Overwhelmed to Overjoyed!!!!!!

What a day yesterday...Kristy and I stuck with intervals throughout the 3:33 and now WE KNOW we can do the full deal. My feet were on fire and I had very sore legs crossing the "finish line", but my recovery has been amazing! I am not even sore today, my feet feel just fine, and whether it was due to the COLD shower afterwards or the ENDUROX I drank, I don't know, but I will be repeating that routine after every LSD. I have energy! I am beginning to think the Endorphins are still floating around in my brain...I keep hearing that song in my head...I FEEL GOOD, na-da-da-da-da-da-da, OH SO GOOD, na-da-da-da-da-da-da....

Overwhelmed

That is what I feel right now. I have an intense sales meeting next week in Destin (big whoop) that is so-o-o much extra work to prepare for it. I cannot wait to retire. I have 1 yr. 10 months. I will do something else but only part time and something I really WANT to do. Oh geez, this is turning into another whine.
Okay, I went to the park and walked as fast as I could for 1 hr. 15 min. including stretching and one bathroom break. I heard this "swish, swish" behind me, then, beside me and then passing me and leaving me in the dust. It was a lady maybe an inch taller than me, from Pakistan or one of those countries, with all the garb on, head covered, neck covered (can't remember what they call this clothing) and she had on a LONG denim skirt that was "slim" at the bottom and she had that skirt stretched to the max with each step...and they were fast steps. I felt like the biggest NON-Marathoner at that moment. I mean her shoes did not look like anything from Fleet Feet. They were black and leather and I may need to look into getting some if they let you walk that fast! Anyway, I just shrugged...should be used to being passed by now. ALTHOUGH, on occasion, I will pass a few people. But tonight, I could not bring myself to run. I just did not want to be uncomfortable. What a spoiled little brat I am. I just did not have it in me. I think I have a little depression trying to get a stronghold on me because I am worried about my son's future. I don't want to take antidepressants because I am afraid of gaining more weight. I am depending on the exercise and God to get me through without medication. I need to pray more and I need to let God take my troubles and trust him to handle them. I woke up at 3:30am this morning and could not get back to sleep. Think I will go to bed since I will need to stock up on rest so I can get through Saturdays' event. Good-night. P. S. Took my shoes in to Wayne Jimenez today and he glued a pad underneath my shoe insert and my toes DID NOT HURT when I walked tonight. He's good. He also was appalled at how badly I needed new shoes. I prefer a P.T. tell me than a shoe salesman! I have 2 pair ordered just like these but they have not arrived yet. Got them on sale which is why I ordered 2 pair. Okay, okay, good night again.

He's great!

Wayne Jimenez, that is. Went to see him this aft. and he diagnosed my foot pain as metatarsalgia which means pain in the toes...Ha-Ha, but he knows what to do to provide some relief. I will go back tomorrow with my running shoes and he will strategically place a pad to absorb some of the shock that my fat self causes as I run. He is super nice and doesn't charge anything, but I am giving him a gift certificate from Fleet Feet when I go back tomorrow. Being a P.T. I trust his judgement and he has a few years of experience under his belt, plus, he is a runner...great combo. Thanks Mark for recommending him! Well, my XT will be the elliptical tonight. I have been eating more carbs the last 2 days so maybe I will do better in the park tomorrow. Sure hope so.

Slight whine

Okay, this morning got up and went to the park. Walked for 6 min. and then did run 2 walk 1 min. So-o hard. My legs felt like concrete, did not want to lift from the pavement, very slow movement. Lived for the walk minute. Only lasted one mile. Then switched to run 1 min., walk 2 min. and that was better. Why, when I could do 3:3 last week is this so hard? Whatever, I am sore, fatigued, and now that I think about it, I need to be drinking a lot more water. I came home and took a cold shower hoping that would help my very sore legs...maybe it did, but they are still a little sore. My right foot continues to have the pain underneath my 3 middle toes--what's up with that? I will give Wayne Giminez a call tomorrow and see if he can assist me with the foot pain. I probably need new shoes. I am a little disheartened today because my fatigue kicked in way too early in the park and I have had little energy the rest of the day. Maybe I need more carbs...that sounds like a good idea! Anywho, I will overcome.

