In the midst of what feels like an endless nervous breakdown, I forgot that one good thing has happened in the past few weeks. It isn't a big deal at all, but in times like these I find that the smallest things can mean everything. What am I talking about? I am the newest addition to the Girls On The Run coaching staff. Starting in March and continuing through May, I will be helping the girls of Arlington Science Focus Elementary school train for their first 5k.
I heard about GOTR a few years ago but just got around to doing my homework on them in the last couple of months. I'm not sure, but it might have been an article in Runners World that made me get off my butt and get involved. I can't wait to meet my girls and starting the coaching process. They have so much great stuff to gain in life from running and I know that they are going to teach me quite a bit as well.
The only hiccup in the process was that the track workouts I miss attending on a regular basis overlap with the time that I've committed to being at the school. Tuesday and Thursday mornings. It actually wasn't that difficult a decision to make. There are always alternatives to fitting in my own training and I think the girls and I need each other more than I need the track. I know that CAR isn't going anywhere, and given my significant lapse in running it will take a chunk of time to get back to track workout shape anyway.
So there you have it. One good thing. With any luck, one good thing might turn into two or three. I just need to have some hope. I am the last person in the world that would be considered an optimist, so this having faith, not losing hope, look on the bright side, think positive thoughts business is foreign to say the least. But, when all else fails...give it a shot. So I am. Reluctantly. Fingers crossed.
I heard about GOTR a few years ago but just got around to doing my homework on them in the last couple of months. I'm not sure, but it might have been an article in Runners World that made me get off my butt and get involved. I can't wait to meet my girls and starting the coaching process. They have so much great stuff to gain in life from running and I know that they are going to teach me quite a bit as well.
The only hiccup in the process was that the track workouts I miss attending on a regular basis overlap with the time that I've committed to being at the school. Tuesday and Thursday mornings. It actually wasn't that difficult a decision to make. There are always alternatives to fitting in my own training and I think the girls and I need each other more than I need the track. I know that CAR isn't going anywhere, and given my significant lapse in running it will take a chunk of time to get back to track workout shape anyway.
So there you have it. One good thing. With any luck, one good thing might turn into two or three. I just need to have some hope. I am the last person in the world that would be considered an optimist, so this having faith, not losing hope, look on the bright side, think positive thoughts business is foreign to say the least. But, when all else fails...give it a shot. So I am. Reluctantly. Fingers crossed.
While I jam my fingers in my ears and pretend that everything is fine, please find this attempt at self-distraction brought to you by my friends at Team Tough Chik.
This is referred to as Riddle Me This and the rules are as follows. For my beloved non-TTC readers, please feel free to join in on the fun, I want to hear your answers too.
Despite our best efforts, we are not the perfect runner. We sleep in. We eat too much or too little. We under train. We over train. We eschew cross training. The list goes on. What I want to know is: what running rule(s) are you guilty of breaking?
If I had to narrow it down to just one, I'd say my biggest runner faux pas is skipping the pre and/or post run stretch/foam roll. I know how important it is. I know how well my runs go when I do it. I know how crappy I feel when I don't do it. But...I skip it 99% of the time anyways. I'm either sleeping an extra five minutes or watching an extra 5 minutes of tv. I fail to rationalize how better spent those five minutes could be. I just want my runs to be over and done with. I think some of that has to do with how I find running to be an obligation. It hasn't been fun in a while and when it isn't fun, it is harder to do the due diligence necessary to make it an even more enjoyable experience.
That, my friends, is my long-winded answer. I'm looking forward to hearing yours in comments and blog posts throughout the week. Now, back to my regularly scheduled breakdown.
This is referred to as Riddle Me This and the rules are as follows. For my beloved non-TTC readers, please feel free to join in on the fun, I want to hear your answers too.
- One TC is selected on Sunday to post a question of the week to the Team FB page. Shannon gets to pick the first TC.
- The selected TC has two (2) days to come up with the question. By Tuesday morning at the latest.
- Everyone has until Saturday night to blog about it. For those without a blog, just put your answer in the comments after the question is posted.
