time and commitment it might take to get to the level that it takes to even qualify for a spot.
And I got a little bothered.
If someone told me that they worked long days, seven days a week. That they gave up almost everything else in their life, that they left their family and friends and that they committed their life to work, I would have a few choice words to say to them. I am a firm believer in and advocate for finding a balance between work and life. Work to live, don't live to work.
And yet, elite athletes essentially do the same thing except instead of attending meetings, making business deals, and writing reports, they commit themselves to their sport...and we idolize them for it. They are heroes. They are so high up on the pedestal that they are unreachable. We watch in awe as they do things at speeds we can't attain or sustain for even a few seconds and with a strength that we will never have.
Please don't misunderstand - I am not criticizing the choices that our elite athletes make. I'm just commenting on how differently the two forms of incredible commitment and dedication are perceived. Tell me someone does nothing but work and I get annoyed. Tell me someone trains seven days a week and I think "wow, I wonder if I could do that".
I will NOT be part of the 2012 summer Olympics despite my very respectable super sprint triathlon time.
I have not yet received my invitation to join Canada's swim team despite the fact that I swim faster than ALL the seniors in the pool.
But that's probably for the best because, in the space of fifteen minutes I can advocate for diabetes, finalize wedding photography details and discuss rights research. I thrive on variety and can't imagine spending most of my time doing one thing.
So I'll watch the Olympics every second I can, I'll cheer on les Canadiens, the underdogs and the heroes. I'll dream of being able to (insert sport here) as fast or as well as they can, even for one day and then I'll go back to my very fun, very active, very fulfilling life.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
Moderate Excess
There aren't too many things that I do to excess but there are lots of things I do...a lot.
I eat...a lot. I eat chocolate, candy, fruit, bread, cookies, date squares, hot apple crisp with melted chocolate on top, mango salad, shrimp skewers, crispy apples dipped in peanut butter, t-bone steaks, maple fudge..you name it, I eat it - with relish. Well, not really with relish - I quite dislike relish to be honest. But I eat my food and I enjoy it.
But rarely to excess.
It's just not worth it.
I drink alcohol. To clarify, I drink red wine. I really really like red wine. Most nights of the week I have a glass or two. Occasionally a glass of white. Sometimes I'll sip a tumbler of whisky - neat.
But not to excess.
It's just not worth it.
I get lots of sleep. It's a rare night when I'm in bed for less than 8 hours and, despite waking up several times to check my sugar, I sleep for most of it. But I don't sleep to excess. I never lounge in bed until noon. In fact, 7:30am is a pretty sweet lazy morning.
As for exercise, I'm sure some people would argue that I exercise to excess. Perhaps they're right. It feels reasonable to me though, considering how many hours a day I sit, for me to move for an hour a day, every day. Two on Saturdays.
The whole point of this rather drawn out introduction is that I was thinking about diabetes and how it affects the daily decisions I make. Sometimes, diabetes encourages me to moderate my choices, other times it encourages me to push my limits.
It's relatively easy to exercise portion control when I know what overeating does to my blood sugar. Diabetes is a fabulous excuse when someone offers me a second piece of pie and diabetes keeps me honest because I have to bolus for that second piece. That fact alone often stops me just long enough to reconsider and say no.
It's pretty easy to limit alcohol to a glass or two (sometimes three if Erin is over) because it really is just too dangerous to have more than that. I never want to be unable to recognize a low blood sugar because I've had too much to drink. Add to that the fact that alcohol tends to lower blood sugar and it really is easy to say 'no thank you' to the third glass of wine.
On the other hand, diabetes is a great motivator to get lots of rest and lots of exercise. Diabetes is the never-ending voice in my head that says I should be out there taking care of my heart, my lungs, and my body. Diabetes forces me to take my health seriously.
Based on my blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, diet, weight and fitness level - I'm a pretty healthy gal. Add diabetes to the list and I automatically fall in the same health risk category as someone who is overweight or a smoker.
Imagine where I would fall if I didn't do all these things?
'nuff said.
