Tag Archives: Empowerment

Mileage Recap ~ 2 – 8 March…Half Marathon Training Continues

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Hello everyone and Happy Tuesday!  I believe Spring is finally here in DC, although it is possible that we could get another push of winter.  It has been a fair winter at best.  I’m ready for the warmer temps.

I’m still prepping for the Rock and Roll half marathon at the end of the month.  I’m gliding into this easy as to avoid injury and pain.  So far so good.  A few pains here and there, but for the most part I’m on track and feeling good.

I bought some new running shoes, not sure I mentioned that in a previous post, but I was able to take them out for a spin.

Nikes

I’ve mentioned before that I haven’t had a lot of luck with Nikes in the past, the toe box seems to be a little tight for my feet.  These seem to do the trick though, being light weight and enough space for my toes.  This doesn’t mean I won’t be losing any toe nails, that always seems to happen.

This week’s training consisted of walks and small runs with the training run on Saturday coming out to 6.01.

Not bad for “getting” back into it.  The morning was a bit overcast and around 49.  I always hate the inital part of getting out of the car and starting.  I get cold easy, but when running starts I get hot fast.  Layering is always a pain.  Slow but steady.  Finishing is the goal.

This was a full moon weekend, and I snapped this photo of the moon last night.  Not good mind you, the moon is hard to capture, but it was a beautiful moon hidden behind the clouds.  I love running at night and this just made it better.  The moon is magical just wish the picture came out the way I wanted.

This weeks tally came to 9.91 with 3722.14 miles gratefully remaining in my quest.  I hope this post finds you still and with peace of mind.  Happy Miles to You!!

Thinking of the moon…

 

 

 

 

Mileage Recap ~ 20 Feb – 1 March…Keep Coming Back for More

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Hello all and Happy Monday.  I can’t believe March is here already.  I mean for reals, how many times am I going to say that about a month?  Sometimes the days seem to go too fast.  I continue to train for my half-marathon at the end of this month.  The weather has been surprisingly good ~ sunny and cold.  Of course today the temp is 64, compared to in the 30s yesterday when I ran.  Of course it is.

I have been doing some steady training runs (about 4 miles) and wanted to push it to 5 or 6 this past weekend, but just wasn’t feeling it.  Meaning I was tired and huffing and puffing a bit.  Noted.  It happens, but the brain just wasn’t willing to overcome the body that day.

When it’s 29 degrees and you’re the only one feeling the run.

 

Morning shot of Potomac

The back is feeling good, it’s the left knee that is giving me some trouble.  It’s easy for me to skip the post run care like stretching and icing.  It’s a patience thing.  I finished February with 28.49… a big meh.  I have completed 7582.95 miles in my journey with 3732.05 gratefully remaining.

I have been trying to update my running playlist and found this gem….I do keep coming back for more (running that is).  I hope this post finds you happy and with much gratitude in your heart.  Happy Miles to You!!

Mileage Recap -13 Jan ~ 19 Feb…You Can Lead A Horse To Water…

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Hello everyone and happy February.  As you might have surmised miles have been a bit slow but with good reason.   A lot has changed since my last post.  Had every intention of updating, but was in the process of moving and that kept the mileage updates at bay so-to-speak.  I was fortunate enough to buy a place in the area I was renting and I am in the process of moving and fixing it up.  Good positive stuff.

The mileage continues to move forward, although at a slower than normal pace.  Weather has been good/bad.  Seems to be bad when I’m off and have time to run or bike.

Throughout the years I have had individuals who want to train with me for different events.  My track record with this has been less then stellar.  Not for want of trying and the excitement I get seeing someone else reach their “goals”, but the fact is, that said individuals don’t understand commitment.  Bottom line.  Talk is cheap when you’re  training for events.  It sounds good in theory, but at the end of the day when the fit hits the shan you have to decide….are you in or out.  Are you going to do what it takes to finish or are we just showing up?  So, for the most part, I’m a loner when it comes to training.  I wear this as a badge of honor.   I realize what’s going through my mind is definitely not going through someone elses.  A friend of mine is interested in getting into shape and completing a run.  So, I am now training her for a couch to 5k.  Hmmmm.  I was a bit hesitant to engage.  The main reason is training for anything takes, well dedication from that person.  Most people don’t have that type of dedication.  If it is a Tuesday and you know you have to run, well then it’s time to run.  No excuses.  Not saying that is the story here, but my past experiences have been ~ I end up doing it by myself.  Which is ok.  I have promised myself in the past I wouldn’t assist anymore.  You either down or you’re not.  It’s always good to see people make their goals, but they have to want to show up.  Let’s hope this is different.

