A couple of years ago, a Wall Street Journal columnist wrote an essay denigrating the many runners who put milage bumper stickers on their cars. You can read this gem here. Here's a quote so you can get a feel for the article:
"There is only one reason running aficionados display the stickers. They want the rest of us to know about their long-distance feats. So let me be the first to offer my hearty congratulations. I'd even offer to give them a pat on the back—once they're done doing it themselves."--Chad Stafko, 2013
Clearly, he's not a runner. Most likely he has some issues. Maybe he should run. He says he has one of these bumper stickers on his car:
Which makes me think he also has a sense of humor.
Mark Remy, resident funny man at Runners World, wrote a rebuttal to the WSJ essay. Remy's translation of the above quote:
"TRANSLATION: People put stickers on their cars. Even runners! This angers me."-Mark Remy
And as Remy says,
"See? The author is not a bad man. Just an angry one. And you know what's good for that, don't you, Chad...? "
Yep. How do you feel about people putting distance stickers on their cars? Yay or nay?
My husband sported a 0.0 bumper sticker on his last car. No, he doesn't have issues with runners. Or me. It was a joke between us. People ask me all the time if he runs. "Not if he can help it," I tell them. He's had a love-hate relationship with my running, but more and more he displays a sense of pride when he talks my running to other people. We've accepted each other for who we are and that's that.
He also doesn't mind driving my car with its 26.2 bumper sticker. I put that sticker on after my first Chicago marathon. After almost 4 years, it's starting to fade. And you can't see it at night. But recently, I acquired something new:
This is a PowerDecal, an innovative LED backlit device that turns on when you're driving and turns off when you're stopped for more than a minute. My back windows are tinted, yet you can see the logo clearly at night! My nephew started PowerDecal, and their biggest sellers are sports logos. But they now have 26.2 and 13.1 for runners. You can also get custom logos. Personally, I think it looks pretty cool.
I have a PowerDecal 26.2 to give away! And remember, less than 1% of the population has completed a marathon. So be proud of what you've done!
Tell me you don't want one! You can enter below. Sorry to my overseas friends, but US entries only. Entries start after midnight 2/4/2015 and contest ends 2/11/2015 at midnight. Good luck!
30 days of yoga challenge #prana #sweatpink #fitapproach
When I think about yoga, the first thought that comes to mind is release. Yoga relaxes me and makes me feel loose.
That’s why I am SO excited to participate in prAna’s Take The Leap 30 days of Yoga Challenge with Sweat Pink. I plan to pigeon my way to a more flexible and injury free 2015!
For me, the biggest challenge when it comes to yoga is lack of flexibility. #TakingtheLeap with prAna and Sweat Pink is a great way for me to find strength in my poses.
My favorite place to yoga is my home because it is so quiet when everyone's gone for the day.
Here’s a photo of me in my very best pigeon:
I tag: Marcia from Marcia's Healthy Slice, Michelle from This Momma Runs, and Teri from Reinventitude.
I want these fabulous bloggers to share their very best yoga pose photos, this fun MADLIB and of course, I challenge them to join me on this fun 30 day yoga journey
Come on yogis! #TaketheLeap with me!
Join prAna’s & Sweat Pink’s#TakeTheLeap 30 Days of Yoga Challenge and be eligible for a chance to win $500 worth of new prAna gear from their latest collection as well as gift an additional $500 worth of prAna gear to the person of their choice... because isn’t giving as important as receiving? They just launched their new Spring Collection so you best get on it!
If I win I would gift the $500 to my coach Becky because she pushes me to believe in myself. But she needs more yoga in her life! Make your own MADLIB and join #taketheleap 30 days of yoga challenge. Here's the link to the original MADLIB. Fill in the blanks and post away! https://docs.google.com/document/d/1kQbAqCT3Xv3ZpnbfDUVmjMUm8Rp9iLZdmqbYmz9ZHSU/edit
How's your training been going since the new year? I have to admit that I have never been really diligent about keeping track of my miles until I got my Garmin last year. Now it's kind of fun to log in and see where I'm at. For 2015, I signed up with Run This Year, to participate in a community of runners and to see if I could achieve a yearly goal of--no, not 2015 miles, but 2015 kilometers. That's 1252 miles, y'all. I think this is something I can do--if I accomplish what I set out to do this year--stay injury free. So where am I at on my 2015 goals so far?