I eat...a lot. I eat chocolate, candy, fruit, bread, cookies, date squares, hot apple crisp with melted chocolate on top, mango salad, shrimp skewers, crispy apples dipped in peanut butter, t-bone steaks, maple fudge..you name it, I eat it - with relish. Well, not really with relish - I quite dislike relish to be honest. But I eat my food and I enjoy it.
But rarely to excess.
It's just not worth it.
I drink alcohol. To clarify, I drink red wine. I really really like red wine. Most nights of the week I have a glass or two. Occasionally a glass of white. Sometimes I'll sip a tumbler of whisky - neat.
But not to excess.
It's just not worth it.
I get lots of sleep. It's a rare night when I'm in bed for less than 8 hours and, despite waking up several times to check my sugar, I sleep for most of it. But I don't sleep to excess. I never lounge in bed until noon. In fact, 7:30am is a pretty sweet lazy morning.
As for exercise, I'm sure some people would argue that I exercise to excess. Perhaps they're right. It feels reasonable to me though, considering how many hours a day I sit, for me to move for an hour a day, every day. Two on Saturdays.
The whole point of this rather drawn out introduction is that I was thinking about diabetes and how it affects the daily decisions I make. Sometimes, diabetes encourages me to moderate my choices, other times it encourages me to push my limits.
It's relatively easy to exercise portion control when I know what overeating does to my blood sugar. Diabetes is a fabulous excuse when someone offers me a second piece of pie and diabetes keeps me honest because I have to bolus for that second piece. That fact alone often stops me just long enough to reconsider and say no.
It's pretty easy to limit alcohol to a glass or two (sometimes three if Erin is over) because it really is just too dangerous to have more than that. I never want to be unable to recognize a low blood sugar because I've had too much to drink. Add to that the fact that alcohol tends to lower blood sugar and it really is easy to say 'no thank you' to the third glass of wine.
On the other hand, diabetes is a great motivator to get lots of rest and lots of exercise. Diabetes is the never-ending voice in my head that says I should be out there taking care of my heart, my lungs, and my body. Diabetes forces me to take my health seriously.
Based on my blood pressure, cholesterol, heart rate, diet, weight and fitness level - I'm a pretty healthy gal. Add diabetes to the list and I automatically fall in the same health risk category as someone who is overweight or a smoker.
Imagine where I would fall if I didn't do all these things?
'nuff said.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Jigsaw Puzzles
One of my friends from way back in my university days posted something on his wall today.
He wrote: "I now know why most runners don't take three weeks off to carb load five weeks out from race day".
He was training for a race this fall. He and his family went out east for a few weeks for a family vacation. He came home and headed out for his first run in weeks. It didn't go well apparently.
Life and running don't always mix.
That's ok.
Our beloved running coach always says that running has to fit into your life. Not the other way around.
It's really true. Lately, every week is starting to look like a big jigsaw puzzle. I'm trying to make every piece fit even though there are more and more piece and no more space. Running and all the other activities associated with it (stretching, icing, showering etc) is now taking over 10 hours per week. The next few weeks will be more like 12 or 13. That doesn't sound too crazy over the course of a week but it's double what it used to take and I used to struggle to fit it in before.
Most of the time, I make it happen because I have committed to running a marathon. It's only for a few months and I need to do what I need to do. Sometimes though, life is going to win.
And it should.
I should be in bed early tonight - it's been a long week and I'm exhausted. Instead, I'm hopping in the car and heading to Toronto after work. I'm going to meet friends for dinner and a tour of the Bell Lightbox (home of the Toronto International Film Festival). Fun!
Next week, I have booked myself two photoshoots after work. Fitting in three runs around that is going to be a major challenge. Next weekend, I have committed to being a driver for a 24-hour ultra-distance relay. Eight runners + 245km of running. Problem is that I also need to fit in my own 28k run and I can't do it with our running group because that's when the relay is happening. So I'm doing it alone on Friday morning.
I'm ok with that.
The choices we make are what makes our life our own.
He wrote: "I now know why most runners don't take three weeks off to carb load five weeks out from race day".