- Comment after the question on the Team FB page with a link to your blog so everyone can read your answer.
- You can pass the pick on to another TC if you are chosen and can’t come up with a question, but you must do this within two (2) days of being chosen.
- If there isn’t a response within the two (2) days, another TC will be selected, and that TC will have two (2) days to post their question.
- For the weeks when there is a delay in the question posting, answers and blogging will be extended out until the next Saturday. (Or until TCs are tired of it and want to move on.)
- On Saturday, the TC from that week will select the TC for the next week.
- And the next question will be posted sometime between Sunday and Tuesday.
Despite our best efforts, we are not the perfect runner. We sleep in. We eat too much or too little. We under train. We over train. We eschew cross training. The list goes on. What I want to know is: what running rule(s) are you guilty of breaking?
If I had to narrow it down to just one, I'd say my biggest runner faux pas is skipping the pre and/or post run stretch/foam roll. I know how important it is. I know how well my runs go when I do it. I know how crappy I feel when I don't do it. But...I skip it 99% of the time anyways. I'm either sleeping an extra five minutes or watching an extra 5 minutes of tv. I fail to rationalize how better spent those five minutes could be. I just want my runs to be over and done with. I think some of that has to do with how I find running to be an obligation. It hasn't been fun in a while and when it isn't fun, it is harder to do the due diligence necessary to make it an even more enjoyable experience.
That, my friends, is my long-winded answer. I'm looking forward to hearing yours in comments and blog posts throughout the week. Now, back to my regularly scheduled breakdown.
My name is Pam, and I'm a total deadbeat. I haven't blogged in 24 days. I haven't run in 29 days. I feel like I've lost control over my own life with no end in sight. All I do is work and sleep. I spent a week in NY, a week in CA, and now I'm home but commuting to MD for the next 5 days. I was sick for one of those weeks, I crashed and burned on the GRE last week, and of course there was that incident where I totaled my car. At last check I was 20 pounds above where I feel comfortable.
Everything seems to be coming unglued. I don't know what to say or what to do. I feel completely derailed. All those goals I had for 2012...they seem so foolish now. Another marathon? Running 1,000 miles? Training with CAR? Puh-lease. I'm registered for a 5k this coming weekend. I don't want to do it. What is the point? I'll only embarrass myself. If my family wasn't coming to run it, I think I'd just bail.
I want so badly to be the busy but optimistic person I was a month ago. I don't know where she went or how to get her back. Now I'm just overextended and depressed. I'd ask for help, but what can anyone do? Not work for me. Not run for me. Not clean for me. Not anything. It is all on me. No pressure, right? The more I think about all the ways I'm letting myself down, the more overwhelmed I get, and the more I do nothing.
I don't expect much feedback on this post, to be honest. I've noticed that the more personal I get on here, the more it seems that I alienate anyone reading. I'm as vain as the next person and comments mean so much to me. It isn't often that I feel heard or validated. Maybe in the next week or so something will give and I'll start to come out of this. Just seems like once one stressful event passes, there are two more waiting right behind it.
I apologize for not having read your blogs, friends. I miss hearing how you are and what you're up to. In this state, it is almost too hard to read about how your training is going and what your latest run was like. It is a flaw of mine, not capable of being happy for others without comparing my life to theirs. Just add it to the long list of things I should be working on. I'll wrap this up, although I'm sure you stopped reading ages ago. If you have a moment, a little love would go a long way. Please comment here or stop by my page on Facebook. Thank you.
Everything seems to be coming unglued. I don't know what to say or what to do. I feel completely derailed. All those goals I had for 2012...they seem so foolish now. Another marathon? Running 1,000 miles? Training with CAR? Puh-lease. I'm registered for a 5k this coming weekend. I don't want to do it. What is the point? I'll only embarrass myself. If my family wasn't coming to run it, I think I'd just bail.
I want so badly to be the busy but optimistic person I was a month ago. I don't know where she went or how to get her back. Now I'm just overextended and depressed. I'd ask for help, but what can anyone do? Not work for me. Not run for me. Not clean for me. Not anything. It is all on me. No pressure, right? The more I think about all the ways I'm letting myself down, the more overwhelmed I get, and the more I do nothing.