Cindy completed two miles!

I’m not even sweating….just saying.

 

Physically I’m feeling pretty good.  The beauty in all this… is I realize I shouldn’t be running, but I’m gonna.  Yeah my Dad, probably won’t like it.  My doctor (that little witch) isn’t going to like it and my back will pay for it down the road.

One of my highlights during this time was hiking in Prince William Forest Park.  There are different level trails and I wanted to do the 9 mile trail.  This is the first time I have been to the park to hike.  I normally just ride.  My partner and I started off on a smaller trail but somehow ended up doing the full 9.  It was a bit chilly, but a great day for a hike.

I have completed 32.64 miles for this time period.  Kinda blows, but it is what it is.  I have completed 7570.51 miles so far.  I have 3744.49 miles gratefully remaining.  I hope this post finds you with much love in your heart.  That being said…so feeling this:  Put a little love in it… hey it’s the high quality version.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mileage Recap ~ 1 – 12 January…Bikes and Knees

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Happy Sunday everyone!  Hey, hey two weeks in a row blogging!  Awww yeah, I’m on a roll.   One of the things I missed about living in Phoenix is the weather never was to cold to train outdoors.  At least it wasn’t unbearable.  So, training happened year round outside.  Unfortunately, NoVA doesn’t have that same weather pattern.  This weekend was a different story.  The temps were in the 60s and 70s, so I wiped off the bike and pumped up the tires and took badd kitty out for a spin.

It was a normal overcast day but the wind was off the charts.  The gusts were so strong I teetered every now and again.  The Potomac was choppy reminding me of the ocean.  That didn’t stop people from being out on the trail.  I road all the way out to National Harbor.

My average speed was 12.1 and I had some good sprints and peaks at about 18.2.  Which is good ~ lol.  It was a good ride and my bike performed as it should.  I do apologize to the guy I almost hit head on.  I was passing someone on a hill.  After I passed her I started to fiddle with my phone that was attached to my arm.  I wasn’t looking and the next thing I hear is this guy screaming.  Look up and I barely missed him.  Yeah.  :-O  Look I kept going and said I was sorry.  Truth be told, he would have gone into the woods off a very narrow trail.  Yeah…that would have cost me a few Hail Mary’s fo sho…but it didn’t happen.  I know I should pay attention to the road and not the phone.  But damn, I didn’t like the song that was on….  I’ll stop while I’m ahead.

Any hoo…. went out for a walk today which was hotter and more better!  Got on the trail early for a little walk.  I noticed right away the trail was wet and slippery.  There are a lot of trees so leaves on the ground add a greater risk.  There are a few turns that are pretty tight.  They scare me a bit when the trail is normal.

Right before a heavy curve.

I’m walking along, listening to music, heading uphill past the curve.  I’m not really sure what made me turn around because I didn’t hear anything!  I look and there is this poor guy and he totally wiped out on the curve.  I rush over and I can just see the the embarrassment in his face.  I reach down and unclip his foot out of the pedal, pick up the bike and start digging the mud out of his handle bars.  “Are you okay?”, I ask.  I look at his knees, no blood, just a bit of a bruise.  Sheepishly he said, yeah, I hope my bike is okay.  Oh damn.  I busted out laughing at this point and said, yeah you’re a true cyclist.  Little did he know he was speaking to the Queen of Crash.  He thanked me for stopping and soon he was back on his way.  I was glad I was able to assist a fellow cyclist.

It got me thinking about how we place material objects above our own body safety at times.  I will admit, every time I have fallen I have checked the damage on my bike FIRST, then checked the knees etc.  I imagine if it was a bad fall, that wouldn’t be the case.  The reaction could be a couple of things:  1) cost of the bike (nothing worse than seeing a scratch), 2) love for the bike, or 3) hey, I’m still breathing ~ “tis merely a flesh wound”!

Either way, I will be the adult in the room and say it should be the other way around.  Okay, enough adulting!

Stopped to take a morning photo on my walk:

Always so beautiful.

I had 1 run, 2 walks and 1 ride.