Staying injury free? I'm all about avoiding any time off the road this year. At the end of 2014, I was having big time issues with shin splints and high hamstring pain on the right. I've been working hard with Becky at CrossFit again. I don't know if she didn't hear me when I talked about my pains or if she was ignoring me. She just kept pushing me through my workouts. We finished up a cycle of heavy lifting, which we started at the end of 2014, with 2 PRs! Deadlift PR= 175# and Box Squat PR=155#. Now we are in a cycle of CrossFit intervals and wow! are they intense. But I'm happy to report that the pains I had at the start of the month are gone. Now I have a little achilles pain, but it comes and goes, usually after a run. I'm working diligently on foam rolling, stretching, and hip strengthening at home, as well as yoga 1-2 times per week.
Deadlift PR!
Run a sub-4 hour marathon/sub-2 half marathon? I'm lumping these together, since I'm not planning on a marathon until fall. I started training for my March half marathon, the Sarasota Half Marathon. Since the race is in Florida, I have absolutely no way to train for the heat I may encounter. Or do I? Remember last year's Florida half that I ran? In the 75F 90% humidity? Where I wilted at mile 4? I have no desire to repeat that experience. So I talked to a seasoned marathoner that I know, and he told me really, the only way to train is to run inside and wear lots of clothes. So that's what I've been doing. I call it a "paced heat run", and it's tough! Every week I add more layers. This past week was the toughest, as I piled on fleece lined tights, a fleece hooded sweatshirt, and a hat. These runs are for one hour and I try my hardest to maintain a steady pace. I did pretty well until mile 4, when I had to slow it down just a little. But I still averaged 9:14 min/mi--I think. My treadmill isn't that accurate. But I'll take it. I've also started doing speedwork, in the form of mile repeats, and that's been going well too. It's hard to pace my miles on this treadmill, since I really don't know how fast I'm going. As long as I end up going faster on the last mile, that's all that counts.
Yep, this is indoors running at its best!
And about that mama drama?Oh, that oldest son of mine. He tries so hard to get me going. Sometimes he does. I'm trying not to let it happen. Even when he gets a terrible report card. His response? "At least I'm not failing anything..." I've decided to back off and see what happens. Because, as I said in the previous blog post, his bad grades really don't affect me, per se. We all want our kids to do well in school but he's going to have to deal with the consequences, not me. I know I'm not alone here. Why can't they stay little?
This guy is now 17! It was so much easier when I could just strap him in the jogger and go!
Grow the blog?Things have taken off beyond my wildest dreams! I found out this month that I've been chosen to be a #Fitfluential ambassador and a #SweatPink ambassador! I couldn't be more excited and admittedly, more overwhelmed! There's so many opportunities to interact with other bloggers...opportunities for affiliating with advertisers and companies...participation in fitness campaigns...I'm just trying to sort through everything and decide what I want to do. One thing I don't want to do is lose my voice, and so I want to be really careful about what I pick. I started blogging to interact with other runners, and that desire still drives me! And in the when it rains it pours when it snows, make snow angels department, I was also featured on Another Mother Runner this month, sharing a story I about when one of my neighbors decided he wanted to run with me. It was kind of an ugly break up. It's all good, and all I can say is wow! and thanks for following along. I'm excited about what's to come!
107.19 miles
I'm linking this post with Tara at RunningNReading for her Weekend Update!
Today I'm linking up with Marcia's Healthy Slice for Runfessions. I was raised Catholic and taught that confession is good for the soul. And like Marcia says, you'll feel better when you're done. The best part is no penance!
I've been training for the Sarasota Half Marathon. And my workouts have been going well. What's not been going well? Sit back while I bare my soul...
