Sunday, November 13, 2016

Keep Calm and Run On!

After the events of last week we all need a mantra. Once the election was over, I thought that things would be more civilized but the opposite has occurred. Protests, petitions, and nastiness has prevailed this week. I'm moving on. It's not that I don't care. It's that I can't expend any more mental energy on the election results. And so I run on. Namaste.

Taking the Long Way Home


While I'm still doing Deepak and Oprah's 21 day mediation, I'm relying on my runs to help keep me calm and centered. As has been the story all this fall, this past week the weather has truly been a gift. We continue to enjoy mostly sunny skies and relatively warm (at least for November) temperatures. Perfect running weather. Do you feel that your body has a set point, a pace where your effort feels comfortable? Where you can just run by feel? Right now, my sweet spot seems to be about 8:40-8:50m/m. I'm liking that. Don't get me wrong, I do love me some speed. On Saturday, my legs wanted to go and I hit 8:28 m/m.

The challenge for me has been those long, slow runs. You wouldn't think holding back would be so hard. Sunday for my long run, I attempted that 12 miler again. I willed myself to go slow down so I wouldn't crash and burn like last week. By mile 4, I knew this was going to be a good run. I was pacing around 9m/m and feeling good, even singing along with my playlist. I pushed past the spot where I melted down last week. I did have to make a pit stop at the Walgreens at mile 8 to address some very painful chafing issues. Once I took care of that, I ran my final 4 miles, negative splitting the back half of this run. I couldn't have been happier!

Taking the Long Way Home
I tried multiple times to capture a jump off this picnic table at the park by my house. I couldn't get it right. Feeling a little foolish and starting to worry that my neighbors might see me, I headed inside.
I'm still participating that #fourseeyogiswhorun IG challenge. The poses are like Yoga's Greatest Hits--all poses that runners should do. They aren't always sexy and don't always photograph well. Especially when you are flexibility challenged!

Taking the Long Way Home
standing forward fold with tight hamstrings
Cocoa has been playing along and she's having fun showing her dogi skills. My little pup is full grown now and she's (dare I say it?) behaving a little better. A little. She somehow got my Smith Optics sunglasses out of the box where I store my running supplies--gotta give her points for determination--and destroyed them. Since Cocoa's moved in, I've had to replace a few things and as I tell myself, it's a good excuse to shop.

Taking the Long Way Home
But then she mimics my attempt at pyramid pose...
Taking the Long Way Home
Or gives me kisses while I push up into Cobra. 
Becky and I wrapped up our training this week with some of my favorite things--those forward/backward lunges, kettlebell swings, the slide board, and hamstring curls on the fitness ball. She's going to be gone for a couple weeks and I have homework. When she gets back, it's time for some heavy lifting aka strength cycle. I'm excited! Meanwhile, I'll still be working on those goals I set earlier this year. Handstand, I'm coming for you...

Taking the Long Way Home
I continue to work on balance while playing in the pose.
Workout-wise, it's been a good week. I feel good about hitting my paces on all my runs and finishing my long run strong. I was worried that my endurance was gone. Whew! My tummy is starting to behave itself too. Coming up this week, I will be participating in a new yoga challenge (there's a couple day overlap with the #FourSeeYogisWhoRun challenge). How could I not? It's called #plankalicious! This one isn't a time challenge, it's planking variations, which is right up my alley. If you want more details, head over to my IG.

Here's my other mantra for the week:

Taking the Long Way Home

How was your week? Were you affected by the election? Did your workouts help you manage your anxiety/stress/sadness?

I'm linking up with Holly and Tricia for their Weekly Wrap as well as Angela and Ilka for their Sunday Fitness and Food Linkup!






83 comments :

  1. Say what? Am I first?? Cocoa is so dang cute minus her chewing antics, of course. I'm breathing a big sigh of post-marathon relief. SOoooo nice to not have that sucker hanging over my head any longer.

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    1. I bet you feel relief! I'm feeling better now that I got that 12 miler done. I've got some work to do over the winter, apparently...