My mileage came to 34.14 with 3774.91 miles gratefully remaining.  Happy Miles to You!!  #thatPower  I’m alive…

 

 

 

 

 

Monday Motivation…Intentions Don’t Matter

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Came across this today from Christian Mihai site: https://cristianmihai.net/

“Remember, people will judge you by your actions not your intentions. You may have a heart of gold but so does a hard-boiled egg.” – Maya Angelou

One of the unknown surprises of having my blog are readers  who reach out to me about my content I post.  Maybe it causes them to think about a certain subject differently and have a new perspective.  Learning to judge people by their actions was one of the hardest lessons for me to learn in life.  LOL  I was raised on the old adage your word is your bond sort of thing, but I have learned along the way that words are cheap and actions matter.  You can tell a lot from a person by what they do, not just what they say.  I have applied this principle and have become a lot quicker to let go of things and people because of it.  Happy Miles to You!!

Mileage Recap ~ Nov – Dec…Happy New Year

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Getting sh*t done!  Happy New Year my friends!  Glad to be back blogging.  The holidays seem to sneak up on me faster than ever 🙂  I’m always a step behind it appears, but you know it’s all good.  No reason to stress out about these things, because that’s not what the holidays are about.  It’s about friends, famdamily and throw in a little reflection for good measure.

I always use this time to reflect over my running stats Excel spreadsheet.  Yes, I am that “girl”.  I keep track on my Garmin and also a spreadsheet.  I am going into my 7th year of this journey.  How’s that for some dedication.  I do wish at times it would go a bit faster, but let’s face it, life happens…and that’s a good thing.

I don’t make resolutions.  I stopped doing that a long time ago.  Not because I didn’t keep them, it just didn’t make sense to me to wait for a date to start a task or goal.  There is no better time to start then right now.  So why wait until the 1st of January?  I guess it’s symbolic of renewal and new beginnings.  I get it.

I’m satisfied with my miles for 2019.  There is a light at the end of the proverbial tunnel.  If I were to use the present metrics of years past it looks like two more years.  I’m hoping for 1.5.

2019 had ups and downs.  I was diagnosed with Spondylolisthesis.  It’s not lost on me that suck and spondylolisthesis both start with the letter S. That being said, it doesn’t and won’t stop me from moving forward.  Getting older is awesome, but there are some drawbacks….LOL!  How’s that for a cup half full.  I went through the painful shots that helped some and finally opted to work on strength exercises and less intrusive ways to deal with the pain.

Goals for 2020

~ I really want to look out of the DC area for rides and runs this year.  Maybe throw in some hikes.  Looking to get out of my comfort zone and try something different.  I’m loving the Centuries ~ even though my MO is getting lost and falling.

~ Working on strength to keep the lower back in check.

~ Cycling out of the country…hmmm any suggestions?

~ Keeping up with my blog.  Still not digging my layout.

November and December were pretty average months.  I did complete the Cider Ride (55 miles) in November with the Washington Area Bicyclist Association (WABA).  Nice supported ride through the DC area and out.  Served warm cider at various stops.  Would have been better if it was hard cider, but then that might have been a mess.  A happy mess, but a mess regardless.

Total miles for 2019 ~ 1417.77

Total miles completed so far ~ 7505.95 out of 11315.

I have 3809.05 miles gratefully remaining in my journey.  I hope this post finds you slaying your goals.  Life is good.  Life is a gift…don’t waste it.  Happy Miles to You!!

2020 be like:

 

 

 

 

 

Mileage Recap ~ 1 – 31 October…Boo Miles

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Happy Sunday everyone!  This year is quickly coming to a close and I am closing in on all this mileage recap.  This post will cover the month of October.  I’m one of those people who find beauty in every month.  October is one of my favorite months because it is the beginning of change in the weather, harvest and festivities!  I love how the seasons change.  I love the crispness of the air, changing leaves and Fall smells.

I finished October with 44.67 miles.  It was a combination of walking, running and riding.  We have had a bit of raining weather, so riding has been at the minimum.  Looking forward to getting in some good miles.  I have 3921.07 miles gratefully remaining in my journey.  I hope this post finds you well!  Happy Miles to You!!

 

 

 

Mileage Recap ~ 8 – 30 Sept….Breaking The 4k Mark!

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Happy Sunday everyone!

Posting my recap from September.  Not a bad month.  Did a lot of walking and had one long ride (24.66).  I’m still running, walking and cycling.  Just need to keep catching up with the count.  The best part of this post is I have broken the 4k mark!  Those Mommy miles (as my friend Kevin affectionately calls them) are piling up!  I like that phrase Mommy miles.  I laugh every time I say it!

