why you really should be posting all your workouts on Facebook....

I started going to the gym last April.  I committed to going every day – that was actually my daughter’s idea because she has more energy to dream up stuff like that than I do.   And every time I went, I checked in on Facebook, even though there wasn’t much exciting to say.  I was doing an hour on the elliptical.  That’s it.  Every.  Single.  Day.  And I was posting about it.  Every.  Single.  Day.  

Seriously, what would we do without Facebook??  :)

I have since branched out – WAY out – and am now running, going to yoga, core, and pilates classes and even lifting some weights.  And I still post about it.  Every. Single. Time.  

Many of you have been kind enough to share that my incessant posting on Facebook has inspired you to start working out.  (And I’m sure there are also those who are sick to death of it, and they have probably long since blocked me and surely aren’t reading this either!)  I am really grateful to think I have been able to help anyone, but the truth is, all that posting is really mostly for me. 

I’m not gonna lie—I love having a cheering section!  Over the last 16 months, I have truly appreciated every like, every comment, every single person who has ever said, “you GO girl!”  I can tell there are those who check on me regularly to see if I’ve worked out, and there are others who just chime in occasionally.  I love every one of you.  You’ve kept me going, you’ve kept me motivated, you’ve inspired me on days when I just wasn’t feeling it myself!  And there was always something about not breaking that “streak” of checking in at the gym every day. 

I don’t go to the gym every day anymore.  And there are even days I forget to check in!  (It’s rare, but it happens.)   But I always, always log my workouts.  I log everything I do into Fitocracy because it’s a fun app and you earn points for every activity you do in a day!  (Even moving boxes, which lately, has been a thing…)  As you accumulate points, you level up, which is a great motivator if you’re into online games (I’m really not), but the best thing is the people—everyone on there is incredibly positive and encouraging.

This is the Fitocracy guy.  I think his name is Fred.  Go check it out! 

I also log all my running miles with Nike+ I love the app and the fact that it does all this math for me.  It’s not quite as social as Fitocracy, but the app itself is very encouraging, especially as you’re starting out!  In the beginning, pretty much every run is your new fastest and/or longest!  

And it also keeps track of how often you run, how many miles you log this week compared to last, and how you compare to other runners your age—seriously, for the first three months that I ran, Nike+ found something exceptional to cheer about almost every time!  (Full disclosure, as you progess, Nike+ moves from encouraging to more baiting, telling you which of your friends has run farther than you this month, that sort of thing...it's still fun, but in a different kinda way.)

Besides logging on Fitocracy and Nike+, I also  screenshot each run on Nike+ and post that photo in an album on Facebook, so I can see them all at a glance.  

A quick look and I can review my pace, distance, where I ran, which shoes I wore...  If you look close (you don’t really have to) you can even see the temperature that day.  And when I post the pics, I usually add some kind of comment about how it was that day, if I felt good, did I see any flashers, you know, the usual…  

On today’s run, I realised there’s another really important reason I need to post all my workouts, especially my runs, on Facebook: 

I’m forgetful!  

I sometimes have a hard time remembering exactly where I started.  I don’t always recall how awkward I generally feel at the beginning of a run (because I mostly remember how great I feel at the end!)  And I definitely lose sight of how great my legs feel right after a rest day! 

When I started out today, it was not great.  It’s unseasonably mild for July here, but by 10:30 it was getting pretty warm.  I was on an unfamiliar trail that was much sunnier than I prefer.  And I was cursing myself for going to spin class yesterday!  Actually, my hamstrings were cursing myself—and I could hear every word!  

On my training plan today was a 30-45 minute run.  I always like to shoot for a little longer, but I’ve got a long run planned for Sunday, so nothing crazy today.   At the start, I found myself thinking I might struggle to hit 3 miles.  (And right when I started, Nike+ flashed something about moving up from “Green” to “Blue” –whatever that means—if I could just run 3.8 miles… see what I mean about the baiting??) 