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  2. Love your mantras! I have definitely used running to manage some of my feelings but this year I have had to learn alternative ways to deal with it all.

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    1. Me too. But now that I'm running again, I realize how running is the best my to manage my stress.

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  3. I wasn't affected (much) by the election (I was prepared to go on with life, regardless of who won), but the aftermath threw me into a hole. I cannot stand all the name-calling that has gone on with this election. And, it's happened on both sides. All the rioting and anarchy was really too much....I hate politics, and all of the crap of late has really enforced that. #badattitude #rantover #movingon

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  4. The cobra pose pic with you & Cocoa is the best! Yes, this weather this week has been wonderful--cool but sunny. It's usually gloomy and rainy here in November, so I'll take it!

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    1. Oh, she made my day with that Cobra pose! I was so sad and that hug put a smile on my face!

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  5. Glad to read your running continues to be great. The weather this weekends in Maine was PERFECT running weather. While I was still a little stiff, I ran both Saturday & Sunday because it was too nice not to be out.
    As for the aftermath of the election, no comment. Sigh.

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    1. There's a few little unmentionable glitches...but I'm happy that I'm heading forward with strong legs and good pacing!

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  6. Oh, my hamstrings can probably stretch to 3 cm. Seriously, they are ridiculously tight. I can probably rest my hands on my quads if I bend over. I'm glad your runs and your tummy were good this week! Nice job on all that stuff, and I'm proud of you for having a good attitude to press forward. :)

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    1. Oh, those hammies! As soon as I stretch them, I run, and they are tight again. What's a runner to do?

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  7. Since I have been back from Disney I was feeling under the weather so I took a week off from running. I finally went today on a short run, and even though it was at a much slower pace than what I am used to, it felt good to get out there. Great job on your long run and keeping a good pace! Hey when your on, your on!

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    1. I don't feel quite "on" but I'm happy that I'm hitting my paces. Still struggling with some soreness and tightness. But overall, I'm pleased.

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  8. Since the election, I've stayed away from all news. We went to a party Thursday night and the people mouthing off from both sides were so irritating. I wanted to have a nice relaxing evening. You rock with your awesome pace. I can't sustain that for any length of time -- perhaps on an all downhiller, maybe? LOL. Thanks for linking, Wendy.

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    1. There were a few stops along the way, but overall, I was pretty surprised with my pacing, especially on the back half. Fingers crossed. The Florida heat and humidity is always a game changer for me.

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  9. I love seeing all of your yoga poses they are inspiring! Glad your long run went better this week :)

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    1. Me too. If the long run didn't go well, I'm not sure if I'd be going to Florida...

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  10. I love your posts, your energy, and your photos, for certain! I am also so ready to move on from the election nastiness. Let's hope more Americans are ready to move on, and not with hate. I can only imagine running those kind of paces! You are fantastic!

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    1. Thank you! I'm so ready to move on from all the nonsense. And so glad we have running...

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  11. Cocoa the dogi - love it :) Not sure how I'd feel if I find my sunglasses all chewed up though! You always take the best yogi post photos. As far as the election, I deleted all my news feeds off my facebook account so I can have some peace.

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    1. Yeah, not happy about the sunglasses. Thankfully I had an Amazon gift card so it wasn't horribly painful to replace them.

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  12. This week was such a roller coaster, and then we left it all behind to visit my daughter, and now I'm trying to avoid reality. We've had good running weather, but I haven't been able to enjoy it - too much traveling. I may check out your plank challenge.

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    1. I've decided to throw myself into my workouts. If nothing else, I'm just going to exhaust myself so I sleep at night... :P

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  13. Such an awesome long run, whoooop!

    Originally from South Africa, I know all too well how emotionally and mentally draining the elections must have been for you. Sending love from the Southern Hemisphere. x

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    1. I can't even imagine the impression all our friends outside the US must have of us. I hope everyone keeps in mind that 50% of us didn't vote for him...