Where's the beef: Since the holidays, I've strayed from my "no beef" rule more than once-- and I've been paying for it. I do think that beef causes inflammation in my GI tract, and so it isn't just one and one for me when I eat beef. Nope, a whole cascade (literally) of problems begins. I won't get graphic, but let's just say that it's a good thing I've been taking my runs indoors 2x/week for this training cycle. Having access to a bathroom has been pretty nice. Let's just say I'm uncomfortable and mad at myself.
The original Clara commercial
You're not the boss of me: My oldest son has been trying to rev up the mama drama machine. I got his report card for last semester and it was just terrible. He is just so determined to prove that I can't tell him what to do. When his father and I offered to pay him $$$ for good grades, he told me "I don't need money". Who doesn't need money? Ok, message received. I've decided that I'm done pushing him. I'm going to let him fail and figure it out. Because, after all, his bad grades really are his problem. Once he grows up, if that happens, he'll get it together. Right?
Jailhouse Rock: I started watching Orange is the New Black. Besides being hooked on this show already, some of the music is pretty awesome too. I just added some new songs to my running playlist. Do you do this--hear a song on a TV show and think, that would be a great running song? BTW, I'm only on season one, so don't spoil it for me. This show is really edgy. I think I may need to go to confession after watching it. Or get a mind eraser. Wow.
No money, mo problems: I've been spending way too much money this month. Not that I have it to spend. My husband has been out of work and yet, I just can't seem to stop myself. The sales have been incredible. And it isn't just running clothes. Last week Anthropologie had 40% off the sale prices and I scored a cute sweater dress for $45 (original price $148). The Clymb had 20% off their already great prices, and I scored some Aventura gear. I had to stop myself. BTW, if you don't know about the Clymb, head on over and check it out! Lots of great deals on casual and athletic clothing. Use this link: http://vnlink.co/Sp4V5I4 and we'll both get $10 credit!
HIghway to hell: I lost it on the way to work this week. I decided to change lanes to get around a slower car and guess what? She sped up. Rode alongside another car so I couldn't get around her. If I got too close to her, she hit the brakes. This went on for about 4 miles of my already painful 10 mile commute to work. After a few minutes of her doing this, I started yelling at her. I may even have let a few curse words fly. You know the one that rhymes with truck? Not that she could hear me, but it made me feel better. She finally turned at a light. Who plays games like this? And why did I let her get under my skin?
Onward and upward, right? I guess I do feel better!
I have been suffering from a serious case of the rungries lately. Do you know them? When you just can't get enough and need to eat all the food? I'm in training for a half marathon, and have stepped up my training a bit. And I'm HUNGRY. Seriously hungry. All the time.
Actually, a yesterday was a speed work day...
Now in case you're worried about me, well, don't. I eat quite well. Breakfast, mid-morning snack, lunch, afternoon snack, and dinner. I have a snack drawer at work, stocked with emergency snacks, like almonds and Luna bars. But tonight at dinner, I went back for a second helping of the chicken and dumplings my husband made for dinner. And then I cleaned his bowl. And my son's bowl. My husband says it isn't fair that I can eat all the time and he just smells food and gains weight. Maybe he should run!
Anyways, it's really bad. My office is across the street from this place:
Like the lure of the siren's song...
Chicagoans well know the lure of Portillos. The food is really, really good here. I swear that Portillos sends out smoke signals of hamburgers and french fries to suck customers in. And it smells so good. Damn that easterly wind. Twice in the last week, I've been walking to the parking garage after work and had to smell the food. It took every ounce of self control I had not to turn around and head in the opposite direction towards Portillos. I kid you not. The smell was almost hypnotic. This is so out of character for me. You know I can't eat beef. Yet, I'm willing to sacrifice my GI tract for a Portillo's Italian beef sandwich. I know what would happen if I gave in. Yet, I struggle as I head towards my car.
Left brain: Must go home. Husband making dinner. Healthy meal at home. Beef gives you diarrhea. Garage is this way.
Right brain: But...Portillo's...smells so good...go back....must have grease...
The struggle is real.