He was training for a race this fall. He and his family went out east for a few weeks for a family vacation. He came home and headed out for his first run in weeks. It didn't go well apparently.
Life and running don't always mix.
That's ok.
Our beloved running coach always says that running has to fit into your life. Not the other way around.
It's really true. Lately, every week is starting to look like a big jigsaw puzzle. I'm trying to make every piece fit even though there are more and more piece and no more space. Running and all the other activities associated with it (stretching, icing, showering etc) is now taking over 10 hours per week. The next few weeks will be more like 12 or 13. That doesn't sound too crazy over the course of a week but it's double what it used to take and I used to struggle to fit it in before.
Most of the time, I make it happen because I have committed to running a marathon. It's only for a few months and I need to do what I need to do. Sometimes though, life is going to win.
And it should.
I should be in bed early tonight - it's been a long week and I'm exhausted. Instead, I'm hopping in the car and heading to Toronto after work. I'm going to meet friends for dinner and a tour of the Bell Lightbox (home of the Toronto International Film Festival). Fun!
Next week, I have booked myself two photoshoots after work. Fitting in three runs around that is going to be a major challenge. Next weekend, I have committed to being a driver for a 24-hour ultra-distance relay. Eight runners + 245km of running. Problem is that I also need to fit in my own 28k run and I can't do it with our running group because that's when the relay is happening. So I'm doing it alone on Friday morning.
I'm ok with that.
The choices we make are what makes our life our own.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
A Day of Rest
When I used to run two to three days a week, I had more days of rest than days of running in a week.
The math is fairly complicated so you'll just have to trust me.
Now that I faithfully run four days a week and cycle one, a day of rest has become a precious commodity. My body and my soul look forward to them the way a kid can't wait for ice cream or Santa Claus.
Monday is my day of rest.
On Mondays, I don't have to worry about what I eat. I don't have to say no to an afternoon snack because I don't want to take insulin so close to a run. I don't have to remember to change the basal rate on my pump at precisely 3:30pm so that I can run at 5. I don't check the weather, plan a running route or constantly check in with my shins to see how they're feeling.
I can just be.
Yesterday after work, I popped over to see my friends John and Michelle. We sat on the porch and chatted about life, love, wellness and grandchildren. I stopped in at the grocery store to pick up strawberries, bananas, frozen yogurt and pickles because we needed them. I went home, was offered a glass of wine (which I readily accepted) and then Doug and I sat on the deck, chatting away. When we felt hungry - dinner preparations began.
Not once did I look at the clock or think about schedules.
After dinner, we sat in the living room, each of us working on our laptops but still together.
Fresh strawberries for a snack.
When we got tired, we went to bed.
I slept well and woke up refreshed - a nice change from the last few nights.
After only one day off, my body is excited to run tonight.
When I used to run two to three times a week, it was the running days that were few and far between. The running days were the ones that loomed big on the calendar. Now, running days are the norm and days like yesterday are the exception. Which makes them all the more precious.
The math is fairly complicated so you'll just have to trust me.
Now that I faithfully run four days a week and cycle one, a day of rest has become a precious commodity. My body and my soul look forward to them the way a kid can't wait for ice cream or Santa Claus.
Monday is my day of rest.
On Mondays, I don't have to worry about what I eat. I don't have to say no to an afternoon snack because I don't want to take insulin so close to a run. I don't have to remember to change the basal rate on my pump at precisely 3:30pm so that I can run at 5. I don't check the weather, plan a running route or constantly check in with my shins to see how they're feeling.
I can just be.
Yesterday after work, I popped over to see my friends John and Michelle. We sat on the porch and chatted about life, love, wellness and grandchildren. I stopped in at the grocery store to pick up strawberries, bananas, frozen yogurt and pickles because we needed them. I went home, was offered a glass of wine (which I readily accepted) and then Doug and I sat on the deck, chatting away. When we felt hungry - dinner preparations began.
Not once did I look at the clock or think about schedules.
After dinner, we sat in the living room, each of us working on our laptops but still together.
Fresh strawberries for a snack.
When we got tired, we went to bed.
I slept well and woke up refreshed - a nice change from the last few nights.