I don’t always feel great when I’m going to run.  Some days it’s a hassle to fit it in, I’m always negotiating with the forecast, and as I tell people, the first mile or two I usually feel like August Booth on a bad day in Storybrooke.    (That’s not a good thing if you’re only going to run a few miles!)  My kids laugh because when I get home from a run, someone always asks, “How was your run?”  and I always reply,  “Awesome!”  Because, honestly, no matter how it starts, that’s always how it ends.  

But today, I truly had the thought, “OK, this is the day I realise I don’t always enjoy running.”  I’ve been expecting it to happen eventually.

And then I remembered all those times I’ve posted about how I always feel wonky for the first mile or two.  How many times I’ve told someone that it takes me a while to warm up.  So often I’ve posted on Facebook about a run that started off awkward and ended up “Awesome!”  See, I’ve said it so many times on Facebook, today it was easier to recall, even with my faulty memory.  

And before I knew it, I was closing in on mile 2, feeling no pain at all.  I settled in to a pace a good bit faster than I’ve been running lately, and finished 4 miles with energy to spare! 

And Nike+ approved...
apparently this is what moving up to Blue means.

So post away, friends!!  You never know who you might be encouraging.  And more importantly, you never know when you’ll wind up encouraging yourself!!   

Real Mom on the Run: Judy - Pageant Mom Gets Down and Dirty!

Back in March, my friend Judy asked for tips on training for a 5K mud run this spring.  

OK, see I can help you with a 5K, but a mud run?  News flash:  I can be a bit clumsy, so running on anything other than solid ground intimidates me!  Add in obstacles?  I'm out.  

But not my friend Judy.  Because she's got super powers... she's a pageant mom!!  And she was doing this Merrill Down and Dirty, Cinco de Mayo Mud Run in Miami, Florida, at Zoo Miami with her daughter who is a princess!  When I asked where she was, fitness wise, she said, 

"Let's just say starting... I am very inconsistent.  I know this is a big endeavor, but I am determined!"

News flash:  when you're working with a pageant mom on a big endeavor and she is determined, your work is really already done!

Judy has two children, Brandon (19) and Leilani (13)-- she's the princess.  When she's not running, she's RUNNING!  She has 3 part time jobs (yes, 3... that's not a typo) and 2 active teenagers.  Leilani is the reigning Miss Capital City’s Outstanding Teen and this spring participated in the Miss NC Outstanding Teen pageant. Since she doesn’t drive yet, Judy is her chauffeur, seamstress, interviewer, coach, cheerleader, trainer, and teacher!   

When I asked about her typical day, she responded, 

"Currently, my life is filled with rhinestones!  I wake up and make a shake, check on Leilani’s progress with online schooling, work, pageant wardrobe assessment, interview prep, remind Leilani to do vocal exercises, pick up Brandon from school, take Leilani to whatever her afternoon activity is for the day (she is my 7 days a week girl-at least one activity-7 days a week) pick up Leilani, head home. Usually get home between 8 and 10 PM every day. Then, I work online until about midnight-2 AM."   

So, actually, Judy's typical day is a big endeavor!  How does she find time to run??  

"On running days, I wake up earlier and run either on the trail or at White Deer. I like to jog for a bit and then stretch on the path. I don’t run really long distances yet, but, I am getting there. When Leilani runs with me, we love to sing the entire time. I am not a competitive runner so, we try to make it as fun as possible and see how far we can go." 

I LOVE that!!  I have to say, running with my kids can be a challenge, just coordinating our schedules and moods, then compromising on distance and pace.  But it is SO worth it!  

And because this is REAL life, and there are always tradeoffs, I like to ask, "What do you give up in order to be able to run?"  Judy's simple answer:

"Sleep.  But I can sleep when I’m dead. I gain so much more by running."

OK, so let me explain just how big this endeavor was:  5K run with 12 obstacles, including low and high walls, rock wall, 5ft inflatable log climb, tunnel crawl, push ups, 40lb sand bag, low crawl in water, 2 mudpits, cargo climbs, and large inflatables.  And did I mention, this would be Judy's FIRST race!  

Sounds kinda crazy right?  Not for Judy.  I asked her what worried her most before the race: 

"Before the race, I was most concerned about the slippery wall because I don’t have a lot of upper body strength, but I really had nothing to worry about. Mind over matter, one hand over the other and I was over the wall before I knew it."