I will admit that, for the most part, I do eat a healthy diet. I don't gorge on junk food. I don't restrict myself, but I do eat smart. I do leave room for the things I like, like chocolate and bacon (not together). Ben and Jerry's Karamel Sutra. Bolthouse Farms' Chocolate Protein Shakes (I wrote a post on these magical drinks). But I eat a lot of salads. I've always prided myself on my self control. Lately, though, it's taking me a lot of restraint. When I read Eat and Run by Scott Jurek, I kept thinking to myself, how does he do all that running on a vegan diet? Doesn't he get hungry? Is chocolate vegan?
And let's face it. When you need to eat all the food, what do you reach for? A bowl of broccoli? Maybe Scott Jurek does. And if you do, kudos to you!
For the rest of us, what's a health-minded runner to do when struck with a case of the rungries? Because even worse than the rungries is overdoing it on crappy food, right?
Think about it. We all do it. Overindulge on food or drink, even though we have a long run the next day. I've seen your posts. I may even have posted a few of these myself. It's not a good feeling the day after a splurge, especially if you're going out for a run. Maybe it's a sluggish feeling in the legs. Your get up and go has gone up and went. Maybe it's burping or gas. Even worse, the old "I'll be stopping"--and you'd better hope that a portapotty is available. Either that, or you'll want to wear some Depends. Pray to get through this post overindulgence run intact. And promise that we'll never do it again. Until the next time...
So what's a runner to do? How to overcome temptation? Besides changing jobs? Really, that isn't logical. And imagine me telling people why I left my employer...because I couldn't resist the Portillo's across the street?
Here are 5 tips that I recommend to avoid temptation and those cravings:
Just keep walking away. Willpower is one of my superpowers. I'm committed to running and working out. I extend that commitment to eating healthy too. As hard as it is, I just keep on walking.
Drink lots of water. All day long. I keep a glass of water next to me in my cubby at work. Sometimes when you think you're hungry, you're actually thirsty. Water does a great job of curbing those feelings.
Eat healthy snacks. I keep a bag of almonds in my office and when I get hungry, I eat a handful. It's amazing how well that little snack curbs my appetite. I don't know what your office is like, but there is always food at mine. Cake, cookies, crap...
Bring your lunch to work. You have so much more control over what you eat if you bring your own food to work than if you visit the cafeteria, or worse...Portillo's. Did I mention they have amazing chocolate cake too?
Indulge yourself but don't beat yourself up over it. I do eat at Portillo's once in a while. Yep, french fries and all. Just don't do it on a regular basis.
BTW, the title of this post is taken from a song by kd lang. I don't think she was singing about Portillo's, tho...
I received some really great news this week! I was excited to find out that I was selected to be a FitFluential ambassador and a Sweat Pink ambassador!!! I started blogging as a way to connect with other like minded individuals--people who love to run. Blogging also forces me to put a positive spin on whatever topic I'm writing about, because who wants to read something negative, right? What's been really interesting is that putting my positive face forward here on the blog and on Facebook has extended to my life outside of the virtual world as well. I wrote a post on staying positive in the winter, but I think all the things I wrote about apply to life in general.
I've really enjoyed reading running blogs and finding inspiration through other bloggers. I have been rewarded with some amazing friendships--my local peeps, who I've gotten to know both virtually and personally--and my distance peeps, whom I hope some day to meet in person as well. When I was growing up, I had several penpals, one in Connecticut and one in Sweden, both of whom, through the magic of Facebook, I still keep in touch with. Really, if you think about it, all the runners we meet through blogging and facebook are like adult penpals. We share our triumphs and our failures. We support each other. And being recognized by FitFluential and Sweat Pink was the icing on the cake for me. I hope to continue to inspire and make you laugh. I plan on still being me, no matter what!
Since I've developed these deep, rewarding running friendships, my friendships with non-running women just don't feel the same anymore. I still keep up with a handful of my friends, women that I've been close with over the years. We still have lots of laughs and they even indulge me by asking me about running. That is a true friend, right? But with some of the other women, whom were part of the large group that I socialized with over the years, there's just not much to talk about. When the kids were little, we talked about school and activities. But now that the kids are older and have branched off into their own groups, those superficial relationships have not survived the test of time.
These kids are all in high school now! Some of their friendships have stood the test of time. How about the moms?