I don't expect much feedback on this post, to be honest. I've noticed that the more personal I get on here, the more it seems that I alienate anyone reading. I'm as vain as the next person and comments mean so much to me. It isn't often that I feel heard or validated. Maybe in the next week or so something will give and I'll start to come out of this. Just seems like once one stressful event passes, there are two more waiting right behind it.
I apologize for not having read your blogs, friends. I miss hearing how you are and what you're up to. In this state, it is almost too hard to read about how your training is going and what your latest run was like. It is a flaw of mine, not capable of being happy for others without comparing my life to theirs. Just add it to the long list of things I should be working on. I'll wrap this up, although I'm sure you stopped reading ages ago. If you have a moment, a little love would go a long way. Please comment here or stop by my page on Facebook. Thank you.
1. Car accidents suck. Now that I drive to and from work in some of
the worst traffic in the area I had a feeling that an accident would be
inevitable. And so it was. I was headed to the gym after work last
night and suddenly BAM, right into the car in front of me hard enough to
smash up both cars and have the airbags deploy. It also caused the guy I
hit to hit the car in front of him. Not to mention that he ended up
hitting his head and going to the hospital. One ticket and an hour in
the rain later, I was home in tears. Aside from some neck pain today,
I'm physically okay. I called the insurance company from the scene last
night and I have an appointment scheduled with a collision center for
Saturday morning. All necessary steps but nothing that is making me feel
any better about it actually happening. At least now, barring any other
disaster, I know what my low moment for the week is.
2. Between car accidents and persuasive park rangers, I haven't gotten in a run since Sunday's 5k. I don't know when I'll get to run again, as it certainly isn't happening today. I don't have a vehicle to get me to the gym and by the time I get out of work it is too dark to run safely. I was just getting back into a groove and looking forward to this basebuilding period. I know that there is plenty of time before my next significant race but I wanted to get back to the track by the end of the month and that doesn't seem possible now. I definitely need to regroup and see what I can do until this mess resolves itself. The silver lining of no car is that I happen to be traveling for the next two weeks due to work and won't need the car to get around.
3. I broke down and created a Facebook page for this blog, so please take a moment to "like" me! I'm also 1 follower away from hitting 50, so tell your friends! I'm hoping that a combination of Facebook and word of mouth will really boost the number of people that stop by and listen to me ramble. I'd love to hear from current followers about what they do and don't like about my blog, what they'd like to see more of, what they like about their other favorite blogs, etc. I can easily get into a rut doing this and rely a little too much on the themed posts rather than trying to have an original thought. I know more variety will come as I get further into training and racing but I still want to keep things fresh and interesting.
Happy almost Friday everyone! Today WILL be better than yesterday. It just has to be.
2. Between car accidents and persuasive park rangers, I haven't gotten in a run since Sunday's 5k. I don't know when I'll get to run again, as it certainly isn't happening today. I don't have a vehicle to get me to the gym and by the time I get out of work it is too dark to run safely. I was just getting back into a groove and looking forward to this basebuilding period. I know that there is plenty of time before my next significant race but I wanted to get back to the track by the end of the month and that doesn't seem possible now. I definitely need to regroup and see what I can do until this mess resolves itself. The silver lining of no car is that I happen to be traveling for the next two weeks due to work and won't need the car to get around.
3. I broke down and created a Facebook page for this blog, so please take a moment to "like" me! I'm also 1 follower away from hitting 50, so tell your friends! I'm hoping that a combination of Facebook and word of mouth will really boost the number of people that stop by and listen to me ramble. I'd love to hear from current followers about what they do and don't like about my blog, what they'd like to see more of, what they like about their other favorite blogs, etc. I can easily get into a rut doing this and rely a little too much on the themed posts rather than trying to have an original thought. I know more variety will come as I get further into training and racing but I still want to keep things fresh and interesting.
Happy almost Friday everyone! Today WILL be better than yesterday. It just has to be.