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  14. I was super stressed out by the election aftermath. It was painful to see so much hurt and name calling amongst my friends list on Facebook. People who all like each other and are kind to each other and have common hobbies were all of a sudden hating on each other. I should have turned to exercise more but instead turned to ice cream and mystery novels and laying on the couch. But tomorrow begins a new week! Positive thoughts and healthy eating and workouts!

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  15. Your puppy is so darn cute! Love that she joins the yoga fun. I tried to move on from election craziness as soon as I knew the outcome.

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  16. I love my dog, but if she ate my sunglasses, I'm not sure what I should do. I am going to start appreciating my angel dog a little more :) You are having some seriously great runs! And your park pose looks super badass/strong! I wouldn't look anywhere near that good if I tried it :)

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    1. She's eaten some shoes too. Only the expensive ones. But she makes up for her crazy antics by being such a love.

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  17. Great job on your long run! Always great to get negative splits! Love your pics! Fun to see your dog in them! My workouts always help me manage my stress. :)

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  18. Cocoa is so cute! So fun to have a pup even if they are a bit destructive! My son's puppy is named Roader, but his nickname is Roader the Exploder :) Cola tries to herd Roader but mostly they get along pretty good.
    Yay for a great long run! Keep calm and run on should be the mantra for the nation right now. I think as much as both sides are shocked at each other there is clearly a huge disconnect. I think giving college students a day off and buying them pizza is a bit much.. not really teaching them to cope well, pretty sure when I was in college I still would have had to go to class!

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    1. I hadn't heard about that day off for college kids! They need to learn to roll with the punches. Tough love, like we had...

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  19. I had plenty of time this weekend to life and do yoga and instead I ran and cooked and sat on my biscuit. I let Ridley do the heavy lifting.

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  20. Can't say as I was happy with the results of the election, but yes, life is too short and I refuse to add fuel to the fire. I'm in wait and see mode.

    Congrats on a good long run! And the stomach (mostly) cooperating. I love how Cocoa mimics your poses. Thankfully Lola is very rarely destructive, and Bandit doesn't seem to be, although he is still highly managed (although has been allowed more freedom lately).

    I tried to use my race yesterday as a training run. Let's just say that didn't quite work out as planned.

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    1. I've tried so many times to use a race as a training run but it never works out for me. I always want to race.

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  21. Coooocoooaaaaa!!! We haven't had anything destroyed yet, but I'm sure it's been coming. She has a thing for shoes. :-(
    Hope you have a good week!

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    1. Cocoa only goes for the expensive shoes. I find that interesting!

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  22. Great post. I am so over all of the negativity. And oh, COCOA!! I love that mantra. Have a great week, Wendy!

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  23. She may be fully grown, but she's still a puppy :) Allie chews cords, so I have to be really careful about where I charge things. She even chewed my dad's phone charger last year. Oops.

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    1. Cocoa chewed the cord for my heating pad but she hasn't touched a cord since. Pretty sure she got a shock...

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  24. Congrats on your running paces Wendy. You are going to kill your next race. I have struggled with speed lately since I seem to constantly be in marathon training. Maybe if I quit signing up for them I would get the speed back.

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    1. Idk--i'm doing great with shorter distances but man, my endurance is not what it used to be!

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  25. As a Canadian, I wasn't affected by the election BUT...it's hit people hard here too. It's hard not to watch it unfold, especially with social media.
    Love your mantra...I even have a shirt that says that...might have to wear it soon.

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  26. So glad to hear your 12 miler went well! :) I stomped out 8 miles on Saturday, which helped with my election angst.

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  27. I'm in a similar boat with the election, ready to move on and focus energy elsewhere. I definitely know that I run my long runs too fast, but it's hard as a slower runner to run EVEN more slowly for long runs. I try to compromise with walk-run ratios as I'm getting back into running.

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    1. I thought about the walk run yesterday but since I stopped a few times, I think that's close enough!

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  28. Your pace is amazing! I am in awe of your yoga poses too. Congrats on another great training week.

    I am so saddened for our country. It's hard to think about anything else. But I am trying!!