Last night I went to a party with the neighborhood ladies. One of the women has a white elephant party every year. I was really ambivalent about going, because being with large groups of women is kind of hard for me. I'm just not great with making small talk and navigating what can be a social minefield. But yesterday, one of my friends called me, told me she was picking me up, and that was that. It was really nice to get caught up with some of the friends I've known for years, mostly since my youngest was in kindergarten. The tone of our gatherings has changed a bit, as we've all aged, and some of my friends have gotten divorced. The gift exchange was hilarious, and I ended up with this ginormous wine glass, which was perfect!
Can hold a whole bottle of wine! So now, when I say I'm only having one glass of wine, it won't be a lie!
I'm glad I went, but a little of this group goes a long way. Don't get me wrong, I love 90% of these women. But there's always that one person who has to make a comment that I'm not drinking or not gorging myself on the trough of snacks that's always present at these parties or making comments about how "skinny" I am or about how they see me running "all the time". Last night, as I was leaving, someone made a comment that I was leaving so I could go home and sleep so I could go running in the morning. Well, yes, that was true, but why do you have to call me out on it? As my running friend Penny said, it's the backhand snarky, and it's b.s.
As I walked home from the party and savored the quiet, calm night--oh, my gosh, those ladies were LOUD!-I thought about all of this. I was still feeling pretty awesome about my week and moving forward on my running and life goals. And even though this wasn't a group that I didn't feel I could share any of this with--very few of them know about my blog and why give them more fuel for the snark machine--the knowledge that I'm moving forward in a positive direction carried me home. Instead of feeling badly about myself that I don't really "fit in" with these ladies, I thought about how lucky I am that I have found people who get me. With my running friends, I don't have to try to be someone I'm not. I get to be me and that is the best feeling in the world.
I'm linking this post with Tara at Running N Reading for her Weekend Update!
You read a person's blog and you think you know a them. Think again...
Today I'm linking up with the DC Trifecta aka Courtney, Cynthia, and Mar to share five oddball fun things about me. Maybe after reading this post, some more of the pieces of the Wendy puzzle will fall into place...
Yes, I'm a runner, but I have to admit that I am really uncoordinated. I've been known to trip over nothing when I'm out on a run. Heck, a few years ago, dashing across the parking lot into Target, I tripped over the curb, flew into the bike rack, and gave myself a concussion and needed 5 stitches in my face! I blamed the Keen's that I was wearing at the time. That giant rubber toe? And the curb was really high. I did get to ride in an ambulance to the emergency room, though. Anyways, somewhat related is my first fun fact:I can't dance. As a child, my mom enrolled me in dance lessons. I think I'm the only person on record whose dance instructor told her mother that she was ummm...lacking in any ability whatsoever. And this was at 5 years old! Never one to give up easily, my mom signed me up again at my most gawkiest--when I was 12. I was mortified. Have you ever seen that Seinfeld episode when Elaine tries to get everyone to dance with her at the office party?
Ok, maybe I'm not THAT bad. I usually just do the side to side, move to the beat, and call that dancing. You all know that I love music. It makes me want to move! But I'm the one at every party who has to be re-taught the Electric Slide. And who slides the wrong way...
I am a voracious reader. I always have been. As a girl growing up in a small town, our library didn't have enough books to keep me happy! So I re-read a lot of what I had, including books by Laura Ingalls Wilder. I even had my very own sunbonnet. Fun fact #2: I'm aLittle House Groupie. I still have the entire set from my childhood. I've added a few books to the collection over the years, including some biographies and an excellent real life adventure titled The Wilder Years: My Adventures in the Lost Years of Little House on the Prarie. The author, Wendy McClure (same name? coincidence? I think not...) lived my dream and dragged her boyfriend traveled with her now husband to all the sites where the Ingalls family lived. The story about her night in the covered wagon was hilarious. I was able to attend a lecture given by McClure and have her autograph my book. I was at a loss for words when I met her, because I was in such awe of her pursuit of all things Laura. There's a new book out, Pioneer Girl, which I'm hoping to read soon. BTW, I wasn't a fan of the TV show. Michael Landon didn't fit the image that I had of Pa. And he took a lot of liberties with the storyline.