After only one day off, my body is excited to run tonight.
When I used to run two to three times a week, it was the running days that were few and far between. The running days were the ones that loomed big on the calendar. Now, running days are the norm and days like yesterday are the exception. Which makes them all the more precious.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Finding the Time
It's always a challenge to make time for running.
Don't misunderstand. I love running. It's not a chore or something that I do because I have to. I do it because I want to.
Nevertheless, it is a challenge to make time for it.
I have a thirty minute run to fit in to my schedule tonight. Here's how it will go. I finish work at 4:30pm. I will drive home, change quickly, check my sugar, fill my water bottles, stretch for a few minutes and hopefully start running by 5pm. Home by 5:30pm. Then I have to stretch. Properly done, my stretching routine takes about 30 minutes. Then I ice my shins and calves for about 15 minutes. So it's now 6:15pm. Time to shower and throw my running clothes in the laundry. Best case scenario is that my 30 minute run is over at 6:30pm.
Don't even get me started on the 13k Tuesday night runs we start in a few weeks. Best case for those is that I'm in the kitchen ready to eat at 7:30pm. That's assuming that Doug is home and able to make dinner while I'm out. Otherwise, I start cooking at 7:30pm.
I'm not complaining. Rather, I'm just painting a picture of the life of a commited runner.
There are periods when life is easy, I have lots of energy and runs just seem to fit nicely into my day. That's when I run for fun.
Then there are periods where work is overwhelmingly busy, life outside of work is just as crazy and I can barely find the energy to get the runs in. Those are the times when running is critical. When everything feels chaotic, running calms things for a while. Because, once the time is carved into the schedule and the shoes are on, it's just me and the road.
When I run I can tune out all the chaos or I can use the time to get organized in my head. Either way, it's therapeutic.
Sitting on the deck afterwards with my chocolate milk and my yoga mat, I stretch my legs and watch the birds flitting through the trees overhead. It's peaceful and rejuvenating.
This week I'm feeling pretty exhausted and just want to curl up for a nap. But there is no time for rest and the weekend is chock full of activities. I could crawl home tonight and sit on the couch. Or I can go for a run.
I'm going to go for a run. It might not be fast and it might not be pretty - but it will be worth it.
Don't misunderstand. I love running. It's not a chore or something that I do because I have to. I do it because I want to.
Nevertheless, it is a challenge to make time for it.
I have a thirty minute run to fit in to my schedule tonight. Here's how it will go. I finish work at 4:30pm. I will drive home, change quickly, check my sugar, fill my water bottles, stretch for a few minutes and hopefully start running by 5pm. Home by 5:30pm. Then I have to stretch. Properly done, my stretching routine takes about 30 minutes. Then I ice my shins and calves for about 15 minutes. So it's now 6:15pm. Time to shower and throw my running clothes in the laundry. Best case scenario is that my 30 minute run is over at 6:30pm.
Don't even get me started on the 13k Tuesday night runs we start in a few weeks. Best case for those is that I'm in the kitchen ready to eat at 7:30pm. That's assuming that Doug is home and able to make dinner while I'm out. Otherwise, I start cooking at 7:30pm.
I'm not complaining. Rather, I'm just painting a picture of the life of a commited runner.
There are periods when life is easy, I have lots of energy and runs just seem to fit nicely into my day. That's when I run for fun.
Then there are periods where work is overwhelmingly busy, life outside of work is just as crazy and I can barely find the energy to get the runs in. Those are the times when running is critical. When everything feels chaotic, running calms things for a while. Because, once the time is carved into the schedule and the shoes are on, it's just me and the road.
When I run I can tune out all the chaos or I can use the time to get organized in my head. Either way, it's therapeutic.
Sitting on the deck afterwards with my chocolate milk and my yoga mat, I stretch my legs and watch the birds flitting through the trees overhead. It's peaceful and rejuvenating.
This week I'm feeling pretty exhausted and just want to curl up for a nap. But there is no time for rest and the weekend is chock full of activities. I could crawl home tonight and sit on the couch. Or I can go for a run.