Feeling good and looking forward to finding another event to participate in for 2020.  Any ideas or thoughts?  Please pass them my way.  I went out for a small run (I know) this Saturday and the weather was just perfect.  Should have taken the bike out, but just felt the need to hit the pavement instead.

Hmmm….proof of life?  This recap saw 38.45 miles.  I have 3965.74 miles gratefully remaining!!!  I feel so good with this and I’m not done with this year’s tally.  I hope this post finds you loving my shitty selfie!  Happy Miles to You!!

 

 

 

Monday Motivation….Dangle That Carrot!!

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Different things motivate me from time to time.  A week ago I get this text and I don’t recognize the number.  Those are always fun.  After reading for a bit I realized it was from the owner of my yoga studio I attend.  She mentioned I had taken 31 yoga classes this year and asked if I could make to 50 classes by the end of December.  If I did, I would get a free gift.  Hmmm.  She didn’t tell me what it was, but I was already texting ~ heck yes!  Mostly, because it’s cold now and cycling is going to move to a crawl…and hey, I love yoga.  If you haven’t tried yoga, you should.  Not just saying that because I have my certification.  It really is great for the body.  It has helped me get through many pains and injuries.

I’m up to 32 classes and I’m taking another one tonight 🙂  I feel I will be able to make the 50 class challenge.  Stay tuned.  The motivation is strong with this one!

Happy Miles to You!

 

Mileage Recap ~ 19 – 25 August….Age Is Just A Number ~ Or So I’m Told

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Happy Sunday my fellow 11315ians!  Hmmm, I thought that would sound much cooler when I read it aloud, but hey I’m going with it.  As you can probably see, I am far behind in my blogging.  It is November and I’m just now talking about August.  And just to show you how lazy my collective blogging skills are at the moment, this should be the big post ~ the Reston Century.  Alas, I will have to get that on the next round as I try to pull those tidbits of adventure from my brain.  I’m reading “get your Sh*t together” by Sarah Knight.  Maybe there will be something in there I can use to stop dallying with the unimportant sh*t in life and get down to brass tacks.

My Nana used to have this magnet on her fridge that said “screw” the golden years.  Every time I would open the fridge I’d see the magnet and get a slight case of the vapors and thoughts of oldness would swim through my mind as I would contemplate….. is it really that bad, does it really suck?  Sometimes she would walk in the kitchen and I would question “screw the golden years” she would look at me in the eyes and laugh then promptly say yes.  I was in my teens at the time and would collectively sigh a breath of relief as I looked in the bathroom mirror checking to see if any wrinkles were starting to show up…no…everything on the body seems to be, uh, in place…whew!  Ok, ok good I still have time. Fast forward and I am now 52.  For the most part, I don’t feel my age.  I have a few pains every now and again, but all is well in Laurel Land.

But something funny happens when you segway from your 40s to your 50s.  You start hearing the battle cry ~ age is just a number!  Some people say it so vehemently that I feel hmmm what are you trying to tell me?  Almost like I need to do something really bold, just so I can say…hell yes, it is a number bitches ~ watch as I jump out this window head first!  Yeah!  That’s what I’m talkin’ bout.  Age, don’t got nothing on me…can someone please get me an Aleve™ as this sh*t will surely hurt in an hour.

Has there been some slowing…meh sure, but it hasn’t been that bad.  I like to look at it as a state of mind.  I’m WINNING!!!  Some people if you mention age they just get crazy, it seems to happen at 48.  You’re getting closer to 50 and there is a bit of panic, but you’re not full blown crazy yet.  You see it on the horizon and you’ll be dammed if you go gentle into that good night. Hell no, someone get me a Tik Tok account STAT!

Getting older is grace, elegance, humor, joy and experience all rolled up into a tight little California roll.  Get them chopsticks and dig in…because something tells me the last half is going to go faster than the first half.  It’s the way of things.

During this week in August I did some heavy mileage because of the Century.  As I said earlier that recap is coming.  I was able to get  120.17 miles with 4008.84 miles gratefully remaining.  I went out for a walk today and Fall is slowly making it’s way to Winter.  There was a slight breeze in the air; leaves were dancing on the air as I took this 52 year old body out for a walk.  52 isn’t bad ~ I’ve lived 21 years longer than my mother did.  Guess I would say it’s pretty damn awesome.  Be well, be happy and celebrate the lines and the changes.  Happy Miles to You!!