Countdown

Y'all-l-l-l, we are coming up on one of the biggest MILEstones (pun intended) this comin' Saturday--woo-hoo. I need to block it out of my mind until I get up Saturday, b'cuz it is totally intimidating to me! I am having a little foot pain about the size of a quarter on the underneath side of my middle 3 toes on just my right foot. Nothing bad now, but I can only imagine what it will feel like after Saturday. I may try and see the PT guy that Mark recommended to see if I can prevent it from getting worse. For XT yesterday, I played mixed doubles tennis with my husband as my partner and lost the match. I blamed it on my husband (secretly) because I have not lost a match this year. He is pretty rusty since he has not played in a year due to his back surgery. I am also playing a level above my rating so I guess it could have been a little of me not being as good as the female opponent. Anyway, it was fun, but my calves were "hurting"...they were so tight yesterday. I feel sure it is because I did more running than usual on Saturday. Being sore is not a BAD thing because it reminds me how good I am being by exercising... positive reinforcement. This morning I set my clock for 5am but slid back into bed and slept another hour. Got up and spent 30 min. in the park since I was running late. I will do Monday's hour tomorrow morning. It dawned on me why I was waking up on my own at 5am last week...I was still on eastern time which I had been on for 9 days! Hope everyone had a good Monday!

No way will I miss a day of training this week!

Getting up at 5am on a Saturday is not my cup of tea. That is why I left hospital nursing many years ago so that I could work a M-F job and "sleep in on the weekends". Oh well. There was CERTAINLY a good reason to be up this early today...to participate in training for one of the BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER DONE FOR MYSELF. I just finished talking to my husband about how much I am learning about my body with the MM project. I have never stuck with exercising long enough to actually see such progress that I have seen since February. It is so exciting and SO REWARDING, as well as a confidence builder. Thank you Mark, Robin, Matt!

Today was the first time I have done The FLEET FEET route. I was "unpleasantly surprised" to see "them thar hills". I started out with intervals of walking 5 minutes and running 3 minutes. However, due to all the hills , I quickly decided to run when it was flat or downhill, and walk with the uphills. That worked out well for me and my time was better than ever. I wogged alone until the very end and then met up with Vickie and Mary and finished up with them. When we got to the last hill, I told them to keep running because I was going to walk the hill. But, no, Mary would not accept that and STRONGLY, but gently, encouraged me to keep running. She is the reason I ran the last hill...thank you Mary...it was cool to run back to the group, just like you said!

I had prepared a bottle of Endurox and left it in the refrigerator to drink when I returned so I would not be "wiped out" all weekend, but decided that I did not really need it with doing "only six miles". (that is not me talking!) Since I was up SO EARLY, I decided to take a nap so I left a note for my husband to drink the Endurox since he was doing a 20 miler on his road bike. He said it tasted great...it was the kiwi strawberry flavor. One of the girls who works at FLEET FEET told me she swears by that Endurox. She makes up a bottle of it, puts in the 'frig, and when she gets in from a long run, she puts it in the blender with ice and it makes a great smoothie. I had read other blogger comments about how well it helps you recover after a long run. I will definitely be making that smoothie after next weeks' "halver"...I want to have celebratory energy at our party later that evening! Gotta train everyday this week...everyday!