I'm going to go for a run. It might not be fast and it might not be pretty - but it will be worth it.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Eload Overload
It's confession time folks.
Today I ate 8 chocolate easter eggs and had a glass of red wine. It's an absolutely delicious red wine. I may have a second glass before the night is out. And no, I'm not alternating between a sip of wine and a sip of water. Just wine thank you very much.
Did I mention that we've only got three sleeps left until I run the longest run of my life?
With my glass of wine in one hand, I'm going to explore the topic I touched on a few days ago: the ridiculousness of races.
For the past four days I have been drinking water like a crazy woman. I have been dutifully sipping eload throughout the day. I have been eating my crazy breakfast shake and making healthy food choices at every turn. My stomach does not know what to do with all the good stuff I keep tossing in there and I am getting rather tired of the taste of eload. Seven days of this for a 30k run is a wee bit tedious.
When I ran 15k a few weeks ago I had steak and fries for lunch the day before. I had pizza and wings (with two glasses of red wine) for dinner the night before. And I had a fabulous run.
When I did my 25k and 27k runs, I did not sip eload every day, drink water like a madwoman and eat salad and healthy carbs for a week. I did my regular thing, went to bed, woke up and ran.
So what's the deal about the extra 3k? Enough already!!
That's why races are ridiculous. If I had a 30k long run on the weekend, I would not be doing all this stuff. Tack on the word 'race' to the activity and I become a crazy health nut who sprinkles chia seeds on everything and is singlehandedly lowering the water level of Lake Ontario.
I've changed my battle plan. We're going to try for a bit of balance rather than a week of extremes.
I promise that I'm going to continue to drink my water and sip my eload. I'm also going to have a glass of wine. I'm going to eat my healthy food and enjoy some chocolate eggs. I'm going to have grilled cheese for dinner tomorrow if that's what I'm craving (with some Franks on top of course) but I'll add some veggies on the side.
Deal?
You ok with that oh mighty running gods? Because the alternative is that you're going to have an über hydrated, electrolyte overloaded, crankypants little runner on your hands on Sunday morning.
Any nobody wants that now do they?
Monday, February 7, 2011
The Yoga Approach
I have a pile of vacation to use up before March 31st. I thought about taking a week off and, trust me, it was pretty tempting. A week to play, try new recipes, sleep in, go for runs in the middle of the afternoon, meet my mom for lunch and just not think about work. Nothing to complain about there.
Instead, I opted for taking seven Fridays off.
Typically, I prefer big chunks of time off but, for some reason, the idea of having four day weeks for almost two months was pretty appealing. So today is the first day of my first four day week. Pretty freaking exciting!
By noon, I was already starting to second-guess my decision.
First of all, I found out about a fabulous videoconference being offered by Dave Hingsburger, an amazing disability advocate. It's called Pride and Prejudice: Getting Past Shame, Moving Into Rights. I would love to attend but guess when it's being offered? That's right - this Friday.
Then I got involved in a discussion about how to revamp our system for tracking staff training. It's a discussion that is long overdue and a lot of decisions need to be made in order to develop a system that will be effective, meet all of my requirements as the Quality Control girl and be easy for staff to update. No time to finish the discussion until, you guessed it, Friday.
I have to reschedule a CPR refresher that staff missed because of last week's snow day. The only dates that work for everyone are Fridays.
*sigh*
When I have a week off, I find it really easy to just waltz out the door and not look back.
I'm discovering that taking one day off a week may prove to be a challenge. When you're already used to working Fridays, it's easier to be convinced to come in to the office...just for a bit.
A few weeks back, I wrote about life life balance - trying to balance all of the people, interests and activities in my life. I'm guessing that the next seven weeks will be more of a work life balance struggle for me. Do I preserve my time off, refusing to come in on a Friday even if it means missing important meetings or key training opportunities? Or should I be willing to come in on days off if it means learning something new or being part of important decisions?
I want to stick to my guns and not set foot in the office on a Friday until my vacation runs out. And yet, people who see the world in black and white drive me batty so I should probably strive to be a little more flexible in my approach rather than walking around refusing to budge on the Friday thing.