I've written about my love for music. I may even have mentioned that I played the oboe and the bassoon in the middle school and high school bands. But I also played the piano. I took lessons for almost 10 years. Besides band, I was the pianist for the choruses. Fun fact #3: I was a band geek. Not the quintessential going to band camp band geek. I wasn't THAT girl. But the majority of my day outside of classes was spent in the high school music room. This was in the 1970s and we had a youngish band director who played the trumpet. He loved the band Chicago, and our jazz band played a lot of their songs. Our school purchased a Moog synthesizer, which was relatively new technology at the time, and I got to have my way with it. The first Star Wars came out around that time, and the band played the theme song. I got to make space-like noises with the synthesizer. That was a lot of fun. I also was able to perform some piano solos, for example Barry Manilow's Could it be Magic, which incorporates a classical piece: Chopin's Prelude in C Minor. I didn't enjoy the spotlight so much, but I sure loved playing the piano! The "piece de resistance" was that my musical abilities also extended to playing the recorder and I was the roaming musician at our high school madrigal performance. You know, if only I'd stuck with music, specifically the bassoon, I could be doing this:
While I'm taking a trip down memory lane, I have to mention my first real job. Now, my first job was as a counter "girl" (again, it was the 1970s) in the local hospital coffee shop. We were part short order cook, part waitress and it was the worst job ever. There was a grill and we made sandwiches and steak-umms. One guy told me my hamburgers were like hockey pucks. Shortly after that, I quit. Eventually, I started working at a Fotomat wannabe called "Fast Foto". Fun fact #4: I was a photobooth attendant. This was THE BEST job ever. I went to the little booth in the middle of the shopping center parking lot, and people would drop off their film to be developed and pick up the pictures a couple of days later. I was by myself and I could listen to the radio and do my homework. We weren't allowed to talk on the phone in case the boss called, but other than that it was pretty unrestricted. My friends would come by and visit me. When I was bored, I'd look at the people's pictures. There were lots of baby pictures but sometimes there would be naked pictures of the parents thrown into the mix. Actually, I was surprised by how many naked pictures I came across. One time, the high school band director dropped off his film. He looked a little uneasy leaving it in my hands. Of course I looked at the pictures. They were pictures of him and the home economics teacher, mostly on dates. But there were a few--umm--questionable pictures. I never told anyone about this because I could lose my job and so could he. Until today, his secret has been safe with me. Working in a booth is a set up for funny situations. One time, I had just finished up with a customer, who seemed a little intoxicated. He was driving a Winnebago and told me he was dropping off film from his "Welcome Wagon" luncheon. As he drove away, the booth started to shake. Film came flying off the shelves. After the mini-earthquake stopped, he got out of his motor home. Apparently, the lights on the top of the camper didn't quite fit under the roof overhang and he shook it loose! Another time I pulled up to the booth for my shift, and the booth was listing to one side. A semi had driven through and caught the electrical wire, pulling the booth to the side. And yes, I still worked that shift.
Not THE booth, but similar to the one I worked in during my high school years.
It's no secret that I love the beach. Not for running. I've found that while running on the beach is a beautiful experience, it also causes injuries for me. The uneven surface of the sand did a number on me a few years ago. But I love to walk on the beach. I could walk along the water for hours, looking for shells. Fun fact #5: I love collecting seashells. The part of Florida where we spend spring break every year is known for sea shelling. Every day, I consult the tide tables to plan my walks around low tide. Some years are better than others. One year, right after a huge storm, I took my son Tom out with me. We were rewarded by a huge haul of all kinds of beautiful shells. We even found this:
The rare Junonia- a prized find for shell collectors in Florida! If you're staying on Sanibel Island and you find one, you get your picture in the paper. We weren't staying there, so no such luck from Tom and me!
We came home that year with a ton of new shells. We haven't been quite so lucky since. But any good shell is worth picking up. I have containers with my shells all over my house. You'd think that I have enough. But there is no better feeling than finding the prize! And as with everything else I do, I preach quality over quantity. I'm looking forward to going back in March and getting back on the hunt.
So tell me an interesting fun fact about yourself! Tell me more than one! We have to be more than runners, right?
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