3:3:3:3:1:1

Okay, got up and wogged before work for the 3rd time this week...GO CHERYL. I pushed myself today and ran 3 min., walked 3 min. for 3 miles and then walked the last mile as a cool-down. I did this in one hour, hence, the explanation for all the 3's and 1's. I tell you the first 2 miles were actually very easy, but that 3rd mile at 3:3 was getting to be a bit much. I guess you would say fatigue was setting in although when I started walking that last mile, I could have gone all day, it felt like. Maybe if I keep up the 3:3 interval, then one day I can do 4 miles like that, then 5, etc. It is a little frustrating to think that in my younger days, I would go out and run 2 miles without walking at all. I probably could do that now if I just did it without relying on intervals. However, I know that in Chicago I would NEVER be able to run the whole thing so I may as well try this interval stuff and find my way to the finish line. All day long it would suddenly occur to me, "hey, you don't have to rush home, throw on the running gear and go to the park", ALAS, you already did it! I like exercising in the morning once it is behind me...I sure am reluctant to get out of bed though. Oh Yea!!! I can sleep in a bit tomorrow!! Our magical day off. See y'all Saturday.

Running scared

I am afraid of that half marathon coming up. I feel like I am so far behind since I have missed 3 LSD's. I am not THAT afraid, though, because I feel like my determination will get me through. But it shore ain't gonna be no cake walk. I have done something unusual this week and that is getting up early and wogging before work. The park is less busy in the mornings I see, and it is COOLER. I have been waking up at 5am and cannot get back to sleep...kinda weird for me but a plus for my training. I did not XT today because I had to take my son to Memphis for autonomic function testing and we got back rather late. I have my clothes all laid out to get up early again and wog before work. I may not wake up early tomorrow so I will set that #!*@!*#! alarm clock. I am tired so gotta hit the sack.

3 R's--reunited, recharged, returned!

Had a great 9-day vacation in North Carolina reuniting with old friends and a few family members that are left there. We put 930 miles on our rental vehicle. My husband and I grew up there and moved away after we married. We were very concerned about what was going on with Kristy's dad but are so grateful the outcome with his heart problems was positive.

We spent the first night with my husband's brother and wife in the Raleigh area and attended a Hospice fund raiser that featured the "Embers" a well-known band from the 60's...somehow they have stayed looking young! We shagged the night away...now the SHAG is a local popular dance that is specific to the east coast and they still have SHAG contests in Myrtle Beach. Shag is also a term used by the Brits, I believe, for a special activity but I won't give you TMI on that!

The highlight of the trip for me was reuniting with my estranged buddy...it was like we had seen each other yesterday. I had called her and got her voice mail. Wasn't sure if she would respond to set up a meeting time/place but SHE DID. She said it had been too long. A lot has been going on in her life and I am sorry I have not been a part of that...she needed all the friends she could get to support her. It took a lot of courage on my part because I had reached out to her at least 3 times and was rebuffed. I guess my innate tenacity kept me trying...that TENACITY is what will get me me through this marathon so I hope I did not use it up!

The sad part of our trip was visiting my husband's best friend who has Leukemia. They have found an almost perfect-match donor for a bone marrow transplant but have been unable to get him strong and well enough to tolerate the procedure. We are praying so hard that he can get well enough to get that transplant. Karen, his wife, is so stoic. My heart breaks for her.

We did not get to see the airplane my uncle is building from scratch because it had rained so much that the unpaved road to the hangar was too boggy to drive on. He had taken a lot of pictures for us and it is so amazing to see what this 75-yr-old man (I had thought he was 73 but was 2 yrs. off) has accomplished over the past 20 months. He had the cockpit and all the instrument panel intact, the engine, the wings, just the body still needed more construction. I told him we would be back next year to see it and he said it would be sitting on the landing strip by then. I need to contact the Raleigh News and Observer to do a feature story on him. My 74-yr-old aunt, (mom's sister) is still dabbling in real estate and showed us a beach house she has listed. I want my hubby and me to be like this couple when we grow oldER...still engaged in life to the max.

I sorta kinda kept up my training on treadmills, ellipticals, etc. in hotel fitness rooms. Also walked outside a couple of days but I have missed 2 LSD sessions. The longest I have done is 10.6 miles so I am back in the training mode. October will be here before we know it! Looking forward to seeing everyone this Saturday!