 

Slippery Wall:  CONQUERED!

She told me that the most intimidating obstacle was actually the step up cargo climb. Why?  Well, a picture is worth a thousand words...

Can you even imagine????

I asked Judy what surprised her most about race day: 

"The amount of encouragement the racers gave one another.  Everyone wanted to see to everyone be successful.  If you were struggling on an obstacle, there was a stranger next to you cheering you on.  If you were slowing down, a stranger would encourage you to keep going: 'You got this!'"

Honestly, I think that's what surprises most people running their first race-- that sense of camaraderie among all the runners.  That powerful feeling that everyone is cheering you on! 

"This is certainly something I never saw myself doing. I always hated running. Now, as a mom, I am happy to have this time to myself. I decided this year, I needed to be a bit more selfish and do something that is just for me. On days that Leilani runs with me, I love this time bonding with her. We don’t have to think about what’s coming up next, we just run and sing."

And that is my favorite part about all of this.  The race looks really awesome, and somewhere there are photos of her pretty princess, all muddy, with her tiara on!  (I'll update with one soon!) And I am in AWE of Judy and Leilani for taking on such a tremendous challenge!  And what an awesome mom to take this on, and bring her daughter along for the journey!  But what gets me most excited is hearing her joy in the process.  Enjoying the run, singing, not worrying about time or her pace, just out there loving life.  THAT is what it's really all about, friends!  

it's not always running that helps me become a better runner...

So my challenge for July is to work on core and strength training.

Yesterday was an abs and arms day, and I took a Pilates class.  I didn’t love the class.  I didn’t hate it either.  But it was not the kind of class I like best, where I get really warmed up and sweaty and I really feel like I'm working hard. 

This instructor was all about the details.  “Articulation” she called it.  The whole class was slow and focused.  Very small, precise movements.  It was a LONG hour.  And she warned us, she was gonna come around and lay hands on us to make sure our form was correct.  WAY out of my comfort zone, right there.  Deep breath.

I was actually doing fine until she had us focus on getting our core into a “neutral” position.  (I probably won’t even be able to explain this well because I’m just figuring it out myself, but I’ll try.)  I’m fine with my hips, pelvis, and lower back/abs, but apparently there was something wrong around my rib cage.  This was not entirely news to me—when I’m in class, I’m constantly checking the mirror (Yes, I’m that person standing right next to the mirror.  I like to know if things are lined up!) and I can always see that my rib cage seems to be “up”, not flattened like almost everyone else's.  I thought that was just the shape of my rib cage.  Let me tell you, nothing will open up your rib cage like carrying huge babies!  I figured that’s the way I was built—you can’t change bones, right?? 

 

Well, apparently, you can!  Sort of… It turns out it wasn’t my bones that caused my rib cage to sit up and open like that, it was my breathing.  The instructor showed me how to breathe and get it to drop flat, into this neutral position.  Amazing!  She explained that when that area isn’t where it’s supposed to be and I’m using my core, those muscles aren’t doing their part, so I’m having to “borrow” from other muscles.  And I knew exactly which ones, too!  That’s why I always feel a strain on my neck and shoulders in Pilates class!!  Of course, as soon as she walked away, my ribs were back up there again.  But I kept working at it, and found that my neck and shoulders felt much more relaxed the rest of the class! 

Even better, when I ran today, I was aware of those same muscles and being able to engage them with the rest of my core.  It was incredible!  With those muscles working like they were designed to, I was running with ease on a very hot and super humid day here!  And if I must say so myself, my form was EXCELLENT!  (and I must say so myself, because, seriously?  who else is gonna say that for me?)  I had set out to run a quick 5K, but wound up running 5.5 effortless miles!  (I would have kept running, but I ran out of water.)

And that’s really why I fell in love with running in the first place—the excitement of learning what my body is capable of doing! 

Go take a class!  Take different types of classes, and if you can, take with different instructors.  Or watch videos or read articles online.  There are so many possibilities out there and so many people with something to share that might be your next “AH HA!” moment!  If you learn something new, I'd love to hear about it!  Let me know in the comments.   

Happy Running, Friends!