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  29. Ahhh Cocoa is just precious. Dang I can't believe she is as big as she's going to get. We've got to enjoy seeing her grow up right before our eyes!
    I would love to have a dog of my own but then I remember it's so easy to love on and take less responsibility for the dogs at my house. See Wranger is my daughters dog and Chips is the husbands dog. When they do bad I say "Look what YOUR dog did" lol. I couldn't do that if I rightly claimed one, lol. I guess the outside dogs are really mine anyway but they are older and don't get in trouble much anymore.

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    1. I thought I wouldn't want another dog after Cleo. But this one has grabbed my heart and won't let go. Funny how that happens!

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  30. That's a beautiful mantra Wendy! I'm so happy reading about your awesome paces. I could use some of these... I feel like I couldn't put any pace into my runs this week. Have a great week Wendy!

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    1. You're still having the heat and humidity! I'm pretty sure that Florida will humble me in 3 weeks.

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  31. Looking good! I'm happy to hear you've been in the groove with your workouts lately. The weather has been great for running, I'm hoping it holds for a few more days as Philly finally approaches!

    The elections really affected me for a couple of days...I'm feeling better now, but there are so many unknowns with this outcome, I'm still in disbelief.

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    1. I'm still in disbelief as well. But it's out of our control. Just breathe...

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  32. Cocoa is the cutest! I'm sorry to hear she ate our sunglasses! She must be teething?

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    1. I think she's done teething--she's been chewing a lot less. But she was obsessed with my sunglasses.

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  33. I bet the stress of the impending election didn't help your IBS last week. Glad that is calming down. I've been depressed ever since... no desire to eat or run! I am running just for some normalcy. I have stopped watching the news because I just can't do it yet. I have been reading online... Very alarming. But this whole shit show is going to make me an even more engaged citizen than I was already.

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    1. I'm blaming my IBS on all the stress. Even tho we aren't happy with the outcome, at least we know what we've got now. Shit show is the perfect way to describe this.

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  34. Love your mantra! Running completely keeps me sane.

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  35. :hugs: I have seen some pretty horrifying behavior and it makes me sad. However, I have committed to being the best person I can be, to stand up in the face of injustice and unkindness and be the change I want to see in the world. I think it's all anyone can do.

    My week was ok. I think everyone has been edgy and off.

    Cocoa is the cutest. I can't even handle it.

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    1. I was just talking about Cocoa with my husband. She's something else. I just love her, even with her badness.

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  36. I can't even start on the election. Fortunately, I've been keeping busy unpacking and settling into our new apartment and city, so I've just been ignoring it as best I can.

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    1. How are you liking Austin? Are you getting a chance to explore?

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  37. Sounds like you are PCB ready! I think we all need a girl's weekend! :) I hope things simmer down as well-sad to see all the division. Keep up all those happy runs!

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  38. I'm like you--so sensitive and it's a tough time to be that way!

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  39. Working out always helps me with managing my stress. Last week was super stressful, my baby was sick, and I was sick too. I finally got to run yesterday for the first time in 8 days. Boy did i feel good!

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    1. Lately my stress has been hard to manage, even with my runs. I'm hoping to get back to that place again where I can melt it away with a good hard run.

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  40. sigh....just when I'm happy for all of an hour, I see another trump thing that infuriates me... yesterday my cousin sent me an article saying Trump wants to re-investigate the link between vaccines and autism... Anyway, running has been the saving grace this past week... I haven't been doing the oprah/deepak meditation this time... I probably should!! I need all the help I can get!!

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    1. I think the meditation helps me fall asleep, but I'm still waking up early. I'm hoping to get on top of things. The election and the fallout has really put me over the top.

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  41. Love your post as always! I am trying to move on, and have found the best way is to unplug as well as run!! Have a Great Week Wendy! Thanks so much for linking up with us!!

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  42. Great week for you! You rocked that 12 miler! Sorry to hear about your sunglasses but glad to hear that Cocoa's behaving better. I too was unhappy with the election and am scared of what is happening and is going to happen.

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    1. I think you just nailed it--I feel scared too and that's really unsettling.

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