On the other hand, it wouldn't be too hard to be convinced to come in every Friday because there will always be something that just HAS to get done...
Balance is never an easy thing to achieve, especially when new, unexpected and often attractive variables are thrown in to the mix. I think I'll try taking the yoga approach: flexibility, strength and balance. Flexibility to adapt to unexpected changes + strength to stand up and say no when necessary + balance to make sure I don't fall too far on either side of the work/life line.
Wish me luck!
Instead, I opted for taking seven Fridays off.
Typically, I prefer big chunks of time off but, for some reason, the idea of having four day weeks for almost two months was pretty appealing. So today is the first day of my first four day week. Pretty freaking exciting!
By noon, I was already starting to second-guess my decision.
First of all, I found out about a fabulous videoconference being offered by Dave Hingsburger, an amazing disability advocate. It's called Pride and Prejudice: Getting Past Shame, Moving Into Rights. I would love to attend but guess when it's being offered? That's right - this Friday.
Then I got involved in a discussion about how to revamp our system for tracking staff training. It's a discussion that is long overdue and a lot of decisions need to be made in order to develop a system that will be effective, meet all of my requirements as the Quality Control girl and be easy for staff to update. No time to finish the discussion until, you guessed it, Friday.
I have to reschedule a CPR refresher that staff missed because of last week's snow day. The only dates that work for everyone are Fridays.
*sigh*
When I have a week off, I find it really easy to just waltz out the door and not look back.
I'm discovering that taking one day off a week may prove to be a challenge. When you're already used to working Fridays, it's easier to be convinced to come in to the office...just for a bit.
A few weeks back, I wrote about life life balance - trying to balance all of the people, interests and activities in my life. I'm guessing that the next seven weeks will be more of a work life balance struggle for me. Do I preserve my time off, refusing to come in on a Friday even if it means missing important meetings or key training opportunities? Or should I be willing to come in on days off if it means learning something new or being part of important decisions?
I want to stick to my guns and not set foot in the office on a Friday until my vacation runs out. And yet, people who see the world in black and white drive me batty so I should probably strive to be a little more flexible in my approach rather than walking around refusing to budge on the Friday thing.
On the other hand, it wouldn't be too hard to be convinced to come in every Friday because there will always be something that just HAS to get done...
Balance is never an easy thing to achieve, especially when new, unexpected and often attractive variables are thrown in to the mix. I think I'll try taking the yoga approach: flexibility, strength and balance. Flexibility to adapt to unexpected changes + strength to stand up and say no when necessary + balance to make sure I don't fall too far on either side of the work/life line.
Wish me luck!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Life life balance
Work life balance is a concept that I have always found compelling and one that comes fairly naturally to me. I pride myself on the fact that I work to live, I don't live to work. Don't misunderstand: I love what I do and I feel that my job is meaningful and important and I believe that I contribute positively to many peoples' lives.
But it's my job.
I get to work at 8:29am and leave at 4:30pm. I hop in my car and, most days, promptly forget where I work until the next morning.
My personal life is chock full of activities that I want to do, books that I want to read, people that I want to spend time with.
Work life balance I have in spades.
It's the life life balance that I'm struggling with.
Years ago, I decided that I wanted to be a renaissance woman. Someone who knew a lot about a lot of things and who participated in a wide variety of activities. Someone who could just as easily fix your car as whip up a gourmet supper all without breaking a sweat. I am not a renaissance woman quite yet but I'm working on it. I know where the oil goes in the car now, have helped build a deck and make a mean hot and sour soup.
Maintaining a life life balance is proving to be a bit of a challenge because there are so many things that I love to do. These days, I run, cycle and curl with a bit of yoga thrown in. My body is most certainly being challenged. My mind - well not so much. I have not been taking as many pictures, have not read as many books and have not taken a course in a while.
I feel sluggish when I don't exercise. My mind gets to be the same way.
So, I've started blogging as a way of exercising my writing muscles. I have a pile of new books by the bed to kick start my imagination and get me thinking. Next step - dust off the camera.
After I get my run in of course!
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